6 can Salad

Part of food security is being able to make a quick cheap dish or make things from what you have in the pantry. This recipe is made from things I always keep on hand. I know a lot of people have issues with canned vegetables but when you can them yourself like me then that is what you use. I also like the 5 for a dollar sales at the store. Here is my recipe for 6 can Salad.

1 can of black beans rinsed.
1 can of kidney beans
1 can of garbonzo beans
1 can of whole kernel corn
2 cans of green beans
1 medium onion
4 stalks of celery
Salt and pepper to taste.

Dressing:
1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp dried minced garlic
1 tsp dried minced onion
1 tsp dried italian season herbs
1 tbsp dijon mustard.

Make dressing so ingredients will have time to rehydrate. Open can of black beans and dump in colander. Rinse well. Open the rest of the cans and dump into the colander with the black beans. Let them drain for 10 or 15 minutes or salad will be watery. Chop up onion and celery. Mix all ingredients together and chill before serving. The salad is better if made the night before and well chilled before serving.

In my quest to eat more honey.

I happened to come across a Paula Deen recipe for a green bean salad. In classical cooking this would be the base for a Salad Nicoise. Of course I altered the recipe to use honey and it turned out very tasty. This makes a large bowl to serve at a cook out or pot luck. For those of you who preserve your green beans and new potatoes together this recipe is perfect to make a quick salad out of them.

Take 3 pounds of medium size red potatoes. Cut them in half,then quarter the halves. You want them bite size but not too small. Cook them until tender. You want them done but still firm enough to hold their shape.

Take two pounds of green beans. I used two frozen bags because my fresh green beans didn't make it this year. Cook the green beans per directions on the bag. If you are using fresh from the garden you will need to cook them longer. Just like the potatoes you want them done, but not chewy or mushy.

You could use canned potatoes and green beans and fore go the cooking process.

It is very important that you drain your potatoes and green beans well. If they are too wet the dressing will not coat them and the salad will be watery.

Dressing:

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup of dijon or grain mustard
1/4 cup of honey.

Adjust mustard and honey to taste. I ended up adding more honey. You want it thick enough to coat the potatoes and green beans.

Toss potatoes, beans and dressing together. Salt and pepper to taste. Paula recommends serving at room temperature. I chilled it overnight so I could safely leave the salad out during the picnic. It does taste better at room temperature, but be careful as to how long it sits out. Potatoes will go bad quickly in warm weather.

Preserving our bounty.

I did not seem to get as much of a surplus this year as I have in years past. I think the wet spring started me off on the wrong foot and thing did not seem to get better. For those of you who did get a bumper crop. Here is a guide to deal with the surplus

Make it yourself.

I ran across this Salad Dressing recipe on The Splendid Table. I think I have crossed it with something I read somewhere else. It has worked so well for me I thought I would share it with everyone.

First buy a container of dried minced onion, minced garlic, and Italian Seasoning, or process and dry them from your garden. I will cover the "process your own" later when I get my process developed.

1 Teaspoon each of the onion, garlic, and Italian Seasoning is the same thing you get in those Italian Dressing packages. So don't buy those any more just make your own.

I bought a 2 cup plastic measuring cup with a lid from Reasors to make it in.

In your measuring cup add:

1 tsp dried minced onion
1 tsp dried minced garlic
1 tsp Italian seasoning.

Add:

1/2 cup Vinegar
1/2 cup Oil
1 tbls Dijon Mustard

Shake well.

Always allow enough time to rehydrate the dry ingredients before serving. You can use any vinegar you like. They all seem to work well, however plain white distilled is a little harsh. Red wine vinegar gives it a gourmet flavor. Always use Canola oil or Olive Oil period. Anything else will clog your arteries. Don't be afraid to experiment with this dressing works on lettuce or other veggie salads. Wonderful in a three bean salad. It is just a great quick dressing that will have people say WOW.

Bon appetite