Tuna-Noodle Salad: A Cookout Favorite

I was reading the New York Times food section this week and came upon a 1970s recipe for Tuna-Macaroni Salad from a café in LA.  I realized it was almost identical to the Tuna-Noodle Salad for a Crowd that I’ve made for years. Though I’m fond of this dish, I haven’t made it for a long time. 

I smiled recalling that friends and neighbors always referred to it as “John’s Wedding Salad,” because it was served at a wedding many of us attended nearly 35 years ago.  The marriage didn’t last, but the salad has remained a party favorite of those who attended.

There are some small differences in the two recipes. The NYT uses cornichons and I use sweet pickles. And they throw in a bit of chowchow, which could certainly do no harm.  My mother made jars and jars of the pickled relish every year. Sometimes she referred to it as piccadilly, though it always seemed the same regardless of what she called it.

Inspired by Sam Sifton of the NYT, I printed out my old recipe. I intend to serve the dish at the farm over the Labor Day weekend. It’s one of those salads that’s even better the second day, but it’s also a “fridge nibbler,” a dish that you can’t resist stealing a bite from, when you open the refrigerator door.

Also on the Menu

With the Labor Day weekend coming up, I’m looking for a less labor intensive meals. This recipe for Wine Soaked Peaches caught my eye. There’s several versions on the Internet, but this one appealed to me most. Served over angel food cake with iced cream, I’m thinking it will make a quick and dandy dessert.

I’m also looking at an Italian Gratinata di Zucchini. It consists of thinly sliced squash coated with olive oil, breadcrumbs and Parmesan layered in a baking dish and roasted. It should go well with our home-made, cob-oven-cooked pizzas.

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