For Tennis Or Garden Parties

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 903, 21 February 1930, Page 4

For Tennis Or Garden Parties

SEASONABLE SUGGESTIONS In catering for tennis parties, the great thing, according to an authority, is to avoid anything that will produce thirst. Neither food nor drink should, therefore, be very highly flavoured or very sweet, and sticky cakes or sandwiches should be avoided. It is a good idea to have tea going all the afternoon, because some peojde find tea more refreshing than anything else, and also it saves time if players can take a cup of tea, and, say, a sandwich between sets, and come back later for another cup and cakes, etc. Thinly sliced lemon should he available for use in pface of milk in the tea. It is a very much better thirst quencher, and is better liked by many people. Lemonade and various cups should be served as cold as possible, and additional ice should be available, cracked into small pieces, and lifted with sugar tongs. It is better to make all drinks on the unsweetened side, as they are more refreshing to players, and onlookers can always add more sugar if necessary. On a very hot day, drinks will keep beautifully cool if placed in large earthenware pitchers which are wrapped round with damp cloths. As the water evaporates from the cloths the earthenware is chilled and the contents also.

In the matter of drinks a good choice can easily be made from tile great variety of fruits now on the market. Iced tea and iced coffee are welcome additions to the fruit beverages. Glasses of fruit .salad or fruit cocktail are very refreshing to the players, especially if the fruit used is somewhat on the tart side. If cream is served it should be separately, and it is wise to have it both whipped and unwhipped. Jellies and fruit in jelly are always popular at these parties, as are also ice cream; and here again care should be taken to avoid sweetness. All these sweets should be served in small, deep dishes instead, of on shallow plates. On a warm day nothing is more delicious than a glass of perfectlymade and chilled lemonade or orangeade. For a large party the fresh fruit comes rather expensive, however, and you may like to know of a recipe which, having all the flavour of the real thing, may be made at very small cost. Although cheap, it is in no way deleterious to health, as are some of the. artificially manufactured “fruit’’ drinks on the market. LEMONADE OR ORANGEADE. 7 or a large party you would perhaps need 121 b of white erystaL sugar, 12 pints of water, 6 ounces of citric acid crystals, and about a gill of lemon or orange essence. Boil the sugar and water together for 10 minutes, strain into a crockery basin, beat in the citric acid, and when cool add the lemon or orange essence. When aold bottle for use- Two tablespoons of this syrup are sufficient for a large tumbler of cold water. With crushed ice added, it is a most refreshing drink in hot weather, and quite as palatable as if made of the fresh fruit. The more costly real thing is made similarly—fresh lemon juice being substituted for the citric acid crystals and the grated outer zest of the lemon or orange rind for the necessary flavouring. The zest of either lemons er oranges may be rubbed off with cubes of loaf sugar, which are afterwards utilised in making the beverage. Here are some other enticing drinks tennis or garden party hostesses may like to offer their guests:— FRUIT PUNCH. Two gallons of raspberry juice—if you can afford to have it fresh it is all to the good, but it is obtainable in bottles at a very reasonable cost; 12 lemons, 12 oranges. 4 pineapples or 4 small tins ditto, 21b of crystal sugar, 1 gallon of water. To the

raspberry juice add the other fruit juices and mix thoroughly. Bring the sugar and water to boiling point quickly and boil a few minutes. Cool slightly, then add to the fruit juice mixture and chill. Have tall glasses one-third full of cracked ice and add the punch so that the glasses arc two-thirds full. Then dilute with sparkling water and serve immediately. The quantities given in this as well as in the preceding recipe could, of course, be halved or quartered. Other fruit juices may be substituted for those mentioneeijin the punch recipe. Another very attractive cold beverage hostesses able to afford it might like to delight their guests with is HAWAIIAN PUNCH. This is the original recipe:—Four cups of grape-fruit juice, 1 cup of lemon juice, 6 cups of orange juice, 6 cups of iced water, 4 cups, more or less, or powdered sugar. First mix the fruit juices and sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the iced water and serve—preferably in small punch glasses, in each of which has been placed a little crushed ice. FRLT' r SALAD. Here is a good blend which may, however, be varied by using any suitable fruits in season. For a large party it would of course be necessary to extend the quantities here given. One dozen ripe bananas, 1 pineapple, or tinned pineapple slices, 3 or more oranges, 2 lemons, passion fruit. A tin of peaches, apricots or pears when these fruits are not in season may be used. See that you get them in heavy syrup which you can use in the salad. Cut the pieces small, and mix with the rest of the fruits. Slice the bananas thinly, chop up the pineapple, shred the oranges, and scoop out the passion fruit. Add the grated rind of 1 orange, and the juice of 2 lemons. If you are not using tinned fruit, sprinkle powdered sugar over the mass as your taste dictates, or make a syrup by boiling sugar and water together. Strawberries, raspberries, ripe plums, grapes (the latter two skinned), are a nice addition to fruit salad. Serve in a salad or salad bowls. Whipped cream may be served separately. A very nice adjunct to any party menu are: ASPARAGUS ROLLS. Asparagus being now out of season would necessitate buying the tinned variety should you decide on having these. The bread must be fresh, but you will find no difficulty in cutting it if the crusts are first cut off on three sides of the loaf, leaving the hard bottom one to cut against, and if you have a sharp thin knife. Drain the asparagus in a colander. Before cutting the bread butter it evenly. It should be of wafer-like thinness. Lay an asparagus stalk on each slice, salt it a little and roll up. Tidy the ends, and contrive to make two rolls from one slice of an ordinary sandwich loaf. Arrange the rolls daintily on a bed of crisp lettuce leaves. These roils are much appreciated as a “finger and thumb” service. SAVOURY SANDWICHES. Sandwiches are, of course, a foregone conclusion a>=»\ny party. Hostesses usually have their own pet fillings for these, hut here are a few good and seasonable suggestions:— HAM BUTTER. Two ounces of bam, two ounces of butter, one egg, and a little cochineal. Hard-boil the egg, then pound all the ingredients together and colour with a very little cochineal. SALMON AND CUCUMBER FILLING. ; Drain the liquor from a tin of salmon, remove skin and bones and pound it well with a little butter, a teaspoonful of anchovy essence, a teaspoonful of lemon juice and a quarter tea* spoonful of white pepper. Use in conjunction with thinly sliced cucumber that has previously lain for 10 minutes in a little vinegar.