Standard summer side dishes re-imagined

 

Barbecue and picnic season is upon us—I can almost smell the hamburgers sizzling on the grill or a brisket doing a long, slow burn all day long. What do you serve with them? Why potato salad and beans, of course. Does that ever sound ho-hum to you? Do you wish for some change. Here are two of my favorite recipes that re-imagine those side dishes.

Aunt Reva’s good beans (serves a small army)

Aunt Reva is gone but her recipes and the good times at her table linger on. She and Uncle Charles had a guest ranch in East Texas where my kids and I spent many happy days and nights and ate lots of good food on a porch overlooking a small lake, My idea of heaven.

These beans are so easy. Put them in the crockpot on low and forget them all day if you want. One word of caution: if, like me, you abhor green pepper, don’t omit it here. It makes all the difference.

1 3 lb.-4 oz. can Ranch Style beans

1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes (or two 14 oz.)

1 onion chopped

½ green pepper, seeded and diced

Drain beans but do not rinse. Put into crockpot with other ingredients and simmer all day on low.

Lemon potato salad (serves 8)

Years ago TCU Press had a fan group called Bookish Frogs. We used to have occasional programs, featuring one of our authors and accompanied by a potluck supper. Sue Winter, once a neighbor and always a fellow church member, brought this dish and nothing would do but I have the recipe. I’ve fixed it a lot since that day. It’s a bit of trouble but well worth it.

6 medium red potatoes

1 small onion, finely diced

½ cup diced celery

¼ to ½ cup diced celery

Small jar of diced pimiento (I often omit)

For the sauce:

2 tsps. fresh lemon peel, grated

3-4 Tbsp. lemon juice, fresh

3-4 Tbsp. salad oil

1 Tbsp. salt (don’t skimp)

¼ tsp. pepper

Make sauce ahead. Boil potatoes in jackets until tender. Here’s the hard part: peel and dice potatoes while still warm—they absorb the dressing much better. Add onions, and pour sauce over all. (When I was a kid, I remember the cook at the hospital where my dad worked telling Mom to dice potatoes while warm and pour vinaigrette over them to make traditional mayonnaise potato salad. Same principle is at work here.) Add remaining ingredients and chill before serving.