Well, Spring is definitely here in Central Florida. The air conditioning is on and the tornado watches are in effect. And so, yesterday, with great reluctance, I closed soup & stew recipe file. I do not promise to keep it closed until fall, mind you. But even I have to admit that yesterday seemed like a day for a cooler dish. If I had thought that through, of course, I could have made gazpacho and still had my soup fix. Oh well, another day, another meal....But yesterday, I found a new recipe that turned out to be a keeper. We've been trying to eat our veggies, fresh and/or frozen, so I went in search of a new veggie recipe. It has been my experience that when searching for a recipe using a specific ingredient, WWW.ALLRECIPES.COM is a good place to start. I found a chilled salad that would be perfect for a picnic, a potluck, or just a summer afternoon meal at home.

Overnight Vegetable Salad

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Ready In: 20 Minutes

Servings: 8

INGREDIENTS:

1 (16 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables

1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped green pepper

1 medium onion, chopped

6 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup white vinegar

1 tablespoon prepared mustard

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place mixed vegetables in a steamer basket over 1 in. of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover and steam for 6-8 minutes or until crisp-tender. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the kidney beans, celery, green pepper and onion; mix well.

2. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, flour, salt and pepper. Stir in the vinegar and mustard until blended. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Cool. Pour over vegetables and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve with a slotted spoon.