I am a farm girl....I often have a hard time admitting it. But it is true and when you meet me you just know. There are things, I just am surprised about and other things I look at people and think "You got to be kidding where have you all been?"I am plain and I am simple. I am cut and dry. I am meat and potatoes. I am not fancy and not girlie. For the most part. For me, life is what it is . Things will just be.
Then, once in awhile, I go to my in laws for a dinner, and discover something new. A few years ago I attended this picnic thing, and found the broccoli salad. OMG!
Note I don't like potluck. I think it all started with all the church potlucks I grew up with. The mystery salads, the hot dish, the hot dish and the hot dish. Or the fancy ones were casseroles. It wasn't until I was older that I realized that jello didn't come with floaters. Oh, you know, what I'm talking about, a little something to jazz it up and keep up with "Betty" the salad queen. Did you realize that yes, jello can be plain and swooshed thru your teeth without anything getting stuck! I know you have done it when no one was listening.
Potluck can be a deadly adventure that I am not often willing to take. Because you know, if you take it you got to eat, cause it might be from the gal next to you. We wonder which hot dish was made by the "cat lady" or the one made by the lady who didn't want to bring anything, that one is sure to have mystery meat....I shudder at the thought. I realize every one's one hot dish standards vary, but don't you roll your eyes. I am at least willing to say it out loud.
For food, sometimes plain is just plain good. Then along came this salad. I was in my 30's before I tired it, I had to have it. Who made it? My mother in law stated "She brought it". Okay good I am safe there, I know where her food comes from. In a pretty dish, I am set. Then I ask for the recipe...."Well it comes from the deli." But I thought being in the pretty dish you made it. Everyone makes their salads right? Wrong. Buy it. Move it. Pretty Dish...... ok well, there we are back to the farm girl thing.
Deli here I come.......this salad is yummie, I hate the raisins. I can pick those out. Salad forgiveness. Much like the carrots in the jello thing. Pick them out.
Deli love.....they make it and I get as much as I love.....no wait, on a budget here.....that salad is "HOW MUCH A POUND?" Wow it needs to come with a golden bowl, and if I buy a big tub a golden spoon too. Realize, I can eat alot of broccoli and then there's the, I have to share thing.
So often times I go without.
Then along comes my sweet friend and shares her new cookbook. You know the kind, the one where all the ladies of the town get together and celebrate a 100 years of cooking for 100 citizens. We read the cook book, just see what Betty put in. Sadly you know she not sharing the good stuff with us. Stop......there it is ...........the broccoli sun has shined down upon me and I learn that, someone really does make that salad.
It isn't deli magic, okay a bit of let down.....it can be made by humans.....then joy again, it can be made by me. I told you farm girl, slow sometimes...But now, I have to follow a recipe. Another bit of information about me, when I cook, you never get the same thing twice. I truly cook from scratch. I might adapt to a recipe, or read it once and remember the ingredients and cook from there. My poor hubby. Well, he doesn't look like he is starving. Just saying.
Here we are, I made broccoli salad (with no raisins) for the very first time in all my years. I even made the kitchen smelly with bacon. I was committed to this salad.
It is delicious, I could eat it all day, had some for breakfast and then it hit me.
Something was missing. I am planning to stop at the deli and see if they will sell me a deli dish and label, then I think it will taste just perfect.
Funny how a simple salad can be so complicated. Well tomorrow I am back to meat and potatoes, I just have to dig up some potatoes. So just meat, meat is good, as long as it fills the plate.
Sending out the salad love.-L.
