Salads should form an important part in our menu. The oil which we use with them aids digestion and is one of the best forms of fat we can use. The green salads are the most easily prepared, and with a French dressing most appropriate for a dinner salad, often with the addition of some other fresh vegetable. Almost all kinds of meat, fish, vegetables and eggs with the addition of some kind of greens make good salads. It only requires a little thought in making the combination to always have a palatable salad.

How To Prepare The Greens

All greens should be carefully washed in cold water and all poor leaves thrown aside, for the beauty of a salad is to have it perfectly fresh. Let the leaves remain in ice-cold water for twenty minutes or so, then swing them in a wire basket to free them from the water, or dry each leaf with a napkin.

How To Prepare Meat For Salad

Meat for salads should be cut in dice, not smaller than a half inch, and should be marinated for one hour before serving. Meat salads are the only kind that are improved by marinating.

How To Marinate

Mix the meat with a French dressing one hour before serving. Before mixing the salad together, drain off any of marinate which has not been absorbed in the meat. 7

Some Things That Can Be Served With A Salad

Nut, cheese, olive, pickle, nasturtium, lettuce, watercress, cucumber, ginger, mint and plain sandwiches, made from all kinds of bread, rolls and crackers. Different kinds of cheese, either toasted or plain, served with crackers or bread and butter sandwiches, cheese souffle, frozen cheese, cheese croquettes, cheese balls and cheese in any palatable form, is permissible with salads. Wine or orange jelly moulded with nuts or fruits, or plain, is very delicious served with a salad.

Radish Roses

For these use the small, round ones. Cut the radish in scallops in two layers. Soak in ice water two hours before serving.

Radish Tulips

Select small ones of oblong shape, cut them in quarters nearly down to the stem.

Soak.

French Dressing

1/2 teaspoonful salt. 1/8 teaspoonful paprica. 3 tablespoonfuls of oil.

1 tablespoonful of vinegar or lemon juice.

Mix in the order given, adding the oil slowly, stirring all the time. A little tarragon vinegar with the other is considered a great improvement by many. One-fourth teaspoonful of dry or made mustard can be added, and a little onion juice. The onion juice is a great improvement when the dressing is to be used for potato salad.

Mayonnaise Dressing

1 teaspoonful mustard. 1/2 teaspoonful salt. 1/4 teaspoonful paprica or a little cayenne.

Yolks of four raw eggs. 2 cups olive oil. 2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar. 2 tablespoonfuls lemon juice.

When used for fruit salad take four tablespoon-fuls of lemon juice, without the vinegar. Mix the dry seasonings and the egg yolks well together, add the oil a drop at a time until it begins to thicken, then it can be added a little more quickly. When it gets very thick, thin it with a little lemon juice or vinegar, then alternate the oil, vinegar and lemon juice until it is all used up. Just before serving add one-half cup of whipped cream. A wooden spoon, fork or Dover egg-beater are used to mix the dressing with, but the best of all to use is the mayonnaise mixer. With this mixer the dressing can be made much quicker, easier and lighter. Mayonnaise dressing can be colored any color you wish by using the vegetable colorings.