Marinated Cucumber & Onion Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 Cucumbers
  
• 2 Onions (medium)
  
• 1/3 cup Sugar
  
• 1/3 cup Vinegar
  
• 2 teaspoon Salt
  
• 1 tablespoon Dill (dry)

Directions:

Score cucumbers decoratively lengthwise, then cut into thin slices.

Peel and quarter onions, then slice into same thickness as cucumbers.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and marinate in refrigerator overnight.

Salad improves over two day period as vegetables break down and add their liquids to the marinade.

Yield 8 servings

Seven Layer Tex-Mex Dip

Seven Layer Tex-Mex Dip

INGREDIENTS

• 1 16 oz. jar of Mexican bean dip
• 1 small container of sour cream (16 oz. – more or less)
• 1 pack of dry taco seasoning mix
• 2 containers guacamole dip (8 oz. each – more or less)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or a shredded Mexican mix)
• 4 medium scallions or a medium onion (chopped fine)
• 1 tomato (chopped fairly fine)
• 1 small can black olive slices (2.25 oz.)

DIRECTIONS

1. Select a dish for serving. You want something fairly good sized, so the dip layers are thin. A Tupperware pie plate dish works well.
2. Spread the bean dip over the bottom of the serving dish.
3. Mix the taco seasoning mix in with the sour cream. Then, spread the sour cream layer on top of the bean dip layer.
4. The guacamole dip goes on top of the sour cream. Use a light touch in spreading, so the colors don’t get mixed up.
5. Now, sprinkle cheese on top of the guacamole.
6. Sprinkle onions, then tomatoes, and finally black olives on top. Be sure to drain the olives.
7. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
8. Serve with Nacho or Tortilla Chips.

Seven Layer Dip with Beef

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 (16 ounce) can re-fried beans
• 4 cups shredded Cheddar-Monterrey Jack cheese blend
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
• 1 cup guacamole
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 (6 ounce) can black olives, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large skillet, brown ground beef. Set aside to drain and cool to room temperature.
   
2. Spread the beans into the bottom of a 9x13 inch serving tray that is about 1 1/2 inches deep.
   
3. Sprinkle 2 cups of shredded cheese on top of beans.
   
4. Sprinkle beef on top of cheese.
   
5. Spread sour cream very slowly on top of beef.
   
6. Spread guacamole on top of sour cream.
   
7. Pour salsa over guacamole and spread evenly.
8. Sprinkle remaining shredded cheese, black olives, tomatoes, and green onions on top.

NOTES

You can serve this dish immediately, or refrigerate it over night and serve cold.

Boiled Custard

Boiled Custard

Ingredients:

• 4 Eggs
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 Quart Milk
• Vanilla to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the milk in a double boiler, stirring enough that it won't leave cooked milk at the bottom as it heats. A small boiler making one quart at a time works better than doing a large batch. Use a pocket thermometer to check the temperature.
   
   
2. While the milk is getting hot, break the eggs into another container and mix in the sugar. A small hand whip works well for this. No need to mess up an electric mixer. When the milk shows about 120 degrees, put some into the egg-sugar mixture, mix it in to make it all pour better, then pour it all into the hot milk, stirring all the time.
   
   
3. Continue to stir and monitor the custard as it heats to 180 degrees. As it gets hot, the eggs will be cooking and it will want to stick to the bottom of the boiler, so keep stirring. A wooden spoon is good, but I just use the same whip that I used to mix the sugar and eggs.
   
   
4. Pour the hot custard through a sieve into some other container.
   

Notes:
Vanilla always goes into anything at the end. If you put it in as it is cooking the flavor will not be as good. (This is also true of herbs and most spices. The delicate aromas and flavors are never improved by too much boiling, baking or poaching.) Use about a teaspoon.

Mayflower Cumback Dressing

Mayflower Cumback Dressing

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 large or 2 medium onions, grated
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup chili sauce (the Heinz kind in a bottle)
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup mustard (the yellow kind)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
• Dash of paprika
• 2 tablespoons water

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the garlic and onion in a blender and puree until mixed.
   
   
2. Add the mayonnaise, chili sauce, ketchup, mustard, vegetable oil, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, paprika and water.
   
   
3. Blend until well combined.

YIELD: Makes about 4 cups.

NOTES:

An homage to the Mayflower Cafe in Jackson, where the dressing is served cold from the fridge for topping salads.