Copper Pennies
On a recent trip home to Texas to visit family, I went through some recipes at my Mom's house. She has this small, green file box that her mother-in-law (my grandmother) gave her when she and my Dad first married more than 50 years ago. I remember that little box sitting on the counter when we were growing up. Many of the recipes are in my grandmother's handwriting and some are in my aunt's because I think she may have helped put the gift together all those many years ago. The index cards are yellowed and there are notes and cooking stains on them. There are many recipes that were added along the way, some cut out of magazines and some written by my Mom, me or my sisters.
This recipe was among those that we looked at that day. A marinated carrot salad that has been around a long time and is a popular Summer side dish at BBQs and pot luck dinners in the South. The recipe may have originated from the Campbell's Soup Company because it calls for 1 can of condensed tomato soup. I modified the original recipe to use Tomato Powder and water instead of the canned soup.
- 1 LB of medium sized, raw carrots, washed, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/2 of a medium sweet onion such as Vidalia, sliced very thin
- 1/2 of a large green bell pepper, sliced very thin
- 2 cups water
- 2 Tablespoons Tomato Powder
- Peel carrots, wash them and sliced them into thin, round pieces. Using a mandolin or the slicing blade on the food processor will make this much easier.
- In a pan on the stove or a glass bowl in the microwave, add enough water to cover the carrots and cook until carrots are 'crisp tender' but still firm. About 5 minutes on med high heat or 7 minutes in the microwave.
- Drain the carrots and place them into a medium to large glass bowl.
- Add the onions and bell peppers to the carrots
- In a medium saucepan, combine Tomato Powder and water (or tomato soup) and all the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer about 5 minutes.
- Pour the hot mixture over the carrots, bell peppers and onions, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
- It's ok, to stir the mixture occasionally while it marinates to insure that all the vegetables get marinated.
- With a slotted spoon, transfer the carrots, bell peppers and onions to a serving dish. Add a little of the marinade to keep the salad moist and serve chilled.
