Watermelon Cucumber Salad!!!

In the summer, I like to use all of the things I have on hand as much as possible in my recipes!   I don't grow a huge garden, but I do like to grow all types of herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers!

 I have had a really good year for cucumbers, so I am trying all sorts of ways to use them and this was a great recipe for them.  I have also been over taken by Kentucky Spearmint so I am looking for ways to use some of it also!

I must admit, I am not a big fan of watermelon and really never have been, except when I was pregnant.  That was the one time I craved watermelon and thought it tasted so good...until it didn't if you know what I mean!!!    I can eat most anything though so it's something I will eat.

 However, I was so surprised by how much I loved this salad!!!    It was fantastic!  So if you like watermelon normally, this is one you will probably love!!!  My picky eater even loved it!!!

It's a great mix of all sorts of yummy things and they all complement each other in a really yummy way!!!   The feta cheese adds a little saltiness to it and makes it so good!!!  The fresh mint adds a really fresh taste to it all and the balsamic dressing just ties it all together!!!  This is also very light and healthy!!!    

Here is what you will need:

4 cups watermelon, cubed and seeded

2 medium cucumbers, diced in bite size pieces, seeds removed

2 cups strawberries, sliced

1 Tbs. fresh mint, chopped

1/2 cup Feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 tsp. salt

juice of 1 lemon

1/3 cup Balsamic Dressing of your choice

Place the watermelon, cucumber, strawberries, mint and Feta cheese in a large bowl.

Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with the lemon juice.

Power the Balsamic Dressing over all and toss lightly with a large spoon!  

I like to sprinkle a little more Feta cheese on top and garnish with a sprig of mint!!  

Cucumber Tomato Herb Salad!

This "Cucumber Tomato Herb Salad" is a really simple salad that uses all of you fresh summer produce and herbs.   I grow a variety of herbs every summer and I love to find ways to use them as long as they last.   This salad pairs well with most any main course!

Here is what you will need:

2 medium cucumbers peeled and sliced thin
3 tomatoes diced in bite size pieces
1/2 large Vidalia onion, sliced in thin slices and then separated into rings
1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/3 cup fresh tarragon, chopped
zest and juice of one lemon
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Place the vegetables and chopped herbs in a salad bowl.  In another bowl, add the zest of the lemon and then the juice of the lemon.  Whisk in the olive oil.  Add the sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper and whisk until the sugar has dissolved.

Pour the dressing over the vegetables and herbs and toss to coat them all.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours to let the flavors incorporate!  Toss again before serving!  

Sweet and Sour Cucumber Salad!

This "Sweet & Sour Cucumber Salad" is something my mother always made every summer and kept in the fridge.  It's great with fresh summer vegetables or just for a light snack!  This is something many of us in the South grew up with and still make, but there are several variations on it.  This is the one I really like and it couldn't be simpler.

Here is what you will need:

2 large cucumbers, peeled and cut in thin slices

1 large sweet onion, sliced thin and separated in rings

1/2 cup vinegar (white or cider)

1/2 cup water

2/3 cup sugar

1 tsp. celery seeds

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 cup olive oil (could use canola)

Place the cucumbers and onions in a glass bowl.  In a mixing bowl, whisk together the vinegar, water, sugar, celery seeds, salt and garlic powder until the sugar is dissolved.  Slowly whisk in the olive oil until it is emulsified.  Pour the dressing mixture over the cucumbers and onions.   Cover and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving.  This holds up well in the fridge for several days!

This is so light and fresh tasting! 





Banana Split Fluff!

This "Banana Split Fluff" is a creamy and scrumptious fruit salad that goes together so quick and easy!   This is one of those dessert 'salads' we are so fond of in the South!  

 Here is what you will need:

1  (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk (like Eagle Brand)

1  (12 oz.) container frozen whipped topping

1 (21 oz.) can of cherry pie filling

3 bananas, peeled and sliced

1 (20 oz.) can of pineapple tidbits, drained

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

9 maraschino cherries, drained

In a  large mixing bowl, blend the sweetened condensed milk with the frozen whipped topping until smooth.  Fold in the cherry pie filling, bananas, pineapple and pecans.  Place in a pretty bowl for serving. 

Garnish the top with coconut and maraschino cherries . We also add a sprig of mint for color.  Chill until ready to serve!

It's really pretty salad!

If you serve it in a parfait glass, it makes it even more fun and festive! 

The kids will love this one!





Cornbread Salad ...No Joke Y'all!

Only in the south would we take something like cornbread and turn it into a salad and since my blog name is Sweet Tea and Cornbread, I thought this was a very appropriate recipe.  And in addition to all of that, it is delicious.  When I first heard of this salad, I thought it sounded sort of weird, but I gave it try anyway and it was huge hit.   It's also very pretty and it's  perfect for a cookout or summer party. 

Here is what you will need:

1 pan of your favorite cornbread or you can use a box of Jiffy cornbread mix prepared, 1/2 cup vidalia or sweet onion, 1/2 cup green pepper, 1 can ranch or chili beans (drained) or kidney beans will also work, 1 can niblets corn (drained),  5-6 slices crisp bacon, 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese,  1 pkg ranch dressing mix blended with 1 cup mayonnaise and 1 cup sour cream to make the dressing.  Be sure you blend these together well. 

Take 1/2 cornbread and cut in cubes.  Place in the bottom of a tall trifle dish or a big glass salad bowl.  A clear bowl just looks prettier because the layers show.  Drain the beans well and put over the cornbread layer.  Next put half the onion and half the green pepper. Pour half the dressing over this layer.  Cut the rest of the cornbread in cubes and do another layer of cornbread.  Drain corn well and put it over this layer.  Sprinkle the rest of the onion and green pepper over this. Finish the top with the rest of the ranch dressing mix, the grated cheese and the bacon crumbled.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.  This is best made early in the day and refrigerated for several hours to blend the flavors.  I wouldn't make it the day before though because it could get soggy.   This will be  big hit! 

Ingredients:

1 recipe cornbread

1 can niblets corn

1 can ranch beans, chili beans or kidney beans

1/2 cup sweet onion diced

1/2 cup green pepper diced

2 cups cheddar cheese grated

5-6 slices bacon fried crisp

1 pkg ranch dressing mix

1 cup sour cream

1 cup mayonnaise

Creamy Cucumber Salad!

This is a really simple, but light and fresh tasting salad!  This is really good when cucumbers are fresh from the garden, but with the availability of cucumbers pretty much year round in the supermarkets, you can serve this anytime.   It has just a hint of fresh dill, which is optional, but I think is key to the flavor.   Here is what you will need for this:

3/4 cup sour cream

2 Tbs. sugar

3 Tbs. white vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

4 medium cucumbers, peeled and sliced

1 medium sweet onion, cut in thin slices and separated into rings

1 Tbs. minced fresh dill (optional)

In a bowl, whisk together the sour cream, sugar, white vinegar, and salt and pepper.   Add the cucumber slices, onion rings and the dill.  Toss to coat all of the vegetables.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving!

This is really good with grilled foods or other fresh garden vegetables!  





Sunshine Salad!

 

 

 

This is a really easy gelatin salad that makes a pretty presentation for Spring and Summer events!  The great thing about this is that it takes just a few ingredients and anyone can do it!  The salad itself is also light and very tasty!   This is what you will need:

 

1 cup boiling water

3 oz. pkg. orange gelatin

1/2 cup cold water

1/8 tsp. salt

1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple (do not drain)

1 cup shredded carrots

 

Garnish

4 oranges, unpeeled and sliced

1 fresh pineapple, cored and sliced

 

Pour boiling water over the orange gelatin in a bowl.  Stir until gelatin is dissolved.  Add the cold water and stir.   Stir in the salt and crushed pineapple.   Refrigerate just until it starts to thicken, but has not set up completely.   This takes around 1-2 hours.   

 

Once it starts to thicken, stir in the shredded carrots.   Pour into a round mold or bowl.   Refrigerate until completely set, several hours or overnight.  

 

Unmold onto a large plate or platter!  Arrange the orange slices and pineapple slices alternately around the gelatin salad! 

 

Keep refrigerated until ready to serve!  If you are serving a large crowd, double the gelatin salad recipe and pour into a deeper mold or bowl!   This will serve 4-6 people!

 





Mozzarella Tomato Salad!

This is such a simple salad, but it is so fresh and full of flavor.  It's a salad that I like to make when I might not have fresh salad greens on hand, but I still want a salad with my meal.  I always usually have these ingredients available in the summer.   This has fresh basil in it and I grow that all over in the summer, because I just love the flavor and smell of basil.   Here is what you will need for this salad:

5 fresh tomatoes, diced bite size (I used 3 red and 2 yellow for color, but whatever you have is fine)

1 medium sweet onion, sliced in thin rings (I prefer Vidalia if I can get them)

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

8 oz. fresh Mozzarella cheese, sliced thin or the Mozzarella pearls cut in half

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced fine

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Combine the tomatoes, onion rings and fresh basil in a salad bowl. 

Slice the Mozzarella balls in half or if you are using a larger piece of fresh Mozzarella cut it in thin slices.   This is the type I like to use.  It comes marinated in herbs and you can find it in the cheese section of your supermarket. 

Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic.  Drizzle over the salad and then sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top.  

I like to finish with a little fresh ground pepper!  It' so easy, but so good!



Black Eyed Pea Salad!

This is  a great little salad to use some of your garden produce that is so fresh and good right now.  It's a really easy salad to put together and it lasts in the fridge for a couple of days.   The base for this recipe is the black eyed pea.

As I have mentioned before, I am not crazy about black eyed peas when they are just served by themselves.  I tend to believe the story about why southerners even began eating black eyed peas in the first place.  

The story goes that back during the Civil War, the union soldiers burned and pillaged just about everything in the South that could be used to sustain the southern troops, including crops and other food sources.   They left the black eyed peas alone because they were used basically to feed farm animals and not humans. 

 Of course, southerners are known to make use of what they have.  They know how to cook the most unsavory foods and make them really tasty.  The black eyed pea provided nourishment during that time when everything else was just about gone.  This is one of the theories about why we eat them on New Year's Day for good luck.  

Black eyed peas are actually full of good nutrients and when mixed with other ingredients and spiced up a bit, they can be tasty.  This salad does wonders for the homely black eyed pea. 

 Here is what you will need for it:

2 (15 oz.)  cans black eyed peas, drained and rinsed (you can cook dried ones for this)

1 medium size sweet onion, diced (Vidalia is best)

1 medium size cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 green or red bell pepper, diced

2 tomatoes, seeded and diced (I used one red and one yellow)

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped (could use 2 tsp. dried)

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (could use 2 tsp. dried)

2 Tbs. jalapeno pepper, minced (optional)

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (could use red wine vinegar or a cider vinegar)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. celery salt

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. sugar

After you have drained the black eyed peas in a colander and rinsed them well, chop and dice all of the other vegetables and herbs.   If you don't have access to the fresh basil and parsley, you can substitute dried herbs, but the fresh is so much better. 

Dice everything in a fairly uniform size. I actually had a beautiful orange bell pepper I used in this.  If you seed the cucumber and tomatoes, the salad holds up much better for a couple of days in the fridge. 

Once it's all diced, place all of the ingredients in a salad bowl. 

Whisk together the olive oil, rice wine vinegar (or some other mild vinegar), the salt, pepper, celery salt, garlic powder, and sugar.  Pour over the salad ingredients, toss together and chill for 30 minutes to an hour before serving.