Caprese Salad

I recently wrote about making BLTs with garden fresh tomatoes. The other main thing we use our homegrown tomatoes for is caprese salad. Even before we started making BLTs, it was this dish that started converting this tomato skeptic to a regular consumer. To me, caprese salad is emblematic of Italian cuisine in that the preparation is simple and focuses on the quality of ingredients. It's a dish I've been aware of for a long time, but there are a lot of subpar examples out there, and I wouldn't have considered myself a fan until I started making it at home.

The tomatoes are, of course, what makes or breaks a caprese salad. These are more of our homegrown Mortgage Lifters. In the past, I've also had success with using tomatoes from the farm shares we had the past two summers. With the ongoing pandemic, we decided to forgo farm shares this year and just use our own tomatoes. Whatever the tomatoes, it is essential to season them with salt and pepper. The basil is also from the garden. I've always had success with growing basil, but it's important to remember to harvest before the first frost. The only aspect of the salad we've yet to upgrade is the mozzarella. Around here, we can only get BelGioioso in a plastic tube. It's okay, but a bit lacking in flavor. Use the best you can get.

Party Salad

I've written at length on this blog about the Chinese food traditions on Dad's side of the family, and will likely continue to do so in the future. Today, however, I reach deep into Mom's Minnesotan roots, place we have deliciously ventured only once before. The word "salad" has something of a broader meaning in the Upper Midwest, one that often includes ingredients like whipped cream, cream cheese, and, most famously, jello. The radioactive treat featured today, known simply as "party salad," has been a holiday staple in my family for decades. Just last week, a bowl of party salad stood proudly on the Thanksgiving table.

This particular recipe originates with one Selma Nikunen, whose arrival in town was accompanied by many exciting new recipes. The party salad recipe was enshrined in one of the many church and community cookbooks which are now being passed down to me. These cookbooks provide an incredible window into another time, including such recipes as "Romance Cake," "Left-Over Meat Dumplings," and various chop sueys which are all actually just hotdish. 

The walnuts have always been omitted in my family, but could provide an interesting textural counterpoint. Note that the recipe below is the base recipe, but the photos show a roughly doubled batch. For those non-Minnesotans out there, this is sure to look like an odd one, but trust me, it just works!

Ingredients

• 1 small can crushed pineapple in juice
• 1 small package lime jello
• 1 cup water
• 10 large marshmallows (adjust if less sweetness is desired)
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 cup whipped cream

Instructions

Use a strainer to separate the pineapple from the juice. Set aside the pineapple pieces. 

Party salad is the key to a long, happy life

Combine juice with jello mix and water in a saucepan. Boil this mixture for 2 minutes. 

If it looks like a science experiment, you're doing it right

Add marshmallows and let them melt into the jello. Remove from heat and let cool.

Note the pineapple sinking to the bottom

Add cottage cheese, whipped cream, and pineapple. Mix thoroughly and chill until set. To avoid the solid ingredients sinking to the bottom, stir after 30 minutes of chilling.

Crab Salad

Crab salad is, for me, almost the definition of a comfort food: simple, delicious, and tied to memory. When I was a kid, it showed up in the fridge only as an occasional treat, but when it did, I loved it. I don't really know the origin of crab salad, but it seems to be part of the greater world of mayonnaise-based salads that are Midwestern deli staples. The seafood-mayo-celery combination is also a common one in other places, from New England's lobster salad rolls to mom's salmon salad sandwiches (another childhood favorite, to be sure). Crab salad is great as a snack on crackers or as a side dish for your summer grilling escapades. 

While one could certainly make a nice crab salad using real crab meat, that is not the point of this recipe. Imitation crab is actually made from pulverized fish parts, which makes it a close relative of Chinese fish balls (another old favorite of mine). This recipe is based on various deli crab salads I have eaten, as well as recipes from the internet. My spin on the recipe is to use some fresh herbs from the garden, which is always a pleasure.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb imitation crab
• 1 cup diced celery
• 4 Tbs chopped fresh chives
• 1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 large lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Roughly chop the imitation crab. Mine came pre-cut into half inch thick coins, which I cut in half. If yours is in "leg" form, you have a bit more work to do. Next, separate out the layers of each piece. This is time consuming, but worth it for the right texture.

Combine the crab, celery, chives, parsley, and mayo in a large bowl. Squeeze the juice from the half lemon into the bowl and mix thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and let chill overnight. Serve with crackers.