Why is it that Jell-o salads appeal to me so much? They are cold, wiggly, and more often than not filled with unidentifiable food items suspended in colored space. I can easily get lost in my vintage cookbooks scratching my head at the odd assortment of fruits, veggies, and meats floating inside.
For some time now I have been wanting to invite guests over and surprise them with a wide array of Jell-o salads and odd mid century foods. Yesterday I decided to try my hand at making a molded gelatin salad. I wanted to start out with something that didn’t sound too horrific, so I chose out this recipe for Cucumber Cream Mold. This recipe is from Family Circle’s Illustrated Library of Cooking, volume 13 from 1972.
I made it yesterday and served it alongside our dinner this evening. Somehow my brain skipped over the onions and parsley when I was following the recipe. Despite the missing ingredients, I was quite shocked at how much I liked it. It was cool and refreshing, and the sour cream at the base was a nice compliment. I am not sure the husband was quite as fond of it as I was, but he ate it nonetheless. Next one I make is going to be a bit more risky!
Makes 6 servings
1 (3 ounce) package lemon gelatin
3/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup cold water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 medium sized cucumber
2 medium sized carrots, pared
1 olive
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon grated onion
1 cup sour cream
- Dissolve gelatin in hot water in medium-size bowl; stir in cold water, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Spoon a thin layer into 4-cup mold or dish; set mold in larger pan of ice and water to speed setting. Chill until just beginning to be sticky-firm. (Keep remaining gelatin at room temperature.)
- Slice half the cucumber very thin; arrange slices, overlapping, in ring on sticky-firm gelatin in mold. Cut 5 thin slices from a carrot and 1 slice from olive; arrange in center of cucumber ring to make a flower design. Carefully spoon in another thin layer of gelatin; let set until sticky-firm.
- Pair and chop remaining cucumber and grate carrots into small bowl. Stir in parsley and onion, then sour cream; fold into remaining gelatin. Spoon over chilled gelatin in mold; remove from ice; chill until firm.
- Unmold by first loosening around edge with thin-blade knife, then dipping quickly in and out of a pan of hot water. Invert onto serving plate.
