New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-03

DAINTIES IN GREEN HERBS.


A correspondent asks for directions for salad
dressings with and without oil. This is something
like asking for a panacea. There is no salad dress
ing that can be used with equal success on every
green herb. Salads of cooked vegetables require
entirely different treatment from crisp green or
bleached leaves, and salads Of fish or meat are
dressed in still different manner. Again, nearly
every green herb. each meat. and every KIM vi
fish requires an individual dressing 1t is the fail-
ure to recognize this that often brings to the
salad course tastes disjoined and inharmohous'
A lettuce salad cannot be treated like an endiVe
or chicory salad: still less 1t be dressed IKE
cress.
Tire proper dressing for chicken salad Is not
suitable for vegetables French dressing with
slight variations may be used a great many dli-
ferent vegetables For two heads Of lettuce NIX
in a cup tablespoonful Of the best tarragon
vinegar. an even half teaspoonful or salt, scant
half tablespoonful OF white pepper Never mix SAT-
and pepper with OIL because the salt does not as
solve and viii give a gritty taste to the salad
Break up the head of lettuce remove the green
leaves and use only the crisp beached leaves Tear
the large leaves in pieces Wash them all in cold
water Drain them carefully In wire salad basket
"a -four sieve VIII do). When the leaves are freed
from water. set them the ice to become chilled
for fifteen or twenty minutes. or until you are ready
TO serve the salad. Pour over the salad, at the
table a tablespoonful and half Of the best olive
oil Toss the leaves until they are thoroughly
coated; then pour over them the vinegar salt ana
pepper and toss again very carefully
Great care must be exercised in purchasing oil.
as much OF the oil sold groceries Is UNFIT for use
only the best oil of the olive will do for salad
Do not allow anybody to persuade you that cotton
seed oil or any other product of doubtful origin
will do Purchase the best oil OF trustworthy deal
er and II you fond OF salads buy 1T by the
gallon at this season of the year and keep it In
a cold storeroom, bringing only a small quantity
out at time 1t is safe to keep large bottle OF
1t in a warm dining-room, or in dlning-room
pantry as II Is likely to spoil before 1t can be
used up.
The success OF a lettuce salad depends on selec-
ton of a tender well-bleached head of lettuce; on
proper preparation of the leaves. IN washing, dry
Ing and chilling them, so that they come 10 the
table crisp and cold and the use of the best
ingredients Omission of one thing prescribed in
the preparation will make 1t failure. This Is the
reason why this salad is so seldom what it should
be.
II YOU desire TO omit the oil substitute three
tablespoonfuls OF thick sweet cream for 1t. and
prepare the salad otherwise In the same way. Ths
salad may be varied by preparing 1t from one head
of lettuce and two firm red tomatoes, peeled chilled
and cut in slices Sometimes Two hard-boled eggs
are sliced and added to a plain salad Of lettuce
Two heads of firm white celery, washed and cut
in SQUARE lengths drained carefully and chilled,
make q delicious salad to serve with game. 1t Is
dressed like lettuce salad. As a change, Glove
of garlic sprnkled with little salt is sometimes
peeled and rubbed vigorously on the sides OF the
salad bowl before the salad is put in. This gives
all the favor OF garlic necessary. II is an excellent
addition TO an escarole salad. The escarole is a
species Of chcory with broad. fiat beached leaves,
that comes to market in winter. 1t Is b.eachei
herb raised in cellars, and must be handled care
fully to prevent its willing and becoming SOFT Cut
off the root II it is the bunch. DO not wash the
leaves unless they very sandy. but wipe each
one of carefully. cut off the green portion of the
leaf A pair Of scissors is convenient for
the purpose. Chill the leaves and dress them with
the French dressing used for lettuce.
Lambs salad or salad. the cheapest salad
green of the winter market may be simply washed,
drained and chilled and dressed like plain lettuce
salad with French dressing. Il IS better, however,
for the addition Of three or four slices Of crimson
should cooked and added at the moment of dress
carefully and reject any wilted or rankly grown
leaves. The latter are tough and bitter
wholesome bitter salads Select the freshest and
whitest chicory In the winter months when 1t Is
Trim off the green tips OF the leaves with scissors
Tear the leaves apart, wash. drain and chill them.
spaonu men Of Ts @ % of SAT-
h hsf saspS9Eg Of pepper and one and
Dandelion salad is in market early in the spring;
The leaves of the common dandelion: beached
with sAnI are USED lot tnl> purpose. ins
is seldom sold for less than fifteen twenty-five
cents a quart when properly beached owing to
the small quantity OF ii raised TO meet the limited
de mand of French chefs. There Is no reason why
any family should not raise II in the cellar, where
a few plants could be beautifully bleached for use
IN winter. when salad herbs scarce or for
mixture with lettuce \ mixture OF two-thirds
lettuce with one-thlrd dardelion. bleached snowy
white and crisp makes most delicious salad TO
serve with heavy roasts OF mutton or beef 1t
should be dressed Ike plain lettuce salad after
the leaves are washed. drained and chilled.
plain dandeon salad may be mixed either with
hard-boi,ed eggs slices OF boiled beets. dan
deon salad is especially appetziny when the oil Is
omitted and its pace supplied by three tablespoon
fus Of bacon cut in fine dice and fried brown.
The bacon Is added hot 10 the dandeion. which has
been dressed with "A tablespoonful OF vinegar. salt
spoonful. OF salt, hair tablespoonful Of white pep
per. to a pint OF prepared leaves.
The salads. including water-creSs, pepper
grass and nasturtium leaves and flowers are all
properly dressed without oil. They are popular
breakfast salads and seasoned simply with
vinegar, salt and pepper.