Luncheons

It is essential that leaf salads and celery be dry. Oil and water do not mix, and if the salad is wet the dressing will run off it and also lose its flavor. They should also be crisp and clean. Divest them of imperfect portions and wash to free them of dust and grit. Examine lettuce for a small green insect and celery for a small white worm which infest them, then place them in cold water to refresh and crisp them. Dry them carefully, shaking lettuce or watercress in a wire basket, or carefully dry each piece in a clean napkin. Celery may be drained or wiped. The salad may be dried sometime before using it, and if kept near the ice will retain its NNO. 89. PLAIN LETTUCE SALAD. NO. 90. HEART OF CABBAGE LETTUCE. NO. 91. BOUQUET SALAD — LETTUCE AND WATERCRESS OR NASTURTIUMS. i-** , •->, NO. 92. BOUQUET SALAD. SHREDDED LETTUCE AND HARD-BOILED EGGS. NO. 93. BOUQUET SALAD. LETTUCE. TOMATOES. EGGS. NO. 94. BOUQUET SALAD. ARRANGED IN FIVE LINES OF COLOR. RADISHES, CUT TO RESEMBLE ROSES, IN CENTER ON A L.A.TER OF CELERY CUT INTO SMALL DICE. AROUND THE CELERY A RING OF WATERCRESS. BOILED BEETS CUT INTO STRIPS AROUND THE WATERCRESS. LETTUCE CUT INTO RIBBONS AROUND THE BEETS. THE WHOLE MOISTENED WITH FRENCH DRESSING. crispness, but the dressing must not be put on until the moment of serving, as it wilts the leaves. The same rule applies to vegetables used as salads : they should be dry and cold. There need be no waste in lettuce. The imperfect and hard leaves may be boiled and used as directed on page 55 for green eggs. The rejected outside leaves of one head will be enough for one or two eggs, or they may be used with other odds and ends of vegetables to give a macedoine garnishing to a meat dish. SALADS Of the many articles used for salad, lettuce is preeminently first in favor. It is the king of salads; and, whatever else is used, lettuce usually forms part of the dish to make it complete. A plain lettuce is always acceptable and can be served in several forms. Combined with one or more articles equally common, a number of bouquet salads can easily be made, giving dishes attractive both in taste and color. The bouquet salads should be placed on flat dishes in order to show the arrangement, color, and variety of articles used. A variety in salads is desirable; and, as they can be eaten every day, a little change in the combinations will give variety. The use of nasturtium blossoms is recommended. They are not only beautiful to look at and decorative, but have a piquant flavor. Combinations of green such as are obtained by lettuce and watercress are pleasing. In the illustrations a number of combinations are given which will suggest others. No. 1. Plain lettuce salad. The lettuce here is arranged to resemble a cabbage. For this a head of cabbage lettuce is used. The leaves are taken apart, carefully washed and dried, and the stalks flattened by cutting a little slice off the bottom to make them stand upright. They are then put together again in the natural form, but more spread open, and placed on a round platter. Just before serving a French dressing is poured over them with a spoon, to have each leaf moistened, care being taken not to disarrange the leaves. No. 2. Lettuce hearts. Divest a head of Boston cabbage lettuce of the outer leaves down to the hard head. With a sharp knife cut the head into quarters and arrange them on a dish with the stalk ends toward the center. Sprinkle over them, or not, a little celery cut into small dice. If celery is used, place a little in the center of the dish and between the quarters. At the moment of serving pour French dressing, using a spoon, into the lettuce hearts, moistening them well.