Salad go-togethers
Some salad combinations are traditional—lettuce and sliced tomatoes, canned peaches and cottage cheese. You can make a variety of salads by sometimes contrasting flavors and textures, sometimes complementing them.
Ingredients that go well together in salads are suggested below.
Fruit salad combinations
6 servings
• Pare and section 2 grapefruit and 3 oranges. For each salad arrange grapefruit and orange sections on a lettuce leaf; garnish with a maraschino cherry half.
• Lightly mix 1½ cups each of cantaloup, honeydew, and watermelon balls or cubes. Serve on crisp salad greens. Allow about ⅔ cup fruit per serving.
• Drain 1 can (13½ ounces) pineapple tidbits; combine with 3 oranges, pared and sectioned, and 1 banana, sliced. Place on crisp salad greens and sprinkle with ¼ cup chopped walnuts. Allow about ½ cup fruit per serving.
• Lightly mix 2 cups cantaloup cubes; ½ cup fresh blueberries; and 1 large banana, sliced. Serve on crisp salad greens; allow about ½ cup fruit per salad.
• Combine 4 peaches, peeled and sliced; ½ cup halved seedless grapes; ½ cup halved, seeded Tokay grapes; and 1 large banana, sliced. Serve on crisp salad greens; allow about ⅔ cup fruit per serving.
Vegetable salad combinations
6 servings
• Lightly toss together ½ pound young spinach leaves, torn in bite-size pieces; 2 green onions, thinly sliced; and 4 crisp bacon strips, crumbled. Garnish with 2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped.
• Lightly toss together 2 carrots, thinly sliced; ½ head raw cauliflower, thinly sliced; ½ head lettuce, torn in bite-size pieces; ¼ cup chopped green pepper; and 2 tomatoes, cut in wedges.
• Cook, drain, and chill 1 package (10 ounces) frozen mixed vegetables; lightly toss together with ½ head lettuce, torn in bite-size pieces.
Marinated vegetable salads
6 servings
Asparagus spear salad.—Hard cook 2 eggs; chill. Drain 1 can (1 pound) asparagus spears and marinate overnight in ½ cup sweet french dressing (p. [53]). For each salad arrange asparagus spears on a lettuce leaf, top with a strip of canned pimiento, and sprinkle with chopped hard-cooked egg.
Cucumber and onion salad.—Score 2 cucumbers with a fork; pare first, if desired. Slice thinly. Slice ½ medium onion and separate it into rings. Marinate cucumber and onion slices 3 to 4 hours in ½ cup sweet french dressing (p. [53]). Serve garnished with tomato wedges.
Green bean salad.—Drain 1 can (1 pound) cut green beans and 1 can (8 ounces) cut wax beans. Thinly slice 1 small onion and separate into rings. Toss beans and onion rings with ½ cup chopped sweet red or green pepper. Marinate overnight in ½ cup sweet french dressing (p. [53]).
Three-bean salad.—Drain 8-ounce cans of green beans, wax beans, and kidney beans; continue as directed for green bean salad.