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

to have a cooked taste. First--have a kettle with an abundance of perfectly boiling water, also a pail with plenty of the coldest water you can get, ice water if possible. Put a few tomatoes (not enough to cool the water much) into a wire basket. Plunge into the boiling water, let rest an instant if very ripe and a second longer if quite solid, then lift the basket and set quickly into the cold water, then turn the tomatoes out into the water and leave them there. Repeat the process, take care each time that the water is boiling before dipping the tomatoes into it and renew the cold water when necessary. Tomatoes may be put into the boiling water and transferred quickly to the cold water with a skimmer. When thoroughly cooled, set without peeling into the ice box until ready to use. =Raw Tomatoes= Peel, slice into not too thin slices, or cut into quarters or sixths from the blossom end just deep enough for the pieces to spread apart without separating. Serve with salt or with some of the salad dressings as a garnish for meat dishes, or as fresh fruit with sugar or sugar and lemon juice. With sugar and heavy cream my grandfather used to think tomatoes were more delicious than peaches and cream. =Stewed Tomatoes= Slice tomatoes into sauce pan and bring to boiling point slowly, boil up well, only, season with salt and serve. Long boiling frees the acid of tomatoes and renders them less wholesome. Tomatoes require more salt for palatability than any other article of food. =Steamed Tomatoes= Put rather small tomatoes on pan in steamer, steam from 10-15 m., or until tender. Serve on hot toast or crackers or thin round slices of broiled nut meat with a dainty spray of parsley or chervil, for luncheon or supper; allowing each guest to season to taste. If desired, drawn butter, cream sauce or oil may be passed. =Broiled Tomatoes= Cut tomatoes in halves without peeling, dust with salt and fine cracker crumbs, broil over hot coals, skin side down, 15-20