If you are looking for a fun and easy salad recipe for dinner here is one I really like. It is a cornbread salad. Tasty and easy to make it has another perk- it is a way to use up day old cornbread that may be a little too dry to just eat.

Cornbread Salad

 

4 c. crumbled cornbread or corn muffins

1 c. shredded mild cheese

1 sweet red pepper seeded and diced

1 c. diced celery

½ c. diced green onion

4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped

¼ c. chopped parsley

1-1 ½ c. mayonnaise or salad dressing, sometimes I use potato salad dressing or even slaw dressing 

2 c. diced fresh tomatoes

1 c. toasted pecans

paprika for sprinkling on the top, optional

 

Place cornbread and next 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir in dressing until desired moistness is achieved. Chill and stir in tomato and nut just before serving. Sprinkle with paprika if you like. Serves 6.

Note: You can add whole kernel corn also if you like.

Ramp Soup

Ramps, or wild leeks, are celebrated as a sign of spring in Appalachia. This creamy soup captures the briefly flourishing vegetable’s essence: Cooking the oniony plants brings out their sweetness, and bright green stems lend a cheerful color.

1 lb ramps

1/2 sweet onion such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil1/3 cup dry white wine

3 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Garnish:extra-virgin olive oil

Trim roots from ramps and slip off outer skins if loose. Cut green tops from ramps and coarsely chop enough greens to measure 3 cups (reserve remainder for another use). Thinly slice ramp bulbs, including pink stems. Cook ramp bulbs, onion, white pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add wine, then boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until evaporated completely. Add broth and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until onions and ramps are very soft, about 20 minutes. Stir in ramp greens and boil 1 minute.Working in batches, purée soup in a blender until very smooth, about 1 minute per batch (use caution when blending hot liquids), then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large heatproof bowl, pressing hard on and then discarding solids. Return soup to cleaned pot and bring just to a boil. Whisk in cheese and butter until smooth. Season with salt. Serves 4.

Free is good, right? I will be at the Blue Pike Farm Open House tomorrow (May 4) and I will be giving away pink Lily of the Valley. That’s right- free. Wanted to thin them out and thought this might be a way of finding them new homes and to say “thank you” to those who attend. It will be held from 10-2 at Blue Pike Farm which is located at 900 E. 72 street.  I’ll also have some free food samples.  For sale will be my books including the new edition of The Charmed Garden (perfect for Mothers’ Day), herb seasoning packets, some jellies and baked goods. Baked goods will include chocolate beet cake (big hit last year), zucchini bread, Swedish Limpa Bread (rye) and Whole Wheat Herb Braids. Depending on the time crunch I also plan to have the pumpkin scones everyone seemed to like last season. I will also have ramps. Carl will have plants and trees for sale along with honey, honeycomb, eggs and more.There will also be some new faces this year. So stop on by and say hello and don’t forget to get your free plant!!