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Strawberry Missionary Society Salad

Source of Recipe

From "Screen Doors and Sweet Tea" by Martha Foose


Recipe Introduction

"When my great-aunt Carrye began her slide into dementia, she often repeated the phrase, 'Do have some more congealed salad.' For many years, I have considered it an honor when she passed to inherit her recipe clippings, the majority of which were headed, 'Methodist Tested Recipes.' The collection contained the Perfection Salad, Asheville Salad, Apricot Delight Salad, and the Amazing Coca-Cola Salad. Of course, I eventually d�coupaged them on the tabletop of a 1950s dinette set. The specter of congealed salads looms large over many gatherings. Just the other day, when I was at the funeral of an elderly cousin, a contemporary of mine came from the kitchen of the Parish Hall and said, 'I can't believe I was actually assigned Congealed Salad, like that was a committee.' It was and it is. They are good. There is a place in life for congealed salads (even in the American Heritage Dictionary). So, go ahead, make room on the sideboard; there won't be any leftovers. And in times of bereavement, do assign someone to the congealed salads."

List of Ingredients

◦ 2 (3-ounce) packages strawberry-flavored gelatin
◦ 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen strawberries
◦ 1 (3-ounce) package lemon-flavored gelatin
◦ 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained, juice reserved
◦ 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
◦ 1 cup heavy cream
◦ ⅓ cup pecan pieces, chopped, plus extra for serving


Recipe

Spray a 3-quart mold or 9 by 13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with plastic wrap. In a medium bowl, dissolve the strawberry gelatin in 2 � cups boiling water. Add the strawberries and stir until berries are melted and the gelatin is completely dissolved. Pour the strawberry mixture into the prepared mold and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, dissolve the lemon gelatin in 1 cup boiling water. Add � cup of the reserved pineapple juice and let cool to room temperature. Add the softened cream cheese and crushed pineapple, stirring well with a rubber spatula. Refrigerate until slightly thickened, about 1 hour.

Whip the cream until it holds firm peaks. Fold it, along with the pecans, into the lemon mixture. Pour the lemon cream over the strawberry layer in the mold. Chill until firm, about one additional hour.

To serve, unmold by inverting the mold onto a serving platter. Remove the plastic wrap and garnish with additional toasted pecans, if desired.

Serves 10 to 12




❧ Notes:

� Never add fresh papaya, figs, honeydew, ginger, mango, or pineapple to a congealed salad; the enzymes will not let the gelatin congeal. Use jarred or canned fruit, which has been precooked, rendering the enzymes inactive.