Salad

Pea greens are the immature green tendrils of the pea plant and often have a fresher “pea” flavor than garden peas themselves. Chive blossoms appear here for a few weeks in early spring and add a mellow onion flavor to everything from salad greens, to fresh sashimi, to buttermilk mashed potatoes. To use them, just pull the individual lavender petals off the chive blossom and sprinkle them directly on top of the salad after it is dressed.

Traditional Southern potato salads are usually served chilled and contain either a mustard- or mayonnaise-based dressing. Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q first served a mustard-based potato salad, but over the years the recipe has gradually changed to a mayonnaise version. Because of the high ratio of hard-boiled eggs, it can almost be classified as a potato and egg salad.

Coleslaw is probably the side dish most often associated with barbecue, and its simple flavors match so well with smoked meat. The most common varieties include vinegar-based, mayonnaise-based, and mustard-based. Big Bob Gibson realized the harmonious relationship between slaw and barbecue early on. When he opened his first restaurant, vinegar slaw and Golden Flake potato chips were his only side-dish offerings, and a sweet tangy scoop of his coleslaw graced every barbecue sandwich that left the kitchen. As he told his customers, “If ya don’t like slaw, scrape it off!” Very little has changed in more than eighty years at the restaurant, including Big Bob’s original coleslaw recipe.

Coleslaw is a staple side dish in every barbecue restaurant in the South, and the flavors vary from region to region. You’ll find hot slaw, mustard slaw, creamy slaw, vinegar slaw, red slaw, white slaw, and even blue cheese slaw. Which is better usually depends on the flavors you grew up with or what entrée you are serving it with, and although the debates aren’t as heated as those focusing on politics or who has the best ’Q, the discussions are quite passionate. This marinated coleslaw recipe is one of the stable of slaws fixed in the test kitchen at Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q. Although it has never been on the menu, it is a favorite of Big Bob’s grandson Don McLemore, and it’s a natural pairing with chicken. The sweet vinaigrette dressing makes this dish adaptable to every barbecue region.

Sometimes it’s good to buck tradition. This recipe breaks away from the creamy cold potato salad and tests the theory that “everything is better on the outdoor grill.” This recipe, which I originally created for SOUTHERN LIVING magazine in 2009, answers the question with a resounding “Absolutely!” Grilled Potato Salad starts with traditional ingredients such as potatoes, onions, mayonnaise, and mustard but takes an unfamiliar twist by utilizing a complex dry rub, which adds a vibrant punch of flavor. This unique recipe will draw raves served hot off the grill but is also good eatin’ out of the fridge the next day.