German Potato Salad with Chive Blossoms (Kartoffelsalat)
Once upon a time, there was a little girl who knew she would never be a princess, but she dreamt that one day that she would at least get to visit a castle. Visiting Disneyland and meeting Cinderella in her Disney castle sort of counted. But now, I was on my way to visit a real castle in Germany along with my Prince Charming.
Hansom and I were on the Romantic Road in southwest Bavaria, Germany on our way to visit Mad King Ludwig's Neuschwanstein castle. Nestled in Schwangau, this fairy tale castle is said to be the inspiration for Cinderella's castle at Disney.
Little did I know that everything about that day would be magical, right from the picturesque drive on the aptly named Romantische Strasse to the long and beautiful trek up the mountain to Neuschwanstein castle, where we happily encountered no big, bad wolves along the way.
This was followed by a romantic horse carriage ride down the mountain and a fairy tale ending to the day with a delicious dinner of bratwursts and German Potato Salad (kartoffelsalat). Perhaps peasant food for some, but for me it was fare fit for a king... or a princess.
Yes, dreams do come true, stories do have happy endings and with that, the grown-up little girl and her Prince Charming lived happily ever after.
My German Potato Salad (Kartoffelsalat) inspired by Neuschwanstein Castle
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| My Fairy Tale German Potato Salad inspired by a trip to Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany |
Once back stateside, I quickly recreated a German Potato Salad inspired by my trip to Neuschwanstein.
In Germany, the potato salads that I had were made with small slices of potatoes, rather than chunks and the dressing was a light vinegary dressing with spicy horseradish, rather than thick, creamy, mayonnaise dressings that we're so used to in the U.S.
The Germans also added sliced red radishes to the potato salad, that not only brought in a bit of color, but also a bit of mustardy sharpness.
Since it was spring and I had chive flowers blooming in my garden, I topped off my German Potato Salad with chive flowers and chopped chive leaves.
Mmmm... Das ist gut!
For the recipe, scroll down to the bottom of this post.
Neuschwanstein Castle on the Romantic Road, Bavaria, Germany
Here are a few pictures from our trip to Neuschwanstein.
Why is the sign in Japanese? Who knows.
You can see the castle in the distance. We walked all this way and climbed up the mountain to the castle. That's one looooong walk.
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| We're on the Romantic Road in Bavaria, Germany, on the way to see Neuschwanstein Castle |
Here's an aerial view of the gorgeous Neuschwanstein castle.
As a tourist, you'd never get this view of the castle unless you could fly... No drones allowed.
So instead, I had the good sense to take a picture of a postcard displayed in a tourist shop that captured the Neuschwanstein castle in it's entirety. Simply enchanting!
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| Picture postcard perfect: Neuschwanstein Castle was the inspiration for Disney's Cinderella Castle |
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| Hohenschwangau Castle |
After a long and semi-challenging hike up the mountain to Neuschwanstein, below is the view of the Hohenschwangau castle below us from the Neuschwanstein Castle. Nestled amongst the mountains and surrounded by glassy lakes, it was almost too good to be true.
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| View of Hohenschwangau Castle from the Neuschwanstein Castle viewpoint. |
And here we are at Neuschwanstein castle, with it's impressive turrets balanced on the steep mountainside surrounded by snowy Alps. I felt I was visiting the Ice Queen's palace rather than Cinderella's, since it was still cold even though it was April.
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| Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany |
On the way down, Hansom and I cuddled up and clip-clopped our way down the hillside. The best 4 euros per person we've spent!
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| Taking a horse and carriage ride downhill after visiting Neuschwanstein Castle |
Recipe for German Potato Salad inspired by Neuschwanstein
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| My German Potato salad inspired by a trip on the Romantic Road in Germany |
Ingredients:
☐ 6 potatoes
☐ 4 red radishes
☐ 2 tablespoons mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
☐ 1 tablespoon vinegar
☐ 1 teaspoon horseradish
☐ 1 teaspoon mustard
☐ Spring onions, chopped
☐ Chive flowers and leaves for garnish
☐ Salt and pepper to taste
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Step 1: Boil Potatoes
Cut potatoes into quarters, then slice them up.
Boil until almost done. Strain. Rinse with cool water and set aside.
Step 2: Make Dressing
Combine the mayonnaise/ Miracle Whip, vinegar, horseradish and mustard well.
Step 3: Toss
Add the dressing to the warm potatoes. Mix carefully. Stir in the chopped spring onions and half the sliced radishes. Season with salt and pepper as required.
Garnish and chive flowers and leaves and the remaining sliced radishes.
Interested in reading about my other adventures with Hansom, click on the "Travelecipes" link below.