of the preceding three recipes. Poach the eggs in as plump a form as possible, and trim them to a nice round shape. Serve the spinach on a hot dish, place the eggs on the top, and garnish the base with the fleurons or croûtons.
Time.—About 30 minutes. Average Cost, 1s. 6d. to 2s. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable from November to July.
1610.—SQUASH, TO DRESS.
See American Cookery.
1611.—TOMATOES, BAKED. (Fr.—Tomates au Gratin.)
Ingredients.—8 to 10 tomatoes, pepper and salt to taste, 2 ozs. of butter, breadcrumbs.
Method.—Take the stalks off the tomatoes, cut them in halves, and put them into a deep baking-dish with a seasoning of pepper and salt and butter in the above proportion. Cover the whole with breadcrumbs; drop over these a little clarified butter, bake in a moderate oven from 20 minutes to ½ an hour, and serve very hot. This vegetable, dressed as above, is an exceedingly nice accompaniment to all kinds of roast meats. The tomatoes, instead of being cut in half, may be baked whole, but they will take rather longer time to cook.
Time.—20 to 30 minutes. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons. Seasonable in August, September and October, but may be obtained all the year round.
The Tomato, or Love Apple.—This vegetable is a native of Mexico and South America, but is also found in the East Indies, where it is supposed to have been introduced by the Spaniards. In this country it is much more cultivated than it formerly was, and the more the community becomes acquainted with the many agreeable forms in which the fruit can be prepared, the more widely will its cultivation be extended. For ketchup, soups, and sauces, it is equally applicable, and the unripe fruit makes one of the best pickles. In Italy and Provence tomatoes are cut in halves, and dried in the sun; they are then very slightly sprinkled with pepper and salt, and packed securely for winter use in soups and stews.
1612.—TOMATOES, DEVILLED. (Fr.—Tomates à la Diable.)
Ingredients.—5 or 6 firm tomatoes, 2 ozs. of butter, the yolks of 2 hard-boiled eggs, 2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar, ½ a teaspoonful of made mustard, 1 saltspoonful of salt, 1 saltspoonful of sugar, a good pinch of cayenne, 2 raw eggs, butter for frying.
Method.—Slice the tomatoes, place them in a sauté-pan containing a little hot butter, and let them cook very slowly for a few minutes. Mix the hard-boiled yolks and 2 ozs. of butter together, stir in the vinegar, add the mustard, salt, sugar and cayenne, and turn the whole into a small stewpan. When thoroughly hot, beat and add the eggs, and stir until the mixture thickens. Place the tomatoes on a hot dish, pour the sauce over, and serve.
