Mayor William Souder's "Grape Salad"

Okay, it’s been a whirlwind over here at Cookin’ with Congress HQ, and not just because my recent Eat Like a President series was covered on Daily Mail. Actually, HQ has moved (we moved to a new house), which is why this post is more than 10 days later than I intended. But let me assure you, it is worth it. The wait is worth it…for grape salad.

Sure, not the most exciting title, but if you’re a long-time reader, you know a salad is never a salad here — it’s a downward spiral into the culinary unknown. Or it’s mayonnaise.

Chef William Souder

Democratic Mayor from Texas

Favorite Food/Homespun Recipe: Homespun Recipe

Notable:

being his town’s first postmaster EVER; becoming mayor of a town his great-grandfather founded

As always, I followed the recipe word for word, no alterations:

INGREDIENTS

1.5 lbs seedless grapes

6 bananas (sliced)

1 pound cheddar cheese (cubed)

Miracle Whip

INSTRUCTIONS

1) Wash and dry grapes.

He was the town’s first postmaster? Is this a real position today? How old was the town??

2) Add sliced bananas and cheese. Toss together with Miracle Whip (to your taste).

To your taste — what a phrase. Since I don’t taste until the end, I had to estimate how much Miracle Whip to use. Based on my knowledge of Texas salads, a little less than a cup is what I chose.

3) Chill before serving.

Voila! If you want to actually watch me attempt to eat it, go to the Cookin’ with Congress Instagram or TikTok and now, YouTube Shorts. Sometimes, a photo just tells you exactly what you’re looking at — it’s grapes, it’s bananas, it’s cheese cubes, it’s Miracle Whip. Not gussied up, not made to look beautiful, not hiding anything. Plain and simple; a vegetarian charcuterie board married a fruit salad.

Verdict:

You’re not going to like this, but I liked this. Did I want to devour a full serving? No. But it intrigued me, and the Mayor’s note about it going well with fried chicken seems spot on. Strangely okay.