Left-over Salad

A one-line formula rather than a recipe, of the kind that fills out a planned week of menus. The success of it rests entirely on the condition of the vegetables and the seasoning you add.

• Start with cold, dry vegetablesLeftovers straight from the refrigerator hold their shape; anything still warm will slump and thin the dressing. Blot boiled potatoes and beans on a towel before dressing them.
• How long leftovers keepCooked vegetables should have been refrigerated promptly and used within three to four days. The recipe itself says nothing about how old the leftovers may be.
• Cut to one sizeDice potatoes to roughly the size of a pea so that everything can be lifted on one fork. Uneven pieces are what make a salad like this read as scraps.
• The mayonnaise needs helpCommercial mayonnaise alone tastes flat over bland vegetables. Loosen it with a spoonful of vinegar or lemon juice and season with salt and pepper before it goes in; dress lightly, just enough to coat.
• What not to includeButtered or creamed vegetables, anything cooked with bacon fat, and watery greens such as spinach do not belong. Firm vegetables only: potato, green bean, pea, carrot, beet, corn, cauliflower.
• Beets go in lastIf you use beets, dress them separately and add them at the moment of serving, or the whole bowl turns pink.
• Yield and servingThe recipe gives no quantities; roughly a cup of dressed vegetables per person is a reasonable side-salad portion. Serve cold, on a lettuce leaf if you like.