Little French dinners

If you wish for a good salad do not wash the lettuce at all ; in most cases, if the bruised and outside leaves are thrown away, the inner part will be found to be beautifully crisp and clean. If, however, the inner leaves are not quite free from mould and grit, wipe each of them carefully with a clean cloth. When, however, it is absolutely necessary that the lettuce be washed, on no account let the leaves remain too long in the water, and be sure that they are thoroughly dried. The best method is to drain the leaves thoroughly on a sieve and then to toss them tenderly in a napkin or cloth till the salad is quite dry. The leaves of the lettuce, once cleaned, may now be broken up with the fingers into convenient pieces of about an inch and a half in length and thrown into a good-sized salad bowl, every leaf the least bit tainted or discoloured being discarded. "With regard to the dressing of the salad be sure to be very sparing with the vinegar. English people always use too much ; there is a Spanish proverb which says that four persons are required to make a good salad : " A spendthrift for oil, a miser for vinegar, a counsellor for salt, and a Seasonable Salads. 97 madman to stir it all up." The dressing should always be prepared at the table, as a salad deteriorates after it has once been mixed. To proceed, hold over the salad a wooden spoon, into which put a good saltspoonful of salt, and a quarter of finely ground white pepper, fill up the spoon with oil, stir well with the fork, and sprinkle it all over the salad; add two more spoonfuls of oil, and not quite a whole spoonful of the best French vinegar. Then " work " the salad, i.e., toss it over and over with the horn or wooden spoon and fork so that each leaf will receive its right modicum of dressing ; add lastly some chopped tarragon, and the salad is ready. Hard-boiled eggs cut in slices, chopped chervil or chives, etc., may also be used, but the addition of these is obviously optional. A delicious salad can be made with a particular sort of endive, called in French Barbe de capucin. Chicory seems to be the corresponding word for it in the English language. It should be carefully picked and broken into convenient pieces, and placed in a salad bowl previously well rubbed with a shallot. The same dressing as for the lettuce salad is used, but with the addition of a little English or French mustard. Mix the salad well, and sprinkle on the surface some finely chopped tarragon. Tomato Salad should always be prepared two or three hours before it is wanted. Choose tomatoes that are not too ripe, and let them be of a good colour. Cut them in slices, first removing the hard core, and also the skin if it be objected to, and arrange them in a heap in the salad bowl, which should have been previously rubbed with a shallot. Then put into a basin a small quantity of French mustard, some pepper, and plenty of salt to taste, four tablespoonfuls of salad oil, a tablespoonful of French vinegar, and a teaspoonful of chilli vinegar ; mix all thoroughly together for two or three minutes, then pour the dressing over the tomatoes and add some finely chopped parsley, and chives H 98 Seasonable Salads. if they are liked. A combination of endive and tomatoes cut in sections like an orange makes a very good salad.