WOW! The salads of the 1920's were a carnival of flavors. Unlike today where lettuce greens are the foundation of most salads, back in the day the greens were primarily a decoration or a a garnishment. Today's toppers - tomatoes, nuts, pimentos, olives, etc - were the real stars. This era was not a mundane time and many dishes including salads had fun or catchy names. This included the San Francisco Salad, Alligator Pear Salad and the Candle Salad which are the three I chose to try. Starting with the San Francisco Salad and as before providing you with my modifications and the original recipe.
San Francisco Salad
1/3 C Ripe Olives - sliced 1/3 cupful sliced ripe olives
1 Egg - hard boiled & chopped 1 chopped hard-cooked egg
1/3 C Walnuts - chopped 1/3 cupful broken walnut meats
1 Pimento - minced 1 minced pimento
6 Medium Tomatoes Mayonnaise
Lettuce Leaves Lettuce
* Combine olives, egg, walnuts and pimento with mayonnaise
* Hollow out tomatoes (peeling is optional and a matter of personal preference)
* Fill with olive mixture
* Plate on lettuce leaves
Combine the olives, egg, walnuts and pimento with sufficient Mayonnaise to blend. Remove the skins from the tomatoes, hollow out the centers and fill with the olive mixture. Arrange for individual service on salad plates with a garnish of lettuce and extra Mayonnaise. If desired, the tomato may be prepared before serving time and placed in the ice-box after pouring over a little French Dressing.
I found it interesting that mayonnaise is always capitalized in my pamphlets prior to 1930! A sprinkling of chopped walnuts across the top dressed it up just a little for a "girl's day out". My friends really enjoyed this salad - finding the combination of flavors refreshing. This oldie but goodie is definitely being reinstated!
Alligator Pear Salad
Alligator Pear Salad! Cool! Not if you don't have a clue as to what an alligator pear is and your husband, who was nice enough to go to the store for you, doesn't either so he brings you one of every pear in the produce department - none of which are named "alligator". Thank goodness for mothers and aunts - especially the ones who call right before you are about to post an "egg on your face" blog entry! Both women (gleefully, I might add) informed me that an alligator pear is not pear at all - it is an avocado, and doesn't that just make perfect sense!
1 Avocado- peel, pit, sliced 1 Alligator pear
2 Med-Lg Tomatoes - sliced 2 good-sized tomatoes
2 T Green Peppers - minced 2 tablespoonfuls minced green peppers
1/3 C Italian Dressing - divided (optional)
Lettuce 1/3 cupful French Dressing
Lettuce
* Place sliced avocado in an airtight container with 1/2 of the Italian Dressing
* In second airtight container place the sliced tomatoes with remainder of dressing
* Chill twenty minutes
* On lettuce leaf layer a slice of tomato and a slice of avocado
* Sprinkle with minced peppers and serve
Remove the peeling from the alligator pear. Cut it in thin crosswise slices and take out any remaining pulp. Place in a bowl with some of the dressing and put the sliced tomatoes in another bowl with the remaining dressing. Chill for twenty minutes, then put a little lettuce on each of the six plates and lay on this, first a slice of tomato, then one of the pear. Strew with minced peppers, if used.
My favorite thing about this salad is the name - it's just fun to say. It's simple to make with good flavors but my taste buds believe that there are better uses for both the avocado and the tomato.
Candle Salad
Originally intended as a very elegant presentation this super, simple salad is perfect for the holidays. Children love to make and eat this one - a win, win! If you need a way to keep the little ones busy while you concentrate on something else, let them make this salad.
Only one set of directions for this one:
For each person allow a slice of canned pineapple and half a banana.
Pare down the banana on the crooked side, so that it will be straight and look like a candle. Set each section of banana into the hole in the pineapple, and place a maraschino cherry on top to represent the flame, pouring over a little French Fruit Salad Dressing. Drain for a few moments, then arrange individually, for a Small company, on salad plates with garnish of lettuce. For large numbers, platter with a garnish of Tea Room Mayonnaise, Plain Mayonnaise or Nut Mayonnaise and a little parsley and lettuce.
Nobody in my family liked this with the French Dressing drizzle (see previous blog for recipe) nor did we care for the mayonnaise.
The best aspect of this recipe is it's child engaging properties and that can indeed at times be the the most important factor of any endeavor!
