The simplest and one of the best ways to enjoy them is to cook in a pot of boiling water till tender, with a good pinch of salt and a large sprig of mint. Add nothing more than a little butter and sea salt, served with barbequed lamb chops and a glass of red wine . . . pure bliss. And of course leftover boiled potatoes are so great for throwing into omelettes or tossing in a hot pan with olive oil and some herbs or spices, or as the Italians do, adding them to a pasta sauce or a risotto.

If you want to make a salad out of new potatoes then you have a huge choice of ingredients to play with, as the gorgeous little waxy spuds lend themselves so well to all sorts of different flavours. For the most basic and one of the best potato salads, make a good French dressing to toss with the hot boiled potatoes, then allow to cool before adding a quality mayonnaise, some sea salt, pepper and lots of lovely chopped fresh herbs .

Crispy bacon and chorizo both work well in a potato salad, as does chopped avocado. I love a potato salad with capers, gherkins and chopped anchovies, or with sundried tomatoes, feta and rocket leaves.

Smoked fish like salmon, trout or mackerel loves new potatoes, with some chopped red onion, capers or horseradish to give it a bit of a kick. For a change sometimes I add spices and lots of chopped coriander for an Indian flavour, divine with barbequed spicy lamb burgers New potatoes, or early potatoes, are very forgiving for the cook: they do not break up into a mush nearly as easily as the lovely floury potatoes that we get later on in the year. The most popular varieties in Ireland seem to be Homeguard and British Queens and, in many farmers' markets around August, my favourites, the long knobbly and waxy Pink Fir Apples, start appearing.

Potatoes are so nutritious, containing vitamins C and B6, as well as fibre and iron. But make sure they are not soaked in water for any amount of time as this can result in the loss of the water-soluble nutrients. Keep them somewhere cool and dark (but preferably not the fridge) and away from onions. Avoid any that are green, or remove any green patches, as these can be a little toxic, and for the best flavour eat as soon as possible after picking or buying.

SPUD SALAD TIPS

1Use a really good extra-virgin olive oil . . . the flavour will make all the difference.

2For the potatoes to absorb the best flavour, season and toss them with dressing (unless recipe says otherwise) while hot.

3Cook them whole and then cut them into chunks after they have boiled.

Preferably, leave the skin on to get the most from the potato in terms of nutrition.

POTATO SALAD WITH SMOKED MACKEREL & BEETROOT

1kg new potatoes
3 large smoked mackerel fillets
2 tbsp horseradish cream juice of
1 large lemon 125ml natural yogurt
4 small cooked beetroot (not pickled beetroot)

Cook the potatoes in boiling water with a good pinch of salt. While they are cooking, whisk the horseradish cream, lemon juice and yoghurt together. Cut the beetroot into large chunks and break the smoked mackerel into large pieces, about 2cm.

When the potatoes are cooked, drain and half or quarter the potatoes, or cut into 1cm slices. Toss the potatoes with the yoghurt dressing, the smoked mackerel and beetroot. Season to taste and serve .

Tip: This salad is great served on a bed of baby spinach leaves on individual plates.

POTATO SALAD WITH GHERKINS & DILL

1kg new potatoes, cleaned
4 spring onions, sliced finely
4 tbsp gherkins, chopped in half cm cubes
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp caster sugar 50ml olive oil small handful of finely chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper

Cook the potatoes in boiling water with a good pinch of salt. While the potatoes are cooking make the dressing. In a bowl, mix the vinegar, mustard and castor sugar.

Whisking all the time, add the olive oil.

Very gradually, the dressing will thicken.

Add the chopped dill and season with salt and pepper . When the potatoes are cooked, drain and half or quarter the potatoes, or cut into 1cm slices. Allow to cool slightly then toss with the spring onions and the gherkins. Then gently mix in the dill dressing, season to taste and serve .

INDIAN POTATO SALAD WITH MUSTARD SEEDS & CORIANDER

1kg new potatoes, cleaned
50ml olive oil juice of
1 lime
3 tsp yellow mustard seeds, tossed on a hot pan for a few seconds to bring out the flavour
2 tsp ground turmeric
Quarter to half a red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
Salt and pepper
2 generous tbsp chopped coriander
4 spring onions, finely sliced at an angle

Cook the potatoes in boiling water with a good pinch of salt. While they are cooking mix together the olive oil, lime juice, mustard seeds, turmeric and the chopped chilli. Season with salt and pepper.

When the potatoes are cooked, drain and cut them into halves or quarters, or cut into 1cm slices. While the potatoes are still hot, pour over the dressing and toss.

Allow to cool slightly, then add most of the chopped coriander and spring onions, season to taste, put in a serving bowl, sprinkle with the remaining coriander and spring onions and serve.

POTATO SALAD WITH CHORIZO, ROCKET & SUN-BLUSH TOMATOES

1kg new potatoes , cleaned
350g/12oz chorizo, sliced 5mm thick
50ml olive oil
1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Small handful of sun-blush tomatoes, chopped (you can also use regular sun-dried tomatoes, which are slightly stronger)
2 large handfuls of rocket leaves

Cook the potatoes in boiling water with a good pinch of salt. While they are cooking, slice the chorizo and cook in a dry frying pan for a few minutes, on a medium to high heat, until the oil has come out of the chorizo and the slices are crisp. Set aside . . . DON'T discard the oil from the chorizo.

When the potatoes are cooked, drain and cut into halves or quarters, or 1cm slices. While the potatoes are still hot, add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chorizo and oil from the frying pan. Season with sea salt and pepper and allow to cool to room temperature. Toss with the tomatoes and the rocket leaves and serve.

Tip: This can also be made with avocado instead of sunblush tomatoes.

POTATO SALAD WITH SPINACH & BACON

1kg new potatoes
50ml olive oil
1.5 tbsp red-wine vinegar
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
Sea salt and pepper
12 rashers of streaky bacon
Around 16 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 handfuls of baby spinach leaves
handful of Parmesan shavings

Cook the potatoes in boiling water with a good pinch of salt. When they are cooked, drain and cut them into halves or quarters, or 1cm slices. Mix together the olive oil, red-wine vinegar and mustard.

Season with salt and pepper, then drizzle over the hot potatoes and toss gently. Grill the bacon until crisp and golden, then cool, break into pieces and add to the potatoes, with the cherry tomatoes. Once the potatoes have cooled to room temperature toss in the spinach leaves, scatter the parmesan shavings over the top and serve.

BOOK OF THE WEEK

AUSTRALIAN chef Donna Hay's talent is for turning the simple into something very special and 'Modern Classics Book 1' reinvents many of the old favourites, such as French onion soup, and establishes some newer dishes as future classics.

From pastas and salads to roasts, pies and noodles, Hay's recipes are creative and inspiring but will not prove to be too intimidating for the novice cook. And the book is almost worth picking up for the exquisite photography alone.