Kay’s Cooking Corner
August 15-21, 2016
Hot days, cool salads, and cooler desserts!
By Kay Bona
Are we hot enough yet? I am. The heat has been relentless; however, I have enjoyed the late afternoon showers we have occasionally. I would like for those to keep on coming. So far, with the showers, they have kept the dog days of August from looking dogged-tired!
Since the heat has been so ravaging, I’ve been grilling a lot or keeping the dinners on the cool side with macaroni salads, which brings me to my recipe for this week.
I made a really tasty macaroni salad last week that I want to share with you. While you still have to use your stove a bit, this salad can be prepared it in the morning, or at least earlier in the day before it gets too hot.
I also have a desert I think is awesome, and would be perfect for the upcoming holiday party. If you want to make it for a picnic or day at the lake, it would be simple to prepare all of it ahead of time and then put it together just before you’re ready to serve it. That’s also a good idea if you’re taking it to someone’s house.
As a young child, I lived in Black Forest, Colo. It was a small community back then, but it’s grown into a nice-size town. This beautiful little town was named by a German immigrant who thought the dark hue of the Ponderosa Pine very closely resembled The Black Forest in Germany. The area abounds in wildlife and horses.
Although the area is rapidly growing, the population is estimated to be about 16,600, so there are quite a few more folks from the 25 to maybe 50 that lived there when we did.
The commercial center of Black Forest is the corner of Shoup and Black Forest Roads, where one can find the community center, volunteer fire station, churches, gas station, and country store. OK, so it’s not quite booming yet.
I just remember Black Forest having only one main road, but then I was a child, so I could be wrong!
A family that lived down the road from us had young girls our age. What I remember about them is that we always used to play Spoons, a card game, and whoever lost had to eat a teaspoon of whatever concoction the others made with the spices and sauces found in the kitchen. I remember this vividly because it was never much fun losing!
Well, Black Forest Trifle did not originate in Black Forest, Colo., but it sure makes me like it more just because of the name.
If you’re not crazy about cherry pie filling, you can use strawberries. Surely, most people like chocolate-covered strawberries, and that’s basically what it’ll taste like. So – use your imagination. You can’t go wrong!
Creamy Rotini Pasta Salad
1 pound Rotini pasta
1/2 cup mayonnaise
6 tablespoons buttermilk
4 tablespoons sour cream
2 teaspoons dried dill
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1 avocado, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 small can sliced black olives
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
Bring a large pot of salted water to a fast boil. Add pasta and cook until done. Rinse pasta under cold water to cool.
Meanwhile, place mayonnaise, buttermilk, sour cream, dill, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste, onion powder, and red wine vinegar in a one-quart Mason jar; seal jar and shake until combined.
Toss pasta with dressing, and then add the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with blue cheese. Chill until ready to serve.
Black Forest Trifle
1 box Deluxe Fudge Ultra Moist Brownie Mix
1/4 cup water
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 boxes Instant Chocolate Fudge pudding and Pie Filling
3 1/2 cups skim milk
1 can cherry pie filling
2 tubs extra creamy whipped topping, thawed
1/4 cup mini-chocolate chips
Prepare brownie mix as directed, using the water, oil, and eggs listed in the recipe. Allow to cool.
Meanwhile, prepare the pudding mix with the skim milk.
When cooled, break the brownies into bite-size pieces.
In a trifle dish, or clear glass bowl, layer accordingly: half of the brownies, half of the cherry pie filling, half of the pudding, half of the whipped topping, then half of the chocolate chips. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients, ending with whipped topping. Sprinkle with remaining mini-chocolate chips. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Kay Bona is a staff writer for the Daily Record and an award-winning columnist and photographer. Contact her at kay@dailydata.com.
