Ah, it’s that time of year when Mona Faye’s Kitchen is busier than ever. We’ve actually packed up our computer for a few days because there just wasn’t enough room for old-fashioned food and new-fangled falderall! We’ll be having the usual wild turkey (the real free range) and, of course, cranberry salad.

But before we put the laptop away, we wanted to share a recipe. When Mona Faye’s youngest brings his brood to Mona Faye’s Kitchen, he always stops first at Pasta House Company to get their house salad. Now we do have salad here with a lovely Fat-Free French dressing or a tasty Fat-Free Ranch dressing or yummy Fat-Free Raspberry Vinaigrette to go on your iceberg. What more do you want? But these youngsters insist that this one’s better than any other.
So for the sake of family, which is always our top priority here at Mona Faye’s Kitchen, we shall publish this recipe too. It does have all the features we like here in a dish. It’s simple, tasty, and homemade.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pasta House Company House Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 head iceberg lettuce
• 1/2 head romaine lettuce
• 1 can quartered artichoke heart, drained
• 1/2 medium red onion, sliced thin
• 1 small jar pimientos
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Toss together the lettuce, artichoke hearts, onion, and pimento in a large salad bowl and set aside.
• Combine remaining ingredients in a container with a tight lid.
• Shake container vigorously until well-blended.
• Pour dressing onto salad and toss until well covered.
• Refrigerate for about 30 minutes prior to serving to marinate.

We here at Mona Faye’s Kitchen have had such a busy few months. We’ve moved! From our large farm kitchen in Festus to our newfangled modern condo kitchen in the booming metropolis of Hillsboro. We had to get rid of our jelly strainer, but carry on we must!

Even in our new duds, however, Tradition is important in Mona Faye’s Kitchen. You peel potatoes with a knife not a gadgety potato peeler. You are supposed to use three scoops of Folgers to make a pot of coffee and. nothing. less. Christmas isn’t Christmas without applesauce cookies.

And everything tastes better with black walnuts.

Any good salad or cookie or quick bread that comes from Mona Faye’s Kitchen must have a healthy portion of homegrown black walnuts. They are right from Grandpa’s “farm” so they must be good! And we’ve always put them in!!

And they taste, oh, so good!! Mmmm. . . . just like a big crunchy moth ball.

Now Mona Faye’s brood is not so thrilled. This younger generation! The first-born insists that he has to lay out his tongue on my clean counter top and scrape it with a fork after eating them. The second-born will discretely but politely mine for each nut crumb in any slice of date-walnut bread.

Yet we will keep including them.

These silly kids love this salad they found up the road. It’s at a restaurant that is simply a Mona Faye’s Kitchen wannabe. As if!! So I’ll include this recipe here because it does taste quite good. But it would be better if it were served at home instead of an unfriendly restaurant with too-strong coffee and over-sized portions.

And with real black walnuts.

Panera’s Mona Faye’s Fuji Apple Walnut Chicken Salad

6 cups romaine lettuce

1-1/2 cup grilled and sliced chicken breast

1/4 cup red onion, sliced thin

1/3 cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup chopped candied walnuts or pecans

2 oz. apple chips

Apple White Balsamic Vinaigrette

2 Tbsp. apple juice concentrate

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/3 cup olive oil