The home cook book

Take firm, ripe, good-sized tomatoes. Have a pan in which is boiling water. Put a fork into the tomato, turn it over and over a moment in the boiling water. With a small sharp knife peel off the skin. Scoop out the piece above the core, and cut off any rough pieces, so that the tomato may be smooth. Continue to peel one at a time until you have the number required. Lay on an earthen plate, and set on the ice in the morning. By evening they will be firm and refreshing. Serve whole, with French dressing. If you prefer them sliced, cut them half an hour before the meal, and cut thin strips of green pepper and lay between them. The flavor is very nice. BAKED RIPE TOMATOES Select good-sized, smooth tomatoes. Wash in cold water, and wipe dry. Cut out the core, and any rough places on top and lay in a pudding dish. In place of the core, put quite a teaspoon of salt, one teaspoon of sugar, nearly a teaspoon of butter, and pepper to taste. A large tomato would require a heaping teaspoon of sugar. Fill the space between the tomatoes with breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over them salt and pepper. Set the dish in a moderately hot oven. Put a pan of water in the oven above it. Bake steadily one hour and a quarter. When done (and do not let them burn at all), set them aside to cool a short time before putting on the table. BAKED RIPE TOMATOES WITH CORN Select smooth, fine, large tomatoes. Wash them in cold water, and wipe dry. Take out the cores. Sprinkle breadcrumbs in the bottom of a shallow pudding dish, and season them with pepper and salt. Put the tomatoes in the pudding dish. Have ready very fine sweet sugar corn, cut carefully from the cob, and scrape the pulp off with the back of a knife. Season this corn with salt, a little red pepper, and sugar to taste. Stufif the cored tomatoes with the corn. Put a large piece of butter on top of each tomato, and over this some fine breadcrumbs. Season with a little salt and pepper. Bake in a moderately hot oven, with a pan of warm water in the oven above. Bake steadily one hour and a quarter. Let cool a short time before serving. BOILED TOMATOES Choose smooth tomatoes of nearly the same size. Drop into salted boiling water and boil until you can easily pierce them with a fork. Lift and put on hot buttered toast. Score the top of each, place on it a little ball of butter mixed with salt, a trifle of sugar and pepper if you like, and serve at once and hot. FRIED TOMATOES Choose firm tomatoes, not too ripe. Wash in cold water and wipe dry. Cut in two halves. Season them separately and highly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle half a teaspoon of sugar over each piece. Have a frying-pan with some hot lard and butter. Lay the tomatoes in it and cook slowly until done, which will be nearly one hour. Take up with a cake turner, lay on a hot platter, pour over them melted butter, and serve. FRIED GREEN TOMATOES WITH HAM Cut green tomatoes in halves if they are small ones ; if large, cut in four pieces. Dredge the pieces lightly with flour and fry in drippings in a saucepan. Lay on a