(For Uncooked Or Cooked Vegetables And For Marinating Cooked Salad Materials)

1/2 teaspoonful of salt. 6 tablespoonfuls of oil. 1/4 teaspoonful of fresh ground pepper. 2 to 6 tablespoonfuls of lemon juice or vinegar. A few grains of cayenne, paprika or black pepper.

If desired:

A few drips of onion juice, or the salad bowl may be rubbed with a slice of onion, or clove of garlic.

Mix the condiments - a little mustard is approved by some- add the oil and, when well mixed, add the acid, a few drops at a time, and beat until an emulsion is formed, then pour over the prepared materials and toss with the spoon and fork until the dressing has been absorbed. No dressing should remain in the bottom of the bowl and the leaves or other materials should be glossy with oil; if they look dry more dressing is needed. Claret vinegar is often used with lettuce salad.

The former, although given first, is not the best approved manner of dressing a salad with French dressing. Mix the pepper and salt, the pepper if possible should be ground at the moment (tiny china or wood spice mills may be bought for table use), then add the oil and when the salt is dissolved or taken up by the oil sprinkle this upon the prepared salad, then turn the leaves over and over as before and finish with the lemon juice or vinegar. Lemon juice, which is a natural acid, is "far and away" preferable to any variety of vinegar, any one of which if not a "manufactured" product is at least a product of fermentation. The quantity of acid used depends upon the variety of salad and individual taste, but a salad is not intended for an acid dish. The acid flavor may be made more pronounced by adding the acid first (instead of the oil) with the condiments and the oil last.