Summer on the hot prairies brought
wonderful vegetables in a huge
garden my mother grew not far from
the house. The only trees around
our property were the ones around
the garden, so there was some shade
from the hot sun. When the
restfulness of Sunday came, and we
wanted a snack, mom would send us
into the garden with a pail of
water, a salt shaker, and a paring
knife. We would work out way
through the peas, radishes and
beans, then on to the carrots and
kohlrabi. The water was used to
wash off the dirt, the knife to
peel the vegetables and salt made
the kohlrabi so much better
tasting. In the fall, Mom would
also dig up the horseradish for a
special treat. While I don't eat
these recipes often, they bring
about a wealth of memories -
places, people, and my Mom's
ability to make these dishes
without any measuring or fuss.