LJWorld.com

Make Me Some Potato Salad Mon, 06/08/2009 - 11:03 — By Walter Pfaeffle in www.germerica.net

If you had closed your eyes and listened to Ronda Miller’s grandfather speak you might have echoed Judy Garland in the Wizard of Oz saying, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas any more.”

He spoke with such a thick German accent you might think he had spent most of his life in Europe. In fact, Ronda’s grandfather was born on the farm his parents owned. Her great-grandmother spoke only German and lived into her 90s. It was the family elders and their friends in German areas of Kansas who spoke with the Teutonic accent they brought in.

A third-generation German-American, Ronda lived on the 880-acre property until her parents sold it. Way back the family even changed their name to Miller from the original Mueller, possibly because of the anti-German hysteria that prevailed in our country after World War I.

“It’s always heart-wrenching to see something that you know meant so much to your ancestors in the hands of others who don’t care for it nearly so well.”

As a child, Ronda had a uniquely American experience down to the one-room country school located about a mile from the Colorado and Kansas border. Later at the University of Kansas she earned degrees in Creative Writing and Human Development/Family Life (Photo: Ronda, left, and her siblings).

A mother of two, Ronda writes blogs for the World Company as well as other media. She is a self-employed Health and Fitness Coach and offers support services to those who have lost some one to homicide or suicide. She knows what its like to lose something precious.

“It’s too easy to lose touch with our roots .. they are essential to our well being on a very base level,” she says. Like most rest of us, Ronda is a loyal American proud of her German ancestry.

Soon Ronda will be an empty-nester. Her son Vardaman, 21, has joined the army and will begin basic training in Georgia in August. Daughter Apollonia, 18, will enter the University of Kansas at Lawrence at about the same time.

With the kids soon out of the house, Ronda might have more time on her hands to dream up recipes.

Before revealing the secret of her mustardized potato salad, let me tell you that I prepared it myself and, honest, it was yummie! My 21-year old daughter ‘Andy’ agreed (she ate most of it). Photo: Publisher Walter Pfaeffle and daughter Andy in New York City enjoying Ronda's potato salad.

Sorry, Ronda, we know Kansas produces superb wines, but our local vintner couldn’t come up with a bottle. So we washed down your potato salad with a Chardonnay from Napa Valley.

Here now is Ronda Miller’s recipe for hot German potato salad with mustard. You might want to stick it on your refrigerator door with one of those magnets.

A Hot German/American Mustard Potato Salad

By Ronda Miller

6 or 7 red potatoes

3 to 4 hard boiled eggs

4 Tablespoons of mayo (don't you dare use a light one) I have to adjust this depending on how large the potatoes are as I don't like mine too dry or sloppy.

1 teaspoon of dry mustard (sometimes I use a tablespoon of wet honey mustard)

freshly grated sea salt to taste

freshly grated black pepper to taste

one small red onion diced

liberal sprinkling of dill seed ( I am more conservative with this now that I am a Republican)

Serve it very cold....or eat immediately after mixing when it is still warm. Who really cares?

So the low calorie version would be the same as above, but you could leave out the egg yolks and use low fat mayo....just don't bring it to my house. And I am a nice enough person that I make an onion free batch to please my son.

Guten Appetit!

RM