When I was invited to join Granny Alice’s canning class over the weekend, I was beyond excited. My excitement turned to panic, however, when Granny Alice called and asked me to bring a covered dish or dessert for a lunch with the ladies during the class. These ladies have been homemakers and homesteaders decades longer than I have. What in the world was I going to bring that would show that I’m more than just your run-of -the-mill stay at home mom?
This pasta salad from my Aunt Lisa was one of the first recipes I tasted and HAD to know how to make it immediately. It wasn’t just a polite, “Oh, this is delicious! I must get your recipe,” and then never actually get it. I asked for ingredients and amounts and wrote it down on the nearest thing I could find right then. I still have the original recipe and use it as a guide, but I‘ve made this recipe a hundred different ways and it’s always a hit.
I usually substitute with chopped cherry tomatoes and buy canned olives already sliced, but for this crowd, I needed this dish to look as homemade as possible. I did the work and diced up the tomato and chopped the olives myself. It actually wasn’t as time-consuming as I’d remembered.
One thing I have learned over the dozens of times I’ve made this salad: it dries out. if you’re making it the day before, stir in a spoonful of mayo or two before serving. That‘s it!
It’s creamy, colorful, and gives an unexpected punch of sweet, tangy flavor. The canning club ladies agree! And I was proud to let them in on this old family recipe.
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