Vintage Taste: There's always room for Jell-O

We couldn't possibly feature recipes from the Duluth News Tribune's annual cookbooks in the 1950s and 1960s without eventually including a gelatin or Jell-O recipe.

Served plain, or with fruit, mini marshmallows or even candies suspended inside, they were a staple when company was coming. Hardened in fancy molds, no self-respecting church dinner would be complete without at least one Jell-O dish at its potluck dinners.

Low in calories, it was also standard diet fare in those days. Our eyes stopped a bit warily on one gelatin recipe in the 1967 cookbook. The recipe -- submitted by Mrs. Carl Sundell of 607 Lake Ave. N. in Duluth -- called for chopped scallions, celery, raw spinach and carrots in the gelatin. But the recipe earned an honorable mention in that year's low-calorie dishes category. And the good news is it's just 29 calories per serving.

Green Salad Mold

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1-3/4 cups water (divided)

1/4 cup vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup scallions, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup raw spinach, shredded

1/4 cup raw carrots, shredded

Mix gelatin, sugar, salt and pepper in a saucepan. Add 1/2 cup of the water. Place over low heat, stirring constantly until gelatin is dissolved.

Remove from heat and stir in remaining 1-1/4 cups water, vinegar and lemon juice. Chill the mixture to the consistency of unbeaten egg white. Fold in scallions, spinach, celery and carrots. Turn into a 3-cup mold or individual molds; chill until firm.

Yield: 6 servings.