More Mushrooms and Chicken Salad

Yesterday morning as I walked around the west side of the house on my way to feed the chickens, I noticed more mushrooms. The whole west side of the house is planted in different kinds of hydrangea bushes and under those bushes are hundreds of a little brown button type mushroom. I spent a good hour pouring through my mushroom book last night and I think they are a type of waxy cap but as usual, I can't really find a picture in the book that exactly matches. Oh well. I'll just look and not touch.

Now that apples and grapes are readily available at the orchards, my salad of choice - other than a nice green salad with lettuce fresh from the garden - is my Waldorf Chicken Salad.  This was a favorite at Copperfield's Coffee Cafe and I am happy to share the recipe.

Copperfield's Waldorf Chicken Salad

 2 cups diced cooked chicken meat (we used breast meat only, roasted bone in and then cooled and diced  but any parts will do)

1/2 cup of diced celery (one good sized rib)

1/2 cup sliced red seedless grapes (if no grapes available substitute raisins)

1 apple diced (I like Gala best, but any good eating apple will do. You want at least a 1/2 cup or more.)*

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 teaspoon salt

pinch of fine ground black pepper

1/2 cup Hellman's real mayonnaise

*I love to keep the skins on the apples for the color and the fiber, but unless they are certified organic apples, I would peel them. Wash them first and then peel them so your knife doesn't contaminate the flesh of the apple.  I am reading more and more that pesticide residue cannot be washed off apples completely.

Put all the ingredients in a wide bowl, except the mayonnaise. Toss and stir all the ingredients together so that they are well distributed with the salt and pepper.  Don't skip this step. Then add the mayonnaise and fold it into the chicken mixture until its well distributed. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. You can add a little more mayo if the mixture seams dry. White meat chicken breast my need a little extra mayo sometimes, but I prefer a salad that is lightly dressed with  mayo. Chill and serve. Keep leftovers in the refrigerator about 36 hours.