Summer Salad Days

I was at a family picnic the other day and realized just how much I missed seeing everyone these past few years; sitting around sharing stories about everything and not a whole lot, playing bocce and enjoying bites of everything on the food table: brownies, organic grapes and cheese, deviled eggs and some really wonderful salads. I’ll bet each of us has a favorite summer salad we grew up on, like potato or macaroni salad. I know I do!

And yet, something new always comes along, like the one I tried at the picnic. My sister-in-law, Jeri, brought a cauliflower salad, one of her mom’s go-to summer dishes. Like many old family favorites, she told me her mom never wrote recipes out in detail, but she agreed to share her version for the one she made that weekend. Give it a try! You won’t be disappointed!

Summer Cauliflower Salad
Prepare the day before serving

Ingredients
18 eggs, hard-boiled
2 heads of Melissa’s organic cauliflower, florets cut and steamed until tender (not soggy!)
1 bunch Melissa’s organic green onions, sliced into small pieces

Directions
Let everything cool thoroughly. Once everything is cool, cut the eggs into quarters and place a layer of eggs on the bottom of a large bowl. Add a layer of cauliflower, followed by some green onion (save deep green slices to put on top of salad when finished).

Sprinkle a little ground cumin, a little salt, add mayo and a little mustard (you want the mixture to be moist. You can also use aioli if you prefer.) Mix thoroughly, then keep repeating this process till you use all the eggs and cauliflower.

It is important to let the whole salad sit in the refrigerator overnight, which will enhance the flavor.
 
In the morning, take out the salad and test it for flavor. Does it have enough salt or cumin? Does it need more mustard for a little tang? Use your judgment here. It's hard to go wrong.

Once you have the mixture where you want it, move it to a serving dish or bowl. You might place some of Melissa’s organic greens around it. I always sprinkle some green onions and paprika on the top. This salad is delicious and my new summer favorite.

For more excellent summer salad recipes, try Summer Whole Grain and Vegetable Salad and Shrimp and Corn Salad with Basil Dressing, created by Katie Workman, the recipe creator behind TheMom100. These salads will all go with any occasion, and who knows, they may become someone else’s new favorite.