Pesto Potato Salad with Snap Peas and Feta

This past weekend was the spring football game at Virginia Tech, and you know what that means - tailgating!  

You may have heard... I'm obsessed with tailgating and Virginia Tech football, but mostly the tailgating.  What's not to love?  You get to sit outside all day with your friends, while playing lawn games and partaking in adult beverages AND continuously eating amazing food.  

I just wish people would cool it with the tablecloths.  Seriously, why do you need a tablecloth at a tailgate?  All you need is food and alcohol.  No one cares what the table looks like.  You aren't Martha Stewart.  "This food must be displayed on a plastic tablecloth before I can eat it," said no one ever.

For the first tailgate of 2013, I wanted to make something amazing (duh) and springy.  Our friend Bret grilled some awesome chicken chorizo burgers so I put myself in charge of a side dish.  Hello potato salad.  


I didn't want to make the tired old mayonnaise-based potato salad though.  So, being all brilliant and everything, I created a PESTO potato salad and threw in some vibrant green snap peas for a crunch.  And feta.  Lots of feta.  

Get in my belly.

Printable Recipe HERE

Ingredients
8 - 10 medium red potatoes, washed, and cut into bite-sized chunks
Salt and pepper
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup snap peas, sliced
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
3/4 cup feta cheese
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil, add a dash of salt to the water, and cook for 6 - 8 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender (when you stab a potato with a fork, the potato falls easily off the fork).  

Drain the potatoes and let cool.

In the bowl of a food processor, add the garlic cloves and pine nuts.  Process on low speed until combined.  Add the basil and cilantro and continue processing on low speed while slowly drizzling in the olive oil.  Process for about 30 seconds, until everything is combined.  Season with salt and pepper.

Toss the potatoes with the pesto.  Add the snap peas, the regular peas, feta, and red onion and stir to combine.  

Refrigerate for up to 1 day before serving.