This is a recipe that I received from a friend. I changed things a little and you can see how I make this salad in the options below the original recipe.
Shoepeg Corn Salad
1 standard size can each – well drained:
Shoepeg Corn
“Le Seur” type Peas
French style Green Beans
Chopped Pimiento
1 chopped Bell Pepper (I prefer Red Bell Peppers)
½ small chopped Onion (Vidalia if you can get it, otherwise use yellow)
Mix all well. Pour dressing over and mix again. It can be refrigerated up to two weeks
(if it lasts that long!).
Dressing:
¾ cup Sugar
½ cup Vinegar (I prefer Cider Vinegar)
1 tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Pepper
½ cup Oil (I usually use Canola Oil)
Combine sugar, vinegar, and seasonings in a saucepan. Bring to a boil just long enough to melt all the sugar. Remove from heat and add the oil. Cool a little bit and pour over the veggies. Mix and refrigerate.
Options: I usually add 1 tsp. Celery Seed and a scant ½ tsp. cardamom to the dressing along with the salt and pepper. I have also occasionally added a generous ½ tsp. Ancho Chili powder and a ¼ tsp. Chipotle Chili Flakes just to give it a little zip!
This is a salad I was served recently and it was so good I had to get the recipe. The following is exactly what she sent to me:
This salad was the recipe of my mother-in-law in Oklahoma City.{omitted} She called it Whistler’s Salad (why, I don’t know!)
Dressing
1/4 cup sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. dry mustard
1 t. chopped onion
1/3 cup white vinegar
2/3 cup oil
Blend in a saucepan the above ingredients and bring to a boil.{omitted} Then cool.
Salad
1 of 1/2 package of fresh spinach (I actually purchased loose spinach - about a pound because I like a lot of spinach:)
1/2 head of lettuce (I actually used a whole head!)
1/4 - 1/2 pound of bacon, cooked, cooled and crumbled
1 small carton of small curd cottage cheese, drained
5 green onions, diced
Toss the above salad ingredients together and ‘dress em up’!
This is a very simple pasta salad. It is surprisingly light. All the flavors will show through. Use the good olive oil, Parmesan, vinegar, and fresh herbs. If any thing is old or of inferior quality, you will taste it in this pasta salad.
Fresh Herb Pasta Salad
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh herbs, stems removed (use chives, parsley, basil, and oregano, or any herbs available in your garden or grocery store)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (use the good stuff)
2 Tbsp vinegar (use white wine, basil, or other herb flavored vinegar)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried, hot, red pepper flakes
12 ounces raw pasta (I like to use the tiny bow ties or the tiny shells)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (use the good stuff, not the stuff in the green shaker can)
Place herbs in the bottom of a large serving bowl. Pour oil into a small pan over low heat. When very hot, but before it begins to smoke, pour it over the herbs. Stir in the vinegar, salt and pepper flakes. Set aside at room temperature.
Cook the pasta to the al dente stage, drain well, and add to the herb mixture while still warm. Mix well. Add the Parmesan and mix well. Serve at room temperature.
One time when I made this salad my chives were in the flowering stage and I used the soft purple colored chive flowers, basil, parsley, and thyme. Not only was it delicious, it was very pretty.
1-2 leeks, chopped
2 medium shallots, chopped
1 fennel bulb, plus the leaves, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, or 3-4 garlic shoots
a handful of parsley, chopped
a handful of arugula, chopped (I used this as a substitute for purslane, a peppery green)
1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
a few fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 large or 2 small bunches of watercress (and/or baby spinach)
olive oil
sea or kosher salt
red wine vinegar or malt vinegar
Combine all of the ingredients except the tender greens - the watercress, spinach if you’re using it, and arugula. Drizzle enough olive oil to coat everything, sprinkle on the salt and stir. Let it sit for an hour or so to allow the flavors to incorporate. When you’re ready to serve, add the greens, give it a toss and sprinkle on a little more salt along with a few shots of the vinegar, to taste.
1 pound strawberries, capped and sliced
¼ cup toasted walnuts, pecans or almonds, your pick
½ red onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp raspberry or flavored vinegar
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 dashes Tabasco sauce
1/8 tsp each – salt, white pepper, cinnamon.
Combine honey, olive oil, vinegar, sugar, Tabasco, and seasonings in bowl
Combine strawberries, walnuts and red onion in separate bowl.