Yankee Magazine April 1997 Very good! Submitted by her daughter, ELIZABETH A. EAMES Roberta G. Atkinson Harvard, Massachusetts THE VERY BEST part about stepping into my mother's kitchen is the rich, buttery, familiar aroma reminiscent of my grandmother's kitchen. I imagine my great-grand- mother's house smelled just as wonderful and perhaps her mother’s as well. In the best New England tradi- tion, my mother cooks with native vegetables, herbs, and berries freshly picked from the garden, simple ingredients lov- ingly prepared. And the aroma lasts far longer than the meal — a fragrant heir- loom blending the generations. Spinach Salad with Chicken For the tastiest salad, choose a crisp, tart ap- ple such as Cortland or Granny Smith. Salad: 2 cups cooked chicken, diced 8 ounces fresh spinach leaves, torn into bite-size pieces 2 apples, peeled, cored, and diced ½ cup pecans, coarsely chopped Dressing: ½ cup olive oil ¼ cup red-wine vinegar 1 tablespoon minced chives 1 teaspoon sugar ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste several grinds of pepper Place salad ingredients in a large bowl. Put dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight- fitting lid and shake vigorously to com- bine. Pour half the dress- ing over salad, toss until well mixed, and taste. Add addi- tional dressing if desired. Serves 4 as a light lunch, 2 as the main course at dinner. (Additional recipes on p. 91) —photographs by DOUG MINDELL hand coloring by Doreen Means *notecard and photo courtesy Elizabeth A. Eames