Ley Clifton has a willing food tester in husband Garry, who is a big fan of Ley’s salads and dressings.
“Cooking for me is more than putting a meal on the table,” writes Ley Clifton of Orlando, Florida. “It is a gift of love for everyone who shares a meal with us.”
Ley learned cooking at a young age from church members in her native Ohio. “I attended a church with a very diverse congregation,” she says, “and many of the ladies taught me their specialties. I learned to make homemade sauces and pastas from an Italian lady, typical Midwestern cooking and baking, and other ethnic dishes.”
Ley also learned about canning and preserving as a child. “We always had a garden with a wide variety of produce, even raspberry bushes.”
Because of the humidity and an absence of basements, Ley and Garry, her husband of 30 years, have had to adapt to living in Florida. She no longer cans vegetables and fruits, nor does she bake breads. But she still finds value in the bounty of the garden. She makes tomato sauce and freezes it, along with vegetables, and dries peppers and herbs. And because the Cliftons love greens, Ley is forever experimenting with salads and dressings.
One recipe that husband Garry, her personal “guinea pig,” loves is her Vegetarian Chef Salad. Try it and you’ll see why.
Ley Clifton loves to make her own salad dressings as she can experiment with the flavors. This is one of her favorites.
In a covered container or a jar with a lid, combine the dressing ingredients and shake well to combine. Either combine all of the salad ingredients in a pretty bowl or divide among 6 plates, using 1 tomato and 1/2 egg for each plate. Serve the dressing on the side.
Prep. time: 20 minutes
Nutritional Information: Servings 6;
Serving Size 1 cup salad with 2 TB. dressing (232g); Calories 330; Calories from fat 230; Total fat 25g; Cholesterol 105mg; Sodium 690mg; Carbohydrate 12g; Dietary Fiber 2g.
