SALADS AND RELISHES
GARNISHES
Parsley is most universally used to garnish all kinds of cold meats, boiled poultry, broiled steak and fish of many kinds. Horse-radish is much liked on roast beef; slices of lemon are liked by many on broiled fish or boiled calf’s head, etc. Mint is liked by many on roast lamb, and currant jelly is generally liked on game, ducks, etc.
MUSHROOM CATSUP
Lay fresh mushrooms in a deep dish, strew a little salt over them, then a fresh layer of mushrooms and salt, till you get in all the mushrooms. Let them stay in this brine three days; then mash them fine, add to each quart a spoonful of vinegar, half a spoonful of pepper and a teaspoonful of cloves; pour all this in a stone jar, and place the jar in a pot of boiling water; let it boil two hours, then strain it without squeezing the mushrooms. Boil the juice fifteen minutes, and skim it well; let it stand a few hours to settle; bottle and cork it well. Keep it cool, or it will ferment.
A DELICIOUS FLAVOR FROM THYME, ETC.
A delicious flavor from thyme, mint, sweet marjoram and rosemary may be obtained when gathered in full perfection. They should be picked from the stalks and put into a large jar, then pour strong vinegar or brandy over them; let them stay in this twenty-four hours, then take the herbs out, and throw in fresh bunches; do this three times, then strain the liquor or vinegar. Cork and seal the bottles tight. Do not let the herbs stay more than twenty or twenty-four hours in the liquid before straining, for fear of imparting an unsavory taste. This is very useful in soups.
CELERY AND SWEET HERBS VINEGAR
Take two gills of celery seed, pound them and put them in a bottle; fill the bottle with sharp vinegar, shake it every day for two weeks, then strain and bottle it for use.
GREEN TOMATO SOY, OR SAUCE
Slice a peck of green tomatoes thin, salt them thoroughly, using a pint of salt. Let them stay in this all night, and in the morning drain them from the salt, wash them in cold water, and put them in a kettle with a dozen cut-up raw onions, two tablespoonfuls of black pepper, same of allspice, a quarter of a spoonful of ground mustard, half a pound of white mustard seed, and a tablespoonful of red pepper. Cover all with strong vinegar, and boil it until it becomes like jam. Stir it frequently while it is boiling or it will scorch.
SUPERIOR TOMATO CATSUP
Get a bushel of ripe tomatoes, scald them until they are soft enough to squeeze through a sieve. When strained, add to the pulp a pint and a half of salt, four tablespoonfuls of ground cloves, same of cayenne pepper, a quarter of a pound of allspice and a tablespoonful of black pepper, a head of garlic skinned and separated, and a half gallon of vinegar. Boil until it is reduced one-half, then bottle.
TOMATO CATSUP
Take enough ripe tomatoes to fill a jar, put them in a moderate oven, and bake them until they are thoroughly soft; then strain them through a coarse cloth or sieve, and to every pint of juice put a pint of vinegar, half an ounce of garlic sliced, a quarter of an ounce of salt, and the same of white pepper finely ground. Boil it for one hour, then rub it through a sieve, boil it again to the consistency of cream; when cold, bottle it, put a teaspoonful of sweet oil in each bottle; cork them tight, and keep in a dry place.
TOMATO CATSUP. RECIPE FOR MAKING A SMALL QUANTITY
Take a gallon of ripe tomatoes, skin them by pouring boiling water over them; let them get cold and put them in a stew pan with four tablespoonfuls of salt, and the same of ground black pepper, half a spoonful of ground allspice, and three spoonfuls of ground mustard. Throw in eight pods of red pepper, and let all stew slowly until the tomatoes are soft and tender. Thin the mixture with enough vinegar to allow the catsup to be strained through a sieve; cook it fifteen minutes, and bottle up when cold. This will last in any climate, if well boiled and made according to these directions. Keep always in a cool, dark closet or cellar. Light ruins all catsups, pickles or preserves, when they are exposed to it. This is a fine recipe.
FRENCH CHICKEN SALAD
Roast one or two nice chickens, season them well, and when cooked, put them by to cool. Just before serving the dish, carve the fowls in small pieces, taking out all the large bones. Make a dressing of the yolks of six hard-boiled eggs to each fowl, mash the yolks very smooth with a wooden spoon and pour gently on them in a little stream a cup of olive oil; beat the eggs all one way till they are creamed. Add now a cup of vinegar to two fowls, a half cup to one, pepper, salt, and drop a little vinegar on the fowl, then pour on the dressing. Arrange on the dish, cool, fresh lettuce heads quartered, and slice six more hard-boiled eggs over all as a garnish. A few red beets are a handsome addition, mixed with the green lettuce and yellow eggs.
CHICKEN SALAD FOR A SMALL COMPANY
Boil four eggs hard, throw them in cold water; when cool, take the yolks of two in a bowl, pour over them a spoonful of mixed mustard, an ounce of sweet oil, a saltspoonful of salt, and a little black pepper; mix this carefully, pouring in the oil a little at a time; when it is smooth, pour in four tablespoonfuls of good vinegar, and one-half a teaspoonful of sugar. This is the dressing for your salad.
The chicken is supposed to be already boiled or baked. When cold, pick all the flesh from the bones and pile it in the centre of a glass bowl, or dish; mix with it three heads of celery, cut up fine, and season it with pepper and salt. About the time you wish it served, take six or seven heads of white-heart lettuce, split them, and place them closely around the cut-up chicken, and pour over it all the dressing. This is a plain and economical way, but if wanted richer, it is easy to add more eggs, and trim the salad with sliced hard-boiled eggs, over the top.
A NICE CHICKEN SALAD
Cut up the white parts of four or five heads of celery, reserving the green leaves. Pick all the meat from a fine baked chicken, chop this up, and mix it with the cut-up celery; lay it in a glass or china dish, where it will be cool.
To make the dressing, rub the yolks of six hard-boiled eggs to a paste, with two spoonfuls of mixed mustard, a teaspoonful of white sugar, and enough oil to make it perfectly smooth; put this in slowly, a little at a time, and finish the dressing by pouring in half a cup of vinegar. Pour this over the celery and chicken, and garnish with white heads of split lettuce, also the reserved celery leaves, and four sliced hard-boiled eggs.
POTATO SALAD
Slice a pint of cold potatoes, put them in a dish, chop over them six eschalots, pepper and salt them, and pour over them a dressing of two tablespoonfuls of oil, one of made mustard, and half a cup of vinegar; it is better without eggs.
POTATO SALAD
Slice cold potatoes, add to them chopped eschalots, and season with pepper, salt, mustard, oil, tomato catsup and vinegar. Garnish with sprigs of parsley.
TOMATO SALAD, WITH OR WITHOUT SHRIMP
Slice a dozen large tomatoes, slice with them three or four sweet peppers, then pepper and salt the tomatoes; lay slices of tomato and a little sweet pepper until the dish is full. Pour over all a dressing of oil, mustard and vinegar. A pint of shelled shrimp is a great improvement to this salad, but it is good without.
JAMBALAYA OF FOWLS AND RICE
Cut up and stew a fowl; when half done, add a cup of raw rice, a slice of ham minced, and pepper and salt; let all cook together until the rice swells and absorbs all the gravy of the stewed chicken, but it must not be allowed to get hard or dry. Serve in a deep dish. Southern children are very fond of this; it is said to be an Indian dish, and very wholesome as well as palatable; it can be made of many things.
COLD SLAW WITH HOT SAUCE
Chop fine a firm white head of cabbage, or better than that, slice it with a patent slicer; lay it in very cold water for an hour, then take it out, drain it, and when drained thoroughly, place it in the dish it is to be served in and pour over it the following sauce: Take two cups of strong vinegar to a quart of cut cabbage, stir in it one teaspoonful of mustard and salt, a tablespoonful of butter, and three teaspoons of white sugar. Make this all hot, and at the last moment stir in the yolks of two or three eggs; stir rapidly and pour on to the chopped cabbage in the dish. It should be served instantly or the sauce will harden.
PLAIN COLD SLAW, WITH VINEGAR
This is made by chopping or slicing the cabbage as in the above recipe. When it is soaked, and is cool and firm, dust pepper on it, throw in a little salt and pour over it a cup of cold, sharp vinegar. Sliced hard-boiled eggs are a great improvement if put over the cabbage when sent to table. Sliced onions also make a good salad when seasoned with salt, pepper and vinegar. Mix a little sweet, sliced vegetable pepper with the onions.