Cafe Michelle Salad

(and a secret that I need your help with)

Hello my friends,

It’s great to be back at the keyboard after a week of Thanksgiving shenanigans. It’s also great to be back in the kitchen with no expectations or traditional family recipes that I can’t afford to get wrong. I don’t know if you know this about me (perhaps many of you are of similar character…) but I have a serious problem taking directions. I know, I know, it’s a severe character flaw of mine. I’m aware of it and “working on it”, but the reality is I can’t - and probably won’t ever be able to - follow a recipe without changing something.

It makes meals like Thanksgiving pretty stressful, really.

“Oh, wouldn’t these creamed potatoes be good with a bit of tarragon…”

“Oh, what if we piece up the turkey and poach it in duck fat instead of roasting it…”

"Oh, how about we use cream cheese instead of butter…”

… all to my family’s horror.

Nah, I operate best outside of confined laws and rules. It’s what keeps it fun. So I wanted to share with you, dear paid-newsletter-subscriber-who-keeps-us-chugging-along, a recipe that you can follow to a “t” (if you’re that sort of person) or change up as much as you wish (if you’re that sort of person).

We all know what I am.

But, lucky for me, my job is to provide the recipes and not necessarily follow them.

This recipe first appeared in December 2021 on The Elliott Homestead Cooking Community, where I teach people to cook rustic farm food.

So first…. here’s the recipe for one of my favorite salads in the world. But after you’re done reading this, scroll to the bottom, because I have a secret I need your help with.