Stew the tomatoes until very soft; then pass them through a fine sieve or strainer. Put the strained tomatoes into a granite-ware saucepan, and add one saltspoonful of soda; when it has ceased foaming add the butter, a small piece at a time; if put in all at once it will show an oily line; add salt, pepper, and cayenne.
Put the milk into a double boiler, and stir into it a tablespoonful of corn-starch which has been mixed with a little of the cold milk, to make it smooth; let it scald for ten minutes, or long enough to cook the corn-starch; then pour the milk into the tomatoes, beat well together, and serve at once.
It is better not to add the milk to the tomatoes until just ready to serve, for fear of curdling.
CREAM OF ASPARAGUS; CREAM OF GREEN PEAS; CREAM OF STRING BEANS; CREAM OR SPINACH; CREAM OF CORN; CREAM OF CELERY
These soups are very delicate, and are much esteemed. They are all made in the same way. The vegetable is boiled until soft, and is then pressed through a sieve. A pint of the vegetable pulp is diluted with a quart of stock (the stock may be veal, beef, or chicken broth). It is thickened with a roux made of one tablespoonful of butter and two tablespoonfuls of flour, seasoned with pepper and salt, and is then strained again, so it will be perfectly smooth. It is replaced on the fire, a cupful or a half cupful of cream added, and the whole beaten with an egg-whip to make it light, and is served at once very hot. The French thicken cream soups with egg-yolks. In this case two yolks would be used for the above quantity. The beaten yolks are diluted with the cream, and cooked only just long enough to set the egg. It would curdle if allowed to boil. Butter is needed for seasoning, and where eggs are used it should be added in small bits before the cream and eggs. Where roux is used for thickening, there is enough butter in the roux.
CREAM OF CLAMS
- 25 large clams.
- 2 tablespoonfuls of butter.
- 2 tablespoonfuls of flour.
- 1½ pints of milk.
- Small slice of onion.
- Dash of nutmeg.
- Salt and pepper.
- ½ pint of cream.
Wash the clam shells thoroughly with a brush and clear water.
Put them into a pot on the fire with one half cup of boiling water; cover and let steam until the shells open; take out the clams and let the liquor settle; then strain it carefully, and set aside; remove the clams from the shells; chop them, pound them in a mortar, and press as much of them as possible through a purée sieve. Put the milk into a double boiler with the slice of onion. Put the butter into a frying-pan, and when it bubbles, stir into it the flour, and let it cook a few minutes, but not brown; add enough of the milk slowly to make the roux liquid; then add it to the milk in the double boiler, first having removed the slice of onion; add a dash of nutmeg and of pepper, then the cream; when ready to serve, stir in the clam pulp and one pint of the clam liquor; taste to see if salt will be needed. After the clams are added to the milk, leave it on the fire only long enough to get well heated; if boiled, the milk will curdle. Beat a moment with an egg-whisk to make foamy. If the mixture is too thick, it may be diluted with milk or cream.
This is good for luncheon, served in small cups, the top covered with a spoonful of whipped cream.