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Fruit Salads

In preparing fruit salads there are several points to be kept in mind: the general form of the salad, the combination of the elements composing it; the dressing and the garnishing. Remembering these, one may have infinite and most appetising charm of variety. As to the form, the salad may be served in delicate green or rosy apples, hollowed out; in pears, like fashion; in small or large melons; in tomato, pepper, or other vegetable casing; in the rinds of the citrus fruits etc. The salad itself may be a mere salad or it may have meat value by the addition of hardboiled eggs, nuts, chopped or whole "meats," or, sometimes, even cheese. Popcorn furnishes a nourishing addition also. Celery or other dainty vegetable may be combined with fruit, and of fruit itself not only the substantial but the delicate may be combined to attract both eye and palate: bananas and melons, cubed, or peaches (of similar substance) may be added to cherries, to the candied angelica (traditionally "good for the digestion"), to currants, red or blue plums, or strawberries. Pineapple and other southern fruits, as well as the northern-known, juicy citrus family, may be added to the delicate green cucumber, to pears and apples, or to seeded grapes or olives. There is nothing which cannot be artistically blended with something else in the fruit or vegetable world, or with rose petals, candied violets, etc.

The garnishing appeals to the eye but even the gaylygraceful nasturtium has a spicily stimulating mission stomachward. Cress may be either a garnish or the body of the salad, as also may be lettuce, etc. But sprigs of currants, white or red, may be used; parsley (a stimulant in disguise); sprays of cherries or kumquats; or figs or dates softly fresh or freshened. Or there may be a bed of vegetable or fruit gelatine; celery or tomato, lemon or melon, and so on, endlessly.

The dressing is an important matter whether it be the "simple" French or a combination of flavoured secrets. Olive oil requires virtually no digestion and furnishes an immense amount of nourishment. But even yet there are people who find it apparently impossible to cultivate a taste for it and so eschew salads or substitute butter for the oil. The oil, however, may be used with little or none of the oil flavour, or whipped cream may be substituted with pure fruit salads.