Lothar was kind enough to invite us over to view his vacation videos. During the intermission he served us lunch - what he called a German-style lunch, grilled bratwusrt and German-style potato salad. Everyone was very appreciative of the tasty fare. Later Lothar shared his recipe with me. It was his adaptation of a recipe he found in an original German cookbook, “Dr. Oetker Schul-Kochbuch,” that dates from 1937. Please enjoy our rendition of kartoffelsalat.

• 1 1/2 pounds white potatoes
• 1 small red onion
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• 1 hard boiled egg, sluced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 radish, thinly sliced

• 2 strips bacon
• 1/2 cup beef or chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon bacon fat
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 small gherkin, sliced
• 1 small cucumber, sliced
• 3 or 4 well-drained pickled beet slices for garnish

1. Place egg in small sauce pan and cover with tap water. Heat over high heat to a boil. Cover, remove from heat and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse under running cold water until cool. Cover with water and add ice and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Peel and slice - reserve center sections with yolk for the salad.
2. Crisp fry bacon slices and set aside on a paper towel. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings.
3. Cook the unpeeled potatoes in lightly-salted simmering water until they are fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and allow to cool enough to handle. With a towel, rub the potatoes to remove the skin. Cut the potatoes into bite-sized bits and place in bowl.
4. Pare and trim onion. Cut in thin slices. Stack slices and cut once through the center. Break up the onions to make little semi-circles. Add to the potatoes. Add sliced radish. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Trim and de-string celery stalks. Thin-slice on the bias. Add the celery to the potatoes.
6. Peel cucumber and cut into thin slices. Cut gherkin in thin slices. Add to potato mixture.
7. In a small bowl, combine the reserved bacon drippings, vinegar, mustard and broth. Whisk to combine well. Pour over the potato mixture and toss to coat evenly. Cover and cool in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours. Before serving, crumble the reserved bacon strips over the top of the salad. Arrange the egg slices and a few beet slices over the top of the salad.

In researching the recipe, I have come across some tempting variations that I shall soon try. They include use of celery salt, a bit of sweetness from sugar or honey, or a bit of tang from lemon zest or juice.