We love a good salad. Back in the day when Kristin and I were raising very young children our morning coffee time would often overflow into lunch time. We made the kids some peanut butter sliced sandwiches and some chopped fruit and put them on the back porch to eat. Then, Kristin and I would make ourselves a salad. We had a way of cleaning out the left overs. We made a sort of a clean out the fridge salad if you will. We would put just about any fresh leftovers into a salad…rice, chicken, leftover green beans, corn, you name it. Top your additives over a fresh bed of greens, add a vinagrette and you have a savory meal. If our day was especially enjoyable the lingering coffee time that had rolled into lunch would sometimes roll into dinner. Our husbands would come home from work, change and start cooking something for our whole crew. Those were the days. That is really where LoveFeast Table all began.
This salad is kind of my go-to salad. I make it year round. But, it is always on our plates at Easter time. I think it complements ham and our family always has ham for Easter. This recipe originally was given to me by Kristen, of High Heels And A Hammer. It’s one of her mom’s I’m sure. Kristen’s mom was a wonderful cook and entertainer. The recipe is hand written on an aged recipe card from over a decade ago, back in the day when friends wrote friends out recipe cards in cursive.
Mandarin Orange Tossed Salad
1/2 Head Shredded Lettuce (I’ve always used Romain lettuce)
1 Cup chopped Celery
1 Can Mandarin Oranges, drained
1/4 Cup Candied Almonds*
Dressing:
1/2 tsp. Salt
Black Pepper, dash
2 Tbsp. Vinegar
Tabasco, 2-3 drops
2 Tbsp. Sugar
1/2 Cup Salad Oil
1 Tbsp. minced parsley
2 Green Onion Tops, sliced thin
Shake dressing in a jar. Add nuts and dressing just before serving.
*Candied Almonds: Add enough sugar to coat almonds in fry pan. Heat until sugar melts and and the almonds are caramelized. Spread on parchment or plate to cool.
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The night after BlogLove™ ” Spark & Style”, Kristin and I stayed up way, way to late talking. I think we were revved up and couldn’t quite come down off the fun we had. The next day we had to hit the ground running with a business meeting over in St. Paul. When we came home we emptied the van and unloaded all the party props. We were so tired we wanted to collapse!! Kristin actually got a second wind and started organizing things, my husband Todd, the BlogLove™ “Spark & Style” bartender set to making us a delicious dinner. Did you know a little secret about LoveFeast? Our husbands cook! A lot. And, we love it. However, that evening I made a variation of this salad for Kristin, me and Todd. It was delicious and felt restoring the way a good salad sometimes does. I’m going to be sharing that variation with you a little later. It’s going to be my go-to summer salad! But, for now enjoy the basis of most of my salads, the vinagrette from Mandarin Orange Salad.
Do you have a go-to salad? We’d love to hear what it is!
