No, Erma, I am not rushing madly into the Christmas season with this Poinsettia Salad. I served it last Sunday in an attempt to vary the presentation of our endless tomatoes. Of course, I didn’t tell the fam that it was originally called Poinsettia Salad for Christmas. To me, it is much more of a summer than a Christmas salad. Think of how tasteless tomatoes are like at Christmas time?
In fact, the family didn’t even guess that the tomatoes were supposed to be flowers. Guess my artistic talents were down to their usual bottom of the barrel?
This was supposed to be a recipe served during the holidays by the New Haven Line. Most of the railroads featured special dishes during the holiday season when so many people would be on the trains.
Wouldn’t it be nice to travel in style on a train, and enjoy distinctive meals in an elegant dining car, rather than those yummy microwave entrees that you get on the plane–if you are lucky, or unlucky, enough to be in the air at meal time?
Poinsettia Salad for Christmas:
6 ripe tomatoes
6 tablespoons cream cheese
3 teaspoons heavy cream (can substitute rich mayonnaise)
6 egg yolks, hard boiled and chopped fine
6 lettuce slices, ½ inch thick
French dressing (Optional)
In the original recipe, you were directed to drop the tomatoes briefly into boiling water and peel, but I prefer my tomatoes with the skins on.
Blend soft cream cheese and cream or mayonnaise until smooth.
Cut each tomato into 8 sections, top to bottom but not cutting through the base. Place each tomato on a lettuce slice, or a lettuce leaf. Open the tomato to form a flower. Place a dollop of soft cream cheese in the center of the tomato. Sprinkle on egg yolk to represent the yellow center of the flower. A spoonful of French dressing can be served if desired.
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