Wonderfully Addictive French Potato Salad

I have never been a huge fan of classic American potato salad, where the potatoes are swimming in gobs of mayo with little clumps of egg hanging on to the smushy potatoes (ok, maybe it's not always this bad....).

But this potato salad is a horse of a different color. The white wine, olive oil and lemon juice dressing soaks into the warm potatoes, and the green onions add texture as well as flavor. This salad is at once fancy enough to serve at a dinner party and easily casual enough to pack along on a picnic. It is delicious whether it is served hot or cold, and can be made in large amounts or small ones.

Whenever my mom makes this, I literally can't stop eating it---it's so good. I asked her to teach me to make it. We bought some gorgeous little potatoes at the farmers market and picked some fresh basil from the garden.

As always with my mother, it was nearly impossible to figure out amounts of things as she doesn't measure. Here are some estimates.

7-8 potatoes, cut into chunks (but really, as many as you want to make--leftovers are always good!)

1/2 c olive oil**
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c white wine
1 tsp mustard
salt and pepper
chopped basil (optional)

**these amounts are really to taste---vary as you like!

Cut up potatoes into potato-salad sized chunks (not too big, not to small) and steam. While the potatoes are still warm, pour the dressing over them and allow it to sit and soak in. Potatoes should be nicely coated but not drowning in dressing. Garnish with the green onions and basil and serve.