Strange Salads

Now, the salad pictured above isn't that strange - it's just cherry jello with bananas cut up in it. Mom fixed that a lot when I was a kid, usually also with mini marshmallows sprinkled on top. Very refreshing. Hmm ... It's been over 100 degrees for so long we're all wilted, maybe I should go fix some. Lime jello with pears is also good.


But there are some jello salads that have very unusual ingredients in them. One that's not so bad is lemon or orange jello with pineapple and SHREDDED CARROTS in it. It's a good way to get your daily dose of fiber! But it actually is delicious.


Some very simple fruit "salads" Mom used to make once in awhile included a couple that only required fresh fruit and one or two other ingredients. One was to slice a banana in half lengthwise, spread some mayonnaise on, then sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Now that may sound like a strange combination indeed, but it was ... kind of good. Fruity, nutty, tangy. Another combo was to take a pear half, rounded side down, and pile on a bit of shredded cheddar cheese. That may be similar to how I've heard of some places eating a slice of cheddar cheese on their apple pie.


One VERY STRAGE salad I've come across several times in looking through cookbooks and recipes is an old-timey recipe called "Perfection Salad." To me, it sounds perfectly icky! A version from Mom's '50's-era Betty Crocker cookbook contains jello, lemon juice (or vinegar), cut-up-fruit-veggies-or-seafood, salt, finely shredded cabbage, finely diced celery, finely chopped pimientos and 6 chopped sweet pickles. I think someone just wanted to clean out the fridge and pantry!!!


I do have one favorite salad that sounds a little different and looks awful while you're actually mixing it up. I mean, it looks like barf. But if you can get past that, it sets into a nice-shade-of-green salad that is quite good. It's Lime-y, fruity, tangy and sweet. This was shared in a church cookbook from my original home area by a friend named Beth. I made it for a work carry-in meal once, and it turned out good. Plus I took it to a more recent church meal where we live now.


WEIRD BUT GOOD SALAD
(That's the name of it!)


1 sm. pkg. lime Jello
1 sm. pkg. lemon Jello
2 c. boiling water
1 can crushed pineapple
1 1/2 c. cottage cheese
1 c. evaporated milk
1/4 c. mayonnaise

Combine Jellos and dissolve in the boiling water. Combine evaporated milk and mayonnaise; add to the Jello. Stir in the pineaple and cottage cheese. Chill until firm.


One salad I had awhile back was kind of unusual, but very good and rich. It kind of reminded me of a Waldorf Salad, but just a few simple ingredients. It seems it was red and green grapes and nuts (pecans?), in a kind of whipped cream-cream cheese mixture. Simple but good! Often, simple is best. Just ask that Perfection Salad!