Use nuts as a garnish, or as an accompaniment to salads instead of
mixed with them, as they become tough quickly after touching the
dressing. Coarse chopped nuts may be sprinkled over the salad just as
it goes to the table.
In beans, green or red French, Lima or California are best for salads
since they do not cook to pieces easily.
The whites of hard boiled eggs are more digestible when ground fine, or
pressed through a wire strainer. When desired for fancy shapes they may
be poached separate from the yolks, p. 199.
Vegetables for salads must be crisp, tender and dry.
Gather lettuce early in the morning, put it into a closed pail or a
paper sack and leave in the refrigerator for a few hours; or if it
comes from the market slightly wilted, cover it at once with ice water
until revived. Never allow the wind to blow upon lettuce. Crisp, by
allowing it to stand in ice water after washing until just before
serving, then drain and shake in a wire basket or in mosquito netting,
cheese cloth or a netted bag.
Celery, parsley, spinach, endive and dandelion may be kept fresh the
same as lettuce and crisped in ice water before serving.
Always cut celery, never chop it. Wipe it dry before cutting and if
possible, roll in a dry towel a moment after cutting.
Unless cabbage is shaved thread-like it is better to be chopped.
In cooking carrots for salads, drain them when about half done and add
boiling water to finish cooking.
The apple, grape fruit and tomato are the only fruits with which a
French or Mayonnaise dressing is harmonious.
Dip ripe tomatoes quickly into perfectly boiling water, lift them out
and drop into cold water, change the water two or three times if ice is
not at hand, set them in a cold place, and peel just before serving.
Do not mix cut, colored fruits (like strawberries) with cream
dressings. Lay the pieces between the layers and on top of the salad.
It is seldom suitable to serve fruit salads with lettuce; some glass
dish with decorations of leaves, vines and flowers is prettiest.
As a rule, do not mix many kinds of fruit in one salad. One flavor
often destroys another.
Many of the fruit salads are suitable for desserts.
Cut oranges in about the middle of the section or just each side of
the membrane, leaving that out if convenient; then cut into pieces
crosswise.
Cut grape fruit in halves, then around the inside next to the skin,
and after removing the pulp, carefully separate it from the membrane.
When juicy fruits are to be used with any but fruit juice dressings,
they should be drained. The juices may be used for nectars, other salad
dressings or for pudding sauces.
Soak currants or pitted sour cherries in syrup made of one part sugar
and two parts water, for an hour or longer, then drain.
For most salads, bananas are better cut into quarters lengthwise, then
sliced across.
Pare, quarter and core choice, fine flavored apples, one at a time, cut
the quarters into not too thin lengthwise slices, place three or four
of the slices together and cut across into small wedge-shaped pieces.
Never chop apples for salad. Both apples and bananas should be prepared
just as short a time before the meal as possible and should be cut
right into the dressing. After being coated with the dressing they will
not turn dark.
Shred fresh pineapple according to directions, p. 44. For nut and cream
dressings cooked pineapple is preferable. After draining and drying
canned sliced pineapple, lay two or three of the round slices together
and cut into wedge-shaped pieces about ¼ inch across at the large end.
Keep orange, lemon, grape fruit or tangerine cups in cracked ice or ice
water until just before serving, then drain and wipe dry.
The edges of the cups may be pointed or scalloped, and if cups are
large the points may be cut deep, and then rolled down. Apple cups may
be kept in the same way, or the cut surface may be coated with dressing.
We marinate or pickle some ingredients by mixing them with lemon juice,
with or without salt, or with French dressing, a short time before
serving. Drain if necessary, before adding the dressing.
A wooden spoon which is used for nothing else is best for stirring
dressings while cooking. Dip in cold water and wipe it just before
using and wash in cold water immediately after.
Sour cream may be substituted for sweet cream in all dressings; a
little less lemon juice is required.
One-third water may be used with lemon juice for dressings if too sour.
Use plenty of salt in dressings for people accustomed to mustard and
pepper.
For uncooked dressings all the ingredients and utensils should be as
nearly ice cold as possible.
The yolks of five eggs may be used in the place of three whole eggs in
boiled dressings.
For salads with eggs, tomatoes or cabbage, a larger proportion of lemon
juice and salt is required, and with tomatoes a little sugar is an
improvement.