My husband's mother was a wonderful cook. Her recipes were the background to most of his favorite childhood memories and, once I met the family, mine as well. When she died in 1994, many of these dishes were lost, as the unmarked recipe had come from one of the many cookbooks that lined the kitchen walls, or was scribbled on a piece of scratch paper and pulled from these books when needed. The file system was all in Barb's head.
My sister-in-law has had an ongoing project to assemble many of these favorites into a cookbook for each of her siblings. If fresh strawberry daquiris are required, Chicken a la Pappa is craved, or Porcupine Meatballs are needed there is a place to find the ingredients. I am working from a 2005 dog-eared edition, with blank spots for new family favorites or the possible discovery of a long lost treat (Orange Rolls are still m.i.a., I think).
This potato salad is the best...either as a side dish, or on greens as a light meal. Summer perfection!
Mom's Potato Salad
(makes a big bowlful, 4-6 servings)
1 c. mayo
2 t. prepared yellow mustard
1/2 t. celery seed
1/2 c. chopped sweet pickle relish (bro in-law uses sweet pepper relish, which is nice too, and adds some color)1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
4 c. cubed cooked potatoes (use waxy taters, red or yukon gold and undercook them a bit so they don't fall apart in the salad...I don't peel mine, tho peeled is probably more authentic)
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1/2 c. chopped celery
1/2 c. chopped onions
Put potatoes, eggs, celery, and onions in large serving bowl. Combine mayo, mustard, celery seed, relish, salt and pepper and stir to mix. Gently stir dressing into chopped salad until evenly distributed. Refrigerate overnite (if you don't start the day before, mix the dressing in the morning and let it sit so that the flavors mingle. Try to dress the salad a few hours ahead of time, so the potatoes soak up the juices).
It is oh so hot here in the Midwest (for us), and I've been eating a lot of of one of my fave main dish salads. It's a Four-Bean Salad, dressed with a Tarragon Vinaigrette that is refreshing, filling, but not heavy. Plenty of protein to keep you going, but it won't bog you down. I had a bowlful for lunch, on fresh butter lettuce from the farm and a slice of toasted Sourdough Rye (more on that adventure, later) with butter.
Four-Bean Salad
1 14 oz. can each northern beans, black beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans (if you are soaking and cooking beans enough to make 1 1/2 c. each type)
1/3c. chopped red onion
1/2c. chopped ham (if you're a meat eater, if not try hard boiled egg or other veggies--green pepper, celery, cucumber)
1. Rinse and drain all beans, if canned.
2. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, carefully, so as not to smash up beans.
3. Drizzle with vinaigrette (recipe follows) and allow to sit for about a half an hour.
4. Serve over greens (my favorite is arugula) at room temperature. Store in the fridge.
Tarragon Vinaigrette (adapted from the New York Times Cookbook)
5 T. Olive oil
3 T. White wine vinegar (I've used a tarragon-infused vinegar, which was fine, but I noticed "tarragon flavor" in the ingredients, which grossed me out--what is that?, so I recommend just a straight up white wine vin.)
1 T. fresh tarragon, or 1/2 t. dried
1 large clove garlic
1 T. salt
1/8 t. freshly ground pepper
1. Cut garlic into fourths lengthwise and lightly "bruise" tarragon, if fresh.
2. Combine with rest of ingredients and let sit at room temperature for a couple of hours to develop flavors.
3. Remove garlic before serving (or don't, but keep and eye out for the chunks in the salad...a firey surprise for the unsuspecting!)
