II.
1160. INGREDIENTS.—8 tomatoes, about 1/2 pint of good gravy, thickening of butter and flour, cayenne and salt to taste.
Mode.—Take out the stalks of the tomatoes; put them into a wide stewpan, pour over them the above proportion of good brown gravy, and stew gently until they are tender, occasionally carefully turning them, that they may be equally done. Thicken the gravy with a little butter and flour worked together on a plate; let it just boil up after the thickening is added, and serve. If it be at hand, these should be served on a silver or plated vegetable-dish.
Time.—20 to 25 minutes, very gentle stewing.
Average cost, in full season, 9d. per basket.
Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.
Seasonable in August, September, and October; but maybe had, forced, much earlier.
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.