Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-04-29

In early spring the heart of man, by natural
| instinct, lightly turns TO thoughts of salad Be-
! fore the days of forcng-frames and canned to-
| matoes, this instinct became passion; people
aspired after green food with sort of thirst
watched for the first leaf eagerly as Noah; and
when it came, like the little bride of the Holly
Tree inn, abandoned themselves to it with a
perfect looseness." Even now, despite modern
Improvements, which give us green peas Slight
ly favored with TIM in January, and dollhouse
strawberries at Christmas, the first crisp bou-
quet of real garden lettuce is an event-sig-
nificant as violet-foreunner of a long, delight
full vegetable train. There is poetry in salad.
1t has its hterature-its history. The sage
Evelyn did not disdain TO discourse of Salletts,
nor Sydney Smith to sing its praise in rhyme
Reputation has been won by a Mayonnaise, and
place and ribbon not thought too good for the
lucky inventor. The variety is infinite. From
simple vinegar and sugar to Vivian Grey's Gu
cumber, which, when complete, was thrown
out of the window, every note of the gamut of
taste is sounded. In the composure of a salad,
every plant should come to bear its part, like
notes in music, says Master Evelyn. There is a
kind and degree to suit each various fancy, and
a bard for every sauce.
First and best, because simplest, stands French
salad made OF vinegar and oil, three parts Of the
latter to one of the former, salt and pepper. For
the proper composition Of this, an old proVerb
asserts there are four persons reqniTed-a miser
to measure the vinegar, spendthrift the oil, q
sage TO judge of the salt, and a maniac to stir
all together. The oil should be pure, the salad
bowl heaped with freshest eress and lettuce duly
mixed, and it the manipulation is skillful, the
result cannot but be delightful. For people who
dislike oil there is cream-dressing made in this
wise: The y0lks Of two hard-bOiled eggs are
rubbed very fine with a silver spoon; to these
add desert spoonful of mixed mustard; blend
the two thoroughly, then stir in a tablespoonful
OF melted butter and half teacupful of thick
cream, little salt and cayenne, and, if desired,
a dash of anchovy or Worcestershire sauce
Last of all, add, little by little vinegar enough
to make the whole a smooth, creamy mass, and
pour it on the lettuce just before serving. Salad
Alayonnaise requires experience and a certain
knack, which the French cooks say is a gift of
nature, and not TO be acquired. Like the poet
true salad-maker is set apart from his breth-
ren by mystic chrsm all his own. The one
essential of the Mayonnaise is oil-eggs, boiled
or raw, form the basis Of the mixture, the oil is
added drop by drop till the paste is thick as GUS
tard and smooth as vevet-a few drops of vine
gar or lemon juice complete it. Servei in small
silver dish by itself, or poured over the lettuce,
or IN wlne-glass set in the midst of the lettuce
bowl
In the hands of practced housewife salad
becomes one of the economies of the table,
working mp all manner of residuary scraps,
which, without it, would be cast aside and
wasted. String beans, button onions, stray
mushroom or two, cold beets nicely sliced and
seasoned, boiled potato, fragments of cold
chicken or meat, all find place in the salad
and lend it variety and favor. pretty orna.
ment for the middle of dinner table is by crown
ing bowl full of green lettuce with blossoms
OF scarlet nasturtium. The flowers are SUBJ
united TO the dressing as well as the leaves and
add certain piquant pungency TO the dish
which must be tried before it can be appreciated.
ScribneT'S Monthly.