New England Sistahs Tackle Fried Green Tomatoes

           Dusk falls over the Raggedy Garden. The stars have fallen along the fence, see? The perfect end to a Monday. So we've all heard of Fried Green Tomatoes. Some of us have read the book. Some have seen the movie. I had them before. When I was south of the Mason Dixon. I even had a BLT with the T being the fried green kind. Now being the time of plenty of green tomatoes, I thought I'd do up a batch and see how these New Hampshire girls would like them.
            Green tomatoes are pretty. Smooth, apple green, shiny. They are hard. When you slice them up, not too thick, now, so they will cook quickly in the hot oil. Yes. You get out the trusty cast iron skillet, fill half way with oil of choice and let that oil smoke, girls. Let it get smokey hot.
             Buttermilk. You have that in a bowl, and soak those green tomato slices in it. Cornmeal. You take those slices out of the buttermilk and dredge them in the corn meal. You can add any spices or salt and pepper to the cornmeal, if you wish.
              Then carefully drop the dusty yellow slices into the hot oil. Only as many as will fit with out crowding. Only as many as you can handle easily. They bubble and crackle and brown up quickly. You won't have to flip them if your oil is deep enough. Take them out with a slotted utensil and let them drain on paper towel. Dish them up, sprinkle with salt and pepper, dip in ranch dressing, spead with a little mayo.. use your imagination.
               Some of us picked them up and ate them with our fingers. (Remember, fingers were made before forks!)  Others cut them and forked them daintily into their mouths, others took a bite and spit them promptly back out. Well, each to their own. It tasted pretty much like a deep fried pickle.

.               They look quite good. Truth to tell, nobody said, "That was good, let's do it again someday." But it was fun and Charlie said he had one more thing knocked off his bucket list, so that counts for something!.  The iron horse cowboy ate his but he forgot to taste it because he was too busy talking . It's a bad habit of his. He did that to me once at the fair where he saw a buffalo burger stand. "Go buy me a buffalo burger," he says, busily talking to some long lost acquaitance. So I brave the long line, shell out extravagent amounts of cash, get back through the crowds without losing the burger. Hand it him. He eats it with gusto, still expounding to said buddy. Later on the way home I ask if liked buffalo burger? "How would I know? Never tried it", he says. Sigh.
              Have a tangy geen tomato day, where ever you may be!

The Raggedy Garden Smorgasbord

                        

  Smorgasbord.. " a widely varied collection or assortment." From the Swedish, where I have roots. You are invited to the Raggedy Garden Kitchen Smorgasbord. Here there is always coffee. ALWAYS coffee. The kind of coffee that perks away in an old Corningware coffee pot. White, with a blue bouquet. You have to be on the ball, with this pot. Else it perks up a storm and boils over. All over the stove. Huge mess. You would think I would have it all under control after all these years, but no..I still manage to not pay attention and make a mess, at times. Sigh. Perked coffee is very hot. (Because its boiling!) So keep that in mind if you drink coffee here. Every one is always burning their tongue. All coffee is good. At least,lush that I am, I have not ever had any that I could not drink. But perked coffee is especially good. It has drip coffee and K-Cups beat by a mile. Or you can have tea. It does not take long to heat up some water. And a little smackrel of something to go with the coffee. Iron Horse cowboy insists on that. He will try to shame you into having food, if nothing else works, like presentation, or shouting, or force feedng. Midnight to two o'clock in the morning coffee calls for eggs and toast, by the by!




There is usually bread rising  here. A big bowl, covered with a damp tea towel. It is how my grandmother taught me, all those years ago. We sure had fun, her and I, in the kichen. She spoke mostly Finnish, I spoke none, but we baked. Bread is so versatile, you can use any flavor of flour, or sweetening, or liquid  that you want. The basic sweet roll dough she taught me, works for any sweet breads. The most fun was doughnuts. She would cut them out with the cover from the (percolator) coffee pot. Now, there were some doughnuts! No spindley little store bought kind! These were raised, and you had to open your mouth wide to take a bite. Soft and sugary and warm. When we were done baking we would clean up the kitchen, sit down with coffee for her and hot chocolate for me, and sample our wares. Then and only then, would we share them with the others.

     So, wooden spoons and other wooden ware? Do you have some? I use mine all the time. If its something quick, a good sturdy wooden spoon works just as well as getting out the mixer. I always use a wooden spoon to mix yeast dough. And when it gets too stiff, then I go in with my hands. That way I can feel when its the right amount of flour, and I know when its smooth and elastic, and I can wash and butter the bowl, turn the dough in it and cover it with the tea towel to rise. For years I made eight loaves of bread every day, and later I did alot of bread baking for the local resturant, so I speak from experience,

    Maple. Thats an integral part of the Raggedy Garden kitchen. We make it, every spring. Sweet golden amber, sweet maple fragrance, sweet maple taste on the tongue. It's hard work. It takes a family, and alot of hours and cold and tramping through snowbanks, and the good weary feeling when you fall into bed and asleep before your head hits the pillow. And, Oh! the pancakes and waffles and french toast taste so fine. A lot of other things, too. Like brussels sprouts, and potato salad  and meats of all kinds. True North American product. Thank you Lord, for giving us sweet maple.

Awww. Sweet Potato. I like it baked, with butter and sour cream, and salt and pepper. Yup. In the microwave it bakes up in a couple minutes. ( Maple goes good on sweet potato, too, if you want sweetness.) Another way is to scrub them, slice them up as french fries, roll them in olive oil, sprinkle them with sea salt, bake them at 375 for about 20 minutes. When I was in North Carolina, I had them at  Southern Sisters with a dipping sauce of sour cream mixed with brown sugar. To die for!

Sea salt. Smokehouse pepper. I recommend you head for the nearest grocery and find some Smokehouse pepper. You can find sea salt every where now. It's the "in" thing. It really does enhance any thing you sprinkle it on. Like caramels, chocolate. Why? Why does it make stuff taste so good? I don't know. But that pepper, it has ambience. Smokey, mild,  the grains are big enough to see. I don't like pepper that looks like dust. I'm addicted. I put it on everything.

Blue berry jam. Nothing can compare to jam made from wild blueberries. They are tiny. Its hot and muggy and buggy when you have to pick them. It takes a long time to fill you bucket,, especailly if you try not to get any sticks and leaves and bugs. But its worth it. Oh, yes. It's hot while you are scalding jars, and boiling fruit and stirring the pot. But it is so worth it. So, so worth it. You will beleive it when you take a bite of that piece of toast, all warm and melty with butter and blueberry jam.

          Quaint old cook books. I just love them. Just imagine directions for a picnic like this! I have new ones, too. I read cookbooks all the time, loving words, and dreaming over pictures. A kitchen would not be a true kitchen with out a few well used cook books. The kind with stains on the pages and notes in the margins, and pages torn out. A smorgasbord of recipes and memories . A smorgasbord of loving and living.  Come again!

From the Herb Garden

 

     Herbs have so many variables. They are beautiful to look at. They add flavor. They have healing  and cosmetic uses. They are steeped in legend. They are fragrant. When dusk smudges the sky, and the first prickles of starshine appear, when I have finished sweating over the dish sink, then I go out into the cool of the evening. Not really very cool, but much cooler than in the kitchen. Sitting on the granite stoop I let the quietness wash over me. The night wind whispers. First I hear it whispering to the pines and hemlocks. High up, tossing the tips of the trees.  "Mini-wawa" said the  Gitchee Gummie pine trees. I have heard them, there by the lapping of the water. "Mini-wawa" they murmur to the night wind. Here they speak of silk and satin. Barely hearable swish of silk, bearly hearable swash of satin. The wind dips down into the aspen tree, shake, shake, "taffeta, taffeta", the large leaves whisper back. Like a taffeta party skirt. Like a dance in the dark. Swooping lower, my face is cooled and kissed with the night wind. It carries the sweet fragrance of newly cut hay, of the swampy place up the lane, of the heat of a dying day.

      The air is heavy. The fog swirls in on the wind. Thats when I can catch the scent of the herbs. In the heavy humid evening air. The dill, the mint, the thyme, the lavendar. The pineapple sage, the fresh clean parsley, the apple scented chamomile. It all hangs there, flavoring the dark, calling in the moths, gathering strength for the morrow.

     

 

        Parsley. Who can get along with out parsley? Fresh green color, fresh green scent. You can chew it - it freshens the breath. You can use it for garnish. You can cook it in anything. You can use it as filler for bouquets.It is rich in vitamins, minerals and chloropyll. You can have it year around. Just dig some up in the fall, and it will thrive on a sunny window sill.

        Thyme. Thyme will just thrive and grow, any where. You can grow between rocks, if you have that in mind. When it floweres, bees love it. So if that scares you, snip it when it starts to bloom. Thyme dries easily, for winter use.Thyme is the herb of courage, bravery and strength. It is an ancient herb. It is one of the herbs still used by pharmacuticals to this day. Thyme honey is much admired. 

 

      Dill. Lovely, feathery, dilly smelling dill. Fresh sprigs for cooking -fish- snipped on potatos and eggs. Wait till the flowers become seed heads. Then dry them for pickles. Once I accidently used them in bread instead of caraway seeds. It was amazingly fragrant and tasty.The name dill actually comes from the Norse. It means "lull". Supposedly has sleep inducing properties. The ancients beleived it was an absolute charm against witches and evil. The wind blows it around. Once you grow some, you will find it popping up all over the lawn. And that is fine! It's best to be safe from evil witches!

       Chives. Sturdy, chive-y, can't kill it if you try chives. WIth its onion like tops and purple flowers, it's a joy to behold. And use. I mean, what can't you use chives with? Eggs, potaos of all kinds, pastas, salads, meats. Freshly chopped on top of anything, it just adds panache! Meriweather Lewis wrote of finding them (he called them shives ) along the Columbia River, and early explorers found great patches of them growing near the Beaufort Sea.

       Chamomile. sweet fragile looking, tiny daisied flowers. Yet it stands for patience and strength in adversity. Everyone knows that a cup of chamomile tea is good for what ever might ail you. Like naughty Peter Rabbit, who had to take some and go to bed, while his sisters had berries! During the Revolutionary War it was refered to as the Rebel flower, because, " it flourishes the

 more, the more it is trampled upon. Chamomile dries nicely, keeping its scent, and also will self seed. It was used as a strewing herb, back in the days when you needed to strew fragrant herbs on your dirt floors. 

 

 

        The lemony herbs. Lemon balm, lemon verbena, lemon thyme, lemon scented geraniums. All, of course, used for fragrance and tea. Neccessary if you make potpouri. Verbena will grow into a huge shrub in warm climates. I have to take mine in for the winter and it makes a nice green houseplant. Balms were believed to make the heart merry. So drink your tea! Every morning. And have a good day.

         Lady's Mantle. Named for the Virgin Marys cape. A fast growing, filling up space herb. The yellow - green flowers dry well. The dew collects in the cup of the leaves. They say, if you gather those dew drops, and wash you face, you will be beautiful. Well.. the dew feels cool and silky on my skin. And a girl can always use a little help!

        

             Italian herbs. Easy to grow. Easy to use. Basil, oregano, marjoram, savory. Pesto. Tomatos. Sauces.  Oregano and marjoram are basically the same thing. Oregano is loved by the fairies, in case you want some of them in your garden. Savory is for beans. It was first planted by the Satyrs!
             Lavendar. Mostly used for its sweet smell, but it can be used in cooking. Lavendar Lemonade is a drink fit for a king. A good king, not a bad one!. It gives a delicate flavor to cakes and cookies.
             Mint. Now here is a hardy one. It will take over your growing area. Which is okay, if it spills out into the grass. Just mow it and walk about in it, and enjoy mint. There are many different kinds of mints, from chocolate, to orange. Better to plant in a contained space, if you don't want it to spread. It will give you delightful minty flavor to any thing you wish.
             

         Here is Hearts Ease. Also callled Johnny Jump Ups, for the way they will jump up all over the lawn. Sweet, lovely things. Gauranteed to make happy thoughts. It is bad luck to EVER destroy one of these. Best not risk it. Let them grow where they will. They are completely edible. Look beautiful on frosted cakes, in salads and make a lovely purple jelly. If you are sorrowing over some thing, find some Hearts Ease at a friends house. Dig it up and go plant it . Your heart sorrow will be eased. I know. I tried it!

 

 

                                                       Buttermilk Chives Dressing

                                            1 cup real buttermilk

                                             1/4 cup mayonaise

                                            2 Teaspoons Dijon mustard

                                            2 Teaspoons prepared horseradish

                                            2 Tablespoons chopped fresh chives

                                             1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

                                            1/4 Teaspoon garlic powder

                                            1/4 Teaspoon coarse salt

                                            1/2 Teaspoon pepper

                    Whisk together buttermilk, mayo, mustard and horseradish until smooth. Gently stir in chives, parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Let it rest in the refrigerater for about twelve hours.

                    

                      I usually have buttermilk around, because the iron horse cowboy likes to have a nice cold glass now and then. ( It's the old scandinavian coming out.) Also, I used horseradish mustard instead of horseradish and dijon, because, along with buttermilk, goes sandwiches with horseradish mustard!

                     This made wonderful potato salad, by the way. It looks real fresh and pretty with the bright green snippets of herbs.

 

 

In Praise of the Lovely Potato

  First off, Several readers have told me how they have benefited from using cast iron for their cooking. Almost identical stories about how they were anemic and could never give blood, but after using cast iron for about a year, the counts went up, and they were able to donate. (Besides feeling more frisky!) So, there you go. It's worth a try.
   

     
     Many years ago, I saw this potato bin at a yard sale. I really wanted it, but I didn't have that much money. I shamelessly flirted with the guy, and he sold it to me for $2.00 dollars. I tell you, it works. And I'm glad I did it, too, because I use this everyday, and its charming and its practical and it should last me the rest of the time that I need a potato bin.
     Believe me. I am a potato pro. If I heaped up all the potatos I've dealt with all these years. It would be a pile bigger than my house. The iron horse cowboy is of the opinion that you have to have potatos every day, at least once, in order to survive the vagaries of life. He always says he is not a fussy eater, beacause all he likes is meat and potatos, so what what could be less complicated than that? I leave it to you to make your own judgement. (I sometimes like noodle-ey stuff, too ).
      Potatos are really quite lovely. They look nice. Even the lumpy full of dirt, just from the potato field ones. They are so versatile. You can't even imagine how many different ways you can make them. Any meal of the day.

      You even have a choice of color. Red, white, yellow, even blue and purple. I did try the blue ones, once, but it just looked too, something... they tasted fine, though. I like the tiny little ones. You don't have to cut 'em or peel 'm. Just put 'em in the pot and give 'em a boil. I found out you don't have to peel potatos, ever, if you don't want to. The skins are the healthiest part anyway, so why waste the time and product? When I had seven teenage sons at home, I went through ten pounds of potatos every night. I learned pretty quickly to not worry about peeling. The peels give a great texture to mashed, are a bonus to boiled, fried, or scalloped.
       Once I even tried to grow potatos. I cut all the "eye pieces"  and placed them in my lovely, crumbly soil that I had hoed my trench in.It was pure luck that the property we bought when we came to New England was all loam and sand to make it friable. No rocks. No rocks. It is unheard of around these parts. You know all those stone walls? They picked those rocks to try to make pastures and gardens. But more just come popping up with the frost every winter. It's a losing battle. Mostly the farmers pulled stakes and moved west. They probably went out and ran that prairie soil through their fingers every day, and said a thank you prayer. For no rocks.
       Any way, I soon had four lovely, long rows of the most beautiful potato plants you would ever want to see. And I hoed out the weeds and hilled up the dirt around each plant, just like you are supposed to. Oh, I had a good feeling about those potatos! They blossomed. Sometimes, I'd even sneak a peak underneath. Yup. Little teeny tiny spuds. Can't wait. Then, alas and alack. I go out to do my daily hoeing, and what do I see? Potato bugs. Millions of 'em. On every plant. Just munching away. I ask you.. Where do they come from? I never have seen another potato patch around the neighborhod anywhere. They are called Colorado potato beetles. Did they fly in from Colorado in the night? Or did a couple sneak in and have an orgy?
         So, I bribe my boys to go out and pick the little critters off my plants. They get empy coffee cans and go out to slay the enemy. Its  a losing battle, too. Just like the rocks. You cant squish 'em fast enough. Any how, they don't care about any other plants, thank goodness. I know, I could have bought chemicals. But, you know. That just ain't right. So the beautiful potato plants all fell down. I mean, I dug up what I could. It was a pitiful small bowl of pitiful small potatos. All my hard work. I should of sat down and cried. But I didn't. I cooked 'em all up and ate 'em for supper. (The spuds, not the bugs.)
       "We have potatos for breakfast and potatos for noon. If it weren't for potatos we would soon be undoon." Old colonial saying.  So lets start with potatos for breakfast!
          First you have to cook potatos for supper the night before. Sneak out some before you mash them, or eat then as boiled potatos, just incase everyone is really hungry and they eat them all. Then there wouldn't be any left. Sad, but true. 
                  Breakfast Potatos
        ( We call them home fries, here in New England.)
           And they are NOT hashbrowns. Period.

            Heat up your cast iron skillet. You want it to be smoking hot. Drop in a dab of butter (or margarine). It will melt and turn smokey and brown. Add chopped onions. How much depends on how much you like onions. Of course, if you don't like onions, then leave them out. Add your chopped potatos. You can cut them the size you want. I like them fairly small. Then you sprinkle them liberally with Lawrys Season Salt. This is esential to good home fries. Trust me.

             Be careful when you put them in the skillet so you don't get burned with smoking hot butter. Stir just enough to mix everything evenly, and then let 'em cook. Thats it. You want them to get a nice brown crustiness to them, so when the bottoms get crusty, flip 'em over and brown the other side. Umm Hmm. Fry up some eggs and you just got a real good thing.
       

                 If last nights potatos were mashed, you do pretty much the same thing. Get your cast iron smokey hot. Add your butter (or margarine). Shape the cold mashed potatos into nice thick patties, slide 'm into the smokey butter. Little sprinkle of Lawrys. Let them get nice and crispy, then turn them over and crisp the other side. Add eggs. These are good with a little butter or sour cream, too, if you like all that good stuff.                                        

   

 

 

  

Of course, there's no law saying you can't eat other kinds of potatos for breakfast. It's a free country, here in the good old USA. Another day, we will talk about potatos for the other times of day.

By the way, these CAN be made for lunch or supper, too. No law against that , either!

Cowboy Cake

        YEE HAW! for chocolate cake. Everyone has a recipe or a box mix. This is our most used, most eaten, most bragged about cake. My kids all knew how to make this before they started first grade. It is that easy. At that time, at our house, a 9x13 cake lasted for one night. So , yeah, we made a lot of them. This is another no fuss, no mess recipe. Mix it in the cake pan. Stick it in the oven. Take it out. Eat it.
       I don't know where the original recipe came from. It's in alot of cook books, under many different names. The iron horse cowboy always invites folks over for cowboy cake, so there you have it!

      Find your favorite 9x13 cake pan. You don't even have to grease it. Just start with the dry ingredients.
                                        2 1/2 cups flour
                                         1 1/2 cups sugar
                                        1/2 cup baking cocoa
                                        2 teaspoons baking soda
                                        1/2 teaspoon salt
      Stir these all together with a fork. Wooden fork works great! Now pour into the pan:
                                        2/3 cup cooking oil
                                        2 tablespoons vinegar
                                        1 tablespoon vanilla
                                        2 cups cold coffee  ( you can use water...I'm sketchy on if it will taste quite as good!)
        Carefully blend these wet ingredients with your trusty wooden fork. Or not. Try not to make a floury mess by folding it in slowly. Now mix:
                                         1/4 cup sugar
                                         1/2 teaspooon cinnamon
         Sprinkle this over the cake batter. Of course, you've already preheated your oven to 350. Slip it in! Bake 30 to 40 minutes. Done deal!

          Moist, chocolatey, crunchy sugary cinnamony topping. Scoop out a large piece and dollop on the ice cream or whipped cream. Sigh with satisfaction.
           ** We have made this gluten free by just using GF flour mix and even though some people think they might die or get ill if they eat something gluten free, they never know the difference. Just don't tell those kind of folks.
           ** No. There are no eggs in this cake, so its handy if you run out and you still want to bake.

    

              Put on your hat, and your cowboy shoes! We'll hit the trail and lope on in to the Raggedy Garden for some cake!                
                                                                                                                                

Corn Chowder for a Crowd

                 Here it is, in all its splendor! My cast iron"crock pot". Really a dutch oven. It holds six quarts ( a gallon and a half). The legs are a nice feature, as the pot doesn't sit directly on the heat source. This is nice if you keeping something hot for a longer while. It has the wire bail handle, but I always pick it up with the ears, as it just seems more stable. This pot is quite heavy, especially if you have the cast iron cover on it, too then it weighs eighteen pounds! I thoght I was crazy and couldn't read a scale. So I had the iron horse cowboy weigh it. He was all mystified at WHY, after all this time, I want to know how much it weighs. When not in use, it sits on my wood cook range, which has a fire all winter, by the way. It has squatted there for, well, alot of years.
                  Well, I was feeding a crowd on a cool May day in New Hampshire.  A perfect corn chowdah' day. For corn chowder you need:
                    Bacon (1 lb.)
                    Onion  (1 large)
                    Potatos ( how potato-ey do you want your soup?)
                    Chicken soup base Make your own, or buy. I use gluten free chicken buillion powder)
                     (You can use a vegetable base or broth if you need vegetarian)
                     Creamstyle corn (three cans)
                     Large bag frozen whole kernal corn ( you can use canned or fresh, if its that time of year)
                     Maple syrup (about a quarter cup. If you don't have this around, sugar works just fine. We make our own maple syrup, so thats what I use.)
                     Milk, or half and half
                     A flour roux or cornstarch (because of a gluten free loaded family, I use cornstarch for all my thickening. I have not tried making a roux with GF flour. It might work just fine.)
                    

                 Cook the bacon. Spread the slices on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 15 to 18 minutes. Until its nice and crisp. Take it off the pan and let it drain on paper towel. SAVE THE BACON GREASE! Thats what gives chowdah its unique flavor. Of course you skip this part if you don;t eat meat. Just sayin'..it won't be near as good.

                I par cook my potatoes. I just think its quicker and they stay nice and firm. Peel, or not, some spuds are better with skin. Like tiny red ones or new potatoes just from the garden. Dice then up as big as you like to find them in your soup. drain and set aside until you are ready to put the milk in.

                  Dice up a nice fat onion. Vidalias are the best. They are so sweet and they don't make you cry. Sorry, any Walla Walla Sweet fans. We just don't find them around here. In the cast iron skillet they go, with the bacon grease or a nice dab of butter.  Saute them so they turn translucent and soft.Good old wooden spoon works fine for this!

           
                   Dump the onions and all that good bacon flavoring into the big dutch oven. Add one quart soup base, maple syrup and corn. Bring to a boil. Now is the time to add your roux, or your cornstarch. Roux is just butter and flour cooked to a golden colored paste. If you use cornstarch, you need a lot for this much chowder. I used about 3/4  of a one pound box. Mix it with cold water, so its thick and not lumpy. Then add some of your hot broth and mix it into the cornstarch, then add it to the pot. Stir occasionally while the chowder simmers. Let it get quite thick. Then add your potatoes and milk. For this much, I used about six cups of milk. If you thicken with cornstarch, it will get thicker if you are keeping it hot for a longer time. Just thin it down with water, milk or broth.

 

                                                                                          
                                                                                         
                     Do a taste test. Add salt and or pepper if you think it needs any. Usually between the broth and the bacon, its salty enough. I confesss to be addicted to McCormacks Smokehouse pepper, so I give it a generous sprinkle. Recommend you try it! Of course, warm fresh bread, butter, and you have yourself a real deal meal. Have an iron horse cowboy who won't eat your cooking? Make him a hot dog.
                     If you don't need this much chowdah, just shrink the amounts. Its flexible. Its easy. Its delicious. Come on over!
                                                                                          
                                                                                   



                   

Warning! And Salad!

  May I just say: Spring is coming to the Raggedy Garden! Outdoor living is just around the corner. Cast iron pans can be used on the grill. With excellent results. Like if you want to make breakfast outside on warm, sweet mornings. Yup.

               Now, about warnings, and Salads......



           Just a warning. You never grab the handle of a cast iron pan when it is hot. Never. Never. Grab a hot pad, oven mitt, thick towel, anything that will protect your hand from HOT iron. This is even more important than never, never wash cast iron with soap.  (my apologies to the Kullaklan)
           Salad has nothing to do with cast iron what so ever. And, who doesn't know how to make a salad? I didn't. I came from Minnesota. Did you know that they call a bowl of chopped up lettuce a Minneasota Salad? I'm thinking that Minnesotans have gotten more savvy since those days. No offense meant. But I have picked up alot of great salad hints over the years, and the different places I have been. Of course, you could go on for many sentences about all the different kinds of salads. This story is about Chef Salads.
            So far this year I have been the giver, and receiver of many, many meals. Make A Meal is a super deal! When you are sick, sad, ultra busy, grieving or joyful, it's the nicest sight in the world when someone comes through the door with a nice meal. It slides a big load off your shoulders. If you are making a meal for someone, you try to think of something easy to carry around, something that will stay nice and fresh for the car ride, and you hope it won't be what the other five people brought that week already.
             So one day, I was wracking my brains over what to make. There would probably be alot of people, as there was family from all over at the house. Visions of a nice crunchy Chef Salad came dancing through my head, and the more I thought, the better it seemed. Easy to make up, easy to transport, good to eat, and easy clean up. How can you beat that!
             When you bring a meal, of course, you use tossable foil containers, so no one has to try to get all kinds of containers back  and remember what belongs to who. So I used a big roasting pan for the greens. Thats easy, just get some nice dark green Romaine, cuz' thats the letuce thats good for you. I like to add some fancy greens, just for color and form and fun and flavour. Garden lettuce comes in wonderfully here, if its that time of year. If not, then just use a bag mix or search through the produce section for frisee, radicchio, leafy greens, spinach, what ever looks good. Then I just slice up your other veggies, carrots, cucumbers, onions, peppers (use different colors), radishes, sugar peas, tomatoes (little ones are nice), what ever strikes your fancy, and place them along the edges, so folks can take what they like.
              Then use a 9x13 and fill it up with meats and cheeses, sliced hard boiled eggs. Send along a package of dried fruit and some bacon bits. You can bring salad dressing if you want, but people usually have what they like in their Fridge.  Then just add some fresh homemade bread, rolls or muffins, and you're set!

      Its easy to make it look special, too, by using a little imagination.
             Chef Salads are nice to do for a smaller bunch, in individual bowls, too. If they are going to be eaten fairly soon, they are much enhanced by adding chopped apples, pears, or citrus and nuts. Chopped walnuts, sliced almonds, cashews, or the candied nuts are good, too. Also, I like to cut the lettuce in small pieces. It's not so messy. At least I always dislike trying to eat a salad with such big chunks of lettuce that you have to try to get it all in your mouth, or a piece of lettuce will fall on me or the table (awkward), or you try to cut it in your bowl, and stuff flies around (embarrassing).

              I like using a soup bowl for these.It seems to make a perfect portion. With summer coming on, this is always good hot weather food. If I'm doing a big one, for a crowd, I will get a spiral sliced ham (usually the cheapest meat you can find at the grocery), and either cook up some reasonably priced chicken you have in the freezer or a turkey, the day before you make the salad. It always tastes better than deli meats. You can do all the work enough ahead of time so you can sit around and enjoy your company rather than being stuck in the kitchen by your lonesome while others are laughing and talking and having a good time.
              Chef Salads are nice, because you can basically just use what ever you happen to have around. You can use your imagination and pick up some fancy additions if you want to go that direction. Your guests are always impressed. It tastes so good. It's good for you. Even the iron horse cowboy ( who thinks vegetables are what meat eats ) is impressed and praises the meal when he has his stack of meat covering up the greens.
             Don't burn your hand! Eat salad. Have a good day!