We have a lot for which to thank the Chinese: checkers, porcelain, lanterns, the chinaberry tree, and others. We can thank them also for this dish shared with us by Betty Rice of Holly Springs Baptist Church in Inman.

We have written about this church previously. It is one of our state’s oldest, organized in 1804 with 56 members, on land with “a spring surrounded by holly trees” and donated by Joseph Smith.

Brother Smith wouldn’t recognize the church today. It has an active membership of around 350. They are busy Baptists with Sunday worship, Sunday school, Discipleship Training, WMU and VBS, and are supporters of the mission programs. Their pastor is Rev. Tim Clark, who has served there for many years.

Involved in some of these programs over the years is Betty Rice. She grew up in Duncan but moved to Inman, where she has been a member of Holly Springs for 35-40 years. She hasn’t been active in the last couple of years because of illness, and especially misses her Sunday school class.

Betty, whose husband Melvin is deceased, has two children — her son, Conrad Wilson, his wife Lindsey and their two daughters live in Florida; and her daughter, Denise Brunson, and her husband Jack live in Taylors.

A lot of people will know Betty because she is retired from Mountain View Family Practice in Inman, where she worked for 23 years.

I always like hearing where the recipe-of-the-day person got the recipe, and Betty says it was given to her by her late husband’s brother-in-law at a wedding 17 years ago. She doesn’t make the recipe often now because of the quantity, and although it keeps well in the fridge, that’s still a lot of Chinese Slaw for one person. Maybe you should serve this on the day you are having a missionary luncheon honoring Lottie Moon.

This is a also a good dish to make in advance of a day you know you’ll be busy.

It is a pretty salad to serve in a glass bowl for your family, and it carries well if you are going to a picnic or to Aunt Susie’s house for … Sunday Dinner.

Chinese Slaw

1 16-oz. can French-style green beans
1 16-oz. can fancy Chinese vegetables
1 6-oz. can water chestnuts, sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
¾ cup vinegar
1 5-oz. can mushrooms, sliced
1 16-oz. can English peas
1½ cups diced celery
¾ cup sugar
Salt, pepper, garlic salt to taste

Heat sugar and vinegar to dissolve sugar. Cool.

Rinse and drain the Chinese vegetables and drain the remaining vegetables. Combine all the vegetables in a large bowl. Pour over them the cooled sugar-vinegar mix. Add seasonings and stir.

Cover, refrigerate and allow to marinate at least 24 hours. Yields 8-10 servings.

(Note: You will find LaChoy mixed vegetables in the Chinese section of your supermarket.)