We didn’t worry then about calories or carbs, saturated fats or sodium, and the only mayonnaise we would ever consider using was the velvety and lush Duke’s_a brand that coated the palate and laid claim to the heart when we ate it slathered on a tomato sandwich or heaped into fresh potato salad.
Well, we think it’s time_now that summer is upon us and lazy sunlit afternoons practically beg for a picnic_to throw caution to the wind and enjoy those flavorful classics again. But be warned, there are no “lite” dishes here. You won’t find anything “non-fat” (aka no fun) on this menu. No, this is good-ole Southern cooking the way Mama used to do it_calorie counting be damned!
Chef J Frank has conjured the quintessential Southern picnic, replete with fried chicken and deviled eggs, pimento cheese and oh-so-sweet tea. Food with flavor! A summer repast to savor, as we sit and watch the slanting light of early evening when lightning bugs appear in the gloaming, and children_weary from the day’s outdoor play—fall barefoot and exhausted into someone’s lap for a look at the night sky. This is the way summer in Virginia should be, even if our doctor frowns as he reads our cholesterol numbers at the next checkup. Summer, after all, is only one (sublime) quarter of the year.
Aunt Viola’s Pickled Cukes
1 gallon cucumbers, sliced 1/4 inch thick
8 small onions, sliced thinly
2 green peppers, sliced thinly
1/2 cup salt
5 cups apple cider vinegar
5 cups sugar
2 teaspoons celery salt
2 teaspoons mustard seed
2 teaspoons turmeric
Mix cukes, onions, green peppers and salt in a large bowl. Leave at room temperature for 3 hours. Drain and cover with crushed ice for 30 minutes to chill. Drain again and divide between 4 1-quart glass jars. Bring to a boil vinegar, sugar, celery salt, mustard seed and turmeric and pour over cukes. Seal. Cukes will be ready to eat in as soon as 1 day. Refrigerate after opening.
Deviled Eggs
12-15 eggs, hard-boiled
1/2 cup Duke’s mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons salt
pinch of sugar
sliced radishes, chives and paprika for garnish
Slice 12 of the hard-boiled eggs in half and remove yolks to a mixing bowl. Mix the yolks with all remaining ingredients in food processor (add 3 extra yolks to mixture, discarding the egg white). Place mixture in a pastry bag and pipe into each of the white halves. Garnish and serve.
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