Amish Macaroni Salad -- The Crust Is the Whole Point, Sugar

The garden coming back. The peas in the ground. The morning glories on the fence. Tuesday feeding was hard this week. We ran short on cornbread because I underestimated the crowd. I will not underestimate again. The crowd ate. Nobody left without a plate, baby.

Calvin preached Sunday on David and Goliath. The church said amen. I talked to Mama at the stove. I told her the recipe was right. I told her the kitchen was holding. The cast iron skillet hummed.

I made mac and cheese this week, baby. Three cheeses — sharp cheddar, monterey jack, a little gruyere because I am fancy now — butter, milk, eggs, no measuring. Into the cast iron in the oven for thirty-five minutes until the crust browned. The crust is the whole point, sugar. The crust is what tells you it is done.

CJ called from Huntsville. The grandchildren — Caleb (1), Naomi — are well. Shanice sends her love. Destiny came for Sunday dinner. She talked about her work. The work is hard. She is good at hard work.

The work is the work, baby. I am tired in the right way.

I read for an hour Sunday night before bed. The Bible, then a book Doris sent me about the civil rights movement in Birmingham. The book made me think about Bernice in the church kitchen during the bombings.

Bernice's Table Tuesday. The team was sharp. The food held. The room held.

A new young wife joined the Saturday cooking class. Twenty-two years old. She does not know how to make rice. I will teach her. The chain extends.

Calvin Jr. called Tuesday night. He was tired. He had been at work twelve hours. I told him, baby, eat something. He said, Mama, I will. I said, what did you eat last. He said, a granola bar. I said, baby, that is not eating. He laughed.

I sat on the porch Saturday afternoon. The neighborhood was quiet. Mr. Henderson across the street waved. I waved back. The porches are the original social network, sugar. We have been at this since Eden.

I made coffee at five Tuesday morning. Strong, with cream, no sugar (the diabetes). I stood at the kitchen window. The yard was still in dark. The day ahead was the day ahead. I went into it.

The garden in the side yard, sugar. The tomatoes are coming on. The okra is up. The collards are getting big. I will be canning by August. I always say I am not going to can. I always end up canning.

A young woman from the new members class came to me Sunday. She was nervous. She said, Mother Simms, my husband and I are expecting our first and I do not know how to cook. I said, baby, come to the Saturday class. She said, I'm coming. The chain extends.

I stood at the kitchen window with my coffee Tuesday morning. Six o'clock. The light just coming. The yard quiet. Talking to Mama about the day ahead. The talking is its own prayer, sugar.

Calvin and I watched the news Wednesday evening. He fell asleep in the recliner. I covered him with the afghan that Bernice crocheted before she died. The afghan is holding.

Mr. Henderson across the street brought me a bag of pecans Friday from his tree. I made a pecan pie with them. I took half of it back to him. He said, Loretta, this is wrong, you took my pecans and gave me back a pie. I said, that is exactly right. That is how it works.

That cast iron mac and cheese I made this week — three cheeses, no measuring, crust browned just right — is the kind of dish that cannot be rushed and cannot be explained, only inherited. When I think about the Tuesday table, the new young wives coming to the Saturday class, the chain extending out into the next generation, I want to give them something they can start with — something creamy and forgiving and made to feed a crowd. This Amish Macaroni Salad is that dish, sugar. It travels well, it holds, and it will not let anybody leave without a plate.

Amish Macaroni Salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes (plus chilling) | Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, finely diced
• 1/3 cup green bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
• 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• Paprika, for garnish

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add elbow macaroni and cook according to package directions until just tender, about 8—10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Set aside to cool completely.
2. Make the dressing. In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yellow mustard, white sugar, apple cider vinegar, salt, black pepper, and celery seed until smooth and the sugar is dissolved.
3. Combine the salad. Add the cooled macaroni, chopped hard-boiled eggs, celery, green bell pepper, red onion, and sweet pickle relish to the dressing. Stir gently until everything is evenly coated.
4. Taste and adjust. Taste the salad and adjust seasoning as needed — a little more salt, a touch more vinegar if you like it bright, or a pinch more sugar if you like it sweet.
5. Chill. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. The flavor deepens as it sits. Do not skip the chill — it is part of the recipe.
6. Serve. Give the salad a good stir before serving. Dust the top with paprika. Bring it to the table in the biggest bowl you have.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 310 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 22g | Carbs: 23g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 390mg