Salads with vinaigrette

For someone who is patently terrified of all the offerings in the deli case pasta salad universe — the tri-colore, mayo-slicked, sugar-sweetened, canned[...]

2 x Idaho baking potatoes , like russets peeled, sliced     into 12 pcs about 1/2"-thk, and     punched out with round cookie cutter 3 sm purple baking[...]

Goat cheese rounds 2 tablespoons sesame seeds 2 teaspoons ground cumin 11/2 teaspoons paprika 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher[...]