Fresh Apple Salad, October 26, 2020
The Covered Dish
Debbie Dance Uhrig
This week I’m sharing a very simplistic apple salad which I grew up eating, especially in the winter. I was amazed how many people raved about this salad when I served it for events, at Silver Dollar City. It’s down-home, and it can be made without too much sugar. It goes quite well with fried pork chops, potatoes and gravy. It’s also rather elegant for the holiday meals. Be sure and read my closing comments, at the end of the recipe.
On the dressing, ‘try’ to use homemade whipped cream. If you’re looking for the best heavy cream look for those with the most fat content. That my friends, is better flavor. The brand I most always purchase is the Walmart label. Why? Cost & taste, more than anything else. In a regular grocery store you will pay close to $7.00, for a quart of heavy cream. At the big ‘W’ I believe it’s around $3. A quart, approximately, and the fat content is the highest I can find.
Salad Dressing versus Mayonnaise: I’m more partial to salad dressing and I would choose Hellman’s for the best flavor. Lately I have been using a bit of what they call the ‘Mayo’ label. It’s lower in cost, and I like the flavor. Here comes the ‘however’, use what pleases you, not me!
The next few days are going to be very busy on the home-front. I’m substituting all week, we have a dinner event on Wednesday and friends are coming for the weekend. This is also good! It keeps you on your toes and we don’t get as layed- back on our chores. I have noticed with the whole Covid thing that we have been more casual, with our household duties, on a daily basis.
New and old things to try at the markets: This is a little new for me, but here goes. Maple is one of my favorite flavors, the Maple shaped cookies, by Benton, at Aldi’s are spectacular. They run 1.99 a pkg. and so yummy.
Here in Branson we have a store called, ‘The Amish Store’. They carry a soup called ‘Rebecca’s Bistro Tomato Basil Soup. It sells there for about $5.85 a jar. If you love old-fashioned tomato soup this is divine. Two people could probably make 2 meals from one quart jar. I’m pretty sure I mentioned this product a few weeks ago, but it’s worth mentioning again. Watch, next time I go to get mine they will be sold out! When I went to buy some 2 weeks ago I met a shopper with 6 jars in her cart. Like myself she was using them for holiday gifts!
Enjoy the colors as they fade into winter. Go for a drive somewhere, be frivolous, and go out for coffee and a slice of pie. Get away from home with a picnic lunch. Take a folding chair, blanket and book and set up near a body of water, for a good reading time. FYI, don’t forget the coffee thermos. Remember it is the little things we do for each other that make life so special. Remember the old saying: ‘If it’s to be, it’s up me!’
PS: Good time to think about inexpensive Christmas Gifts too. Send my column to someone, for a mere $12.00 a year. Go to the website and sign up your friends. I can send a card out in the mailing telling them about their gift, etc.
Another good holiday gift is to purchase products from Bulone Enterprises. You will find them on line. In the Springfield area they are found at the market, most weekends. They have outstanding gift packages under $20.00. This is an Italian family with outstanding products.
Simply yours, The Covered Dish. www.thecovereddish.com
Fresh Apple Salad
1 cup finely diced celery
8-15 ounce can light tidbit pineapple, juice reserved
4 cups or 5-6 average apples, diced
(I leave skins on for color, can also be removed.)
1 cup grapes, cut into halves
1/2 cup chopped pecans or English walnuts
1 cup halved gumdrops in assorted colors
Dressing
1/4-1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons honey
8 ounces whipped cream
*Options: raisins and marshmallows
Serves 10-12 persons
After chopping the apples generously roll them in the reserved pineapple juice. This will help keep the apples from browning. Drain well and
Place in large bowl with celery, pineapple and grapes. With a whisk blend the dressing in a separate bowl. Stir dressing into ingredients. Lastly stir in the gumdrops and pecans.
As a young girl this was always on the table for Thanksgiving and Holiday dinners. My grandmother, Lucy Rightmire Richardson, would put black, yellow and orange gumdrops for the fall dinners. At Christmas she often used red, green and white.
Sometime only diced orange slices were implemented. It was always one of my favorites and I called it ‘The Candy Salad’.
