Welcome to My Kitchen

Summer barbeques include savory sides and salads. Kathy’s Shoe Peg Salad, another recipe submitted by Spokane Valley Herald reader Mary White, is a pasta salad filled with crunchy vegetables and tangy condiments, with just a hint of sweetness. This side salad is the perfect complement to a chicken, beef or pork barbeque.

The recipes unique name comes from the style of canned corn included in the ingredients. Shoe peg corn is corn removed from the cob whole without cutting, and the name comes from the likeness it has to old fashioned wood pegs used to attach heels to the soles of shoes.

You may have to do a bit of searching to find shoe peg corn, and you can use kernel corn, but the texture is not as firm. The French cut green beans are more readily available and are the important carrier of the flavors in this recipe.

Kathy’s Shoe Peg Salad

Dressing:

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp salt

Salad:

1 can (15 ounces) French cut green beans

1 can shoe peg corn (approximately 12 ounces)

1 small jar (2 ounce) pimentos, diced

1 can (8 ounces) water chestnuts

Small jar green olives with pimentos (about 10 ounces)

1 can (15 ounces) red kidney beans

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 cup finely chopped onion or 1 tsp onion powder

1/2 bag (about 8 ounces) rotini pasta

Combine dressing ingredients in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat and bring to a boil, boil one minute, then remove from heat and cool.

Meanwhile, place the first five salad ingredients in a colander and set to drain thoroughly.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add rotini and cook 8 to 10 minutes until just tender. Drain off cooking water and cool under cold running water, drain well.

In a large salad bowl combine drained salad ingredients with the chopped celery and onion. Stir in cooled pasta. Pour cooled dressing evenly over salad then gently stir to evenly coat ingredients with dressing. Cover and refrigerate one hour or overnight. Stir well before serving. Yield:12-15 side servings.

Note: the submitted recipe did not include can sizes. The sizes listed are the size I used when testing the recipe.

Barbeque is not just the meat. Basting sauces, marinades and rubs are an important part in producing tasty grilled meats. Mary included a simple basting sauce her family likes called 2 Shot Basting Sauce.

2 Shot

Basting Sauce

1-ounce Hot Sauce

1 ounce Teriyaki sauce

Mix together in a cup and use to baste chicken, pork chops or beef. Yield: 1/4 cup sauce.

Great Steaks Marinade is a peppery sweet balsamic blend good with all beef steak cuts. The oil and acid ratio are balanced to ensure tender and savory meat.

Great Steaks

Marinade

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup olive or canola oil

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp crushed rosemary

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/2 to 1 tsp ground black pepper

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp salt

Combine all in a zip closure bag. Add steaks, seal and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Turn the bag and knead the bag gently every few hours to redistribute marinade. Yield: marinade for 4 pounds meat.

Chicken is a favorite for some folks during barbeque season. Lemon Grilled Chicken is a tangy, gently spiced dish. The original recipe was in a Great American Recipe collection, but I have modified the preparation a bit.

Lemon Grilled Chicken

1 fresh lemon

2 Tbsp olive or canola oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp dried marjoram

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, about 6 ounces each.

Use a vegetable peeled to remove strips of zest from half of the lemon. Trim peel into fine, thin strips with a small knife and set aside. Grate the other side of the lemon to make 1 tablespoon of zest. Then squeeze the juice from the lemon into a small bowl.

In a large bowl combine the zest, juice, oil, garlic, parsley, thyme marjoram, salt and pepper. Add the chicken breasts to the bowl and spoon marinade over the chicken until well coated. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, but overnight is best.

Note: if chicken breasts are large, I slice in half. The reduced thickness cooks more evenly.

Preheat grill, griddle or broiler to medium heat. Put the chicken pieces on the grill, reserving marinade. Grill chicken until cooked through, about 10 minutes each side. Brush with reserved marinade 2 to 3 times during cooking. Sprinkle with reserved zest strips and serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

A blast from the past, Original Ranch Burger. This recipe came into my collection in 1997.

Original Ranch Burger

1 packet dry Ranch Salad Dressing mix

1 pound ground beef.

Combine dressing mix and ground beef, mixing well. Form into four patties and grill or broil until done, about 6 minutes a side. Yield: 4 patties.

Note: lean ground beef can be a bit dry in this recipe, so I add 2-3 tablespoons of water to the mixture.

Family reunions are often scheduled during summer months, and many menus feature old family favorites. My mom’s fried chicken, and biscuits were what we looked forward to. What recipes are a must at your family gatherings? Share these recipes and any other summer favorites with your fellow readers by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Record Times, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA, 99159. email therecord@odessaoffice.com or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in the Odessa Record office. Birds can present a problem in getting vegetable seeds to come up. Some birds dig up the seed to eat, others scratch them out searching for worms and grubs. Commercial row covers or old-fashioned chicken wire are good deterrents to these garden pests.