Aug 1, 2005 By Jennifer Harr 3 min read

There ought to be a V-chip that blocks cooking shows for the hungry. There ought to be a V-chip that blocks cooking shows for the hungry.

Flipping through the channels one night, I settled on Food Network. I truly wasn’t hungry until I watched my favorite chef, Rachel Ray, make hot potato salad. It just sounded too good not to go into the kitchen to make.

But, and I’m sure many of you can empathize with this, I didn’t have everything I needed to make it. With 4-year-old Gabe sleeping soundly, there was just no way I was waking him up so I could go to the store.

The recipe called for a few different fresh herbs. I was partially okay. My rosemary was doing okay. But the other things, basil for instance, just don’t like my back yard. So I altered the ingredients and went with what I did have: chives and mint.

Both love my ground, especially the mint.

My mom gave me mint to transplant three years ago with a warning: “It grows like a weed.”

Indeed.

Two summers ago, frustrated with the mint that took over my small garden, I pulled it all out, intent upon removing it. (I also wanted to squeeze the mint oil from the leaves to make homemade mint juleps.)

It seems like the next day, my mint returned. I’ve stopped fighting with it, and now a small patch has grown under the fence that surrounds my home, and into my front driveway.

My neighbors no doubt think I’m nuts because I no longer fight with the mint patch there.

In the end, I guess it isn’t so bad to watch TV hungry. Not only did I get to use up some of the ever-growing mint, I got some pretty fabulous inspiration for a delicious dish.

Hot Potato

Steak Salad

3 potatoes, skin on

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary

Pepper

Coarse barbeque seasoning

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons oil

1 small onion, diced

10 to 12 cherry tomatoes, quartered and seeded

2 tablespoons fresh chives

1 tablespoon fresh mint

1 cup fresh, chopped spinach

1 flank steak or London broil, about 1 pound

¾ cup oil

2-3 healthy sprigs rosemary, leaves on stem

2-3 cloves garlic, smashed, peel removed

Over low heat, pour the oil and add the rosemary sprigs and crushed garlic cloves. Let it simmer over that heat for 10-15 minutes. Be careful to keep the heat low and keep an eye on the garlic and rosemary so it does not burn. The smell will let you know when it’s done.

Cool the oil and pour over the steak, with a dose of fresh cracked black pepper. Let it sit for at least an hour. Heat the broiler to high and broil steak to desired doneness. I like it rare, so depending on the thickness of the steak, I do it about 4-5 minutes per side.

Cut the potatoes into slices, and toss them with a drizzle of oil, the remaining chopped rosemary, pepper, barbeque seasoning and garlic. Put slices on a hot grill and grill through.

Pour vinegar into a bowl and whisk in oil. In a large bowl, toss the cherry tomatoes, onion, chives, mint and spinach.

Pour oil and vinegar mix atop. Add the grilled hot potatoes and toss again.

Top with thin slices of steak.

Jennifer Harr is the Herald-Standard court reporter. E-mail questions and recipes to jharr@heraldstandard.com or write to her at the Herald-Standard, 8-18 E. Church St., Uniontown, Pa. 15401.