Memorial Day Meals

Strawberries, rhubarb, asparagus and spinach were always available in my grandparent's central Kansas garden for Memorial Day.  They called it Decoration Day because the graves were decorated.  I always send a check for flowers for the family plots.  My grandparents were locavores before the term was coined.  The garden also grew potatoes, peas, beans, raspberries, tomatoes, carrots and all the good common things.  Cukes for pickling.  An orchard stood next door.  The chicken yard was off the backyard.  My grandpa went fishing a lot and there's nothing better than fish from stream to skillet in a matter of hours.  You've no idea.

If memory serves, from mid to late summer a pedlar (Old Zelick) came by with peaches, apricots, plums and pears.  My grandma's work was never done.  Canning and more canning.  She made jam along with her own ketchup and picalilly.  (Spelled wrong, somehow)  Quarts and quarts of tomatoes.   Banging on the jar lids to make sure everything was sealed.

Did I mention I wore pajamas made out of the chicken feed sacks.  Nice muslin in pretty colors.  Not too shabby.

This weekend, we've already done chicken salad.  On Thursday our supermarket has "Five Buck Cluck," a rotisserie chicken for $5.00.  The salad called for grape tomatoes (yellow and red), green beans, olives in an olive-oil lemon juice dressing with oregano.  All served up on a bed of romaine.

Sirloin Salad with black beans, tomatoes and avocado

Tonight is steak salad, with black beans, avocado and Southwestern seasonings.  We're grilling a yellow pepper and some tortillas.

Tomorrow?  Tuna salad with white beans and artichoke hearts.  Should be enough for two days.   All of these are easy for the cook, nutritionally correct and very tasty.

Tuna Salad with white beans, tomatoes and artichoke hearts

I just turned in the galleys for World of Mirrors after all the edits.  Not many posts lately, but lots of work.     Have a great Memorial Day.  Put out the flag and remember our veterans.  We always visit a cemetery.  How about you?

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