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Community Corner

Celebrating Mother's Day

Spring strawberry jam salad

My father’s cooking specialty was barbecued chicken; my mother’s was Oh Boy waffles from the 1940s edition of the red-and-white-checked "Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook." On Mother’s Day, we ate them both. 

Growing up we laughed and called Dad, “Colonel Daddy” and Mother, “Cupcake.” Even though Daddy had the title in his nickname, Mother was always the one in charge, especially on her special day. She orchestrated the celebration from morning till night — Sunday brunch with friends and a quiet dinner with family. We were strictly ordered not to buy presents, and woe to the guest that brought one to the party.

Mother has always said that the best gift we could give her was our presence and our help. Maybe that’s why both my sister and I have a passion for good food and hospitality. Pat is a U.S. ambassador in Africa, and spends a lot of time making visitors feel at home in a very foreign land, and as a Healthy Chef Partyologist, I have fun everyday helping others to eat better.

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At 88, Mother is still a Steel Magnolia through and through. I’ll be flying to Arkansas to help celebrate her special day. I so wish she could come to Atlanta. We would spend the weekend dining and shopping, visiting some of her favorite places in town: the Swan Coach house for lunch, Phipps for a little shopping, perhaps joining the girls at the Ritz for tea and enjoying dinner with friends at Chops. She would order a huge steak and a large martini, and we would all watch in amazement as the 100-pound, 5-foot-tall woman would become a human eating machine, and after an empty plate, order dessert.

Since I will be doing the traveling this year, I’ll be making lunch for eight of her buddies on Sunday. We’ll have a little bubbly to make the afternoon festive and then share stories as we eat a salad with fresh bread and herb butter. We’ll end with a slice of lemon cake and a raise a glass to each of the strong, beautiful women in the room. We’ll toast to the day, to their children and most of all to a return to lunch next year and the gift of good old friends. 

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Here’s the salad I’ll share with the ladies. It can’t get more delicious than strawberries and jam this time of year. With the addition of the delicious grilled chicken, you can serve it as the centerpiece to your Mother’s Day celebration, too!

Spring Strawberry Jam Salad

The Dressing and Marinade

1/4  Cup Strawberry Jam

1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tsp Dijon Mustard

3 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 Tsp each Sea Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

1 Large Chicken Breast, cut in 2 pieces horizontally

The Salad

8 Cups Spring Greens — Baby Spinach, Arugula or other Lettuces

1 Cup Shredded Red Cabbage

1 Cup Shredded Carrots

2 Cups Sliced Strawberries

4 Oz Goat Cheese, Crumbled

1/4 Thinly Sliced Green Onions

1/2 Cup Toasted Chopped Almonds

Step One

To make the dressing, add the jam, vinegar, mustard and oil to a jar and shake well. Season to taste with the salt and pepper. Add 1/2 of the dressing to a zippy bag with the chicken breast. Place in the fridge for at least four hours or overnight. Remove the chicken from the bag, pat dry and cook on the grill or a grillpan. When done, (about 20 minutes, depending on size), remove from the grill and let sit for 5 -10 minutes. Slice the chicken breast on the bias.

Step Two To make the salad, toss together the salad ingredients. Beginning with half of the remaining dressing, toss the salad, adding more if necessary.  Top the salad with the sliced chicken breast.

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