SALADS
[Ill.u.s.tration]
Salads are cla.s.sified into two groups--i.e., the raw, such as lettuce, endive, radishes, cuc.u.mber, celery, etc., and the cooked, such as those made from cooked vegetables, eggs, cooked cold fish, poultry, and meat. The raw materials should be washed most carefully and well cleaned before mixing, and the utensils for cutting and mixing, as well as the basins or bowls used, should be clean and dry. Every salad, no matter how plain and simple it may be, should be made to look inviting and tempting. The method of draining or drying is a very easy performance so long as the salad leaves, whatever they may be, are almost free from moisture. This is effected best by putting the leaves, which should be broken, not cut with a knife, into a wire basket and drying them well, or else putting them into a cloth lightly folded and shaking well until the outer moisture of the leaves is well absorbed. The salad then is ready for mixing.
Any cold boiled vegetables left over from dinner are useful as giving variety to salads, and help to make a good accompaniment to cold meat served to luncheon. Thinly sliced cold potatoes--new ones for choice, green peas and string beans, are especially good for this purpose, and even Brussels sprouts, carrots, and turnips may be used on occasion in small quant.i.ties. More substantial salads, prepared with cold meat or fish, form appetizing luncheon or breakfast dishes. Those made with chicken, lobster and salmon respectively are most widely known, but fillets of flounder, cold ham or beef, or lamb make very good salads, and even the humble herring, and dried and salted fish, may be used with advantage in this way.
The meat or fish should be cut up into cubes or convenient small pieces, and piled up in the center of the dish or salad bowl on a layer of seasoned, shredded lettuce. Over this should be poured half of the dressing. Round this should be arranged the green const.i.tuents of the salad, cut up rather small, garnished with slices of tomato or beets, cuc.u.mber and hard-cooked egg. The remainder of the dressing should be poured over this, and the top of the meat or fish pyramid may be ornamented with a few sprigs of endive or parsley.
Apple, Celery and Nut Salad
For Dressing
1 tablespoonful Crisco 1 teaspoonful mustard 1 teaspoonful sugar 1/2 teaspoonful salt 1/4 teaspoonful white pepper 2 eggs 4 tablespoonfuls lemon juice 1 cupful whipped cream
For Salad
1 quart chopped apples 1 pint diced celery 1-1/2 cupfuls blanched and shredded almonds 2/3 cupful rolled pecan nut meats
_For salad._ Mix apples, celery and nut meats.
_For dressing._ Melt Crisco, add mustard, sugar, salt, pepper, yolks of eggs well beaten, and lemon juice. Cook in double boiler till it thickens, then add whites of eggs stiffly beaten. Chill and add whipped cream just before serving. Dressing should be mixed with fruit.
Asparagus Salad
For Dressing
6 tablespoonfuls melted Crisco 1 teaspoonful salt 1/4 teaspoonful paprika Pinch black pepper 1 tablespoonful tarragon vinegar 2 tablespoonfuls cider vinegar 1 tablespoonful chopped cuc.u.mber pickles 1 tablespoonful chopped green peppers 1 teaspoonful chopped parsley 1 teaspoonful chopped chives 1 can asparagus or fresh cooked asparagus
Drain asparagus and chill. Mix salt with paprika, add pepper, tarragon vinegar, cider vinegar, Crisco, pickles, peppers, parsley, and chives, mix well and pour over the asparagus.
Celery and Almond Salad
1 cupful melted Crisco 1 yolk of egg 1 tablespoonful lemon juice 1 tablespoonful vinegar 1 head celery 1/2 cupful blanched almonds 1 crisp lettuce Few drops green color 1/2 teaspoonful sugar 1 teaspoonful salt 1/2 teaspoonful mustard Red pepper to taste
Melt and cool Crisco. Prepare celery and cut into very thin strips and plunge in ice water until wanted. Blanch and shred almonds; wash and dry lettuce leaves. Put yolk of egg into bowl, add mustard, salt, and red pepper and mix well with wooden spoon. Add sugar, teaspoonful lemon juice, teaspoonful vinegar; beat in Crisco gradually. Remove spoon and beat with egg beater five minutes, then beat in rest of lemon juice and vinegar. Add more seasonings if needed and enough green color to make it look pretty. Dry celery and mix with almonds, then toss them into dressing. Serve on lettuce leaves.
Fruit Salad
Dressing
1 tablespoonful Crisco Pinch of salt 2 tablespoonfuls sugar 2 tablespoonfuls vinegar 2 eggs 1/2 pint whipped cream
Salad
24 marshmallows 1 can pineapple 2 juicy apples 6 oranges Lettuce leaves
_For salad._ Cut fruit and marshmallows into small pieces, then mix and chill.
_For dressing._ Beat up eggs in double boiler, add vinegar, sugar, salt, Crisco and cook until thick. Cool and add whipped cream. Mix with fruit and serve on crisp lettuce leaves.
Orange and Tomato Salad
3 tablespoonfuls melted Crisco 4 tomatoes 4 oranges 1 tablespoonful chopped parsley Tarragon vinegar Salt
Peel oranges and tomatoes, and slice and arrange alternately in salad bowl. Mix juice squeezed from "tops and bottoms" of oranges with an equal quant.i.ty of tarragon vinegar, add Crisco and salt to taste. Pour over fruit and sprinkle chopped parsley on top.
Potato and Nut Salad
For Dressing
5 tablespoonfuls melted Crisco 1 teaspoonful mustard 1 teaspoonful salt 2 teaspoonfuls sugar 2 yolks of eggs 3/4 cupful cream or milk 1/4 cupful vinegar
For Salad
3 cupfuls sliced cold potatoes 1 cupful broken hickory nut meats 1 teaspoonful chopped onion Chopped parsley Cold cooked sliced beets Sliced lemon Lettuce leaves
_For dressing._ Mix sugar, salt, and mustard, add Crisco and stir thoroughly; then add yolks of eggs well beaten, cream, and lastly vinegar. Cook in double boiler until consistency of cream. If milk is used instead of cream, add 1 teaspoonful flour to other dry ingredients.
_For salad._ Mix potatoes, nuts, and onion together, and place on crisp lettuce leaves; pour over dressing and garnish to taste with beets, lemon, and parsley.
Potato and Pimiento Salad
1 tablespoonful Crisco 4 potatoes 2 hard-cooked eggs 1/2 can pimientos 1 tablespoonful chopped cuc.u.mber pickle 1 teaspoonful salt
Dressing