Russian Cookbook

Salad:

2 cups cut romaine lettuce
2 cucumbers, diced
1 red onion, quartered and sliced
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 red, yellow or green bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1/4 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

Dressing:

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove crushed garlic
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon tarragon

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for the salad.

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt and pepper. Pour over salad and toss well to coat.

Serve immediately.

1 whole chicken breast, poached, or 2 to 2-1/2 cups leftover chicken (or cooked veal) , boned, skinned, cubed.
2 medium potatoes, peeled, boiled and cubed
4 medium sour dill pickle, cut into small dice
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas, cooked
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 hard-boiled egg, sliced (reserve)
1 large cooked carrot, diced
1 cup of good quality mayonnaise
1 teaspoon prepared mustard, Dijon preferred
Few parsley and dill sprigs
Salt and pepper to taste

Drain the chicken and all vegetables well. Combine the cooked chicken breast, potatoes, carrots, peas, chopped onion and dill pickle, hard-boiled eggs. Fold slightly to mix.

Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, pepper and salt. Pour over the salad and mix gently but thoroughly. Refrigerate the salad until serving time.

Suggestion:

1. Mound the salad upon lettuce leaves on a large platter. Garnish with black olive slices, sliced hard-boiled egg and parsley and dill sprigs.
or
2. Serve salad in vol-au-vent.