salad haters beware

There is just something about the sugared-almonds in this salad that make it addictive!  You really have to watch that you don't burn the almonds as you prepare them.  I put the mixture on waxed paper to cool and then break them apart.  Cutting the mandarin oranges in bite-sized pieces add more bites of sweet.  I have made this salad so many times I can make it without looking at the recipe...Love that when it happens!  I call that a favorite!!!  Leftover salad dressing makes a good marinade for cucumbers and tomatoes.  Leftover almonds are often used in oatmeal the next morning.  

Checkout the vintage salad dressing jar I found at an Amish store this past summer.  I paid fifty cents for two.  What a bargain!   

 

Sweet and Crunchy Garden Salad

1 cup sliced or slivered almonds

1/2 cup sugar

1 head iceberg lettuce, rinsed

1 head romaine lettuce, rinsed

1 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
Dash of black pepper
Dash of cayenne
3 green onion (scallion) tops, thinly sliced
1 22-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained and chilled
Mix the almonds with 1/4 cup of the sugar in a medium saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring as the sugar melts and the almonds brown.  Carefully spread the almonds on an ungreased baking sheet to cool, using a metal spatula; the nuts are very hot.  When completely cooled, break the candied almonds into tiny pieces. 

Tear the iceberg and romaine lettuce into pieces and wash well.  Dry the greens thoroughly and transfer them to a salad bowl.  Cover and refrigerate if not serving immediately.

Combine the oil, vinegar, remaining sugar, and the parsley, salt, pepper and cayenne in a bowl, mix well.  Chill and cover in the refrigerator until ready to serve. 

Combine the lettuce, sliced green onions, candied almonds and orange segments in a large salad bowl.  Just before serving, toss the salad with enough dressing to coat the greens.

Cookbook - trisha yearwood - Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen

This cookbook reminds me of both of my grandmother's cooking.  The photographs of the many of the dishes are well-done and special messages from family members are included. 

Source:  Yearwood, Trisha. "Sweet and Crunchy Garden Salad." Recipe. Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen. New York: Clarkson Potter Publishers, 2008. 64-65.