As the holidays roll around, the traditional food that accompanies them are part of the memories. I don't have any real recipes for some of these dishes, but thought I would list ingredients. Everyone has their own spin on the salads and dishes, so to each their own.
For our 4th, we enjoy coleslaw, potato salad, pasta salad, baked beans, hamburgers, steaks, chicken, hotdogs, corn on the cob, watermelon, homemade ice cream and chocolate cake. We didn't have all those things this year, but we have been known to. I fell in love with Grandma Dorothy's coleslaw long ago. I have been making it for years, so this is how it goes…
The Coleslaw
Nana's Way (sweet, almost a little Hawaiian)1 med/lg. Head Cabbage (sliced thin and then sort of diced)
1 16 oz. Can Crushed Pineapple (drained well)
1 med. Carrot (peeled and shredded)
1 C. Mayo
1/4 C. Cream
Salt & Pepper to taste
Dash of Sugar
In
a large bowl combine the cabbage, pineapple and apple. Mix well. In
another smaller bowl mix the mayo, cream, sugar and salt &
pepper. Pour over salad mixture and mix well.
Dorothy's Way (adapted, more like a Texas Coleslaw)
1 med/lg. Head Cabbage (sliced thin and then cut across a few times so it's not too long. More like a fine shred)
1 Bunch Green Onions (slice the green part only)
1-2 Tomatoes (diced. I like Romas, but any kind will work)
1 C. Mayo
1/4 C. Rice Vinegar or Red Wine Vinegar
Salt & Pepper to taste
In
a large bowl combine the cabbage, green onions and tomatoes. In a
smaller bowl whisk the mayo, Vinegar, Salt & Pepper. Pour over
cabbage mixture and mix well.
For either salad adjust
mayo mixture so the consistency is what you like. Cabbage will sort of
shrink down once the mayo goes on. It will shrink a little more as it
chills. Best if made ahead of time so flavors can blend. Nan liked them both.
I also grew up with Nana's Potato Salad and love it. She just kept it really simple, so I have too. I sometimes leave out the boiled eggs and the celery because I have a few egg and celery haters in the family. Sometimes I don't and they just have to deal with it. Sometimes they add chopped onions (which I don't like) and I have to deal with it. Family give and take, right?
Nana's Potato Salad
(The way I remember it as a kid growing up)
For about 5 pounds of potatoes:
8 lg. Eggs
Mayo
Mustard
Sm. Can Black Olives
3-4 med. Stalks Celery (optional, diced fine)
Dill Weed
Granulated Garlic
Green Onions
3 med/lg. Dill Pickles (diced fine)
Boil
the potatoes until they are just tender when a fork is inserted. I use a
large stock pot and about 3 inches of water in the bottom. Drain off
the water and put the lid back on slightly askew so the potatoes can
cool without drying out. Once cool enough to handle strip off the skins
and discard. Dice the potatoes. If you like boiled eggs, hard boil about
8 eggs and set aside to cool. Remove shells when cool and reserve 2-3
eggs for garnish. Dice the rest with an egg slicer first one way, then
the other for a fine dice (almost julienne) cut. Drain a small can of
sliced black olives. Slice thinly a bunch of green onions (just the
green part unless you like a more oniony taste). In a large bowl combine
the diced potatoes, pickles, green onions, eggs, celery and olives. Mix
well. In a smaller bowl combine the following:
Quantities are estimated depending on personal taste:
2 C. Mayo
1/2 C. Mustard (just the regular yellow kind)
1 T. Dried Dill Weed
1/2 t. Granulated Garlic
1/4-1/2 C. Dill Pickle Juice (to taste and for consistency)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Pour
over potatoes and mix in well. When the consistency is the way you like
it transfer to a serving bowl and smooth the top. Take the remaining
eggs and slice with the egg slicer (just one way). Arrange sliced eggs
on the top and maybe a few olives if you like. Sprinkle a little paprika
over the top and chill. Good if you think to do it the day before as
the flavors develop in the fridge. If you like other ingredients, throw
them in. Nana always liked to try new things. This is a staple for
summer holiday dinners. Love it.
Of course my little bowl of sample is a must. You gotta sample it, right?
Now for the
Baked Beans.
Nana pretty much used canned pork and beans as a base. She would drain off the juice, discard the token piece of pork and add her own mixture of things. She added a splash of liquid smoke, a bit of her BBQ sauce, maybe some diced green chiles (or not, depending on the majorities' ability to handle the heat), salt and pepper. She would bake them uncovered for at least 45 mintues in a 350º oven.
Again, there are many versions of baked beans. It's always fun to try a new one, but I keep coming back to the tried and true beans that were such a part of our family BBQs. She always had a can of beans on hand.
I remember the many times we would go out on the sundeck to watch the fireworks. Not a fan of crowds, we didn't often go to the city stadiums for the show, like maybe once in Chandler. I do have many fond memories of the 4th of July celebrations in Queen Creek. We would go out with our ice cream packed in ice and wrapped in a quilt, chocolate cake, fried chicken, salads, etc. and enjoy free corn on the cob and watermelon courtesy of the Barney's and the Schnepf's. Our Schnepf cousins were there as well as friends. There were always great fireworks and it wasn't like a crowded city stadium. It was in the ball field in back of the old Queen Creek Mormon Church and I loved it.
