Salads

Salads

By CAROLINE C. SHEA

IN treating of salads the more common kinds will be avoided, as every cook book contains full directions ; as will also recipes for mayonnaise dressing, as every cook has her own, or buys some one of the many manufactured varieties.

In making a salad, everything used should be perfectly fresh and cold. A salad is something which should appear at least once a day on every table. Olive oil, in most cases, is the one thing essential to a perfect salad, but as many do not like it and others think it too expensive for general use several kinds of dressing will be given. All vegetables used in making salads should after washing be put to drip in a cool place.

Dressings

French Dressing One teaspoonful of mustard, one teaspoonful of sugar, one salt spoonful of salt. Mix thoroughly with a few drops of cold water. Slowly add oil to make a thick paste ; the oil should blend perfectly. Thin to taste with vinegar or vinegar and lemon juice.

Cream Dressing Beat well two eggs. Stir the egg into a paste made of one teaspoonful each of mustard, sugar and water, and a little salt. When thoroughly and slowly united, add one-half pint thick cream, beating all the time, and vinegar to taste; add the vinegar carefully, that it may not curdle.

Cooked Dressing Mix mustard, salt, and sugar as above, add slowly two well-beaten eggs, a cup of milk, and put in a double boiler to cook with half a cup of butter. Stir until thick and smooth, then add vinegar to taste.

New Dressing One-half Neufchatel cheese, rubbed to a cream with a fork. Work into it one teaspoonful each of mustard and sugar, and a salt spoonful of salt. Add half a cup of thick cream, stirring well. Thin with vinegar. Mustard and vinegar are to be added in all dressings according to individual taste.

Egg Dressing When a simple and quick dressing is needed for lettuce, rub fine a hard boiled egg while warm, with a silver or wooden fork ; add a tablespoonful of butter and a salt spoonful of mustard, a pinch of salt and pepper, and beat all a few minutes well. Then add two tablespoonfuls of vinegar.

If you use a thick, strong mayonnaise dressing for any salad, it may be improved (?) by adding to a pint, one-half pint of thick cream, whipped stiff. It makes it very light and delicious if one does not care for the high seasoning.

In the spring when celery is scarce use half cabbage with it, for chicken salad, or all cabbage with celery extract. The cabbage must be white and crisp.

Lettuce Lettuce may be served with French dressing, this is the simplest and most wholesome salad. Lettuce and cucumbers may be served together, with the same dressing. Thin slices of tomatoes, cucumbers, and white hearts of lettuce may be served with the French dressing. All should be on ice until served. Lettuce served with simple Egg dressing is very nice; also with New dressing. New carrots and new beets, sliced thin and cooled, are very nice served with cream dressing.

Finely chopped white cabbage, chilled and served with cream or cooked dressing, is very digestible, and soothing to the stomach.

Egg and Cheese Salad Make as many nests of lettuce as you wish to serve, on a platter, place in each a thick slice of cream (Neufchatel) cheese, make a dent in each with the bowl of a spoon, and set into it a half of a hard boiled egg. Use any one of the above dressings, as you may desire.

Asparagus Salad Take cold asparagus and cut off the hard parts, place in an even row in a platter, cover with a layer of cold, green peas (well washed, canned peas will do) garnish with tiny leaves of lettuce, and use French or cream dressing. Of course mayonnaise may always be used.

Potato Salad The best time to make potato salad is when the potatoes are new. Boil in salted water and peel and slice thin while hot. Then put away until cold. Chop fine one Bermuda or new onion, and a sprig of parsley, and mix thoroughly. Then add the French dressing. The quantity given will serve a scant quart of potatoes, after they are sliced. Put a spoonful of salad on a lettuce leaf and arrange on dish.

Salmon Salad — Quick Take two cups of cold boiled salmon, canned will do, free from bones and skin. Break lightly with a fork, put in nests of lettuce, and use the Egg dressing.

Strawberry Cream Salad Mash to a cream one-half Neufchatel cheese, add a dash of mustard, pepper, and salt, and a squeeze of lemon juice, and one-half cup of cream. When quite smooth, add one-half cup of pure strawberry juice. Make nests of white, crisp lettuce, place a large strawberry in each and surround with the cream dressing.

Peanut Cream Salad To two tablespoonfuls of peanutine, add one teaspoonful each of mustard and sugar, and a dash of pepper and salt. Mix well into it two tablespoonfuls of thick cream, and a tablespoonful of chopped olives. Thin with vinegar to taste and pour over the white hearts of lettuce in summer, or over celery, thinly sliced, in winter

Cress, nasturtium leaves or blossoms, and mustard leaves may be all used with lettuce. Omit sugar in all the above recipes if so desired.