Twelve tomatoes, two cupfuls of bread crumbs, one of stock, four table-spoonfuls of butter, one of flour, salt, pepper, one teaspoonful of onion juice. Cut slices from the stem end of the tomatoes. Remove the juice and pulp with a spoon, and dredge the inside with salt and pepper. Put two table-spoonfuls of the butter in a frying-pan, and when hot, stir in the bread crumbs. Stir constantly until they are brown and crisp, and fill the tomatoes with them. Cover the openings with fresh crumbs and bits of butter. Bake slowly half an hour. Fifteen minutes before the tomatoes are done, make the sauce in this manner: Put one table-spoonful of butter in the frying-pan, and when hot, add the flour. Stir until brown and smooth; then add the stock, tomato juice and pulp. Stir until it boils up, and add the onion juice, salt and pepper. Simmer ten minutes, and strain. Lift the tomatoes on to a flat dish, with the cake turner. Pour the sauce around, garnish with parsley, and serve. Any kind of meat, chopped fine and seasoned highly, can be used in place of the crumbs.
Escaloped Tomatoes.
One pint of fresh or canned tomatoes, one generous pint of bread crumbs, three table-spoonfuls of butter, one of sugar, one scant table-spoonful of salt, one-fourth of a teaspoonful of pepper. Put a layer of the tomato in an escalop dish. Dredge with salt and pepper, and dot butter here and there. Now put in a layer of crumbs. Continue this until all the ingredients are used, having crumbs and butter for the last layer. If fresh tomatoes have been used, bake one hour, but if canned, bake half an hour.
Broiled Tomatoes.
Cut the tomatoes in halves. Sprinkle the inside of the slices with fine bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Place them in the double broiler, and broil over the fire for ten minutes, having the outside next the fire. Carefully slip them on a hot dish (stone china), and put bits of butter here and there on each slice. Put the dish in the oven for ten minutes, and then serve. Or, if you have a range or gas stove, brown before the fire or under the gas.
Fried Tomatoes.
Slice ripe tomatoes and dip them in well-beaten eggs, which have been seasoned with salt, pepper and sugar (one teaspoonful of sugar to each egg), and then, in fine bread or cracker crumbs. Have two table-spoonfuls of butter in a frying-pan, and when hot, put in as many slices of tomato as will cover the bottom. Fry for ten minutes, five for each side. Serve on thin slices of toast.
To Peel Tomatoes.
Put the tomatoes in a frying basket and plunge them into boiling water for about three minutes. Drain, and peel.
Baked Onions.