Southern Recipe Restoration Project

Let’s talk old school, really old school -- gelatin salads. Fruit chunks suspended in quivering masses of red, green or orange sweetness. Some people sneer, but for others, the “salads” are the ultimate comfort dessert, perfect for potlucks.
The contributor: Alane Brown, a 49-year-old personal banker. She lives in Loganville but grew up in Mount Gilead, N.C., where she spent many a day on her grandmother Gladys Wilder’s wraparound porch.
The story: “... One thing she always made was green congealed salad. It was great in the summertime when it was hot. She’d just make it in a pan and we’d just scoop it out with a big spoon. I could eat that like ice cream, and to this day I’d rather have it than dessert. " -- As told to Rosalind Bentley

When you want to serve something cool and classic, this salad fits the bill. And everyone secretly loves it. Serve it in a pretty glass bowl, or chill it in a ring mold and invert it onto a platter at serving time. (Dip the mold into a bowl of hot water for a few seconds before inverting.)