The Laurel Health Cookery: A Collection of Practical Suggestions and Recipes for the Preparation of Non-Flesh Foods in Palatable and Attractive Ways

so hard that it is impossible to pare them; from these scrape out the pulp with a spoon after steaming; others still, are better to be pared before steaming. When soft and watery after cooking, dry in the oven before mashing, and again afterwards if necessary. Some watery squashes have a rich flavor when well dried out. =Mashed Winter Squash= Saw squash in halves, remove the seeds and fibre with a spoon, cut into quarters or eighths, pare or not according to the variety, lay inside down in the steamer and cook over boiling water until tender. Remove from the shell if not pared, mash through a fine colander, season if soft with butter or cream and salt, or with salt only; if dry and mealy like the “Delicious,” use plenty of milk and cream with salt. Beat well and serve. =Mashed Baked Squash= Bake halves of squash from which the seeds have been removed, cut side down until tender, 1-2 hours or longer. Scrape pulp clean from the shell, mash, add salt, beat well and serve. Baked squash is so sweet that it requires no seasoning but salt, though a little milk or cream may be added if it is very dry. =Baked Squash--Virginia Way= Bake pieces of desired size, the shell side up, on waxed paper in baking pan. Serve on platter, allowing each guest to season to taste, and eat from the natural dish. =Tomatoes= As the tomato, though a fruit, is prepared and served in so many ways as a vegetable, we will follow custom and consider it under that head; but it must be borne in mind that it should not be served or eaten in combinations unsuitable for other acid fruits. The most desirable way to serve the tomato is uncooked when well ripened. When perfectly ripe the skin will peel off without any preparation, and it may sometimes be loosened by rubbing the tomato all over firmly with the back of a silver knife; but when more convenient to use the hot water method, the tomatoes do not need to be soft nor