Photo a Day in July #7

7.  Garden

We planted our herb garden last summer; then, we had basil, cilantro, rosemary, chives, and mint, and we used them to make pasta sauce and roasted veggies, scrambled eggs and homemade ice cream.  Our cilantro died within a few days (it was the only one we didn't buy from the same vendor as all the other plants at the Farmers Market); I harvested the basil and mint, which was planted in separate pots from the rectangular planter, all summer; the rosemary and chives thrived through the entire year.  This year, we replaced the basil and mint (not pictured), and both plants keep alternating between thriving and dying because of this drought we are having in Arkansas.  I have to make sure to water, water, water!  Our rosemary is still going strong, and the chives are as wild as ever.  :)  They were sky high this past spring with many chives blooming on the tips; most of those blooms have dried out now.  I used to have an awesome green thumb, but I think Zach is making mine browner.  *lol*

The smaller two pots in this picture hold marigolds, which Zach said were good for keeping bugs away.  We got them for a $1 a piece at the Farmers Market; only one is really alive now, and it doesn't exactly have any blooms.  :(  I need to pick up some chalk to write what we are growing on my $1 sign from Target.  :)

The reason why the greens are so lush in this photo is because, HALLEJUAH, WE FINALLY GOT SOME RAIN TODAY!!!

C is for CARROTS

Am I the only one who struggles to come up with healthy Mexican side dishes?  It seems like Mexican food is always served with some variation of the following:  rice, beans, pico de gallo/salsa, queso, and tortilla chips.  Often, Mexican food will come with lettuce, too, but I only eat that if I have ordered tacos or taco salad--something that uses lettuce.  Maybe it is just Mexican food in the South...

The short, stubby carrots are from the Farmers Market; they had amazing flavor.  :)

So I decided to do some research and came across a Mexican carrot recipe.  I honestly did not know carrots were part of Mexican food; I have never seen them in a Mexican restaurant that I can recall.  The reviews of this recipe were great, so I decided to give it a whirl.

Pickled Carrots

2 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thin

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

oil

5 bay leaves (I will probably cut this down a bit next time)

4 peppercorns (The same goes for these)

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cups vinegar

3/4 cups water

as many pickled jalapeños as you want

Heat the oil in a skillet and sauté the garlic.  Add the carrots and sauté for 2-3 minutes.  Add the vinegar, bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the water and jalapeños and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

Maybe this is where I went wrong because I didn't let these cool and refrigerate them overnight before serving.  Warm carrots just sound so much better than cold ones.  Perhaps refrigerating them would have cut down on the spice because these babies were HOT.  But I have a feeling it would have only amplified the flavor.  I liked them but could only handle a small amount on the side of my rice and bean burrito.  Zach did not like them--he said they were way too spicy.  (He kept apologizing for not liking them, and I had to draw out what he didn't like; I told him I needed to know so I wouldn't make another spicy pickled vegetable next time.)  I will have to make them will less bay leaves, peppercorns, and jalapeños next time because I think this recipe is a keeper!  (I figure my husby can try them one. more. time.  ;)  I know my mama would love these because we used to keep a jar of peppers and vinegar in the fridge to sprinkle on greens when I was growing up.

Happy eating, folks!

C is for CUCUMBERS

Did you know the cucumber is a fruit?  Say what?!  It's true, y'all.  I did my research.  It's all in the same family as squashes and muskmelons (cantaloups).  I sorta knew that already, but it was nice to reminded of this fruit's roots.  (FYI...a banana is a berry.  One of my roommates took a botany class in college and taught us that.  I already knew a tomato is a fruit because that is our state's fruit!)  Sorry for the delay in posts, but we have been out of town eating good food that is not good for you (BBQ, homemade chocolate cake, sugar cookies).  Here's something we had last week before we left:

Anyway, cucumbers are high in Vitamins A, C, and K, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and potassium.  I really should start checking to see what these things do, so....Vitamin A is very important for vision, immune function, skin and cellular health, bone metabolism, and antioxidant activity.  And Vitamin C is also essential to immune function and antioxidant activity, and it is an antihistamine.  Okay, that is all the science-y stuff I feel like covering.  Let's get to the good stuff!

I grew up eating cucumber soaked in vinegar and sprinkled with salt (and later pepper).  Once my freshman year in college, I made this delicious cucumber salad, but unfortunately, the recipe was in one of my mama's magazines that was lost.  After going on a cruise in 2007, I got into Greek salads because the fancy dining room served one three nights in a row, and it was soooooooo good.  I've made Greek salads at home, typically following a recipe as a guide.  And I really wanted to make a Greek salad this night, but it didn't quite turn out because I was out of feta, and the lettuce we bought from the Farmers Market had a few worms in it.  Now, they were dead worms, but that sorta turned me off from the lettuce.  (Thankfully, we didn't waste all of it.  We had already eaten some--hopefully, sans worms--right after we got it.)

So I used what I had.  I cut up my cucumber, sliced some onions, and chopped some black Kalamata olives, removing the pits.  Then I dashed a little Italian dressing over it and dug in!  It was soooo good!!  I hope I have inspired you to eat a cuke today.  :)

F is for FRUIT SALAD

Fruit is the food that is digested the fastest while, I believe, meat is digested the slowest, because fruits are low in fat and meats are not.  (Fats take a long time to digest.)  A lot of people say that, when eating fruit, it should be eaten before everything else in a meal (or always on an empty stomach) so it does not ferment in one's stomach and cause problems like gas, bloating, and such.  I don't know how true that is; I've done a little research, and opinions are mixed.  If anything, I guess that eating fruit first, which digests the quickest, could mean that you could get a jolt of energy the quickest?  I don't know...

I have been eating fruit (and veggies) first, not because I necessarily believe it will ferment if I don't, but so I am certain to eat more of it by filling up before I dive into the rest.  (Then again, I consider my childhood, when I would always eat each food separately and would not allow them to touch...and my digestive tract was much better.  That makes me go, "Hmmm...")  Anyway, I am trying my best to get in my five-a-day of fruits and veggies, and in researching recipes this past week, I kept coming across some yummy looking fruit salads.  So I decided to make one this week!

Anything Goes Fruit Salad

several kinds of fruit (I used green grapes, 1 Granny Smith apple, 1 Gala apple, 1 quart of strawberries, and a handful of leftover raspberries.)

1 1/2 cups of yogurt (I used vanilla.)

1/8 cup honey (I used My Paw Paw's Honey that we bought at our Farmers Market.  :)

Wash, peel, cut, etc. fruit as desired and place in large bowl.  In a smaller bowl, mix yogurt and honey together and then mix into fruit.

This recipe allows you to use whatever fruit you have on hand or are in the mood to have, and I suppose you can change out the flavors of the yogurt as well.  This salad was very good!  (The picture is without the "dressing.")  My only complaint is that the dressing got a little watery in the bottom of the bowl by the second day, so next time I think I will keep it separate and add it as needed.  That would have worked just as well today when Zach and I both took some for lunch in separate containers...and then ate together.  *lol*  I am so eating the leftovers for breakfast in the morning.  :)

R is for RASPBERRIES

My husband LOVES raspberries.  I actually don't think I had eaten a raspberry until I met him.  Wild, I know!  I used to not like raspberry-flavored things, especially blue raspberry-flavored things.  (Are there such things as blue raspberries?  I must know.  I know there are red ones [obviously] and black ones and yellow ones...but blue?)  But then the husby got me into raspberries, and now I adore raspberry-flavored things (I'm talking artificial here--I even like blue raspberry Icees!) as well as real raspberries in jams and desserts and snacks and such.  Ah, raspberry jam is sooo good.  And real raspberries are very good for you.  For one, they are HIGH in antioxidant (cancer-fighting agents) as well as Vitamin C and fiber.  Raspberries also offer such vitamins as folic acid and iron, which is good for me because I'm always anemic or borderline anemic...and can use all of the help I can get.  :)

We got these raspberries at the Farmers Market from the blueberry man, and they were so tasty!  I reserved some for us to snack on, but we decided to use the majority of them in raspberry tarts.  I know, I know, that isn't quite healthy, but we wanted to bring something special to the Gates' for Memorial Day and decided to use our tart pans finally.  I figure, if anything, we will still get some fiber and some vitamins from these.  ;)  And the tarts turned out FANTASTIC.  :)

baking spray

2 pie crusts (I used my KitchenAid Mixer recipe I always use.  This will also leave you extra crust, so you can bake the scraps after sprinkling them with some cinnamon sugar.  MMM...)

1 whipped topping container lid (to cut the crust for 4-inch tart pans--you can top the tarts with whipped topping as well!)

2 cups cold water

1/8 cup cornstarch

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups berries (can reserve a few to decorate the tarts)

mint leaves

Spray tart pans with a baking spray.  Roll out the pie crust.  Place the container lid atop the dough and use a knife to cut around it.  Place crust in tart pan, pressing dough against the sides and trimming excess from top.

Pour the water into a pan and whisk in the cornstarch until it is dissolved.  Add the sugar and berries and boil until the mixture is gelatinous and clear rather than cloudy.  (This took a l-o-o-o-ng time.)

Pour the filling into the tart shells and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  Top with mint leaves, whipped cream, excess berries, or as desired.  :)

T is for TURNIPS

I tried turnips for the first time last night.  Zach had had them before; he thinks they were boiled and remembered liking them fairly well.  I wanted to go for a fail-proof recipe, so I settled on a caramelized turnip recipe that I tweaked a bit.  I figure adding sugar would mean I couldn't hate them.  And I didn't.  ;)

I know that some of my fruit and vegetable recipes aren't necessarily the most healthy fruits and veggies to eat, but I think I am taking a step in the right direction by incorporating more each day and trying ones I have never had, such as turnips, beets, and leeks.  For example, with the blueberry muffins, I know they had sugar, but I know they used lots of fresh blueberries, which is better than most packaged brands that used hardened bits of dyed high fructose corn syrup as blueberries.  Ick!

The turnips used sugar, too, but a lot of it ended up being stuck on the pan...and not on the turnips.  ;)  (I'm really not trying to rationalize using lots of butter and sugar; I just figure that with some vegetables that you have to start someplace familiar!)  Apparently, turnips are high in vitamin C.  Who knew?!  Now onward and upward...

Surprisingly, these babies were somewhat salty-tasting.  And, yes, I backtracked to make sure I used sugar, and not salt, and I know I used the correct ingredient because I used the sugar shaker.  :)  Zach and I liked these fairly well; I still think it's a vegetable that will have to grow on me a bit more because the texture sometimes threw me off.  : )~  They also became somewhat disappointing after they cooled off, but I feel that way about most vegetables.  I could never be a raw eater--I like my food piping hot!  Overall, I would say this is a recipe I am keeping around because the chicken stock, butter, and sugar gave the turnips a nice coating.  But I am excited to try more turnip recipes!

15 turnips, peeled and diced with the ends sliced off

1/3 cup water

1 1/2 teaspoon chicken stock base (I buy it at Sam's for super cheap!)

1 Tablespoon or more butter

2 Tablespoons sugar

Place turnips, water, and chicken base in a skillet and simmer on medium heat until the turnips are tender (about 15 minutes).  Stir in butter and sugar.  Cook until the turnips are sticky and turn brown (about 10 minutes).

Next time, I think I will add some carrots as well to help out with the texture!

B is for BLUEBERRIES

Yesterday, Zach and I went to the Farmers Market for the first time this year.  Gee, it was a lot bigger and busier than last summer!  We found lots of yummy veggies (lettuce, carrots, turnips) and some potted plants/herbs (mint, basil, marigolds), but our best purchase was a quart of blueberries that we got for $3!  Yes, THREE DOLLARS!  Normally, they are sold $7 a quart ($4 for a pint), but these were the bottom of the barrel, so to speak, so the blueberry man sold them for super cheap and told us not to tell anyone we paid money for them.  That means, of course, that I must tell the world.  ;)  Since they were the "smooshy" berries, we have to use them up super fast, but they are perfect for baked goods and ice cream.  Onto today's recipe!

Blueberry Muffins

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line muffin tin with paper cups and set aside.
-In a medium bowl, combine 1-3/4 cups of flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Make a well in the center of the mixture and set aside.
-In smaller bowl, crack one egg and beat.  Add 3/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup cooking oil and combine wet ingredients.
-Add to flour mixture and stir until just moistened.  Don't stir for too long!
-Spoon batter into muffin cups.  (I found that two heaping spoons, if using a larger spoon, filled them 2/3 full, which is what you want.)
-Sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar atop each muffin, if desired.  Using two tablespoons of butter, slice each in half and then each half into thirds.  Top each muffin with a dab of butter.
-Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
-Cook muffin tin on a wire rack for five minutes before serving.

I am not much of a muffin person, but I loved these!  And my husby did, too--he ate FOUR!

Menu Monday: POTATO-LEEK SOUP

I have decided to try a new vegetable every week in an effort to get healthier (and hopefully break my dependence on Cheez-It's). Veggies, you say? Aren't you, a person recovering from Crohn's Disease and colon surgery (initially, I typed "sugary," which is true, too *lol*), supposed to stay away from veggies? Well, to hell with that. Vegetables are good for us; they are not bad for us. Disease is bad for us, and you know why? Because Satan is the author of disease. God promised me the food of every seed-bearing plant and every tree that has fruit with seed in it (Genesis 1:29), so, by golly, I'm going to have them as food because He keeps his promises. I am, however, starting off with cooked veggies...though I did try a bite of raw carrot with this recipe. I'm a rebel. (It didn't cause me any issues. I also had pineapple on my pizza. And, yes, I had pizza. ;)

I tried doing this little project last fall...or summer, maybe? But obviously it did not last. I remember I tried beets...and some other things. I honestly only remember the beets...and now lima beans because I went to my blog to see. I included fruits, too. Maybe I should include fruits again because I know there are some I haven't tried. I think in the summer I had blueberries as a "new" fruit, not because I had never had them but because I never liked them previously unless they were in muffins. (I made Ben and Jerry's blueberry ice cream recipe, so I guess that doesn't count as trying to be healthy. *haha* BUT the fresh blueberries were so tasty in it. I can't wait for the Farmer's Market this year!)

Anyway, I've technically had this veggie before, but I LOVED it and haven't had it in almost a year.

What is this you ask?

Since I'm still "sick" and it's winter, I thought, POTATO-LEEK SOUP would be perfect to make! After all, the leeks are cooked and potatoes (and carrots) are easy on the stomach. The picture above was taken at ICASI in Cleveland last March when we visited Holly (and the culinary school at which she works). Every Saturday the students prepare several courses and serve them; it was AMAZING, and this soup was one of my favorites. Now it was a creamier POTATO-LEEK SOUP than the one I'm sharing, but the flavors were still amazing (and you didn't have to worry about blending it together). This recipe also calls for quite a bit of onion, but I haven't noticed it giving me any issues either (as long as it is cooked...and I love onion! I can't give it up.).

POTATO-LEEK SOUP

-Wash and dice two leeks (the white part only...though I cut it below the green leaves and diced away so some light green snuck in. I wish I had taken a picture of the leeks. Zach couldn't find them at the store, but, when we went back, I found them right away--and I've never seen one! ;).

-Peel and dice a medium onion. (Do you wash your onions? I just realized I never do. I think I read somewhere that water is bad for them?)

-Melt four tablespoons of butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven, add leeks and onion, and sauté until tender for 5 to 7 minutes.

-Add three and 1/4 cups of chicken stock or broth to the pot. Because we're poor (or cheap), we use a chicken base from Sam's and mix up some water with it. I would, however, like to start making my own stocks because they offer some great health benefits. (That's why we eat chicken soup when we are sick!)

-Peel, wash, and dice four carrots and add them to the pot..

-Peel, wash, and dice three large potatoes (or, in my case, five small to medium potatoes) and add them to the pot.

-Add 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of thyme, and 1 bay leaf to the pot.

-You may need to add a bit more stock or add some water to cover all the veggies. Heat to boiling, then cover and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes. Be sure to remove the bay leaf before serving!

Voila! You have easily made POTATO-LEEK SOUP! I prefer to eat my soup with hot bread most of the time, but, as I was trying to get dinner to my semicolon, I just had a few saltines, my go-to soup cracker. This was just delicious, and the seasonings were just perfect in it. Thyme has become one of my favorites to use, and I am so happy we finally got some bay leaves because I have been using them a lot lately. I think adding some kind of protein (probably chicken since chicken stock is used) would take this soup over the top.

I can't wait to share my veggie for next week. I hope I like it because I never have before...!

Menu Monday (I really meant to post this yesterday!): BLUEBERRY ICE CREAM

I really love ice cream. After (or tied with) pie, it's my favorite. Zach got me a Cuisinart ice cream maker for this past Christmas, and I think it has been one of the best presents ever. :)

We've made mint chocolate chip, chocolate, chocolate chocolate chip, strawberry, Terry's chocolate orange, strawberry-chocolate, fresh mint chip, and who knows what else because we've made some of these multiple times. And this week we made HOMEMADE BLUEBERRY ICE CREAM.

I had never had BLUEBERRY ICE CREAM until last summer when we stayed with Zach's aunt and uncle in Springdale; we lived with them for a month after Zach got his job. Anyway, at that time, Zach had a couple of interviews in MO and OH, so we stopped by to visit them for a few days en route. Their neighbor Nancy, who is constantly making delicious things to eat and sending them over, had her daughter and son-in-law in town that week, and they went berry-picking. With their hard-earned treasure, they made HOMEMADE BLUEBERRY ICE CREAM.

I am not a blueberry lover. I like them in muffins and will tolerate them elsewhere. In ice cream, however, they are divine. The sweetness of the ice cream balances out the tartness of the berries and enhances their flavor. Sooooo good! If you are not a fan of these dark berries, you will be after you try some of ice cream with them. :)

Thankfully to Bridget at Bake at 350, I heard about Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book.

Once I came across her (mostly) cookie blog and saw how much she referenced this cookbook when she wasn't baking cookies, I immediately used my Swagbucks Amazon gift cards and grabbed it up. I can't wait to try cantaloupe, kiwi, and strawberry-coconut ice cream this summer.

But for now, I will share my adaption:

BEN & JERRY'S WILD BLUEBERRY ICE CREAM.

We got these beauties at the Farmers Market. :)

-Combine 1 pint of blueberries with 1/2 c. sugar and a generous dash of lemon juice. Marinate for at least two hours, stirring occassionally.

I bought an 18-pack for memorial day when I knew I would need six for my potato salad and five for my fresh mint chocolate chip ice cream. I don't think I've ever purchased an 18-pack.

-Whisk two eggs for one to two minutes.

I was holding the phone in my right hand to take a picture while pouring in my left. And it was right after this point I dropped my phone on the floor, causing it possibly permanent damage. : / Husby was not too happy. He said he would always be happy to take photos for me, but I told him I have a vision in my head that he may not capture. Plus, he usually looks grumpy when I ask him to take just one more for the fifteenth time. *lol* Sweet Lord, I do need a new camera (and phone)!

-Whisk in 3/4 c. sugar gradually. Continue whisking until sugar is dissolved.

-Pour in 2 c. heavy whipping cream and 1 c. milk and whisk to blend.

I find it interesting that blueberries are dark blue, become pinkish when mashed, and turn ice cream purplish! A chameleon berry!

-Mash the blueberries until pureed.

-Stir into cream base. Make sure you clean off the the bits from the whisk. They are tasty!

-Assemble ice cream maker with freezing bowl with arm inside. Place cover over freezing bowl and start ice cream maker. Pour in batter and process for 25 minutes.

[1-1/2 quarts--the recipe said 1 quart, but it is very generous.]

It comes out like soft serve, so I then scoop it into a freezer-safe bowl and place it in the freezer for at least two hours until hardened. This evening it was hard as a rock!

This is what I simultaneously love and hate about my ice cream maker: I get to clean it up...with the help of my mouth. :) But it's tricky to get every drop up!

Here she is in all her glory! If you plan to store it in the freezer (because you can't eat it in one sitting), be sure to cover with a piece of wax paper and press down so that it sticks to the top of the ice cream. This prevents freezer burn.

We have another winner!!

Menu Monday...er, Tuesday: SALADS, SALADS, AND MORE SALADS!

Yep, I'm FINALLY back with new recipes I've tried--all in the past week, too. Since I last posted, "Menu Monday," I have tried lots more and even took pictures of some (especially the desserts like the caramel cake I made for my birthday and the beach cookies I made for a wedding), but we have been busy as bees in springtime with my sister-in-law's wedding, other social engagements, traveling, working, keeping house, and keeping up with Hobie. *lol*

But, with the warmer weather, I have been revitalized regarding how I feel about food. I am so, so, sooo excited that fresh produce is becoming more and more readily available. So far we have been to the Farmers Market in Bentonville twice since they opened for the season; we would have been more, but it seems like we are always out-of-town on the weekends. :) The first time we went we just got lettuce and radishes as the pickings were poor, but this time around there were so many more veggies to buy! Better than that, I am looking forward to strawberries, blueberries, watermelons, and peaches. We want to go blueberry picking very badly because Zach likes berries all shapes, sizes, and forms, and I loved this homemade blueberry ice cream we had last summer. Personally I don't like blueberries unless they're in something (muffins, pie, cobbler, ice cream, etc.), so I have many baking plans in the works. *tehe*

Lately, I have been in a funk regarding meals. I felt like we were repeating the same foods over and over, and only doing slight variations on recipes. We probably were since we were waiting on seasonal spring/summer produce, and now it's here! I told Zach all were were doing this summer is eating fresh fruits and veggies and salads, salads, salads!

To the recipes:

This recipe is adapted from the current issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine. I know it sounds weird and looks weird, but it tastes wonderful! I think it is because cucumber has a slight melon undertone, so it works with the pineapple. We still have some in our fridge, but the cucumber starts to look soggy after a few days, so I took a picture of the magazine.

BASIL PINEAPPLE-CUCUMBER SALAD

1/2 cored pineapple

1 small cucumber

dried basil OR 1/2 cup basil leaves

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

ground pepper

-Cut the pineapple into 1/3-in.-thick half- or quarter-moons.

-If possible, heat grill to high and grill until grill marks appear, about two minutes per side. If you don't have access to a grill, heat a little extra olive oil in a skillet, add your pineapple, and cook until each side is slightly browned. Let cool.

-Halve cucumber lengthwise and thinly slice. Toss pineapple with cucumber, basil, olive oil, salt, and a sprinkle of black pepper. (I used dried basil this time and generously sprinkled it over the salad. I guess I used about 1/2 teaspoon. *lol*)

[5-6 servings]

I promise: you MUST try this recipe. :)

Well, we ate our this second salad so fast, I don't have a picture, but I will share the recipe.

STRAWBERRY-SPINACH SALAD

1 lb. spinach leaves (or lettuce of your choice)

1 pint fresh strawberries

2/3 purple onion

-Rinse the spinach and remove stems. Tear the spinach into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Slice and hull the strawberries. Add berries to the spinach. Slice onion and add to the salad.

For the STRAWBERRY-SPINACH DRESSING:

2/3 c. white vinegar or apple cider vinegar (I used 1/3 c. of each.)

1-1/2 c. sugar

2 c. oil (I used vegetable/canola oils because my olive oil was running low. :( )

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. mustard

3 Tbsp. minced onion

-Combine the vinegar, sugar, and oil in a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves (about three minutes). Pour the sugar mixture into a blender and add the remaining ingredients. Blend well. Cool and pour over the salad.

Rather than tossing the entire salad with the dressing, we made individual salads and added how much dressing we wanted. It makes an entire pasta jar full, so you can use it for future salads. :) Just store the dressing in a container in the fridge; I used an old jar, so I could shake the mixture before using (as the oil separates from the rest) and then pour it into a cup with a spout for drizzling. You can also add some poppy seeds to the dressing before you blend, and we topped our salads with slivered almonds, croutons, and a little shredded mozzarella. It was a wonderful mixture of flavors and textures!

[5-6 servings for the salad; infinite for the dressing]

Last, but not least:

PHARR POTATO SALAD

6 medium potatoes (We bought some small red ones at the Farmers Market, and I just used the whole quart-sized container.)

1/4 tsp. salt

1-1/4 c. mayonnaise with pepper

1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. mustard

1/2 tsp. salt

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1/3 c. onion, chopped (preferably purple onion--I could eat it like an apple!)

1/4 c. sweet pickle relish

1/4 c. sweet gherkins, chopped

6 hard-cooked eggs, coarsely chopped (can omit)

-Bring potatoes to a boil in enough water to cover them and 1/4 tsp. salt. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Drain well; cool slightly. Cube potatoes. (I leave the peeling on.)

-In a large bowl, combine mayo, mustard, and 1/2 tsp. salt.

-Stir in the celery, onion, relish, and pickle. Add the potatoes and eggs. Toss lightly to coat. Cover and chill for at least six hours.

[6-8 servings]

You can also sprinkle some paprika on top, but I figure it will get all mixed into the salad if you do that in the large bowl...and I'm too lazy to do it for individual servings. *haha* This potato salad was sooo tasty, and it is very much like the potato salad I grew up having. I don't like mayo-only potato salad: I MUST have mustard because it gives it the right amount of tang. I thought about making a warm German potato salad--I used to have a recipe I loved--but I decided it was safer to go with the traditional. Everyone loved it at our Memorial Day celebration!