I never thought I would find a disgusting vintage recipe to top the famous Liver Sausage Pineapple, but dang if I didn’t find one that is just as repulsive – and maybe, just maybe – a little bit more.
Voilà the “Summer Salad Pie” – a concoction listed as “pretty as can be” in my 1965 Betty Crocker’s Dinner in a Dish cookbook. Um, not so sure “pretty” would be the word I’d use to describe it, but I’m not a cookbook editor – so what do I know? Basically this pie is made up of a lemon jello layer with tomato sauce, celery, olives and onion, in a cheese crust topped with tuna salad. Yes, tuna salad.
Don’t get me wrong – I love tuna salad. I just don’t love tuna salad on top of jello in a pie shell. What is the fascination with gelatin? Why must it be used in every other recipe in 1965? Was Jell-O thought to be space-age? Was it a favorite at Camelot? Were we using it to show the Commies who’s boss?
All I know is that this has got to taste like Barf Pie – summer or not.
