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No matter what Phil the groundhog saw, it’s spring in Natchez.

My sinuses told me over the week that things are starting to bloom; my slight sunburn from last weekend tells me that it’s time to get outside again; and the movement around town screams Spring Pilgrimage has begun.

What spring also brings is salad season.

We’ve covered where to find the best chicken salad in town, and I’m currently researching the best salads you can find.

In the meantime, I thought I’d share one of our favorite recipes for Potato Salad that seems to find it’s way onto our family table quite frequently.

Over the years, we have tweaked this recipe with the amount of mayo, the type of mustard, and just how many olives are acceptable to find that time recipe is pretty perfect. We’ve tried the recipe with russet, Yukon gold, and red potatoes, so any you pick will work just fine. It’s always good to leave a little skin on the potato for texture. Trust me.

I’m not a fan of those store-bought potato salads that are too mayonnaise-y and have a dabble of too much yellow mustard. We like a little crunch in our spoonful and a little heat from the creole mustard.

If you want to jazz up the pickles you use for the relish, grab a jar of Fat Mama’s Fire and Ice Pickles to chop up.

Potato Salad

2 pounds russet potatoes

2 pounds red-skin potatoes

4 eggs, boiled and mashed

1 ½ cup mayo

3 tablespoon Creole mustard

½ cup celery, chopped

1/2 cup bell pepper or banana pepper, chopped

½ cup sweet pickle relish

½ cup green olives, sliced

2 tablespoons green onion, chopped

Salt and pepper

Begin by boiling the potatoes in salted water until the skin begins to peel and they can be easily pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes and remove the skin.  Place in a large bowl with the boiled and mashed eggs, mayo, and mustard.  Mash all together leaving the potatoes chunky and well combined.  Fold in the celery, relish, olives, peppers, and green onions.  Salt and pepper to taste. Let chill overnight before serving.

If the potato salad is dry the next day, add a hefty spoonful of mayo to the mix.

Jennie Guido is a community columnist for The Natchez Democrat. You may reach her at guido.jennie@gmail.com.