The saying that “some people eat with their eyes” is true to a great
extent of all of us. I believe that the veriest savage would better
enjoy his dinner, however rude, if somewhere there were tucked into it
a bit of green. The busy farmer’s wife as she goes to the wood pile for
an armful of wood can quickly pick off a spray of May weed, dropping it
into a tin of cold water as she passes the water pail, and her platter
of beans for dinner is transformed, in the eyes of those children, into
a thing of beauty, and what effect may it not have in the formation of
their characters?
Of variety in garnishing there need be no lack with the garden, wayside
and woods abounding in beautiful leaves, vines and flowers.
There are foliage plant, geranium, and autumn leaves, ferns in variety,
with lettuce, endive, spinach, parsley, chervil and carrot tops. The
variegated variety of beet leaves, as also the bright blossoms of
nasturtiums make a brilliant garnish.
Put parsley, ferns, and all of the green leaves and vines into very
cold water as soon as gathered and leave for some time, then keep in
paper sacks in a cold place away from the wind. Repeat the cold water
bath at intervals.
Barberries canned, or preserved in brine, candied cranberries or
cherries, green grapes in brine, designs cut from orange, lemon grape
fruit and tangerine rinds, tomatoes in slices or in lengthwise pieces,
and slices of lemon or orange with the skin on are all suitable
garnishes at times.
Lemon cups, having a slice cut off from the ends so that they will
stand, may be used for mayonnaise or small servings of salad.
Orange and grape fruit halves with tops notched or scalloped or
sometimes cut in deep points rolled down, and orange baskets make a
change of service. All of these fruit cups should be kept in ice water
or chopped ice until serving time, then thoroughly dried with a soft
towel.
Blood oranges and gelatine oranges are novelties for garnishing.
Sprays of maidenhair fern are pretty under grape fruit and orange cups.
All cups or glasses containing salads or creams should be served on
doilies on small plates.
To prepare fringed celery, cut the stalks into two- or three-in.
lengths, then slice very fine from each end to within ¾-1 in. of the
center and leave in ice water for a time. Do not lay in ice water
before preparing. The short tender stalks may have the leaves left on
and be shredded at the opposite end. Celery _leaves_ make a desirable
garnish.
Cut carrots, beets and yellow turnips into slices or sticks, or into
round pieces with an open-top thimble or a round pastry tube, and into
fancy shapes with vegetable cutters, selecting cutters which have not
sharp points or slender stems.
=Radish Lilies=
Get either the turnip or olive shaped radishes, wash them well, trim
off just the slender tips and all but one or two of the smallest
leaves. With a thin, sharp knife cut them into halves from the tip end
almost to the stem, and the same way into quarters and eighths. Then
carefully loosen the rind of each section as far down as it is cut and
throw the radishes into ice water, leaving them there for several hours
or overnight, when they will have bloomed into beautiful lilies. Pure
white or yellow lilies may be made from yellow or white radishes. Serve
directly from the ice water, and the radishes will be crisp and sweet
and easily digested.
Just one radish sometimes, in a spray or two of parsley or chervil is
better than a more elaborate garnish; a red radish sliced or cut into
quarters or sixths is pretty in a little green.
Roll up imperfect leaves of lettuce and slice in thin slices, then pick
up lightly and use for borders or nests or beds.
Dry parsley thoroughly in a towel before chopping. For rolling, spread
the particles out, a little distance apart, so as to just fleck
whatever is rolled in it.
Use nuts chopped or in halves or broken pieces for borders or nests of
fruit or vegetable salads; never put them into the dressing.
=Potato Balls=
Potatoes may be cut into balls with a vegetable scoop, boiled until
just tender, not broken, drained, sprinkled with chopped parsley and
used for garnishing a true meat dish.
=Egg Daisies=
Cut the hard boiled yolks of eggs into round pieces and the whites into
petal shapes for daisies for decorating the tops of small spinach or
other timbales or molds.
The whites and yolks are better poached separately for garnishing. Cut
whites with vegetable cutters sometimes.
=Oxeye Daisies=
Use the end of a small black olive for the center of daisies, and
carrots for the leaves.
Toast points or croutons of different shapes are suitable garnishes for
timbales, eggs, broiled mushrooms and true meat or vegetable stews, or
we may use pieces of bread of different shapes that have been dipped in
egg yolks and milk and baked. Breaded triangles, squares or circles, of
corn meal porridge may be used to garnish the edge of a platter for a
stew.
Serve some creamed dishes or stews in shells of pastry.
Turk’s head and border molds may be decorated with truffles or other
decorations, and used for meat dishes for variety.
Button mushrooms may be used for garnishing individual timbales.
Cut left overs of pie crust or cracker dough into fancy shapes, for
scalloped dishes, salads and some desserts, and into squares, diamonds
or strips for peas and other vegetables.
For legumes or other meat dishes, sometimes use carrots in dice or
slices, sprinkled with chopped parsley or interspersed with sprigs of
parsley.
Lemon Points.--Cut slices of lemon into four or six parts.
=Pastry Bag=
The pastry bag gives variety in garnishing and decorating. The bag
itself may be of rubber, paper or cloth. Cloth for all purposes is the
most practical. To make, take “Indian Head” or other heavy cloth, cut
it into any sized square desired; fold and sew together in cornucopia
shape (the seam is better felled), trim the top evenly and hem; then
cut off a very little from the point and hem that, leaving the opening
just large enough to insert the tubes one-third to one-half their
length.
Paper bags may be used in an emergency, and rubber for some purposes,
but not for anything containing oil.
Mashed peas and potatoes should not be too dry for decorating.
Mayonnaise dressing and whipped cream should be stiff, as also
meringues.