MEALS OUT OF DOORS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 January 1939, Page 8

MEALS OUT OF DOORS

DISHES FOR HOT DAYS. Hot days call for meals out of doors, and sun-porch or verandah meals are ideal for this weather. Nor does the serving of the meals call for any anxiety when such menus as those printed below are prepared. MENU 1. Mousse of Crab. Take 2 cupfuls cooked crab (flaked), 1 cupful cold water, two-thirds cupful thick cream, seasoning, 2 teaspoonfuls chopped parsley, 11 tablespoonfuls gelatine, 1 cupful boiling water, twothirds cupful mayonnaise, lettuce leaves, cucumber jelly to garnish. Place gelatine in a basin. Add the cold water. Cover and stand for five minutes, then stir in boiling water. Stir until dissolved and chill till slightly thick. Whip the cream. Stir the parsley into the mayonnaise and fold into the jelly. Fold in the whipped cream, then lightly stir in the crab. Add seasoning to taste. Fill individual moulds rinsed in cold water. Leave till set. Turn out on to a dish lined with shredded lettuce leaves. Garnish with cucumber jelly. Cucumber Jelly. Take 2 fairly large cucumbers, i cupful cold water, 3 tablespoonfuls vinegar, | teaspoonful peppercorns, green vegetable colouring, tablespoonfuls gelatine, J teaspoonful salt, 1 slice onion. Place the gelatine in a saucepan, add the cold water. Stand until gelatine has softened. Add vinegar, salt, onion, and peppercorns. Peel and grate the cucumbers into the pan. Place over slovz heat. Stir occasionally till gelatine is dissolved, then strain ’through a coarse strainer into a jug. Colour to taste with green vegetable colouring. Pour into tiny fancy moulds to set. When set turn out and place-a eucuriiber jelly on top of each small mousse of crab. Tournedos of Lamb. Take 4 neck lamb chops, 1 tablespoonful cold water, 1 good tablespoonful butter, 4 small rounds fried bread, | egg, 4 fried mushrooms, grated cheese as required, stale breadcrumbs as required, new potatoes, French beans. Carefully remove the meat from each chop. Form into a round and skewer securely. Beat egg. Stir in cold water. Dip the chops first in 'the egg, then in crumbs mixed with quarter their quantity grated cheese. Melt the butter in a frying-pan. Add chops. Brown first on one side, then turn and brown on the other. Cook slowly till tender. Arrange in a hot oval entree dish on top of founds of fried bread and arrange a prepared mushroom on each. Place some beans on the inside and the potatoes round the edge. Serve with tomato or hollandaise sauce. Lemon Souffle Flan. Take 2 tablespoorifuls lemon juice, 1 egg-yolk, 1 tablespoonful hot water, pinch of salt, 1 teaspoonful grated le-mon-peel, 1 egg-white, one-third, cupful castor sugar, lightly baked flan-case. Strain the lemon juice into the top of -a double boiler. Add lemon-peel, •hot water, salt, half the sugar, and the 'egg-yolk, beaten till hbriey-cdloured. Whisk over hot water, stirring constantly until thick (about a -quarter of an hour). Beat ugg-white till stiff. Add the remainder of the sugar. Fold into the lemon mixture. Place in flan-case. Bake in a moderate oven till brown. Serve hot dr cold. MENU 2. Iced Mint Tea. Take 4 heaped teaspoonfuls tea, castor sugar to taste, § cupful mint leaves, 2 lemons, 1 quart boiling water, fresh mint to garnish, ice cubes. Wash and drain the mint before measuring. Place the tea in the teapot, choosing a blend to suit your taste. Add the mint and boiling water. Cover and infuse for five minutes. Strain into a large jug. Sweeten to taste. Chill. When required, strain in the juice of the lemons. Add ice cubes to taste and serve. Grapefruit with Ginger. Remove centres, seeds, and membranes from grapefruit halves; shred pulp finely with a fork. To each half add half teaspoonful castor sugar, one teaspoonful desiccated coconut, and one tablespoo'nful ‘each of diced preserved ginger and syrup, and mix well. Place halves in a covered dish anc bury in ice, or chill thoroughly in the refrigerator. Jellied Chicken Loaf. Take 1 fowl (41b.), cut in pieces, li quarts boiling water, 2 teaspoonfuls salt. 1-8 teaspoonful pepper, 1 carrot, 2 stalks celery. 1 small onion, 1 tablespoonful gelatine, J cupful cold water, olive oil. Add fowl to hot water and cook until tender adding seasonings and vegetables after first hour of cooking. Remove meat, boil down stock to about two cupfuls, and strain through wet muslin. Soften gelatine in cold water for five minutes; add to hot stock, stirring until dissolved, then cool. Pick chicken from bones, chop finely, add to stock gelatine mixture and cool. When slightly thickened turn into a mould or loaf-tin, lightly greased with olive oil, chill until firm. When ready to serve, unmould on to a dish and garnish with parsley, watercress, or shredded lettuce and tomatoes. Potato Salad. Take 1 pint cold potatoes (diced), beetroot, 1 tablespoonful minced onion. 1 pint diced celery, tart apples. 1 tablespoonful minced parsley, 1 tablespoonful pimento mayonnaise, J cupful French dressing, 1 tablespoonful minced pimento. Mix potato, onion, celery, pimento, and parsley together. Stir in French dressing. Stand for one hour. Add one cupful chopped tart apple if liked, and add a little mayonnaise. Arrange in a glass salad bowl. Decorate with a little chopped beetroot or gherkin. Peach Cups. Take 1 large tin peaches, 1 gill cream, a few crystallised violets, angelica, castor sugar, vanilla. Open the tin of peaches, take them out of the syrup, and let them drain well. Then arrange them in a rather shallow dish with the cut side uppermost. Sweeten and flavour the cream and castor sugar. Whisk it until it is thick. Heap some of the cream in the centre of each peach. Place a violet in the middle and cut small leaves of angelica and arrange them round it. Strain the peach syrup round and serve. Cheese Straws. Take 240 z. cheese, 2Joz. flour, 2oz. butter, 1 egg-yolk, cayenne pepper. Sieve the flour. Grate the cheese finely and add it. Chop the butter finely into the flour. Season with salt and cayenne pepper and mix all the dry ingredients together. Beat up the egg-yolk and mix with two or three tablespoonfuls water. Add this to the flour and mix to a stiff paste, adding more water if required. Put it On to a slightly floured board and roll out to one-eighth of an inch thick. Cut it into strips about three and a half inch-

es long and place on a baking-sheet lined with paper, very slightly buttered. Put the trimmings together and roll out as before. Cut into rings about one-eighth of an inch thick and about an inch in diameter. Put these also on the baking-sheet and bake in a moderately hot oven for about ten to fifteen minutes, dr until crisp and a pale biscuit colour. Place on a sieve to cool, then serve on a lace paper doily, arranging the strips in the rings. Garnish with sprigs of parsley.