Cooking The Polish Way Vegetable Salad

Dinner is the main meal of the da
y in Poland and is not eaten until early evening, usually between 4:30 and 6:00 P.M.Anyone who feels a bit hungry before then might take the opportunity to enjoy a cup of tea and a snack. Many Poles like to take some time in the afternoon
to go to a teashop, where people gather for refreshment and lively conversation. Tea is served steaming hot in tall, thin glasses with sugar and a slice of lemon floating on top. Coffee is served in demitasse cups and sometimes topped with whipped cream. The best part of this snack, though, is eating one of the wonderful Polish pastries that are baked fresh daily.
By dinnertime, all of the family members are home from work and school. The Polish people have very strong family ties, so this meal is especially important. It is the time of the day when each family member can share the day’s events with the others. At a Polish dinner table, one can always find friendly conversation, family togetherness, and mouth-watering food.

Vegetable Salad
White beans lend flavor and texture to this nutritious, great-tasting salad.You can use any kind of cooked white bean including navy, great northern, or small white.This salad is best when chilled in the refrigerator (covered) for at least one hour before serving

1 large potato 2 carrots, peeled ¥ lb. fresh or frozen green peas 1 parsnip, peeled 1 tart apple, cored and chopped 1 dill pickle, chopped 1 8-oz. can cooked white beans, drained ¥ c. mayonnaise* 1 tsp. Dijon-style mustard lettuce leaves 1 or 2 hard-cooked eggs, cut into 4 wedges each (make 1 crosswise and 1 lengthwise cut in each)
1. Boil potato in skin about 20 minutes, or until tender but not mushy, then chill. 2. In three separate saucepans, boil carrots, peas, and parsnip until tender. If necessary, cut carrots and parsnip in half to fit in pans. Drain and chill. (Boil carrots about 15 minutes, parsnip about 10 minutes, and peas about 5 minutes, or according to directions on package.) 3. Chop carrots and parsnip into bite-sized pieces. Peel and chop potato. 4. In a large bowl, mix cooked vegetables, apple, pickle, and canned beans with mayonnaise and mustard. 5. To serve, arrange salad on lettuce leaves on individual salad plates. Garnish with hard-cooked egg wedges. (See page 40 for directions for hard cooking eggs.)

*To reduce fat in this salad, try using low-fat or nonfat mayonnaise or replace the mayonnaise with plain yogurt.

Preparation time: 35 to 45 minutes Cooking time: 45 to 55 minutes (plus 25 to 30 minutes for eggs) Serves 4 to 6

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