German Schichtsalat

I suck at making salads. Period. Its  non-existent appearance  in this 5 year old blog is a proof of that. Growing up in a  farming town in the Philippines, the only salads I know are those swimming in Nestle cream, condense milk and mayonnaise. Where I came from, salads are practically desserts and therefor,  an indulgence.

Imagine my surprise when I finally realise that a salad does not necessary comes with cooked macaroni, kaong and loads and loads of sugar. It took me a while to start liking (and  almost mooing) healthier versions. Greens,  crunchy fresh vegetable and fruits are permanent fixtures in my German family's parties and eaten with or before main dishes . Young and old love salads and there's usually  enough variety  to suit everybody's taste.

Among the usual smorgasbord of salads on our family dinner table, this German Schichtsalat  or layered salad is my favourite. Maybe because it's one of the closest I could get to my childhood treat. Instead of the usually lemony or soury vinaigrette used in many salads, it is creamy ,mayo- based and is actually sweet. Plus, it uses many canned  fruits which is all too familiar in Pinoy cooking.

A college classmate is coming over  this Monday and to make use of the  rare and warm weather, I decided to throw her and her family a BBQ dinner. I skipped rice and sawsawan for her sake and tried to be as German as I could get.

Schichtsalat or German layered salad

1 medium sized  celery root, julienne
2 apples

1 can of corn kernel

2 and 1/2 cups Miracle whip Balance

150 g sliced ham

1 big can of pineapple chunk , save 1/2 cup juice

1 large stalk of leek, cut into rings

4 eggs, cooked

150 g gouda cheese

1. Peel celery root and cut into thin strips. In Germany,  prepared and ready to used, julienned Celeriac is available in many groceries. If you are using bottled one like I did, remove any liquid using a colander. Put julienned celery root in a large serving bowl.

2. Core and cut apples into small chunks. Spread over celery.

3. Remove excess liquid from the canned corn kernel. Spread kernels over apples.

4. Mix miracle whip or any mayonnaise of you choice and 1/2 cup of pineapple juice. Drizzle 1/3 of it over the corn.

5. Cut ham into strips or square, your choice. Arrange over corn kernel.

 6. Spread pineapple chunks.

 7. Add another 1/3 of the mayo-pineapple mixture.

8.  Cut leek ( only the white portion) into rings. Spread over pineapple chunk.

 

9. Slice hard boiled eggs and put it over the leek rings. Dump the rest of the mayo mixture . Arrange grated cheese over it. Cover with cling foil and refrigerate overnight. Toss everything before serving. Done!