It’s picnic time..but lately I’ve been saying the old childhood rhyme, “Rain, Rain, Go Away, come again another day”! But nevertheless, my calendar says it is indeed the beginning of my picnic season!
Every Southern girl has her own recipe for
chicken salad, sometimes handed down by her grandmother and written on an old scrap of paper…a treasure, indeed!
On Sept. 2016, I listed my simple basic chicken salad recipe (see index). But this month, I’ve gotten a little more creative, but you may say “a little too creative” when you read it. The finished product passed the “house tester”, Emery… he liked it…and that’s good enough for me!!!! So I hope you will try my
Cranberry Apple Chicken Salad.
Our 2nd recipe is also a little creative…Peach Iced Tea. I discovered
the many ways to use delicious Georgia peaches when I was catering weddings in the 1970’s. I created a peach punch that people used
to buy by the gallon!!! This peach iced tea however, uses a shortcut…delicious peach nectar! These cans of delicious nectars
can be found in the Mexican section at the grocery store in several different flavors.
Cranberry Apple Chicken Salad
Make ahead to the flavors will blend
4 cups deli-roasted chicken breast meat, chopped in small pieces
2
stalks celery, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. red onion, finely chopped
½ of a Red Delicious apple, unpeeled and finely chopped
1 hard-boiled
egg, chopped
¼ cup sweetened dried cranberries, finely chopped
(found in the produce dept.)
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon
juice
¾ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup chicken broth
½ tsp. dried tarragon spice
Salt & black pepper to taste
Chop up the chicken breast meat and set aside. In a large bowl combine the celery, onions, apples, egg, cranberries and lemon juice.
Stir well and add the chicken, mayonnaise, and chicken broth. Continuing stirring and add salt and black pepper to taste. Chill
in fridge for at least a couple of hours to blend flavors.
Makes at least 8 sandwiches.
Peach Iced Tea
1 qt. cold water
3 “family size” tea bags (I use Lipton)
(3 regular size tea bags
=1 family size)
2 cups sugar
2 cups Peach Nectar
More cold water to finish filling pitcher
Bring the cold or room temperature water to a rolling boil. Remove the pan from the stove eye and add the tea bags. Put the lid on. (Never, ever boil the water after adding the tea bags. It will make the tea bitter.) Steep for exactly 15 minutes. I use a timer. While tea is steeping put 3 cups hot tap water in a gallon pitcher. Add the 2 cups of sugar and stir well to dissolve the sugar. Stir in the Peach Nectar. After tea has steeped the 15 minutes pour it into the pitcher and add 1½ quarts more cold water or filling the pitcher to the top with more cold water, stirring well. You should have 1 gallon of tea.