Cornbread pickle salad makes use of leftover cornbread and fresh garden vegetables.
Southerners nod knowingly while northerners may scratch their heads at the mention of this layered combination of crisp garden vegetables, crumbled Virginia bacon, homemade pickles and melt-in-your-mouth white cornbread. The tart pickle juice keeps this salad fresh and safe on a hot summer day. This dish travels well, making it appropriate for picnics. Carry the cornbread and vegetables in separate plastic zipper bags and this dish will revive your senses at the end of a beautiful mountain trail.
Instructions
1. Separate the bacon slices and fry them until just before they are crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels and pour the bacon grease into a metal coffee can to cool.
2. Mix the white cornbread according to the package's directions. Reheat the cast-iron skillet for five minutes on high heat. Pour cornbread the batter into the hot skillet and bake according to the package directions. Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes when done and place them on a cookie sheet. Bake cornbread a second time for 30 minutes at 200 degrees Fahrenheit to crisp it.
3. Mix the pickle juice, fresh buttermilk, sour cream, mayonnaise, dried chives, paprika, minced fresh garlic, fresh chopped parsley, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper and dried oregano together in a shaker-top bottle until well blended. Refrigerate the dressing while you finish assembling the salad.
4. Cover the bottom of a large, clear-glass, high-sided bowl with a layer of cornbread cubes. Crumble 1/3 lb. of bacon slices over the cornbread.
5. Seed and drain six Roma tomatoes and dice them into 3/4-inch cubes. Layer half the tomatoes over the bacon and cornbread. Layer half the minced, medium Vidalia or Bermuda onion medium, half the diced red and green bell peppers and half the homemade bread and butter pickles, followed by a second layer of each ingredient.
6. Top the salad with the remaining crumbled bacon. Cover and refrigerate the salad until you are ready to serve it. For best results, serve the buttermilk dressing on the side rather than in the salad, especially if you are picnicking, camping or hiking.
Tags: according package, according package directions, bacon slices, garden vegetables, Layer half, package directions