Jan's Veggie Salad for a Holiday Weekend Barbecue

I'm pretty sure I got the original idea for this salad from Ruthy - the recipe I had printed out had Ruthy's voice all the way through it! But I couldn't find the original in the Yankee-Belle archives, so you get my version...in my voice...without Ruthy chiming in anywhere.

Can that happen at the Cafe? Only if we all keep quiet and don't tell her about it!

It all started with an invitation to the Second Annual Brummer Family Barbecue.

Yes, the same Brummer family that our Seekervillager friend Megan belongs to!

A few people are invited to compete to make the best barbecue (South Dakota style!) around. In my humble opinion, Frank's brisket was the winner.

Of course, he has an unfair advantage, being a rancher and all! But Austin's brisket and Matt's pulled pork were hard to beat.

I should know. I sampled all three of them!

Anyway, the rest of us supplied side dishes like baked beans, mac and cheese, salads, and desserts.

There was a LOT to choose from! And yes, that guy in the hat is a real live cowboy. We have them out here. They aren't only characters in novels!

And isn't Megan's new kitchen beautiful? I love the color of the cabinets. :)

As I was thinking of what to bring, I thought of the number of people who were invited to this shin-dig who need to eat gluten-free. Celiac disease is real, and their need to eat special items is real. And all of us in this group of friends and family are learning how to cook so we can all share in the goodness.

Even the desserts! The cupcakes and brownies in the foreground are both gluten-free.

It's actually pretty easy to cook gluten-free. You just need to be aware of what cross-contamination means and how you can prevent it. For instance, when my daughter, Carrie, made the gluten-free cupcakes with peanut butter frosting, she opened a new jar of peanut butter. Otherwise there would be the danger of cross-contamination of possible bread crumbs (even invisible ones) lurking in the used jar.

I ended up pulling out Ruthy's recipe for No-Pasta Salad, and made my own versions - one with gluten and one without.

Jan's Veggie Salad, with and without Pasta

Start with veggies:

1 head cauliflower, chopped
1 large cucumber, chopped
1 cup thinly sliced purple cabbage
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

and add 1 1/2 cups crumbled Feta cheese

Make your salad dressing:

In a small bowl, mix together:

1 package Ranch salad dressing mix
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cream

Stir the dressing into the veggies until it's all mixed together.

Up until now, we have a fresh gluten-free salad. Put some of this salad in a separate bowl for your gluten-free friends and family.

But we're not done - we still have the pasta salad version!

Cut 1/2 pound hard salami* into 1/2 inch chunks (I got mine from the deli counter and had them slice it into two 1/2 inch slices.)
Cook 3 cups dry pasta until firm, but done (al dente). I used penne, but you can use whatever shape you want.

*I couldn't be sure that the salami from the deli was gluten-free, so I played it safe and only added it to the pasta version of the salad.

Mix the pasta and salami into the remaining veggies, and put it into another bowl for your non-gluten-free friends and family.

After enjoying our meal of barbecue and ALL the fixin's, we spent the rest of the evening on the deck, chatting with old and new friends.

The weather cooperated beautifully for games, visiting and wagon rides to visit the neighbor's horses.

And now we have to wait a whole year until the Third Annual Brummer Family Barbecue! I can hardly wait. :)

Meanwhile, what are your plans for the holiday weekend?

I'm spending today moving into my new office (once known as Carrie's bedroom)!

Here's what it looked like Sunday afternoon. Stay tuned for the final version!

I'm also getting ready for the release of Mattie's Pledge on September 20!!!!

When she feels the pull of both home and the horizon, which will she choose?

Mattie Schrock is no stranger to uprooting her life. Even as her father relocated her family from one Amish community to the next, she always managed to find a footing in their new homes. Now as the Schrock family plans to move west from Somerset County to a fledgling Amish settlement in Indiana, she looks forward to connecting with old friends who will be joining them from another Pennsylvania community—friends like Jacob Yoder, who has always held a special place in her heart.

Since Mattie last saw Jacob, they’ve both grown into different people with different dreams. Jacob yearns to settle down, but Mattie can’t help but dream of what may lie over the western horizon. When a handsome Englisher tempts her to leave the Amish behind to search for adventure in the West, will her pledge to Jacob be the anchor that holds her secure?

Tender, poignant, and gentle, Mattie’s Pledge offers you a glimpse into Amish life in the 1840s—and into the yearning heart of a character you’ll not soon forget.

Jan Drexler loves her family, her home, cooking and just about anything made by hand. But she loves her Lord most of all.

Stop by Jan's website to learn more about her books: www.JanDrexler.com