Good morning, exchangers of fare. We begin with a chicken salad question. "I'm tired of predictable chicken salad," noted Mimmy R. "I tried the ginger chicken salad at Boathouse and liked it and wonder if anyone has a recipe for chicken salad made with ginger."
A regular reader wrote in a comment this week, "I would love to see gluten-free discussed in Fare Exchange. I was diagnosed with celiac in my 70s. Haven't found any good gluten-free bread yet. How I miss Niedlov's bread."
MASTERS RECIPES
Gloria Miller had her trusted recipe file at the ready when the request came for egg salad and pimiento cheese as served in sandwiches at the Masters golf tournament.
The Masters Egg Salad
The key to creating an authentic egg salad just like you would get on the course is to chop your boiled eggs very small. Then it is important to mix all the ingredients until the yellow of the eggs and the mayonnaise create a creamy smooth salad. Of course, if you have ever been to the Masters you know it's always served on soft white bread.
6 hard-boiled eggs
1/2 cup real mayonnaise
1/8 teaspoon sweet paprika
Chop hard-boiled eggs very fine; the whites should be the size of peas or smaller. Combine chopped eggs, mayonnaise and paprika in a bowl, and mix until egg yolks and mayonnaise form a creamy consistency. Serve on soft fresh white bread.
Source: "Intentional Hospitality"
Pimiento Cheese From the Masters
3 cups shredded white Cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded yellow sharp Cheddar cheese
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 (4-ounce) jar sliced pimientos, drained
1 cup light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 loaf of white bread
Combine cheeses, pimientos, mayo and mustard in a food processor, and process until smooth. Cover and chill. Spread on bread slices. Makes 4 sandwiches.
Source: "Par 3 Tea-Time at the Masters" by the Junior League of Augusta, Ga.
PEAR PAIRING
Marge Pasch took the bull by the horns and created her own champagne pear vinaigrette for pear salad and kindly shared both recipes.
Pear Salad With Champagne Pear Vinaigrette
1 ripe Bartlett pear, peeled and sliced or chopped into bite-size pieces
Lettuce (Bibb or mixed greens) in bite-size pieces
Gorgonzola cheese crumbles
Walnuts, chopped
Pomegranate arils (optional)
Champagne Pear Vinaigrette (recipe below)
This salad can be made as an arranged salad with the pear slices laid on top of a bed of lettuce or as a mixed salad with the pears cut into bite-size pieces and tossed with the other ingredients.
Arranged salad: Lay pear slices on top of a prettily arranged bed of lettuce on each salad plate. Top with crumbled Gorgonzola to taste, walnuts and pomegranate arils, if using. Pour about 1 tablespoon or to taste of Champagne Pear Vinaigrette over salad.
Mixed Salad: Combine bite-size pieces of lettuce, pears, walnuts, Gorgonzola and pomegranate arils in bowl. Add enough vinaigrette to moisten, and serve. Makes 2 servings.
Mock Trader Joe's Champagne Pear Vinaigrette
1 (15-ounce) can pear halves, drained; discard liquid (I used Publix pear halves)
5 tablespoons pear concentrate (see note 1) made from 1 (32-ounce) jar pear juice (I used Knudsen organic pear juice from Publix)
2 tablespoons water (add more if too thick)
1 1/2 teaspoons Gorgonzola crumbles (Boar's Head at Publix)
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Pinch kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (see note 2)
1/8 teaspoon dehydrated chives (Badia brand, in Food City Hispanic section)
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon citric acid (start with lesser amount and taste)
2 grinds black pepper
Pinch cinnamon
Note 1: To make pear concentrate, simmer pear juice down to about 13 ounces. Cool.
Note 2: Xanthum gum - an emulsifer that helps the ingredients blend together - can be found in gluten-free food sections at Walmart and some grocery stores near the flours. It's pricey, so if you have a friend who eats gluten free, ask for a handout of teaspoon.
Chop pear pieces in blender, then add 4 tablespoons pear concentrate and remaining ingredients. Blend until liquefied. Taste on lettuce leaf, and adjust ingredients if needed. Will keep in refrigerator for about a week. I freeze it and remove what I need when making each batch of the vinaigrette.
SPECIALTY CRACKERS
Here's another treasure from the vast collection of Rose Secrest.
Flax Seed Crackers
1 cup whole flax seeds
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
2 tablespoons hemp hearts
2 tablespoons whole chia seeds
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 cups water
Bring all ingredients to a boil in a saucepan. Turn off. Let mixture cool a little bit.
Spread on a baking sheet to 1/8-inch thickness. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. While it is cooling, you may dust it with more nutritional yeast or any spice you like.
FLORAL FAVORS
From the comprehensive "Recipes and Remembering" by Edith Parker Middleton came these flowery ideas.
- Flowers for garnish only: Use edible flowers or herbs for garnish. These include citrus blossoms, apple blossoms, scented geraniums, nasturtiums, roses, squash blossoms, pansies and violets. DO NOT eat the following: amaryllis, belladonna, bird of paradise, buckeye, buttercup, caladium, clematis, daffodil, gloriosa lily, hydrangea, iris, lantana, larkspur, lily of the valley, lupine, monkshood, narcissus, oleander, poinsettia, rhododendron, star of Bethlehem, sweet pea, tansy and wisteria.
- Candied violets and pansies: It is best to gather flowers early in the morning while they're covered with dew. Wash the flowers, and dry on paper towels. Separate one egg, and slightly beat the white. Using a soft brush, paint the flowers with the beaten egg white, then sprinkle lightly with sugar and place in the sun to dry. When one side of the flowers dries, turn them over, paint and sugar the other side. Dry the flowers thoroughly. Store in an airtight plastic container with paper towels until needed for decorations.
It is safe to eat nasturtiums, violets, pansies, carnations and marigolds. Nasturtiums or pansies are a very attractive addition to a green garden salad in the springtime.
TO FINISH
Fare Exchange is now all online for most of us, as I assume you readers know. One of you wrote, "I miss the paper Times Free Press when I could clip any recipe out. Ah, well, us old fogies will acclimate sooner or later."
Herein you will find the same content, even if in an unwelcome form for many of you, so I will hope content trumps form.
I also hope you will be back soon – like, say, next Wednesday.
REQUESTS
- Chicken salad made with ginger
- Tips for living gluten-free
To Reach Us:
Fare Exchange is a longtime meeting place for people who love to cook and love to eat. We welcome both your recipes and your requests. Be sure to include precise instructions for every recipe you send, and know we cannot test the recipes printed here.
Mailing address: Jane Henegar, 913 Mount Olive Road, Lookout Mountain, GA 30750
Email: chattfare@gmail.com
Jane Henegar