EAT PLENTY OF GREEN SALADS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 6, Issue 144, 27 March 1942, Page 22

EAT PLENTY OF GREEN SALADS

HERE are still many people -] who think that green salads do not make a _ substantial meal, and that they have really very little food value. Actually, however, salads are potent sources of vitamins, and provide a natural and pleasant way of getting these. They have a high mineral content and are "body alkalizers"; and eaten with plenty of cheese and potatoes baked in their jackets they make the substantial meal that we crave. "Hunger is appeased only when the stomach is filled," says an American Home Economist, "and too often it is filled with heavy and expensive food. But if plain green salad is served first this stimulates the lazy intestine to start working, and also occupies some of the space in the stomach which would otherwise probably be filled with more expensive and heavier food." Dietitians, though often at variance with each other, agree in recommending some raw green salad to be eaten every day, except in special cases.

Lettuces Are the main standby in this direc. tion, A good plan is to use a pair of large scissors, and, having first cut the lettuce down lengthwise with a knife, proceed to shred it with them, cutting through the outer and inner leaves together. In this way, the green outer leaves (which are really more valuable than the heart, though not so pleasant to eat) are all shared equally and are not shunned and left in the bowl. Cole Slaw This is simply young white raw cabbage, and probably, to most of us, an acquired taste, Yet cabbage is called the Vitamin King of Vegetables; and we should certainly accustom ourselves to it, Here is the recipe Combine 3 cups of finely shredded white cabbage with a little grated onion,

a little grated carrot, 2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley, a faint sprinkling of sugar, and French dressing. A pretty dish of this cole slaw is made by serving individual portions in crisp red-cabbage leaves, French Dressing Mix 3 tablespoons of salad oil with a dash of paprika, and a very little pepper and salt, and gradually beat in a tablespoon of good vinegar. To make a change add % teaspoon of dry mustard before adding the vinegar, Cream Dressing This is very good with cole slaw. Use a double saucepan, or a basin standing in a saucepan of water. The ingredients are 21% tablespoons butter, 42 teaspoon dry mustard, one-third teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 egg, % cup cream, sweet or sour; and 14, cup vinegar. Melt the butter. Stir in the seasonings and the flour. Add the egg well-beaten, then the cream, Cook and stir over hot water until beginning to thicken; gradually add the vinegar and stir until creamy. Red Cap Mushrooms This is a Scandinavian Salad. It is attractive to the eye, as well as satisfying. Shell your hard boiled eggs, and cut off the broad ends so that they will stand up comfortably. On the top of the narrow ends fit halves of skinned tomatoes. These represent a kind of mushroom with a scarlet. cap, which grows freely in those Northern countries, Arrange these "redcaps" in a circle on a bed of green salad, leaving space between each for wedges of cucumber, Fill the ‘centre space with potato salad-cooked ‘potatoes cubed and sprinkled with a little grated onion. Eaten with plenty of cheese and wholemeal bread and butter this makes a fine meal, Dabs of mayonnaise on the red caps look nice, and more mayonnaise should be served with this dish. You can arrange individual plates to your own design-the red-caps in the middle on a bed of lettuce, surrounded with potato and wedges of ripe apple or pear, as well as cheese. Scandinavian Eggs ° Instead of crowning thé small end of the hard-boiled egg with the red-cap (as above), cut downwards to the middle through the white part, but without touching the yolk, with 4 or 5 strokes of the knife. Thus petals are formed which are laid open and curled slightly. backward, the yolk forming a yellow centre for the flower. This forms the centre | piece of an individual salad plate, placed in a curly lettuce leaf, which half conceals it, and surrounded by pieces of ‘cucumber, ripe pear or apple, tomato. cheese, and whatever else you fancy. Well Balanced Salad You can arrange this how you like, in original and attractive designs, but it

must contain at least one of each of the four groups of salad ingredients, These are: . (1) Leafy -- lettuce, watercress, mustard and cress, young spring onions, shredded young cabbage, finely shredded Brussels sprouts, (2) Bleached-celery, sliced or grated onion, (3) Root — grated carrots, swedes, turnips, parsnips, (4) Herbs-parsley, mint, chives, Don’t forget to add tomatoes, and freshly cooked peas and beans, Here are some original salads suggested by our loyal Link, Mrs, Nicotinus. Cucumber Nests Use young apple cucumbers. Peel them, cut in halves, and scoop out the centre, Fill the centre with salmon mayonnaise, or chopped hard-boiled egg, or any cold cooked fish and chopped parsley. Lay these filled halves on green salad on individual plates. Put a ring of grated carrot round the edges, and decorate with slices of beetroot and tomato. Serve with good dressing. Young ordinary cucumbers may be used, but cut them lengthwise, Cooked peas and mayonnaise are a nice filling, too. Sprinkle the peas with finely cho mint, Beetroot Salad Scoop out some of the middle of young cooked beetroot. Fill the cavity with chopped apple, celery, and walnuts-or mince them if you prefer it. Add 1 or 2 carraway seeds to each, or a drop of carraway flavouring. Cover with thick dressing to which is added a pinch of ground’ ginger or ginger essence. Peas and mint make a nice filling, too. If the beetroot are small, set them in individual moulds in flavoured gelatine-that is, boil in the water, onion or any spices liked, strain it, and use for mixing the gelatine, Vinegar or lemon juice may also be added.