Fall Pea Salad Recipe

Fall Pea Salad Recipe

This is an easy to make and delicious pea salad and side dish. It reminds me of some of the recipes in one of my favorite recipe books, In the Kitchen with Rosie.  I make it several times a year with different added ingredients. For fall, I use my last of the season cherry tomatoes, which ripened inside and have a little tang to them.

Here is the basic Fall Pea Salad Recipe:

1 can of peas

1 hard boiled egg

1 stalk of celery

1 tablespoon of mayonnaise

a dash of salt

To make, drain the can of peas and place in a container.

Cut up the stalk of celery into small pieces. I cut the celery stalk in half, then cut the halves yet again but chopping up the first halves works well, too. It's a matter of preference.

Divide a washed celery in half before chopping into smaller pieces.

Personally I prefer the crisp celery pieces to be in larger pieces because I like the crunch but if you want them smaller, go for it.

Celery pieces can be any size you like, I like mine big enough to enjoy the crunch.

Also chop up one hard-boiled egg into smaller pieces and mix with the peas and celery.

Leave the hard boiled egg pieces in larger chunks so you can still see them in the salad.

This is my stash of the last of my cherry tomatoes. Most were green when I brought them in, and some are past their prime. I like to add them to this salad for color and the little bite they add to the other ingredients.

These are the last of my cherry tomatoes, picked the night before the first hard frost.

I cut the cherry tomatoes in half, then slice them once more and mix them with the rest.

Add a dash of salt, mix again, and then add the tablespoon of mayonnaise. The less you use, the better, this only needs a little bit of mayo so if you want to cut back, start with a teaspoon and add if you want more.

Finished fall pea salad with the last of my cherry tomatoes. So good the next day, too!

If you need to stretch the servings, you can add another can of peas, more celery and eggs. Mix the added ingredients before you add more mayonnaise, you may not need any extra.

Once all mixed, you can serve or store in refrigerator for later use. I also like this fall pea salad the second day, when all of the flavors have had time to mix.

This is also a refreshing summer salad or side dish, and in spring I add a few native violets, that version is very pretty. Great little salad to throw together when you have last-minute visitors, too. Enjoy!

Charlotte

Cucumber Onion Salad

Cucumber Onion Salad Recipe

Of all of the things I have in my garden, ladybugs and cucumbers are a must. One of the summer flavors from my teenage years was a cucumber salad my mother used to make. It was so refreshing, especially on hot Illinois summer days!

I decided to try to replicate that recipe only adding my homegrown onions to the dish. This time, i measured the ingredients, trying to remember the combination of sweet and savory. Here are the marinade ingredients that should be mixed in a pan prior to boiling:

1 cup apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

Mix in a pan and bring to a boil.

While the marinate is cooling, slice cucumbers and onions. For this recipe, 3-4 cucumbers will work, depending on the size of the cucumbers.

One medium regular yellow onion will work, or maybe a sweeter red onion would also be a good choice to add color.

Pour the marinade over the sliced cucumbers and onions; mix. Let sit overnight.

I like to give it a toss every once in awhile. Don't know how much of that was out of curiosity or hope that this would turn out well.

And the verdict?

It was delicious, said several friends who came over for a working dinner. Guess my 40-year old memory isn't so bad after all!

Charlotte

PS You can also re-use the marinade for several days. Just keep adding cucumbers and onions as you deplete the supply.

Sweet Potatoes

I can still remember taking a bite out of a favorite pie and not being able to take a second bite. Once I started to eat less processed, more natural foods, my taste buds changed. What once I craved, I could no longer eat because it was now too sweet.

The same thing happened eating sweet potatoes. Once slathered in brown sugar and topped with marshmallows, a traditional midwest Thanksgiving dish, I now cook these sweet treats baked without anything else.

How to Bake Sweet Potatoes

1. I try to pick the same sized potatoes so they all finish baking about the same time.
2. Wash then dry the potatoes.
3. Make a cross cut somewhere in the center.
4. Bake at 350F in center rack until the potatoes feel soft. Allow to cool on a cookie rack.
5. Store in refrigerator until you want to use it.
6. I slice mine, then add to a salad or eat three pieces with a protein at dinner as a sweet treat.

Charlotte

Steamed Basil Carrots

I ran across this recipe years ago and am still amazed at how simple, and delicious, it is.

Scrub fresh carrots. Don't bother to peel them if you've washed them well.

Quarter carrots into equal-sized strips; steam in steamer until done, about 8 minutes.

Add cut up fresh basil or, when you can't find where you put it, dried basil leaves.

The original recipe called for a drizzle of melted butter but I stopped doing that one night when I was short. If you want a little more flavor, dry a butter flavor substitute. Toss until fully covered. I prefer to eat it warm but

it's also good cold as next day left-overs.

Charlotte