Gourmet Cookie Bouquets Recipe Blog

Salad is a first course in Spain as it is in California, where the custom may be a legacy of the Conquistadores. Salad is sometimes simply lettuce and tomato; sometimes it includes a number of vegetables. The Spanish rarely make a tossed salad. Instead, they arrange the vegetables decoratively on a large shallow platter and sprinkle the whole generously with salt, olive oil, and wine vinegar or just olive oil and salt. Small slender spouted cruets of vinegar and olive oil are put on the tables for those who want more seasoning. The most decorative salads are probably those made by the Catalans. The greens and reds of the peppers, tomatoes, and lettuce, the blacks and greens of the olives, and the white rings of onion lend themselves to innumerable appetizing patterns. Salad may be served alone or accompanied by a few slices of cold sausage or ham. When there are many accompanying tidbits, the salad is reduced in size and variety, and the collections of platters is called entremeses variados (assorted hors d’oeuvres). These can be as rich or as simple as you choose; they can even constitute a full meal as in a typical Catalan dish called Xato.

Ensalada Madrilena -
Madrid Salad

• 1 large head of lettuce
• 4 medium tomatoes
• 2 hard-boiled eggs
• Olive oil
• Wine vinegar
• 6-7 pitted black olives per person
• 6 or more small marinated fishes
• Salt to taste

Peel tomatoes, squeeze out seeds, and chop fine. Mix with chopped lettuce, olives, and fish, boned and chopped. Season with olive oil, vinegar, and salt. Top with slices of hard-boiled eggs.

If you need some recipes for gourmet desserts now, try some of these chocolatey recipe ideas:

• Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
• Chocolate Mint Brownie Pops
• Chocolate Lollipop Recipes
• White Chocolate: Cookies, Cakes, And More Desserts
• Chocolate Souffle Recipe

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