The calendar tells us we are in April. The temperatures tell us it’s still cool. The rain reminds us that May flowers will begin to brighten our days. And these recipes tell us that cookouts and picnics will be coming sooner than we think.
Today I will share three of the most popular salads at Mom’s Schoolhouse Diner. When we first opened I pushed salads rather the french fries because I didn’t have a huge fryer or an ansul hood system in place. Neither could we afford one. I decided to encourage these delicious salads as an alternative, which were also healthier. They include red potato, macaroni, and coleslaw.
I will start with the red potato which was requested by a former customer at the diner. I hope she sees this blog post.
Red Potato Salad:
Wash, trim (but do not peel), and cut about 3 pounds of red potatoes into bite size pieces. Boil in salted water until done but not mushy. Drain the potatoes and put in a bowl to begin cooling down. In a separate bowl combine 2 cups mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons cider vinegar, and 4 teaspoons dill weed. I prefer to add this mixture to the potatoes while they are still a little warm as it seems to soak into the potatoes and tastes so good. But when I forget, it’s gets added to the cold potatoes and the salad is still edible and delicious. Cover and keep in the refrigerator.
Macaroni Salad:
Cook a 1 pound box of macaroni (I use elbows most of the time) according to the directions, drain, and immediately rinse in cold water and put in your favorite serving bowl. Add one small can of tuna (drained) and about 1/3 cup of frozen peas. In a separate bowl mix 2 cups of miracle whip, 5 tablespoons sugar, 3 tablespoons cider vinegar, and 1-2 teaspoons celery seed. Stir this mixture into the macaroni mix and if it seems a little runny and too much dressing, it’s usually not. It will soak into the macaroni and may even seem too dry if not eaten soon. Cover and keep in the refrigerator to enjoy in a picnic with grilled hot dogs.
Coleslaw:
I do not care for the prepackaged cabbage and carrots mix but you can use it if you prefer. I like shredding the cabbage (it seems to last longer and have better flavor) and a carrot or two into a bowl. Then I cheated and used the Kraft coleslaw dressing (which I bought by the gallon but I think they are available in a smaller bottle) and added a little celery seed to the salad when stirring in the dressing. Cover and keep in the refrigerator. It is a nice addition to any meal.
Have a wonderful summer and I hope you can enjoy these salads. Thank you for allowing me to have served you for the ten years we had the diner and for asking for the recipes now. Those were ten happy but exhausting years.