My grandpa's favorite salad

My Poppy Gene is a funny guy.  He also happens to make a fantastic Caesar salad.  He was so inspired by my last post, that he wrote to me about one of his favorite salads.  Here is what he had to say:

Rachel,

I loved your recipe for the Spinach, Blueberry, Sweet potato and almonds salad, and it inspired me to pass on to you my recipe for another salad-laced meal that I have enjoyed for about 77 years now. 

It has as its main ingredient a large amount of cabbage turned into sauerkraut. Because it is early in your career as a Grazer allow me to point out that sauerkraut is a member of the Brassica family of cruciferous vegetables, loaded with powerful health-enriching phytochemicals called isothiocyanates.

The sauerkraut is slowly cooked to bring it to softness and  then added to a grilled or boiled sausage or Frankfurter which, unknown to most diners, is not made from the sweepings of the slaughterhouse floor but is carefully chosen from various meats and mixed with healthy cereal filler, bread crumbs, oatmeal, egg white and a mouth- watering array of herbs and  seasonings including garlic, pepper, nutmeg, some salt and chopped onion.

The bun, which is a central ingredient of the salad, is frequently made by Pepperidge Farms. It is a carefully baked product containing the very best wheat grown in the heartland of this wonderful country.

These ingredients are put together with mustard (which has been in the food chain since hunters and gatherers roamed the earth) to make a dish that makes my mouth water simply  writing to you about it. Some diners even add sweet relish, chili or onions to complement this treat.

This dish is sold and can be eaten on almost any street corner in New York City. But some prefer to sit more comfortably in, say, a restaurant like Nathan’s with a side dish of parboiled and then fried chunk potatoes with a dash of salt.  The potatoes add that perfect touch to what I shall call a FRANKFURTER SALAD.

Some people (usually of Germanic upbringing) enjoy the above salad with a beverage and frequently the beverage of choice is a Pilsner or Lager.  For me a simple Seltzer with a touch of chocolate and milk is the perfect drink, but lets leave the choice of refreshment to the individual.

Love,

Grandpa Gene