SALADS AND SALAD DRESSINGS

SALADS AND SALAD DRESSINGS

Salads are divided into two groups, dinner salads and the more
substantial ones served at supper and luncheon in the place of meats.
They are exceedingly wholesome.

Nearly all the meats, vegetables, and fruits may be served as salads.
The essential thing is to have the salad fresh and cold; and if green,
to have the leaves crisp and dry.

Lettuce, Romaine, endive and chicory or escarole make the best dinner
salads, although one may use mixed cooked vegetables or well-prepared
uncooked cabbage.

Left-over green vegetables, string beans, peas, carrots, turnips,
cauliflower, cooked spinach, leeks and beets may all take their place in
the dinner salad. Use them mixed, alone, or as a garnish for lettuce.

Lettuce and all green, raw salad vegetables should be washed and soaked
in cold water as soon as they come from the market. After they have
stood fifteen to twenty minutes in cold or ice water, free them from
moisture by swinging them in a wire basket, or dry, without bruising,
each leaf carefully with a napkin. Put them in a cheese-cloth bag and on
the ice, ready for service. In this way they will remain dry and cold,
and will keep nicely for a week.

The dressing is added only at the moment of serving, as the salad wilts
if allowed to stand after the dressing is added.

Meat of any kind used for salads should be cut into dice, but not
smaller than one-half inch, or it will seem like hash. It should be
marinated before being mixed with the other parts of the salad. Meat
mixtures are usually piled in cone-shape on a dish, the mayonnaise then
spread over it, and garnished with lettuce, capers, hard-boiled eggs,
gherkins, etc.

To Marinate

Take one part of oil and three of vinegar, with pepper
and salt for taste; stir them into the meat, and let it stand a couple
of hours; drain off any of the marinade which has not been absorbed
before combining the meat with the other parts of the salad. Use only
enough marinade to season the meat or fish.

If too much vinegar is added to mayonnaise it robs it of its consistency
and flavor. All salads must be mixed at the last minute, at serving
time. Mayonnaise dressing may be made hours before and the meat, lettuce
and celery prepared, but each must be kept in a separate dish until
mixing time.