5.05.2016

Mother's Pickled Beet Salad



                                             Happy Mother's Day!

Rarely a day goes by that I don't remember my mother....either wanting to share some little tidbit of information, or just simply ask a question. So often I say aloud to her: I wish you could see how this or that has changed, or you wouldn't believe what color they painted your condo building!, what your grandchildren are doing now, or just share something that amuses me that only she would understand.
This was taken in 1956, the day I was married.



Mother (and yes, we called her "Mother" and not mom. her insistance) is certainly remembered for her skill in the kitchen...of course, we named recipes after her: Grandma's sandwiches (I must post those some time!) or Mother's Frozen Fruit Salad for the holidays, the list goes on and on. I'm sure you all do the same thing.

We did a great deal of picnicking when I was a child...mostly on our boat. In my mind's eye I can still see my dad hauling a huge wicker laundry basket (do they even make those anymore?) filled with picnic food, toted off the front porch, onto the dock and into the boat. You can be sure there would be blueberry or rhubarb pie, hamburger or hot dogs for a cookout, and always a variety of cold salads. One of my favorites was a pickled beet salad. My children always hated it and so did my sister, I recently discovered. :)  But I loved it (as did my father) and had such fun making it for this post, as I'm the only one who will eat it!


I suppose you could pickle your own beets, which I did NOT do for this post, but HERE is a link if you'd like a recipe. I wanted to keep this simple for busy lives, so I used bottled pickled beets. It brought back many memories when I lunched on it. I've made a few minor changes over the years as mother's recipe was just the beets, mayo and salt and pepper.


Mother's Pickled Beet Salad




Ingredients:
3 jars chilled pickled beet slices, drained
6 hard boiled eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise (You may need more or less of the mayo/sour cream mixture)
1/4 cup sour cream or yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped dill
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

salt and pepper

Method:

Drain beets well. Quarter the eggs and combine carefully with the beets. Mix the remaining ingredients together and toss with the egg and beet mixture. Serve on lettuce.

10 comments:

  1. What a great post and sweet tribute to your mother. And a fabulous salad, too!

    Sues

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  2. I think our mothers may have been very similar. Mother (not mama or mom) was always dressed to the "nines". In fact, during the week just before my father arrived home, she would change into a nice dress for dinner. Usually, she added her pearls and earrings. Her sisters gave her the nickname of "Nic" because she always loved picnics. She also loved beets and so do I. Happy Mother's Day!

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  3. Well I must try this.I love pickled beets..my mom pickled heres..Jacques' mom bought canned beets..rinsed them..paced them in jars w/ sugar and white vinegar and I could not get enough of them.She looked beautiful at your wedding:)Very classic face..and ooh the style..Grace Kelley..those yrs were lovely in fashion.I did not favor the Charleston era..at all the hair so wavy and stuck to the head..the formless straight dresses..long necklaces..just not what I love.

    Cold To me.
    My aunties had fur coats and my brothers and I would don them during parties as they were left on the bed..no room in our small Mtl closets:)
    Caused a real giggle with everyone..my brothers..older mimicked women perfectly w/ the purses and gloves..
    The boat..the hamper..the picnics..sound idyllic to me.
    Have a lovely weekend and happy mother's day Barbara.

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  4. What lovely shot of your Mom Barbara. !! and this Pickled beet salad look delicioius,
    Happy mom's day !!

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  5. Such a sweet tribute to your Mom, Barbara. The pickled beet sounds really interesting and the salad looks very tasty too.

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  6. What a lovely lady your mother was, Barbara! She looked so happy in the photo too. I grew up eating beets and love them. I even pickled beets last summer using my mother's refrigerator pickle brine which was quite easy to do. I'd love to try it with your mother's dressing this spring and summer! I actually have a beautiful wicker laundry basket that I took from my MIL's house before she had to go into a nursing home :) Wonderful memories and tribute you your mother♥ Oh, and congratulations on winning the bottle of champagne from Stephanie! I'm sure your daughter love will sharing it with you on Mothers' Day :)

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  7. i've never come across a recipe quite like this! it's a delicious and unique homage to a lovely looking lady who reared a daughter i happen to like very much!

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  8. Beautiful photo of your mother! And, I love beets with hard-boiled eggs. I would become a quick fan of this salad. This makes me want to pack a picnic and get outside!

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  9. My mother actually didn't spend much time in the kitchen. She was a nurse and worked a lot when we were kids, so when she did make something special, I didn't forget it quickly. I love pickled beets and so does my son so I'll have to make this one soon.

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  10. What a lovely tribute to your Mother Barbara. She looks like a class act. I wonder where you went boating as a child. Michigan somewhere?

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