Recently it was my turn to host the monthly tea gathering and I was in a tizzy over what to make for the ladies.  The last time I was in charge, we had finger sandwiches, which were quite delicious, even if I do say so myself. But this time, I wanted to make something different to see if I could be the tea party hostess with the mostest.

I turned to some very old cookbooks to find a few recipes that would be unusual in our current time, but nice enough to serve 15 often fussy ladies. I decided on a selection of salads that offered some protein, substance, and a little sweetness to the tea party hostess with the mostest menu.

My choices were very easy to make, and got some raves from a few of the fussiest of ladies.  They didn’t know the recipes came from a cookbook dated 1908.  Here is what I prepared and how I became the tea party hostess with the mostest. As always, you may make variations to suit your own taste.

Daisy Salad
Slice hard boiled eggs lengthwise into eight even wedges. Remove the sliced yolk. Arrange the egg white slices on edible nasturtium leaves to form petals of a flower. To make the flower center, chop olives together with celery and the yolk moistened with a little quality mayonnaise. This was a pretty dish and went well with the other salads on the tea party hostess with the mostest menu.

Creole Salad
Dice cooked sweet potatoes to make about four cups. Chop cold ham to make about four cups.  Combine sweet potatoes and ham, and add in a half cup of sweet pickle relish. Add a dash of curry powder and paprika. Stir in some mayonnaise, and serve on a bed of fresh spinach. Also makes a nice filling for small sandwiches for the tea party hostess with the mostest.

Banana & Walnut Salad
Peel and cut bananas in half lengthwise. Spread all over with a good mayonnaise and then roll the banana half in chopped or ground walnuts.  Serve banana half on chopped lettuce drizzled with a 4-to-1 dressing made of olive oil, lemon juice, and salt.  This was a nice sweet touch to the tea party hostess with the mostest menu that was not overpowering as a dessert.

My tea selection included a mango/passion fruit, Earl Grey, and a caffeine-free herbal that went well with the dishes.  I’m entering the recipe instructions for all of these classic salads into my family cookbook this weekend so I won’t forget them. But then again, how could I forget…the recipes did make me the tea party hostess with the mostest.

Happy Cookbooking,

Matilda