Handbook of practical cookery

Cucumber Salad. — Three medium-sized green cucumbers, two table-spoonfuls of salad oil, one table-spoonful of vinegar, one tea-spoonful of salt, one half tea-spoonful of black pepper. The cucumbers should be kept upon the ice until thoroughly chilled, which renders them pleasantly brittle, after which they should be pared lengthwise, taking care to cut deep enough to remove all of the green inner skin, which is exceedingly bitter, and when pared slice them into round, thin slices. Arrange these slices in a mound in a shallow salad-bowl, and mixing together the pepper, salt, oil, and vinegar, pour this dressing over the cucumbers, and stir all together until the dressing is well distributed when serving. NOTE. — A tomato salad may be prepared in the same manner, with this difference : a little sugar must be added to the ingredients for the dressing. Beef Salad. — One pound of rare roast beef, one quarter of a boiled beet, one table-spoonful of vinegar, three tablespoonfuls of salad oil, one tea-spoonful of salt, one half teaspoonful of black pepper, one head of lettuce. Wash the lettuce, each leaf separately, dry them thoroughly with a towel, taking care not to crush or wilt them, and reserving the few delicate inner leaves for garnishing, tear the rest into irregular pieces, and arrange them in the bottom of a salad-bowl. Cut the beef into small square pieces, slice the beet and cut it also into pieces ; mixing both lightly together, put them in a pyramidal shape upon the lettuce in the bowl, and sprinkle over all the pepper and salt. Mix together in a separate bowl the vinegar and oil, and when thoroughly blended, pour this dressing over the salad, and garnish at the top with the small lettuce leaves. NOTE. — A salad may be made of sliced cold tongue by following the above directions, and substituting the tongue for the cold roast beef. Lettuce Salad. — Two heads of lettuce, one dessert-spoonful of salt, oue half tea-spoonful of pepper, one tablespoonful of salad oil, three table-spoonfuls of vinegar, two hard-boiled eggs. Separate the leaves of the heads of lettuce, wash them carefully, and dry each leaf thoroughly with a towel, handling them gently that they may be neither crushed nor wilted. Tear the leaves into pieces, and arrange them SALAD A-LA-RUSSE. 125 lightly in a salad-bowl. Sprinkle over them the pepper and salt, aud mixing the vinegar and oil together in a separate bowl, pour it, when well blended, over the salad, and stir all together at table when serving. Cut the hard-boiled eggs into quarters and garnish the dish with them. NOTES. — Endive, eschalot, chiccory, water-cress, celery, and all green salads may be prepared as the lettuce salad is prepared. All green salads should have the material of which they are composed made very cold and crisp before dressing. If French dressing is preferred to the vinegar dressing, the proportions of vinegar and oil may be simply changed from the above given quantities to three table-spoonfuls of salad oil, one tablespoonful of vinegar. Green salads should be stirred as little as possible before being sent to the table, in order that their freshness may be preserved until the moment of serving.