Salad 'Trifle'

As my 'daughter' hurried to fill the plastic large cup with food, before their departure, I was left wondering. Was she creating the first ever salad trifle*? ... ( *normally a dessert made with alternating layers of cake, custard, jello, fruit, whipped cream, displayed, colorfully, inside a deep sided glass container. Oh Yum.)  

I had made three salads for the house warming that morning. Our middle son had requested bean and potato salad to compliment the vast array of 'vegetation' he would be offering for his weekend long social event. Some meats would be barbecued. But not all invitees ate meat. The world is a changing place. The food pyramid is losing ground, thankfully, in many ways. Carbs, regardless of origin, are no longer #1. (They seem to get in the way). ... Fresh fruit and vegetables, the so-called plant foods, now center stage, were being offered. No time to get hungry today. How the produce was beckoning. For the two nursing moms, the selections were great for milk production. Rich, nutrient dense foods abounded: romaine, watermelon, red grapes, lots of onions as were other fan favorites: hot dog, chicken patty and sausage, on the barbecue, with lightly toasted bun. Just one, I know!

'Milly' filled her plate with veggies and the salads. Suddenly it was feeding time for her three month old baby, my grandchild. Could I refill her plate? Soon it would be time to go. As Milly nursed, her plate was full again. She wanted what was best for her and baby. Salads always fit the bill. Bean, potato and macaroni salad were always her favourites, oh so yummy, she remarked.

The bean salad had diced orange and red bell peppers and thinly sliced vidalia onions. The bean combo included organic canned chickpeas, red kidney beans, black beans and a mix of other beans in an oil, maple syrup, lime juice/lemon juice and white vinegar dressing. Everything was organic and all beans were rinsed several times before being mixed together. (Those lectins must be washed away according to the respected high profile lectin doctor. I think he's right. Those insidious things impact on our health). Salt and pepper were added, as needed, to augment flavour and taste. Everyone enjoyed it all.

Next came the potato salad. This year organic potatoes were used. (I place eggs - if being used - on top of potatoes, at the beginning, to cook. Saves time and one less pot to clean.) The skins of suitable sized potatoes were cooked, with skins on, to reduce becoming water logged with that mushy taste after they were cooled, peeled, then diced into evenly sized pieces. Adding herbs to the mixture: dill, chives, finely chopped green onions- (all of the 'stalk') adds greatly to overall flavour. Finely grated carrot, along side finely diced bell peppers - colours of your choosing - makes potato salad a main dish rather than a side one. The dressing of mayonnaise with added turmeric, dry or 'wet' mustard, onion powder, salt and pepper, white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, a dollop of oil helps personalize overall taste and add health benefits. Sliced radishes, chopped dill weed, parsley and chives, 'collaborated' to decorate this delicious summer salad. Why make plain salads when the addition of other vegetables, herbs and spices can turn any salad into a main course.

Then there was the macaroni pasta, NON-GMO, (made in Italy). I cooked it al dente, drained away the water, then added the finely diced green onions, bell peppers and celery to the mix. The dressing was similar to the one used for my potato salad with added paprika and turmeric to give the macaroni salad that reddish hue with added health benefits. Salt and pepper were sprinkled to enhance flavour. (Vinegar helps in keeping bacteria at bay, though all salads should be refrigerated ASAP, after serving.)

As she was preparing to leave, Milly thought of her trip home. Time to refill her 'plate'. She was a nursing mom to a three-month-old, who was growing quickly, minute by minute, and depended upon her to give him everything he needed now! She began filling a large plastic 'beer' cup with the salads she loved to eat. Potato went in first, then the bean then finally the macaroni, on top. It was a delicious mix of food as the loose dressing of the bean salad dripped down onto the 'heavier' potato salad. 

Milly had made the first ever salad trifle, I thought, her special 'fast food combo'. As they left, she knew her meal was just a fork full away for baby and her. Grandma and mommy knew best.