Family Traditions

The weeks are flying by now that Spring is here and each day brings warmer temperatures and busier schedules.  I've still been cooking, but haven't had as much time to document lately.  But I am excited to share with you some of the things I've been up to, starting with two stories about family traditions.  One is from me, the other from my friend Brett along with the recipe for her Granny's fruit slaw that I promised weeks ago.

Recently, my Mother-In-Law, Kris, celebrated her birthday.  I wanted to make it special somehow, because she has a knack for always making us kids feel special.  It was right before Easter, so I happened to have some plastic eggs.  I picked up a basket on my way over and secretly asked everyone to write a little note with a memory of how she made them feel special, or went out of her way for them over the past year.  We put the notes in the eggs, put the eggs in the basket, and before she opened her gifts she read them all aloud.  It was very cool to be reminded of how thoughtful she is year-round and honor her in this way on her birthday.  Here are some pictures:

 

The birthday girl!

You can see the basket with the eggs.  She's reading one of her notes!

One of my favorites...from her hubby.

Everyone digging into yummy birthday cake.

I thought with Mother's Day coming up, this idea might come in handy for anyone else looking for a way tell their mom that they are appreciated year-round!

For dinner that night, I introduced Brett's Granny's Fruit Slaw that I made during my Spring Break themed week.  It was a hit!  I promised the recipe when I originally showed off the slaw, but it just didn't seem right for me to put it out in the world when it clearly is not my recipe.  So, here is Brett to share with you the history of this delicious salad that should become a standard part of your summer BBQs!  :-)

When Jenny asked if I would introduce my Granny’s Fruit Slaw, I wondered what would best honor the recipe.  I decided to go right to the source to get the historical information of how it came to be.  I called my Granny.  As the matriarch of our family, she has not only passed along her recipes, but has also instilled a love of gardening, cooking, and eating in all of the three younger generations.  She was tickled to be featured on a foodie blog, even though she admitted that this particular recipe does not have the most glamorous roots.  The story is simple, but also remarkable, as it shows how good food evolves with a little creativity and confidence in the kitchen. 

And so, as my Granny shared both the history and the recipe with me, I will share them with you.  It started out as a basic recipe with green cabbage, onions, and bell pepper.  The original professed that the most important aspect was that you were supposed to let it sit overnight in the fridge without stirring and toss it the following day.  My Granny explained that, in her opinion, that technique did not matter at all and the best part of the dish was the dressing; however, even it needed a little improvement, so she added rice vinegar, our secret family ingredient, and she just kept “working with it,” making it a little more interesting each time.  The debut of the red grapes happened when we were both together preparing for a family reunion and they have become a fast tradition.

Many of the ingredients and techniques of the original recipe have disappeared, but what remains is a delicious combination of flavors in a salad that has evolved to be passed down through the generations.  In my Granny’s words, “I just started with the basics and dropped what I did not like,” added some new colors and flavors, and created a family favorite.  We hope that you enjoy it!

granny's fruit slaw:

salad:

1 large head green cabbage
1 large can pineapple chunks quartered
1 bunch grapes halved
1 bit finely chopped parsley (aprox 3 T)
1 bit finely chopped mint (aprox 1 T)
1 medium finely chopped sweet onion

mix together in large bowl.

dressing:
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup white sugar

heat until sugar dissolves and pour over salad mixture.

*add rice vinegar (1/4-1/8 cup) to taste.
**marinate for several hours before serving.
***if desired, add apples, apricots or other fruit.

--brett