My Favorite Recipes: Meet Danie Dawson Hall

Danie Hall is a busy mom of three boys. She is a wife of nearly 11 years to Chris Hall, who dedicates his time to civil service, a military career and numerous volunteer groups. Chris was active duty from 2007-2011 and has been serving in the National Guard since leaving active duty.

They enjoy spending time together, especially since they have sacrificed so much of their marriage apart. Danie's family is from Sunnyside, which is rich in fresh fruits and vegetables harvested all year round.

Her favorite time of the year is summer, and she especially enjoys fresh tomatoes from the garden. Danie really admires that her grandparents, who are in their 70s and 80s, still have a quarter-acre garden they farm. They donate almost all their produce to nearby food banks. Danie said she couldn't just name one hero in her life because there are many, but her grandparents are the hardest-working, most giving people that she has ever met.

Danie's family moved to Colfax in 2001, after which Danie branched off for college and to find her soulmate, Chris. The couple eloped and they followed Chris' active-duty military career for four years.

They returned to Colfax in 2012, the year their son, Colt, was born. In 2015 their second son, Lane, was born and passed away unexpectedly three months later. Following Lane's death, they went to Indiana for a year. Rogue, their third son, was born in July 2016. They returned to Colfax a year ago and were welcomed with open arms and have been happy to return back to the place they consider home.

Danie cherishes the beauty the Palouse has to offer, including the sunsets, the abundance of wheat fields, the curvy backroads and the slower-paced life.

The Halls were stationed at Ft. Lewis where Danie studied pre-nursing in Tacoma and finished an AAS degree in liberal arts with an emphasis in biology/anatomy. She ultimately settled in oral surgery as a certified anesthesia assistant and registered surgical technician.

Cooking is definitely her hobby. It allows for creativity and she loves sharing the finished product with family and friends. She is happy to carry on the family tradition and it has often been said that, "If you ever are in need, the Dawsons will show up with food." Danie's Grandma Dawson was known for her unhinged pickling tendencies. She was from the south and pickled everything, but was most well-known for her asparagus. Danie said she attributes her own love for the smell and taste of vinegar to genetics that she inherited from her grandmother.

Recipes

Tomatoes Vinaigrette

2 medium tomatoes, sliced

1/2 Cup olive or vegetable oil

3 Tbsp. wine vinegar

1 tsp. dried oregano leaves

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. dry mustard

1 clove garlic, crushed

Lettuce leaves

4 green onions, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. parsley, snipped

Arrange tomatoes in glass 8x8x2 inch baking dish. Shake oil, vinegar, oregano, salt, pepper, mustard and garlic in tightly covered jar. Pour over tomatoes. Cover and refrigerate, spooning dressing over tomatoes occasionally, for at least two hours. Arrange tomatoes on lettuce, sprinkle with onions and parsley. Drizzle with dressing. Makes four servings.

Mustaccioli Noodle Salad

1 pkg. penne pasta

2 green peppers

2 large tomato

2 cucumbers

1 small onion

1-1/2 cup sugar

1 cup vinegar

1/2 cup oil

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. parsley

Prepare Penne Pasta - cooked and rinsed. Combine in a large bowl with cut peppers, tomatoes, onions and cucumbers. Mix all the dressing well, within the bow. Chill for an hour and serve.