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German Salad
Take any kind of cold boiled vegetable, such as cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, potatoes, sea-kale, or a little of three or four kinds. Cut them into small pieces, and, if the flavor is liked, add chopped onion or chopped raw apple. Season with pepper and salt, and add 2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar, and 4 of oil, to every 2 pounds of vegetables. Serve in a salad-bowl, and garnish with sliced beetroot and parsley. Time, a quarter of an hour to prepare.
A thrifty use for leftover boiled vegetables, dressed at a ratio the recipe states by weight rather than volume. The proportions are sound but the dressing is lean by modern taste.
- The dressing ratioTwo tablespoons vinegar to four of oil per 2 lb of vegetables works out to about 6 tablespoons of dressing for a large bowl — enough to coat, not to pool. If the vegetables are dry-textured (potatoes especially), expect to add half again as much.
- Dress while barely warmThe recipe assumes cold leftovers, and that is the whole point of it. But if you are cooking specially for this, dressing the vegetables while they still hold a little heat helps them take up the oil and vinegar; potatoes in particular absorb very little once fully cold.
- Sea-kaleA pale, blanched seashore brassica once grown widely in British kitchen gardens and now rarely sold. Blanched chicory, celery hearts, or the white ribs of Swiss chard give a similar mild bitterness.
- Beetroot garnishAdd the sliced beet at the last moment and lay it around the edge rather than stirring it in, or the whole bowl turns magenta within minutes.
- The oilThe recipe says only 'oil'; salad oil in books of this period usually meant olive oil. A mild olive oil, or a neutral oil with a spoonful of olive stirred in, suits the boiled-vegetable base better than a peppery modern extra virgin.
- VinegarThe recipe specifies only 'vinegar'; malt or white wine vinegar would be the likely choices for the period. Cider vinegar is good here, particularly with the raw apple option.
- Yield and keepingTwo pounds of vegetables serves six to eight as a side. It holds a day in the refrigerator, though the cabbage softens; bring it back to room temperature and correct the salt before serving.