ACCORDING TO an Italian proverb, ‘‘The better the salad, the worse the dinner.”’ In Europe salads are not seen as part of the main plate, but as a separate course. Whai a lovely thing it is to of- fer a salad plate between an ap- petizer course and the entree. It lengthens the dinnertime; it raises the event of the table; it refreshes’ the palate. So serve salads separately and enjoy! WRITE-WINE VINAIGRETTE (Makes 1% cups) This is very simple to make. Try it on any of your favorite green salads. Be sure to use a good- quality white-wine vinegar. % ¢. dry white wine 2 ¢. olive oil \% c. white-wine vinegar Ltsp. oregano Y: (sp. dry mustard Salt and freshly ground biack pepper to taste Blend ail in a food blender or by shaking in a jar. Store covered in ihe refrigerator. Keeps very well. DIJON MUSTARD DRESSING (Makes % cup) This is served often at our home. I do many variations on it, such as adding oregano now and then. You can have some fun with your herb ideas as well. Legg \2 ¢. olive oil Ya c. red-wine vinegar Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard Ye tsp. oregano or any other herb you wish Pinch of sugar Coddle the egg by placing it in a bowl of very hot tap water, Let stand for 15 minutes. Place all ingredients in a food blender and mix. COLD BRUSSELS SPROUTS SALAD (Serves 6-8) Please don’t think this is a weird dish. It is just delicious because you don't overcook the sprouts. 2 Ibs. fresh or 2 boxes (10 02.) frozen Brussels sprouts, defrosted 1 bunch green onions, chopped 1 red sweet bell pepper, diced, or 2 ripe tomatoes, diced Y c. White-Wine Vinaigrette (rec- ler Salads THE ipe above) % c. sliced simonds for garnish Boil or steam sprouts until barely tender. This should take no more than 10 minutes. Add a bit of peanut or olive oil to the water when you begin. It helps them remain green instead of that awful gray you remember from your childhood. Do not put salt in the water. When tender but still crunchy, drain and immediately immerse in cold water. This will stop the cooking. Drain and chill. If using frozen Brusselt sprouts do not cook them at all. Simply defrost and cut for the salad. Cut each sprout in half and place in a large salad bowl. Toss with chopped green onions, chop- ped red bell pepper or tomatoes and the vinaigrette. Top with a bit of pepper and some sliced al- monds for garnish. EGGS ON TOMATO This one is kind of cute and it is very tasty. Lettuce leaves for a bed 2 ripe tomato for each person Eggs, hard-boiled and peeled, 1 for each person White-Wine Vinaigrette (recipe above) . Salt and freshly ground black Pepper to taste Place lettuce leaves on each plate. Cut the tomatoes in half, from top to bottom. Lay each cut side down and make several cuts in the tomato. Insert a wedge of egg in each cut of the tomato. Place a small puddle of vinaigrette on the let- tuce and set the tomato/egg in the dressing. Pass salt and pepper to each individual. CAULIFLOWER SALAD I had this in a workers’ restau- rant in traly. It had never occur- red to me to prepare such a thing. Uthink you will like ir. Children will prefer cauliflower this way because the flavor is much milder when the vegetable is cold. 1 head cauliflower Whiite-Wine Vinaigrette above) Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Parmesan or freshly grated Using a stainless steel vegetable steamer, cook the cauliflower whole until fork tender, about 15 minutes. Allow the vegetable to cool, core it and break it up into flowerets. Toss with the dressing. salt and pepper and top with the cheese. This works well for a salad course with a nice lettuce garnish. Or you may serve it as a vegetable course at any time of the year. BABY SHRIMP WITH BUTTER LETTUCE SALAD This dish makes a fine first course. It is easy to do and if the shrimp are fresh it is delicious. You can use some other form of chopped lettuce if you wish. 3 oz. cooked shrimp per person ¥ small head butter lettuce per person DRESSING (for two persons): 2 c. olive oil 1 tbsp. red-wine vinegar 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice % tsp. dry mustard Ye tsp. oregano 1 garlic clove, crushed Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Parsley for garnish Blend all ingredients for the dressing in a food blender or with a wire whip. Chill before serving. Remove a few of the centre leaves of the head of butter let- tuce. Chop and mix with the shrimp. Place the lettuce ‘‘bowl’’ on a plate and pour a bit of the dress- ing over it. Place the chopped !et- tuce and shrimp mixture in the centre of the ‘‘bowl.’’ Add just a bit of the dressing and serve. Garnish with parsley. EGGS AND MAYONNAISE I had forgotten about this (recipe Romano cheese, Wednesday, September wonderful salad until [ was eating in a workers’ restaurant in Paris. So simple that f had not done this in years. Lettuce leaves for a bed Red onion rings Hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut in half lengthwise Mayonnaise Salt and pepper to taste Arrange a bit of Romaine or endive on each plate. Add a few onion rings. Place the eggs on the lettuce, cut side down, and place a dollop of mayonnaise on top of each, Pass salt and pepper to each individual. GREEN BEAN AND FILBERT SALAB {Serves 6) I whipped this one up one day when | came into a free bag full 25, 1991 - North Shore News - S7 Ie wee FP of filberts. Actually, these nuts are not at all expensive if you can find some kind of a scurce for them in bulk. Try food co-ops and health-food stores. 2c. whole filberts (hazelnuts) TI bag (20 oz.) frozen green beans, french cut or julienne style 1 large white safad onion, peeled and sliced very thin 8 green onions, chopped DRESSING: I ege Ya c. olive oii 2 isp. fresh lemon juice 3 tbsp. while- or red-wine vinegar 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard Va (sp. sugar 3 garlic cloves, crushed cleaned and See Eges page SB Apple appeal: many varieties enjoying revivals inquisitive ANNE GARDINER WILSON MANY OF us have memo- ries of fresh apples with sweet-tart juices and a gen- tle perfume so crisp there’s a sharp cracking sound on that first bite and thin mist of juices. It's Ukely that we’re probably familiar with no more than a handful of varicties, but world- wide there are about 7,500 dif- ferent kinds of apples. Some 2,500 varieties are grown in North Anncrica. Not only are there many new varieties, such as the popular Jonagold, but some of the older varieties are enjoying a revival. The apple’s appealing tartness comes fram organic acids, par- ticularly matic acid, and astringent tannins, When appies are immature, they’re sour, as acids and tannins predominate. As they ripen these decline. Starch turns {0 sugar, creating an appealing sweetness. And more than 200 flavor clements con- tribute to an apple’s refreshing, aromatic or savory overtones, Ripening is triggered by the hormone, ethylene. As flavor changes, texture does too. Pectin in the cell walls is altered by en- zymes to a more soluable form. Apples turn from hard to crisp, soit or dry flesh, depending on the variety. The deep, rich red of some ap- ples, such as Delicious, is at tributed to plant pigments known as anthocyanins. Applesauce made trom red apples cooked with their skins has a rosy tinge as antho- eyanins are slightly sol:able in water. An apple's smooth skin acts as a protective coat. Cells on the surface fit tightly together with no air space. Their dull sheen comes from cells rich in wax, or cutin, which slows the loss of moisture from the apple. In contrast, the cells in the inte- rior of an apple fit only loosely together. Spaces between the cells are filled with air, which may comprise up to 25% of the apple. Look closely at a Red Delicious, a ospritely Granny Smith or a Rome Beauty. You can see lenti- cles or pinpoint white dots scat- tered over the apple's surface. Lentigies alow apples to breathe, for even after harvesting, the ex- change of oxygen) and carbon dioxide still takes place. Apples now store well throughout the winter due to the refinement of controtled at- mosphere (CA) storage. They stay fresh for months. Before buying apples, consider how they'll be used. Some varieties are better for cooking than others. The Red Delicicus, for example, is a remarkable eating apple, but it’s low in acid compared to other apples and is not as tasty when cooked as a Spartan. . The difference in texture be- tween applesauce and apple pie highlights the effect of sugar on cooked apples. Apples that are sugared before cooking are firmer and hold their shape better than those simmered in) water and sweetened later, Hut apples aren't just for desserts or snacks. Try them in salads, a0 stir-fry, curry, or con- diments.