First you boil the carcass with water, onions, celery, carrots and black peppercorns for three to four hours, then you let it cool in the fridge overnight. I also always add a cube of chicken bouillon to the soup while it’s hot, for extra flavor. When you get it out of the fridge the next morning, it will have a thick layer of fat on top of it, which you remove and then go through the meat in the soup to remove deadly bones.

Some of the bones of a turkey are very small and clear (I think these come from the wing), others are big and fossil-like, some are dark and small and going through the soup is like taking an anatomy class for a turkey. There’s the vertebrae, one by one, disc one, disc two, the thigh legs, wishbone, some white wormy thing, a bunch of flat, clear gelatin thingies, blobs of fat, dark squiggly things and the random peppercorns. These all need to be discarded, as well as the onion, carrot and celery. Whew!

After that, you add more sliced carrots and heat up the soup again until they are cooked. I like noodles in my soup, so cook Egg Noodles in boiling water. This is a better idea than boiling it in the broth, because then precious broth gets evaporated. If I have leftover stuffing (alas, I don’t this year), that goes into the pot as well. There is a surprising amount of turkey meat that comes off the carcass (unless it’s been picked clean), resulting in a very hearty and filling turkey soup. If it’s too thick, I thin it out a bit with more chicken broth.

I started the soup yesterday. It was a rainy, overcast day; a perfect day to make soup. As an added bonus, your house will smell wonderful while this soup simmers on the stove. I would serve this with a simple salad, a leftover Thanksgiving roll or a Turkey Sandwich, if you want double turkey! Here’s the recipe.

Turkey Soup

Recipe by The Fannie Farmer CookbookCourse: SoupsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Moderate

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

A simple Turkey Soup Recipe for after Thanksgiving.

Ingredients

• 1 turkey carcass

• 1 onion, sliced

• 1 carrot, sliced

• 2 stalks celery, cut up

• 6 crushed peppercorns

• Salt

• 1 chicken boullion cube

• Egg noodles

Directions

• Break the turkey carcass into pieces and put them in a large soup pot with any small pieces of turkey meat that you can spare.
• Add 8 cups of water, onion, carrot, celery and peppercorns.
• Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover partially and simmer for 3 to 4 hours.
• Remove from heat. Let cool a bit and put in the refrigerator overnight.
• Skim solidified fat off the top and go through the meat carefully, discarding bones, fat, peppercorns and any weird bits.
• Reheat with sliced carrots and noodles of your choice, until noodles are cooked al dente.
• Taste and adjust seasoning, as necessary.

Notes

• If you prefer, you can add rice or barley to the soup, instead of noodles.

Up Next: Eating House Reborn

I turned to a cookbook I’d just purchased at the Estate Sale of Sallye Jude called The Woman’s Eastern Shore Society of Maryland Cookbook. Sallye was from Maryland and I love this kind of cookbook, compiled from housewives favorite family recipes. They are local, and normally, tried and true.

This recipe was called Super Oyster Stew for Two by Sarah K. Crew of Kent, which seemed perfect to make for Zeke and I, plus I had all the ingredients called for. I actually shucked the oysters myself, since Zeke was at work and it was surprisingly satisfying. Also, some were rather difficult to open, which gives me a new appreciation for 50 cent oyster nights! Should you not want to shuck them yourself, grocery stores sometimes sell them already shucked.

Oysters are low in calories and high in many vital vitamins and minerals, including: B12, Vitamin D, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc, Copper, Maganese, Selenium. Ms. Crew ended her recipe with “Serve to two lucky individuals.” Indeed! I served mine with Saltine crackers, but of course, oyster crackers would be quite appropriate.

Oyster Stew for Two

Recipe by Sarah K. CrewCourse: SoupsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

2

servings

Cooking time

9

minutes

A perfect stew for a chilly night. Serve with a green salad and garlic bread.

Ingredients

• 1 large pint oysters

• 2 tsp. butter

• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

• 1/2 cup oyster liquor of water

• 2 Tbsp. paprika

• 1 13 oz can evaporated milk
  

• salt and pepper to taste

• 2 pats butter for garnish

Directions

• Put oysters, oyster liquor, butter, lemon juice, paprika and Worcestershire sauce in deep saucepan.
• Stir over low heat until edges of oysters begin to curl.
• Add evaporated milk, rinse can out with water and add to saucepan.
• Bring milk just to a boil quickly and remove oysters into two deep bowls.
• Pour hot remaining liquid over oysters and top each bowl with butter pat.

Notes

• Half and half can be substituted for the evaporated milk.
• I added a healthy amount of hot sauce, as this soup was a little bland for my palate.

Up Next: Somethings in the air tonight!

I love pumpkin, in all forms- coffee, ice cream, muffins, bread and for the first time ever, actually bought an edible pumpkin at Trader Joe’s I’m going to bake tonight. I’m serving it with Grilled Chicken Sausage and a Kale Salad dressed with a lemon vinaigrette, pickled red onions and pumpkin seeds. We’ll see how it turns out, but in the meantime, here’s a delicious Spicy Pumpkin Soup I’ve made many times from Oprah magazine. It’s just thing to serve on a chilly Fall (or more likely in Miami) rainy night; it pairs perfectly with a Cheddar or Smoked Gouda Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Enjoy!

Spicy Pumpkin Soup

Recipe by Oprah MagazineCourse: SoupCuisine: American

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

158

kcal

Ingredients

• 4 TBL unsalted butter

• 2 medium yellow onions, chopped

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

• 2 teaspoons curry powder

• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

• pinch cayenne pepper

• 3 (15 ounce) cans 100% pumpkin puree or 6 cups chopped roasted pumpkin

• 5 cups of chicken or vegetable broth

• 2 cups milk

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

• Melt butter in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Add chopped onions and garlic and cook, stirring often until softened, about 4 minutes.
• Add spices and stir for a minute more.
• Add pumpkin and 5 cups broth. Bring to a boil and reduce heat, simmer for 10 minutes.

Notes

• If you don’t want to use heavy cream, you can substitute it with evaporated milk. This recipe makes a lot, so I usually half it, but you could always freeze leftovers. I like to top this with a dollop of sour cream and some pumpkin seeds as garnish.

After years of dreaming, scheming, researching and longing, we finally bit the bullet and bought a boat! A brand new boat, at that- just out of it’s cute, white wrappers. She’s 24 feet long, weighs 4,800 pounds, is seafoam green, powered by twin 150 Yamahas, surname Robalo, nickname ‘Bout Time! Hasn’t been delivered by the stork yet (financing involved) but we’ve reserved a little spot to park her in our boat yard when she makes her grand entrance.

We’ve had a condo in Key Largo for five years and after having exhausted all on-land activities, we started talking a while ago about getting a boat. When you talk about getting a boat EVERYBODY has an opinion on what type, what size, how many engines, the brand etc…I’ve never had so much unsolicited (and conflicting) advice offered in my life on any subject and that includes raising children.

We’ve visited boatyards, looked at websites, flipped through magazines, taken rides on other people’s boats, even went to the Miami Boat Show last January (before the world shut down); we talked to a yacht broker about what kind of boat we wanted, so he could be on the lookout. It was this Yacht Broker- my childhood friend Micheal Brill- who put us in touch with Todd at Unique Marine, to finally buy our boat.

“I’ve never seen it like this in all my life,” said Todd. “It’s crazy. There are no boats anywhere.”

As he walked us through the boatyard to see the new boat, he said “That one’s sold, and that one, and that one.”

“Why?” Zeke asked.

“People aren’t going to Europe this summer and need something to do. And the manufacturers shut down for months, so there’s less boats available than ever.”

Obviously, after that sales pitch and the fact it was a beautiful boat, we took the bait and plunked down a chuck of cash for a new Robalo. Zeke reasoned it will probably be our first and last boat since we’re getting older and he didn’t want to inherit someone else’s problems. I reluctantly agreed. Because while some kids are semi-off the payroll, one is starting a Masters in Law program this Fall, one (hopefully) a Nursing Program at U.M. soon and the last wants to go to U.M. Graduate School, all pricey options, so it’s not like we’re rolling in dough.

But, Zeke reasoned, it’s like having kids. If you wait for the perfect time, it’s never going to happen. I agreed, but on the way home, he’s the one who kept saying “I can’t believe I bought a boat!” and talked about how he wasn’t a person prone to impulsive decisions.

“Listen”, I said, “You’ve been talking about buying a boat for years. You’ve researched it thoroughly, know exactly what kind of boat you want and finally pulled the trigger. This is actually the OPPOSITE of an impulse buy!”

And so it was. Zeke was in shock the rest of the day, I kept trying to talk him off the ledge and he started drinking Iguana Bait beer from his Kegorator- “Either to celebrate or to forget the fact I just bought a boat!”

Meals this week nothing to write home about- they were mostly either left overs or take-out. I refashioned my Spaghetti Sunday meatballs and sausages into Meatball and Sausage Subs. I heated them up in extra sauce and put them on a Martin’s Potato Bun with sautéed bell peppers and shredded mozzarella. The potato roll was too soft for this kind of sandwich. It needed a hard, crusty Italian roll to hold up to the meat. In making sandwiches, I feel picking the right type of bread is a crucial decision, as well as the bread-to-filling ratio. You don’t want to overwhelm the filling with too much bread, just enough to complement and support it.

I found a recipe for “Easiest Ever Mango Sorbet” in my inbox and since I had the ingredients- mango, sugar and condensed milk- I gave it a whirl. I put it into my ice cream maker and it came out tasting like… frozen condensed milk, with hard, frozen mango chucks. Sometimes “easiest ever” recipes are surprisingly good. This one was not.

On Wednesday, I went to Footworks to buy a new pair of running shoes. I like to support local businesses and Footworks is my local running shoe store. The nice lady and I both wore masks as she looked up my info on the computer. She then measured my foot.

Seven and a half- your right foot’s bigger than your left. You have a wide foot and your arches have fallen. They’re not those high and perky arches you had years ago.

Footworks Lady

Yeah lady, like everything else on my body, they’re no longer high and perky. Got it. I tried on several pairs of shoes and settled on a pretty pair of rose gold Asics, size seven and a half.

“I can’t believe I’m a seven and a half,” I lamented to the sales lady.

I almost brought out an eight,” she said.

“Eight!” I gasped. Sacre bleu!

I can’t explain why I care so much that my foot’s grown from a size six to an almost eight. I have to blame it on a Nancy Drew mystery I read as a child where the heroine has a size five foot and a big deal was made in associating her small shoe size with her daintiness and femininity. The other footprint discovered in the book couldn’t have been hers because it was huge, clodhopper size (size 8), so I’ve developed this aversion to having large feet. Damn you Carolyn Keene!

Anyway, on the upside, I got a 10% discount at Cecile’s Bakery with a receipt from Footworks. You need to be wearing running clothes and show your receipt in order to get the discount. I ordered a cup of their Zucchini Cilantro soup and a Tuna Salad sandwich, with the croissant on the side so it wouldn’t get soggy. Both soup and sandwich were very good and I stretched the tuna salad into leftovers for days, by adding a can of tuna to the leftover tuna, as it was heavy on the mayo.

Speaking of sandwiches, I made myself a BLT last week and I have to say it’s simply a delicious, classic sandwich, just the way it is. It needs no update or a reboot, no arugula lettuce instead of iceberg or, (heaven forbid) turkey bacon to make it healthier. A couple crunchy and salty bacon strips, contrast with refreshing lettuce leaves, topped with sweet slices of juicy, beefsteak tomatoes (seasoned with salt and pepper), all snuggled into lightly toasted bread (mine was rye), which has been slathered with some good mayonaisse. Slice in half and take a bite of heaven in a sandwich!

While we’re on the subject, is there a more comforting meal than soup and a sandwich? I don’t think so. While homemade soup is great, canned or boxed soup is perfectly good, and so much easier. For Italian soups, like Split Pea or Italian Wedding, I like Progresso, but lately I’ve been into the pureed Trader Joe’s soups, like Butternut Squash, Carrot Ginger or Tomato Basil. I usually doctor it up a bit with a dash of cayenne, some snipped chives or a plop of sour cream, but with a sandwich, it makes a wonderful and easy dinner.

The all time pits of a meal this week had to be Friday night. I hesitate to even call it dinner. Zeke arrived in the Keys Friday afternoon and we went to Sharkey’s Bar and Grill for Happy Hour. We ordered two glasses of Pinot Grigio and a Tuna Poke to split, which the waitress recommended. She was complaining about people who refused to wear masks while walking around the restaurant, which is required by Monroe County.

“If they don’t want to wear a mask, they should just leave,” she said.

We agreed, she then went on to complain about the new restaurant guidelines that don’t require two negative COVID tests after a restaurant employee has been sick. Now, if employees have been symptom-free for 10 days, they can just come back to work. She said a lot of Keys restaurants that originally opened had to close, re-opened and are now closed again (like the Pilot House) because of cases of COVID. She said it’s exhausting dealing with the anti-maskers and fear of catching COVID; she doesn’t really want to come back to work with the new regulations, but she needs the money to survive.

After eating our Tuna Poke, I asked Zeke if he wanted something else to eat. He said no, which was unusual for him to want so little for dinner. “Really?” I said.

I have a confession to make. I stopped and got a brisket sandwich at that Bar-B-Que food truck when I went out today.

Zeke

We were meeting friends for drinks at Snooks, so we left Sharkey’s and sat at the bar with Doug and Heidi. They’d already eaten, so we just kept drinking wine. Zeke did ask me several times if I wanted any dinner, but I didn’t want to eat alone, and by the time Heidi pulled out some peanut brittle her Mom had sent from Pennsylvania, that was dessert. When we returned home to watch our murder mystery, I told Zeke that was the pits of a Friday night date. “Half a tuna poke and peanut brittle!”, I complained. I also accused him of being a “sandwich sneaker.” Which he is.

On the way home from buying our boat, Zeke passed the turn for our condo.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

He took me to get my own Brisket Sandwich, “Otherwise I will never hear the end of it,” he said. It was a tasty and filling sandwich- five slices of juicy, peppery brisket meat on a potato bun with two bar-b-que sauces- spicy and golden- with ruffled chips and a finely minced coleslaw, which I threw on my sandwich. It was $10, at Mike’s Bar-B-Que food truck on the bayside near one of those Swim with the Dolphins places. MM 101.

Saturday night Zeke cooked me Ground Lamb Kebabs, with a cucumber dill yogurt sauce. He watched the video of the chef, Richard Blais, prepare them and he shaped his Kebabs on a sword, a very dramatic (and potentially fatal) presentation. Since we were clean out of swords, Zeke used skewers to put the meat mixture with herbs, spices and onions on and grilled them. They kind of fell apart, but he salvaged them off the grill. I made couscous and a Greek salad to go with it. The Koobideh (meat kabobs) were good but we both agreed it lacked pizazz, and could’ve used the Middle Eastern hot sauce (Shrug) I’d made at home. I liked it best the next day, plunked into a soft Na’an bread, with some yogurt sauce, jalapeños and cilantro. Can you tell I’m on a sandwich kick?

I was down in the Keys myself from Wednesday on and found myself watching Friends and Everyone Loves Raymond, the comfort food of TV viewing. In other TV news, The Bachelorette changed from Claire Crawley to Tayisha, supposedly because Clair found love right away during lockdown, so good for her! She was already making Bachelor history as the first “older” Bachelorette at age 39 (which is depressing), now this- the most dramatic season ever! This probably isn’t big news in most households, but it was in ours as we love our Bachelorette Mondays, although now it’s going to be on Tuesdays. Is nothing sacred? And I started my new book for Book Club- Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. So far, so good and it won a Nobel Prize for Literature, so there’s that.

August is Rose Month and I can get down with that. I’ve been leaving a bottle of the pink stuff in the freezer with a frosted wine glass, while I go on my walk, so by the time I return and pour myself some, it’s like a rose slushy. So refreshing! Iconic Cuban restaurant Rio Cristal, best known for their thin steak (or bistec) served with a mountain of crunchy, skinny fries atop it, is closing after 46 years in business. They just couldn’t survive the Pandemic! So sad, but they will be open until the end of August should you want to visit one last time. And in more Bad News, this Hurricane Season is supposed to be “one of the strongest seasons ever with 25 storms predicted,” according to the Miami Herald. I actually consider this good news, since whenever they predict a super active Hurricane Season, a hurricane never hits Miami. Yes, today is Opposite Day.

In dramatic news of the week…

Someone in our household had possible exposure to COVID, due to her roommate’s brother testing positive for it. This doesn’t seem like a big deal, but the roommate’s brother actually LIVES with them. Here’s the thing about Millenials (or whoever) thinking it’s no big deal to get COVID. Hopefully, it will work out for you, but you may have exposed someone else, who then goes into a house with a: Mom and Dad, a sister, a housekeeper (who goes home to her own husband, children and grandchildren), a daughter and grandchild, so it’s not just YOU that is affected. It’s whoever you’re around and then, whoever they’re around, and so on. Seven degrees of Kevin Bacon. So, as I rewound every conversation and meal shared with said person while I was in Miami, the roommate’s brother got two negative tests (how does this happen?), as did she. So, crisis averted, but it was scary and Florida is still in the red zone of COVID hot spots.

School starts soon for some children in Miami, including my grandson Wyatt. He starts his pre-school, in person, five days a week, at the end of the month. I worry less about him getting sick, then I do his teachers or other adults working at the school, although I know they will take every precaution possible to keep everyone safe. Normally, at this time of the Summer I’m thinking about getting in shape for tennis season, excited about UM football and tailgating at Hard Rock Stadium and looking forward to events, parties and galas that kick into gear in the Fall. This year, not so much.

I’ve gotten hotels for our Road Trip to D.C. at the end of the month and none of states we’re visiting are hot spots for Corona. We are staying in a lot of historic hotels and I’m planning on eating bunches of crab cakes and oysters, plus, I’ll be checking three more states (West Virginia, Maryland and Delaware) off my bucket list. Yipee!

And by the time we return to the Keys for Labor Day weekend, hopefully our boat will be delivered and I can perfect my blender drink recipes and cleat hitch for docking. Instead of lacing up my tennis shoes, I’ll be lacing up my new running shoes for long walks around the Sanctuary. Instead of wings and beer for UM Football games, I’ll be serving sautéed fresh fish we’ve caught ourselves with chilled white wine. And instead of shopping for a fancy dress and high heels for a gala, I’ll be sporting my quarantini bikini, and wearing comfy flip flops on my seven and a half, fallen-arched, clodhopper feet. Crank up The Beach Boys because this Fall’s my new Endless Summer.

Little Surfer, little one. Made my heart come all undone. Do you love me? Do you Surfer Girl?

Beach Boys

Up Next: Quarantine Projects

Crabmeat is an overlooked protein and although the Crab Toast is quite an indulgent dish, the Asparagus Soup is from EatingWell.com, and is a healthy option. The creaminess the soup comes from a pureed potato, not actual cream. If you want to skip making your own mayo for the Crab Toast, feel free, but the brown butter is a must, taking this dish to another level. The leftover sauce can be mixed in with cooked lobster, shrimp or crabmeat and served on a toasted bun, for an unbelievable sandwich.

Crab Toast by Gabrielle Hamilton 4 servings Prep Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)

1 whole egg, plus one egg yolk

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Koscher salt

1/2 cup grapeseed oil

12 ounces of crabmeat

4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons finely minced chives

1 teaspoon creme fraiche, sour cream, heavy cream or half and half

4 to 6 slices of black pumpernickel or other rustic bread, toasted on both sides

Step 1

In a small sauce pot, brown the butter over medium heat, swirling the pot, until the butter is caramel-colored and has a nutty fragrance, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, scraping up all the milk solids from the bottom and sides of the pot while the butter is still hot and let cool to room temperature.

Step 2

Place the egg and egg yolk, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, a healthy pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon cold water in the bowl of a food processor. With the processor running slowly drizzle in the grapeseed oil. Once all the oil has been added, the mayonnaise should be loose yet emulsified. While the processor is still running, slowly drizzle in the brown butter and any toasted milk solids. Season to taste with salt and set aside.

Step 3

For the crab salad, gently and quickly mix crab meat, olive oil, chives, creme fraiche and remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice together in a bowl. Season to taste with salt.

Step 4

Schmear each piece of toasted bread with the brown butter mayo evenly- as we like to say, “wall to wall”. Divide the crab mixture among the slices piling it evenly on top.

Asparagus Soup EatingWell.com Serves 2 Prep Time, 20 minutes. Total, 30 minutes.

Ingredients

1 14 ounce can chicken broth

1/4 cup water

1 yellow fleshed potato, such as Yukon Gold, peeled and cut into 1/2″ cubes.

1 medium shallot, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried savory or marjoram

1/8 teaspoon salt

12 ounces asparagus, tough ends removed, sliced into 1 inch pieces

1 1/2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped

Freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Place broth water, potato, shallot, garlic, thyme, savory and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the potato is tender about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook prosciutto in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring until crisp, about 5 minutes.
3. Pour the soup into a large blender or food processor; puree until smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary. Season with pepper. Serve topped with crispy prosciutto. Pro Tip: This soup can be made ahead up to 2 days and reheated.

It was also used as an easy snack throughout the day. Other ideas for using leftover ham: a ham and cheese omelet, quiche, chef’s salad (with hard boiled egg), ham salad, on pizza with pineapple or a flatbread, thrown into Mac and cheese or other pasta dishes, in soup or beans; ham can also be made into delicious, homemade croquettas.

I’ve turned to my good old trusty and cooking-battered Fanny Farmer Cookbook for some of these classic recipes and I love this quote from my 1979 edition:

“It seems almost superfluous to make suggestions for using leftover ham, it has so many uses. In fact, ham is something you never want to be without. As a Virginia-born friend, Edna Lewis, said of her childhood: ‘Ham held the same rating as the basic black dress. If you had ham in the meat house any situation could be faced. On short notice it would be sliced and fried with special red gravy…The smoked shoulder was indispensable as a seasoning for other meat dishes; a slice would be added in to fried chicken, rabbit or quail. It was used also in boiled pots of cabbage, beans, watercress and black-eyed peas’.”

The Fanny Farmer Cookbook, 1979

If you have leftover ham, and can’t find inspiration in any of the above suggestions, this is a very easy recipe from James Beard’s cookbook, Beard on Pasta. I won’t make this because: #1 my family doesn’t like peas (I do) and #2 I have no peas. But ham and peas are a natural combination; farafelle (bow tie) pasta would be perfect for this dish, but most any short pasta will do. If you have no cream, you could just make this with butter.

Ham and Peas James Beard

Very simple. Pour a cup of heavy cream into a saucepan. Let it cook down and thicken slightly, and add some peas and bits of ham. Pour over hot noodles and sprinkle on quite a lot of grated cheese.

Now, if you have leftover hard boiled eggs, the logical first choice is to make egg salad with them. I love egg salad and, once again, turned to my Fanny Farmer Cookbook for the recipe, which used eight of my eggs. Other options: chopped and served over cold asparagus in a vinaigrette as a salad, in Asian soups and noodle dishes, sliced on toast and covered with Bechamel sauce, as part of a grain bowl, or sliced and served on a savory oatmeal. They are also good just sprinkled with toasted sesame salt and eaten out of hand.

Deviled Eggs are pretty much the little black dress of the egg world. Everyone loves them, they’re first to go at potlucks and are endlessly adaptable. They can be mixed with curry powder, chopped scallions and topped with chutney, mixed with siracha and topped with cilantro or chives, mixed with truffle oil and topped with caviar, mixed with Buffalo sauce, chopped celery and topped with blue cheese, or served Bricktop’s style- topped with candied bacon.

Here’s my mother’s recipe for a classic deviled egg.

Deviled Eggs Lyla Lee Rice

• 12 hard boiled eggs, shelled
• 1/2 mayo (Hellman’s)
• 1/4 cup Miracle Whip
• 1 1/2 tsp. hot dog mustard
• 1 tsp. grated onion
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 T sweet pickle relish

Peel eggs. Slice eggs in half and remove yolks. Mash and add other ingredients. Use a pastry bag to fill egg halves for nicer presentation. Decorate with paprika, chopped parsley or pimento. Makes 24.

If you have both leftover ham and hard boiled eggs, you have the making for a classic Chef’s Salad. If you don’t have all of the ingredients, don’t sweat it. As long as you have lettuce, ham, eggs and dressing, you’re good to go. This recipe, from Fanny Farmer Cookbook, says “This is a main dish for a summer evening or a lunch.”

Chef’s Salad Serves 4

• 1 head iceberg
• 12 radishes, trimmed, sliced
• 2 stalks celery, julienned
• 1 1/2 cups French Dressing (recipe below)
• 4 tomatoes, peeled, cut into 6 wedges each
• 3/4 cup Swiss cheese strips
• 1 cup cooked ham, cut into strips 1/8 inch wide
• 1 cup cooked chicken or turkey, 1/8 inch wide
• 4 hard boiled eggs, quartered
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Core the iceberg lettuce and save four outside leaves for the bed in which to put the salad. Place them around the edges of a large salad bowl. Cut or tear the remaining lettuce into bite-size pieces, place in the bowl and toss with radishes, celery and half of the dressing. Arrange the tomato wedges around the inside edges of the lettuce. Combine the cheese, ham and chicken, toss and spread it over the lettuce and vegetable. Place the hard boiled eggs between the tomato wedges. Salt and pepper lightly over the salad. Spoon the rest of the dressing over the salad.

French Dressing

• 2 T vinegar
• 1/2 tsp.salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

In a small bowl mix the vinegar and salt and let stand a few minutes. Add the pepper and slowly stir or whisk in the oil. Taste for acid and salt and add more if too bland. Stir to blend before using or store in a jar with a tight lid and shake before using.

Up Next: Foods to Fight Viruses