The plain dressing is made in two ways, either mixed in a bowl and the salad added to it, or as follows: Take a tablespoon and put in it (holding it over the salad) one saltspoonful of salt, one-fourth this quantity of freshly ground pepper, and a tablespoonful of oil; mix and add to the salad. Add three more tablespoonfuls of oil; toss the salad lightly for a few seconds; lastly, add a tablespoonful of sharp vinegar; toss the salad again, and serve.
Mayonnaise.—When preparing a mayonnaise in summer keep the bowl as cold as possible. Beat up the yolks of two raw eggs to a smooth consistency, add two saltspoonfuls of salt and one of white pepper, and a tablespoonful of oil. Beat up thoroughly, and by degrees add half a pint of oil. When it begins to thicken add a few drops of vinegar. The total amount of vinegar to be used is two tablespoonfuls, and the proper time to stop adding oil, and to add drops of vinegar, is when the dressing has a glassy look instead of a velvet appearance. After a few trials almost any one can make a mayonnaise, as it is very simple.
Anchovy Salad.—Wash, skin, and bone eight salted anchovies; soak them in water for an hour; drain and dry them. Cut two hard-boiled eggs into slices. Arrange the leaves of a head of lettuce neatly in a salad-bowl and add the anchovies and the eggs. Prepare a plain dressing in a soup-plate, pour it over the salad and serve. The fish may be minced, chopped, or cut into fillets.
Asparagus Salad.—Remove the binding round a bunch of asparagus, cut off an inch of the root end of each stalk, scrape off the outside skin, wash them, tie them in bunches containing six to eight each, and boil, if possible, with the heads standing just out of the water, as the rising steam will cook them sufficiently. If covered with water the heads are cooked before the root ends. When tender, plunge them into cold water, drain, arrange them on a side dish, pour over them a plain dressing, and serve.
Beans, Lima, Salad of.—Boil one pint of lima beans for forty minutes in water slightly salted; drain; put them in a salad-bowl, and add three hot, boiled potatoes cut into slices. Mince a stalk of celery; sprinkle it over the vegetables. Prepare a plain dressing, pour it over the salad, and set the bowl in the ice-box; when cold, serve. A little cold, boiled tongue may be added if liked.
Beef Salad.—Cut into neat pieces, an inch in length, half a pound of boiled fresh beef. Take two heads of crisp lettuce, reject the outside leaves, wipe the small leaves separately, place them in a salad-bowl, add the beef. Chop up a sweet Spanish pepper, add a tablespoonful to the salad. Prepare a plain dressing, pour it over the salad; just before serving, mix gently.
Beet Leaves Salad.—The seed-leaves of the beet were preferred by the Greeks to lettuce. They are served the same as lettuce. If a little old, scald them in hot water a moment. Swiss chard is the midrib of the beet leaf. Remove the leaves, cut the midribs into equal lengths, tie in small bunches, boil thirty minutes. Arrange on a side dish, pour over them a plain dressing and serve either hot or cold.
Bloater, Yarmouth, Salad of.—Take two whole fish from the can. Remove skin and bone, and cut them into pieces an inch square. Cut up three stalks of celery into inch pieces and each piece into strips; place these in a salad-bowl and add the fish. Chop up three salt anchovies with a dozen capers into very small pieces; strew over the salad; add a plain dressing and toss lightly before serving.
Breakfast Salad.—Scald two ripe tomatoes; peel off the skin, and place them in ice-water; when very cold, slice them. Peel and slice very thin one small cucumber. Put four leaves of lettuce into a salad-bowl, add the tomatoes and cucumber. Cut up one spring onion; add it, and, if possible, add four or five tarragon leaves. Now add a plain dressing and serve.
Brussels-Sprouts Salad.—Pick over carefully a quart of sprouts, wash well, and boil rapidly for twenty minutes (if boiled slowly they lose their color). Drain, and plunge them into cold water. Drain again, and put them into a salad-bowl. Mince one-fourth of a pound of boiled ham, arrange it neatly and evenly around the sprouts, and around this arrange a border of potato salad. Add a plain dressing, a teaspoonful of herbs, and serve.