Kale-and-Blueberry Slaw with Buttermilk Dressing

The menu for Erin Payne’s high school graduation dinner was a collection of her favorite dishes. Uncle Barry fixed the Shrimp Scampi, I made the Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Swirl Cookies—Pizookies (casserole cookies), and her mom, Marla Payne, made this salad for a family gathering.

Southern Living magazine (my sister’s go-to recipe source) definitely created another winner.

Kale-and-Blueberry Slaw with Buttermilk Dressing Print

6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons grated onion

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (such as Tabasco)

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 Granny Smith apple, grated

1 cup buttermilk

6 tablespoons mayonnaise

6 tablespoons sour cream

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon

1/2 to 1 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 to 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 to 1/2 tsp. sugar

6 radishes, thinly sliced

4 medium carrots, cut into thin strips (Marla cut her into coin shapes)

1 bunch kale, trimmed and thinly sliced

1/2 small head red cabbage, shredded

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup fresh raspberries

1. Stir together first 6 ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid; let stand 5 minutes. Add buttermilk and next 3 ingredients. Cover jar with lid; shake vigorously until blended and smooth. Add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste.

2. Toss together radishes, next 5 ingredients, and 1/2 cup dressing in a large bowl; let stand 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with remaining dressing.

Grilled Chicken and Nectarine Salad

     This “taste of summer” salad comes from the 1994 cookbook, The Flavors of Bon Appétit. The header that precedes this recipe reads, “Try this attractive, low-fat salad as a main course for brunch or as a light and elegant warm-weather supper. Round out the meal with crusty rolls.”

     I made it back then for a friend’s birthday supper – it was refreshing and left plenty of room for a thick slice of cake and mounds of ice cream.

     Although we used to cook outdoors, we haven’t done so in years. Consequently, we grilled the chicken in a grill pan on top of a gas burner. And, we used pecans instead of the original pine nuts the recipe called for.

Grilled Chicken and Nectarine Salad  4 servings

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves

4 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme or 2 teaspoons dried

1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small garlic clove, minced

5 medium nectarines, thinly slices (about 2 cups), or use peaches

6 cups packed torn mixed salad greens (such as spinach, red leaf lettuce and romaine lettuce)

1 tablespoon nuts, toasted (pecans or pine nuts)

½ cup fresh raspberries

1.     Place chicken in shallow dish. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 tablespoon thyme and 1 teaspoon oil. Season with salt and pepper. Turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate from 1 to 4 hours.

2.     Prepare grill (medium-high heat) or heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat or a grill pan. Grill or sauté chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes+ per side. Cool. Cut chicken across grain in thin diagonal slices.

3.     In a bowl, whisk 3 tablespoons lime juice, 1 tablespoon thyme, 1 tablespoon oil and garlic in large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Place nectarine slices in another small bowl; add 1 tablespoon dressing and toss to coat. Add salad greens to remaining dressing; toss to coat.

4.     Divide salad greens equally among 4 plates. Arrange sliced chicken. Top with nectarines. Sprinkle with nuts. Garnish with raspberries and serve.

Strawberry Delight

     I first had this dessert at a Beta meeting years ago and thought it was yummy. Light cool, crunchy and filled with summertime strawberries, or it can even be made with frozen fruit. Raspberries can also be substituted if you’d prefer.

     Two warnings: 1) The filling has to be beaten with an electric mixer for up to 20 minutes, and then cream has to be whipped after that. So, a hand mixer just doesn’t cut it. Or, just use your hand mixer, burn out the motor and then you have a perfectly good excuse to buy a counterop stand mixer. 2) As I said, this recipe has been around for a long time—before everyone was worried about consuming raw eggs. So if that bothers you or if you are serving this to guests, I suggest you use pasteurized eggs.

Strawberry Delight  -- Yield: 9” springform pan or pie pan / cut 8 - 10  pieces or 9”x13” baking dish

Crust:

½ cup (1 stick) butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup chopped pecans

Mix ingredients; put on jelly roll pan.  Stir now and then while baking for 15 minutes @ 359°

1.  Blend butter, flour and brown sugar. Add pecans. Mix until crumbly.

2.  Put mixture on a cookie sheet.

3.  Bake at 350º for 15 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Cool slightly. Press1/3 to 1/2 of mixture in bottom of springform (pie pan or baking dish); reserve rest for topping.

The crust can be made ahead.

Filling:

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries or 1 lb. frozen strawberries, thawed or partially (preferably without added sugar or if sugar has been added, cut down sugar listed below) or use raspberries

(Optional—save a strawberry or two to slice for a garnish &/or make a strawberry fan)

2 egg whites

1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh is preferable)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 pint (1 cup) whipping cream

1.  Combine all ingredients, except cream, in mixing bowl and beat 20 minutes -- low at first, then high. Use a large bowl as the volume increases dramatically as it is beaten. In addition to being very fluffy, it will also turn pink in color. Hint: If your mixing bowl is thoroughly chilled, you may be able to achieve the desired results in less time (maybe even 10 to 15 minutes).

2.  Whip cream and fold into above mixture.

3.  Spread filling evenly over the top of crust; sprinkle with reserved topping.

4.  Freeze without covering. As soon as filling is hard, cover with freezer-proof wrap.

5.  Allow to partially thaw before serving.

6.  Garnish, if desired, with strawberry slices or strawberry fans.