Basic formula for good growing loam: 45% "dirt", 5% organic matter, 25% WATER, 25% AIR. As a beggar rather than a chooser, I've gotten used to taking any green matter I can haul, beg, or bribe (beer works nicely on the county crews) and suspect you're refining too much on that 5%. Please note that air and water constitute a full 50% of good soil. Get a bunch of those into what I know has to be compacted soil, with a little organic matter, and just watch what happens. Happy gardening!

Back in 2010 we had a chicken salad discussion right here on this forum, so I was able to c/p my recipes from then into now! This is the chicken salad that was served for years at the annual Antique Show in Salisbury, NC. I think it is the only recipe my dear MIL ever used. Cook two large hens (5-6 pounds each) until tender, cool, and cut white meat in large pieces, dark meat into smaller bits. Mix with the cooked dressing that has been cooled and let stand overnight. Cooked Dressing: 2 TB flour 2 TB sugar 2 t. salt 2 TB butter 2 eggs, beaten 2 t. dry mustard 1 cup water 1/2 cup vinegar Mix dry ingredients; make a paste with part of the water. Then add in the eggs and remaining liquids and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Cook the dressing before mixing with the cut up chicken. The next day, add to chicken/dressing mixture: 2 bunches of celery, chopped fine, juice of two lemons, mayonnaise to the right consistency, red cayenne pepper, and additional salt to taste. Mix well, chill and serve on crisp lettuce. Another good recipe, a contender for the mythical "tea room" is this Chicken and Apricot salad with Double Mustard Dressing: 3 lb. boneless chicken breasts, poached just until tender, cooled to room temp 1 cup dried apricots, cut into 1/4" strips 1/3 cup cream sherry 3 ribs celery, coarsely chopped 4 scallions, green and white parts, sliced on the diagonal 1/2 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted 3 TB chopped fresh rosemary, or less to taste Double Mustard Mayonnaise 2 egg yolks 2 TB fresh lemon juice 2 TB grainy Dijon mustard 3/4 cup vegetable oil 2/3 cup olive oil 1/4 cup honey mustard salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Cut up the poached chicken breasts into 2" x 3/4" strips and place in a large bowl. Place the apricots and sherry in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 3 minutes, add the apricots and liquid to the chicken. Add the celery, scallions, almonds, and rosemary to the chicken mixture in the bowl and toss to combine. Prepare mayonnaise: In a food processor with a tight lid and fitted with the steel blade, add the eggs, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard and process for 10 seconds. With the machine running, stream in the veg. oil and the olive oil to make an emulsion. Add in the honey mustard and process smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Blend the salad with the mayonnaise. Refrigerate in a covered bowl for at least 2 hours. Serve on lettuce leaves with a sprig of fresh rosemary for garnish. Source: Nantucket Open-House Cookbook, Sarah Leah Chase.

And now for something a little different: This is the chicken salad that was served for years at the annual Antique Show in Salisbury, NC. I think it is the only recipe my dear MIL ever used. Cook two large hens (5-6 pounds each) until tender, cool, and cut white meat in large pieces, dark meat into smaller bits. Mix with the cooked dressing that has been cooled and let stand overnight. Cooked Dressing: 2 TB flour 2 TB sugar 2 t. salt 2 TB butter 2 eggs, beaten 2 t. dry mustard 1 cup water 1/2 cup vinegar Mix dry ingredients; make a paste with part of the water. Then add in the eggs and remaining liquids and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Cook the dressing before mixing with the cut up chicken. The next day, add to chicken/dressing mixture: 2 bunches of celery, chopped fine, juice of two lemons, mayonnaise to the right consistency, red cayenne pepper, and additional salt to taste. Mix well, chill and serve on crisp lettuce. Another good recipe, a contender for the mythical "tea room" is this Chicken and Apricot salad with Double Mustard Dressing: 3 lb. boneless chicken breasts, poached just until tender, cooled to room temp 1 cup dried apricots, cut into 1/4" strips 1/3 cup cream sherry 3 ribs celery, coarsely chopped 4 scallions, green and white parts, sliced on the diagonal 1/2 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted 3 TB chopped fresh rosemary, or less to taste Double Mustard Mayonnaise 2 egg yolks 2 TB fresh lemon juice 2 TB grainy Dijon mustard 3/4 cup vegetable oil 2/3 cup olive oil 1/4 cup honey mustard salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Cut up the poached chicken breasts into 2" x 3/4" strips and place in a large bowl. Place the apricots and sherry in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 3 minutes, add the apricots and liquid to the chicken. Add the celery, scallions, almonds, and rosemary to the chicken mixture in the bowl and toss to combine. Prepare mayonnaise: In a food processor with a tight lid and fitted with the steel blade, add the eggs, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard and process for 10 seconds. With the machine running, stream in the veg. oil and the olive oil to make an emulsion. Add in the honey mustard and process smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Blend the salad with the mayonnaise. Refrigerate in a covered bowl for at least 2 hours. Serve on lettuce leaves with a sprig of fresh rosemary for garnish. Source: Nantucket Open-House Cookbook, Sarah Leah Chase.

Ellen, try roasting your chicken breasts. I read that in Cook's Illustrated when we first had the deli, so I tried it and never poached them again. The best flavor comes from using the bone-in (usually called chicken breast quarters). It's easy to remove the meat from the skin and bones after cooking and cooling and the fat from the skin really adds to the flavor and the meat is more moist. Roasted Chicken Salad Preheat oven to 400° Coat a rimmed baking pan with cooking spray. Place chicken breasts skin side up, spray with a little cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt. If using skinless, boneless breasts (I prefer skin-on, more flavor) you should still spray and salt. Roast to 160° internal temp., about 45-55 min, depending on size. Remove from oven, drain grease and cool. When cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones, cut into cubes about ½ inch in size. Mine are pretty irregular. Refrigerate until well chilled. Version #1 DRIED CHERRY AND PECAN 4 C cut up chicken breast meat 2 C celery, sliced thin or coarsely chopped (I do mine in a food processor) 1 C dried red cherries 1 C coarsely chopped toasted pecans Toss together in a large bowl. Add dressing to desired consistency. Better a little wet rather than dry, as chicken will absorb dressing as it sits. Dressing: 1½ C mayo (Hellman's preferred) ¼ C Kikkoman's soy sauce 1 tsp powdered ginger 1 tsp celery seed 1 tsp ground pepper Combine to use in dried cherry salad. Version #2 HERB CHICKEN SALAD 4 C chopped chicken breasts 6 green onions 1 C loosely packed flat leaf (Italian) parsley 1 tsp salt 1 tsp black ground pepper 1-2 C mayo Place chicken in a large bowl. Chop green onion and parsley very fine or pulse in food processor, add to chicken and toss. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir in mayo to desired consistency. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Nancy