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| Photo Credit: classiccenter.com |
The tailgate for the University of Georgia’s second football game this season turned out to be a healthy affair! Aside from the fried chicken bought from the local grocery store, I made three salads that seemed to hit the spot. Two were recipes found in Southern Living and the third from Garden and Gun magazine. I changed it up just a tiny bit to make things more flavorful.
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| Photo Credit: Southern Living Magazine |
First the Sour Cream Potato Salad
Ingredients:
3 pounds small russet potatoes, thinly sliced (about 1/4 inch thick)
8 thick-cut bacon slices, cooked crisp and crumbled
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 scallion, finely chopped
Preparation:
1. Place potato slices in a Dutch oven, and cover with cold water; bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and cool. Place potatoes in a large bowl; gently stir in bacon.
Whisk together remaining 10 ingredients in a small bowl. Add sour cream mixture to potato mixture, and stir gently to incorporate.
(Note: To tell you the truth, I doubled the sour cream recipe. The dressing soaked up into the potato overnight and made it look dry so I made the recipe again and added it to the salad. Turned out great!)
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| Photo Credit: CK Worley |
Next the Colorful Collard Slaw (This was by far the biggest hit)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/2 cup olive oil
1 bunch collard greens (about 1 3/4 lb.)
2 cups matchstick carrots (I used yellow, orange and purple carrots)
2 sweet apple (not a tart one like Grannie Smith), diced
Preparation:
1. Whisk together first 5 ingredients and 1 1/2 tsp. of the salt in a small bowl until sugar is completely dissolved; slowly whisk in olive oil until completely incorporated.
2. Trim and discard tough stems from collard greens; thinly slice leaves, and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, and gently massage into greens 1 to 2 minutes. (This helps tenderize them and remove any bitterness.) Pour off any liquid.
3. Add carrots, apple, and 2 tablespoons of the dressing to collards; stir gently to combine, and let stand 30 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of the dressing to slaw, and toss. Serve remaining dressing on the side.
(Note: The recipe says to serve the rest of the dressing on the side but I put it all in - then let it sit in the fridge over night. Tossed it and then packed it for the tailgate. Made the collards all the more tender!)
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| Photo Credit: CK Worley |
Lastly the French Style Succotash (I made a cold salad out of it and everyone loved it).
Ingredients:
2 cups butter beans, fresh or frozen (I used field peas)
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
½ cup (about 5 or 6 strips) thick-cut bacon, cut into ¼-inch lardons
1 small sweet onion, finely chopped
3 celery ribs, chipped into ¼-inch dice
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ¼-inch dice
2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
2 large cloves garlic, minced
4 scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. fresh tarragon, roughly chopped (plus extra for garnish)
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. black pepper
Preparation:
Bring 1 quart of well-salted water to a boil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven and add butter beans. If they’re fresh, cook for about 4 minutes. Frozen beans will need to cook for about 8 minutes. Test for tenderness and then remove from heat, drain, and set aside.
Meanwhile, over medium heat, melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 7 minutes. Stir in onion, celery, and bell pepper, stirring to coat with butter and bacon fat. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the corn, garlic, and scallions and cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Gently fold in the butter beans, then add cream, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 5 more minutes, or until succotash is heated through and the cream has started to thicken.
Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Sprinkle with additional tarragon before serving.
(Note: This is wonderful served warm or cold. This was served cold at the tailgate.)
Here’s to a wonderful football season. GO DAWGS!
