Dutch Potato Salad- minus the herring!

Many years ago, I had friends who had an open marriage.  This did not end well, as you may imagine.  While the hubby was away visiting his mother at Christmas, my friend decided to carry on an affair with a young fellow she had met recently.  It was all a bit clandestine, and somewhat embarrassing for me, as the 3 of us went off camping by a lake in one tent.  The only way they could get some alone time was to go off in a rowing boat to a little island in the middle of the lake, while I was left to twiddle my thumbs on the shore. You can imagine my embarrassment at night while they tried to keep their hands off each other.  Oh, and did I mention there was no running water or showers or toilets at this camping site?  First and only time I ended up with a very personal skin rash.  And of course, I could not answer the phone when we were at home in case hubby or his parents rang or her parents rang and I gave the game away.  So I was not allowed to answer the phone even though I knew Mr Pickings, whom I had just met a few weeks before, was going to ring me. (So I was naughty- I did answer the phone one time and yes I did manage to relay the secret assignations to her parents. Mmm did I do it on purpose?  Probably!)  Anyway, the only good thing about all this was the Christmas dinner we had with the boyfriend's family and the recipe for this salad which I came home with.   I have been making it at Christmas for years now.  I am not exactly sure who if anyone in the family actually likes to eat it but what the heck!  It is now tradition, and must be made on Christmas Eve.
I leave out the herring!

ingredients:

10 medium mashing potatoes
2 large eggs
2 green apples
2 small onions or 4 French shallots
250g iceberg lettuce
450g tin of beetroot
3 gherkins
12 cocktail onions
2 tbs mustard pickles
3 tbs vegetable oil- I used olive oil
2 tbs vinegar
1 cup good whole egg mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Peel and boil the potatoes then drain them
Allow to become cold, then mash them
Boil the eggs till hard-boiled, then peel and leave to cool; then mash them with a fork
Grate the apples
Finely chop the onions or shallots
Shred the lettuce
Roughly chop the beetroot
Finely chop the gherkins and cocktail onions
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl till nicely combined
Spoon the salad into a large serving bowl or plastic container if keeping for later
Cover the entire surface with a thin layer of mayo.  (this keeps out the air and stops it discolouring).
Garnish with extra lettuce and beetroot if desired

This will keep for a couple of days in a sealed container in the fridge.  It goes well with Christmas meats like ham and turkey.

boil and peel and mash them eggs and taters!

strong nephew mashed the bejabbers out of the taters for me:) 

more strong-arm tactics from nephew who cooks for a living   

finely chopping that onion/shallot

butcher that beetroot

give the cocktail onions a good seeing-to 

pour in the oil

add pepper

and lots of salt

whack in lots of lovely mayo

stir stir stir

smother in life-saving mayo

Have a wonderful Xmas and New Year break everyone.  Take care and see you in the New Year - virtually!!