Granny’s Cracker Salad a summer treat

Every summer when I was growing up I spent a couple of weeks at my grandparents house in Enola. The long days were spent in the shade of the carport swinging on the old porch swing visiting — and shelling peas or shucking corn — with friends and family who happened to stop by. Or if you happened to drop by in the early afternoon you’d find us sitting under the air conditioning watching my grandmother’s “stories.”

I can’t recall specifically which “stories” my granny liked, only that they were not the ones my mom and I watched at home (Mom and I preferred Days of Our Lives), but I do remember what we ate. Corn, potatoes, tomatoes, green beans — all from their sprawling backyard garden. And there was always something sweet — a pear or apple pie, homemade Milky Way ice cream or chocolate-filled thumbprint cookies.

One thing my grandmother made that I didn’t enjoy back then, but absolutely love now is cracker salad.

So simple, yet delicious and perfect for a summer day in Arkansas when it’s simply too hot to cook.

This makes a tasty base for tuna salad too.

Cracker Salad

1 bell pepper, chopped (I like to use red or yellow)

2 to 3 ribs celery, chopped 3 large ripe tomatoes,

chopped

6 to 8 green onions, chopped

¼ cup mayonnaise

Salt and ground black pepper ¼ pound crackers such as saltines or Ritz, crushed

In a large bowl, combine bell pepper, celery, tomatoes, green onion and mayonnaise. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled. Just before serving add the crushed crackers.