Miss Parloa's kitchen companion

A vegetable salad may be made a thing of beauty or an indistinct mixture and uninviting dish. Each vegetable should be boiled and cut up separately, and all should be seasoned with salt and pepper. Use any kind of salad dressing ; the French dressing, however, is especially fit. Sprinkle the prepared vegetables in thin layers in a salad bowl, and sprinkle each layer with the dressing; continuing the work until all the materials have been used. Let the dish stand an hour or more in the ice-chest. For each quart of the vegetables use three large tablespoonfuls of oil, one table-spoonful of vinegar, half a teaspoonful of salt, one-quarter of a teaspoonful of pepper, and a teaspoonful of onion juice. Mix this dressing thoroughly before using. The amount which can be made with the ingredients mentioned above flavors the salad delicately; and if the dish be desired moist and highly seasoned, the quantity of dressing should be doubled. * French Vegetable Salad. This dish is made of nearly all kinds of cooked vegetables, string and Lima beans, peas, turnips, carrots, and cauliflower being the most desirable. All .or only a part of -those which have been mentioned may be used. The string beans should be cut into short pieces, and the carrots and turnips into cubes, while the cauliflower should be broken into little flowerets. The vegetables must be mixed lightly, and be placed in a refrigerator, to get thoroughly chilled. They should be cold when used for the salad. A quart will be enough for six persons, To make the dressing, rub a slice of onion on the sides and bottom of a pint bowl; then put into the bowl a level teaspoonful of salt and one-third of a teaspoonful of pepper, and gradually beat in six table-spoonfuls of salad oil and two of vinegar. Mix this dressing thoroughly with the vegetables, and serve. * Mac6doine Salad. This is easily made, only a can of mixed vegetables, six table-spoonfuls of olive oil, two of vinegar, a teaspoonful of salt, and one-fourth of a teaspoonful of pepper being used. Turn the vegetables from the can into a strainer, and after pouring cold water over them, put them into a salad bowl. Mix the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper, and add to the vegetables, mixing all very thoroughly. Or, instead of the can of vegetables, use a gill each of carrot, turnip, Lima beans, green peas, and cauliflower. All except the peas should be cut into small, pretty shapes. * Potato Salad. In no other salad is there such an opportunity for variety of combinations. The salad, though, of course, to be served cold, is always better for being made of hot potatoes. New potatoes — and when these are not in season, German potatoes — are best. A ripe, mealy potato breaks into crumbs, and spoils the appearance of the dish. Of course, it is not always convenient to obtain either new or German potatoes. In that case boil the potatoes a little less time than for most other purposes, — say twenty-five minutes, instead of thirty. Cold potatoes may be used. Here are a few combinations, and the housekeeper may enlarge upon them to any extent she pleases. Cut one quart of boiled potatoes into small cubes. Add to them one teaspoonful of chopped parsley, and