This month’s recipe redux post is honoring treasured cookware. I could not think of a better item to showcase than my mom’s famous white serving bowl. This simple white bowl is not much to write home about; if you saw it on my table you wouldn’t think anything of it. But this nondescript bowl is over 45 years old. I have seen it on my mother’s table my entire life.
This bowl is older than me and it looks pretty much as good as new. I asked my mom for the scoop on this bowl and this is the story I got. In the 1960’s, at the tender age of 29, my mom and her bestie Liz would go yard saling in their Baldwin, New York neighborhood. Neither of them had a car (or a driver’s license) at the time, so the sales had to be within walking distance of St. Lukes Place. At one such sale, clearly pre-Pyrex era, she set her eyes upon this bowl. Excited to find a white serving bowl with a lid, she snatched this gem up for a mere 10 cents. I’m pretty amazed that this bowl has survived so much. Many moves across three states, three marriages, three kids, two divorces and just…life.
My mom’s treasured cookware deserves a treasured recipe, as well. This Italian Carrot Salad is so simple, yet with just one bite, it takes me back to my 1970’s childhood in New York, my beloved Italian Grandma, and my taste for simple dishes. This salad was a constant at every holiday and Sunday dinner, and can still hold its own against many a fancier side dish. I’m sure you have a few dishes like that in your family cookbook, too.
Simple ingredients and and simple preparation. I hope you’ll try it.
Italian Carrot Salad
Ingredients
- 1 bag organic carrots peeled and sliced into thick matchsticks
- 1/2 clove garlic chopped
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Place 1 bag washed, peeled and sliced carrots into a microwave safe bowl and cover. Microwave for 6 minutes. Let cool. Once cooled, dress with olive oil and vinegar, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Toss well to combine and serve cold.
