Southern Salads

Old Fashioned Southern Style Coleslaw

Make this just before serving.

1 small head cabbage, shredded (enough for 4 to 5 cups)
1/2 cup finely minced or grated onion
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup whipping cream

Shred cabbage and place in a bowl with a lid. Add onion and mix.

Combine sugar and vinegar in another bowl. Using a whisk, beat in whipping cream until smooth and thickened. Add to slaw a little at a time, using just enough to moisten. You don't want the cabbage to "swim." You can always add more later if needed. Chill for about 30 minutes before serving.

8 to 10 servings

Southern Stuffed Eggs

12 hardboiled eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/5 teaspoon pepper
5 slices bacon, crisply fried and finely crumbled
1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/2 to 1 teaspoon white vinegar
Paprika

Cut peeled eggs in half lengthwise. Take out yolks and mash with fork. Mix in salt, mustard, pepper, bacon, mayonnaise and vinegar. Fill egg whites with yolk mixture. Sprinkle with paprika. Keep covered in refrigerator.

NOTE: 1/4 cup finely chopped sweet pickles may be substituted for bacon for a different flavor.

Southern Cucumbers & Onions

2-3 medium or 2 large cucumbers
1-1/2 cup white vinegar
1-1/2 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp red pepper
1 medium Vidalia sweet onion

Peel cucumbers, peel onion. Slice cucumber into a large bowl with lid. Dice onion and add to cucumbers. Add vinegar and water to bowl. Add salt and red pepper. Mix well, let stand 1-2 days depending on your preference.

Green Pea Salad

1 1/4 cups peas

1/2 head shredded lettuce

1 small onion, minced

2 medium tomatoes

2 hard boiled eggs

Thousand Island Dressing.

Combine peas, lettuce, onion. Slice tomatoes and eggs. Mix gently with the dressing, being careful not to break egg slices or tomatoes. Or garnish top of salad with tomato and egg slices.

Cucumber Vegetable Salad

1 English cucumber, washed, halved and sliced very thin

1 Red onion, halved and sliced very thin

1 Yellow bell pepper, halved and sliced very thin

1 cup julianne carrots, (from bag)

2 tomatoes, seeded and diced

Kosher salt, to taste

Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup Italian Dressing

Place diced tomatoes, and cucumber in a large bowl.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then set aside.

Prepare rest of the vegetables and add to tomato and cucumbers and mix.

Pour Italian Dressing over vegetables

Salt and Pepper to taste

Let set several hours before serving.

Deep South Chow-Chow Relish

1 large cabbage
1 gallon wine vinegar
1 pint kosher or canning salt
2 gallons cucumbers
1 lb. brown sugar
1 tbsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. black pepper
2 tbsp. of turmeric
6 onions

Take one cabbage, a large one, and cut up fine. Put in a large jar or keg, and sprinkle over it thickly 1 pint coarse salt. Let it remain in salt 12 hours, then scald the cut up cabbage with 1 gal. of boiling vinegar.

2 gallon of cucumbers, green or pickled, and add to it cut in pieces the size of the end of little finger. Then chop very fine 2 gallons more of cucumbers or pickles and add to the above.

Seasonings:

1 lb. brown sugar
1 tbsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. black pepper
2 gal. pure wine vinegar
2 tbsp. of turmeric
6 onions, chopped fine or grated

Then put it on to cook in a large porcelain kettle, with a slow fire, for 12 hours. Stir occasionally to keep it from burning. You can add more paprika than is given here if you like it hot.

Pour into clean, hot, pint size canning jars and seal according to manufacturer's directions. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Leave at least 3 weeks before using. If any jars have a failed seal when cooled, store those in the refrigerator to use right away.

This old recipe is a blue ribbon prize winner from an 1880's southern cookbook, adapted to modern canning standards.