Good Things to Eat as Suggested by Rufus

SPICED RIPE TOMATO— Peel ripe tomatoes and weigh. For each seven pounds allow two cups of vinegar, seven cups of sugar, one ounce of whole allspice, the same of stick cinnamon and one-half ounce of whole cloves. Cook the tomatoes half an hour or until soft, cutting to pieces while cooking. Add the vinegar, sugar and spices tied in a muslin bag. Cook until thick like marmalade. Serve with cold meats. TOMATO FIGS— Scald eight pounds of yellow tomatoes and remove the skins. Pack them in layers with an equal weight of sugar. After twenty-four hours drain off the juice and simmer five minutes, add the tomatoes and boil until clear. Remove the fruit with a skimmer and harden in the sun while you boil down the syrup until thick; pack jars two-thirds full of the tomatoes, pour the syrup over and seal. Add the juice of four lemons, two ounces of green ginger root tied up in a bag and the parboiled yellow rind of the lemons to the juice when boiling down. WILD GRAPE BUTTER— If the wild frost grapes are used, take them after the frost has ripened them. Stem and mash, then mix with an equal quantity of stewed and mashed apple. Rub the mixture through a sieve, add half as much sugar as there is pulp and cook until thick, being careful that it does not burn. It is a good idea to set preserves and fruit butters in the oven with the door ajar to finish cooking as there is then much less danger of burning or spattering. YELLOW TOMATO PRESERVES— Allow a pound sugar to each pound tomatoes and half cup of water to each pound fruit. Cover the tomatoes with boiling water, then skim. Make a syrup with the sugar, and when boiling skim and add the tomatoes. Have ready a sliced lemon that has been cooked in boiling water and a little sliced ginger. Add to the tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes are clear, remove, pack in jars, cook the syrup until thick, pour over and seal. MINCE MEAT — One peck sour apples, three pounds boiled beef, two pounds suet, one quart canned cherries, one quart grape juice, one pint cider, one pint apple butter, one glass orange marmalade, half pound candied orange peel, half pound citron, two pounds currants, two pounds raisins, two tablespoonfuls salt. Put all together and boil up well. This may be canned for future use. SOUFFLES ASPARAGUS SOUFFLE— Only very tender asparagus should be used. Cut it fine and boil tender in salted water. Add the well beaten yolks of four eggs, one tablespoonful of soft butter, a saltspoon of salt and a little pepper. Then fold in the stiffly beaten whites of the eggs and bake in a steady oven. Canned asparagus can be substituted for fresh. CABBAGE SOUFFLE— Chop a solid white head of cabbage and cook in salted water until tender. Drain and place in a buttered dish in layers with a sprinkling of grated cheese between. Mix two tablespoonfuls each of flour and butter, add one cupful of rich milk, the beaten yolks of two eggs and a saltspoon of salt and mustard, stir over the fire until it boils. Then add the stiffly beaten whites of the eggs, pour over the cabbage and bake for half an hour.