A Vinegar Friday Fourth of July... Macaroni Salad, anyone?

TGIVF!

I had a dilemma today since Vinegar Friday (the first Friday of every month) fell on Independence Day here in the U.S. I don't, for a second, want to overshadow the importance of this holiday. Today, we celebrate our freedom... freedom that cost many people their lives. It shouldn't be taken lightly.

But it's also a day for picnics, family gatherings, pool parties, parades, and fireworks. So... what to do about Vinegar Friday? Then it came to me. I'll post my nearly-famous macaroni salad recipe, which can be found in my book on page 67. After all, what's a summer picnic without macaroni salad, right?

Fortunately, I visited the Etna, PA Farmer's Market yesterday. I went there specifically to buy produce and eggs from my favorite farmers... the Farm Kings of Freedom Farm. If you've never heard of them, you can catch them on Thursday nights when the show starts up again for its fourth season in August. Check your local listings.

The King family of Freedom Farms

I have a tip for you about farmer's markets. When you approach a stand, ask, "Is your food GMO-free?" If they say, "GM... what?" thank them and walk away. If they don't know what you're talking about, you can be darn sure they're not growing anything you want to be eating. 

That's what happened to me with the first stand yesterday. The man was selling pasta and pasta sauces. He had no clue what a genetically modified food was, so I asked him if his food was organic. Again, he was clueless. I thanked him and walked away. 

Then I asked one of the handsome brothers of the King family who was manning the Freedom Farms stand. He assured me over and over (because I kept asking for assurance) that there were no funny frog genes, or something like that, in their food. Yeehaw! Before my eyes was a gorgeous spread of just picked, first of the season, non-GMO corn. YES! And let me tell you, we ate it last night and it was amazing.

Freshness from Freedom Farms

I also bought zucchini, yellow squash, garlic flowers, onions, strawberries, carrots, green beans, eggs, and pickling cucumbers. I can't wait to try the pickle recipe guest blogger, Courtney, posted last month for Vinegar Friday! The bad mood I'd been experiencing earlier disappeared quickly. Poof! I felt like singing and dancing. I was that happy to have bags full of fresh food that was actually going to be good for me. 

If you're in the Pittsburgh area, check out the Freedom Farms website for where they'll be this summer. I know they're in Etna on Thursdays and in the North Side on Fridays.

Okay, back to the recipe I promised. This was my dad's favorite macaroni salad, and since he was born on July 4, 1919, I dedicate this post to him. Miss you, Dad.

Green Grandma's Macaroni Salad

• 1 lb. macaroni 
• 1 small onion, finely diced 
• 4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped

              Dressing

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 TBSP mustard
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
• Salt to taste

Cook macaroni until soft, but firm. Drain and chill for at least an hour in the refrigerator. Add onion, eggs, and carrot. Mix dressing ingredients and add to macaroni. Mix well and sprinkle with paprika.

That's it. Now, to make mine extra special today, I'm using eggs from Freedom Farm, which are incredibly fresh, and an onion and carrot right from the farm. Organic DWV makes the dressing extra special as well.

So, enjoy your day. Enjoy your macaroni salad. And enjoy your freedom. And, if by chance, you stop by a Freedom Farm stand this summer, make sure you tell them Green Grandma sent you!

Happy Independence Day!

Keeping it green with vinegar,

 




For more recipes using vinegar and tips on vinegar use throughout your home, check out my book, now on sale for only $6.99 on Amazon!