Rich potato salad

Potato salad is a barbecue staple – anyone enrolled in a culinary arts program online knows it. No summer picnic can qualify itself as a real picnic without some version of this mayonnaise-laden desert. In recent years, vegetarians and vegans have remade the heavy supply in some not-so-creamy ways. The recipes are countless. Now for a second, imagine that one new to potato salad could earn thousands of dollars for an attempt at the dish.

In June 2014, Zach Danger Brown of Ohio uploaded a $10 goal Kickstarter campaign to help him make a basic potato salad. According to National Public Radio, Brown had accumulated $60,000 by July 8, 2014. The NPR science team did a little math and discovered that with the money he has raised so far, Brown has the resources to make over 150,00 servings of his salad.

In the effort to pay homage to summer, here are two fancy options that Brown could make for the crowds when his campaign ends in August.

German potato salad with dill
Using any small variety of potato, boil approximately 2 pounds until soft. In a pan with oil, salt and pepper, cook sliced onion until tender. After removing the pan from the heat, stir in 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar and pour the contents over your potatoes. Be sure to mix in chopped scallions, caraway seed and dill.

Sweet potato salad and poblano
This version of the salad breaks away from tradition and avoids the white potato. Sweet potatoes offer their own distinct flavors, making them a tasty choice for a unique potato salad. Atop the cooked sweet potatoes, pour a concoction of honey, white wine, rosemary, shallot, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. For an extra-smoky flavor, grill the sweet potatoes after boiling. Atop your potatoes add the garnish of poblano peppers, green onions and parsley.