One of the most wonderful snacks I was able to have on rare occasions as a kid was some of those crispy Butterfield Shoestring Potatoes in a can. I liked them better than potato chips and, on rare occasions, I’d take my yard-mowing money and buy a whole can of them just for myself.

The Butterfield Food Co. is still in business in Noblesville, Ind., and today produces a wide variety of fine foods.

If it has their name on the label, you can be sure you’re getting a quality product.

As an adult I was thrilled to have a member of the Butterfield family attend one of my auctions. We were selling a large antiques estate at the Fairgrounds in Marion, Ind., in a big snowstorm. One of the brave souls who ventured out was Mr. Butterfield. Meeting him brought back fond memories of my childhood snacks, and I still enjoy shoestring potatoes today.

You can purchase shoestring potatoes in cans made of a composite material or in sealed bags like those in which potato chips are sold. Today’s column uses crispy shoestring potatoes to make a delicious tuna salad for lunch, or for sandwiches anytime.

One other thing comes to mind: I use tuna in a bag today, but you can still buy tuna in a can. If you buy the kind in a can be sure to drain the juice off before making this salad.

Crunchy Tuna Salad Lunch

1 bag or can of tuna, drained

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup celery, minced

1 tablespoon grated onion

2 hardboiled eggs, sliced and placed on top or mixed in

1/2 cup or a little more mayonnaise

1 cup shoestring potatoes, carefully stirred in so you don’t break them up

Sprinkle of paprika or curry powder

This just makes a small batch of the salad, but you can multiply the ingredients for serving a group of folks.

Put the tuna in a bowl. The carrots, celery and onion can be shredded, minced or grated if you wish, or you can toss these items into your food processor if you want a smoother blend.

The 2 hardboiled eggs can be sliced and placed on top if you’re eating this as a salad. If you’re making a sandwich spread just mix the eggs in with the other ingredients.

Add and stir in the mayonnaise. You may need a little more to make your salad the texture you like best. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

When ready to serve, carefully stir in the shoestring potatoes. Get them well distributed, but don’t crush them. Sprinkle a dash of paprika or curry powder over the top.

This makes delicious sandwiches for taking out to the combine when harvesting, or for a party or get-together any other time.

Readers with questions or comments for Dave Kessler may write to him in care of this publication.