TOMATO DISHES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 36, Issue 923, 18 April 1957, Page 32

TOMATO DISHES

T a grand standby toNY are to the housewife. They provide so many different meals and snacks-from cocktails, soups and savouries to fillings, pickles and preserves- | not forgetting the ever-popular and re_freshing tomato sandwich which may itself be varied and made more inter- | esting in different ways. Try adding | finely chopped mint or grated onion, | chopped chives and a pinch of sugar as well to the sandwich, Above all, do not forget to skin the tomato first and take out the hard core, for the skins and cores are embarrassing to dispose of. Tomato Savoury Dish Butter a casserole fairly thickly, sides as well as bottom, and cover with fresh breadcrumbs. Then put a layer of sliced tomatoes, cover with a layer of sliced apples and then a sprinkling of grated onion. Season with pepper and salt to taste. Repeat layers until the dish is full, finishing with a layer of tomatoes. Cover all with generous layers of breadcrumbs and dot with several pieces of butter. Bake in a moderate oven about 1% hour. As a variation, thin slices of cheese may be used to form a layer in the middle of the dish, and rashers of bacon laid on top instead of butter. Tomato Fish Cups Scoop out the centre of some large tomatoes. Mix this pulp with cold cooked fish, flaked finely, and some breadcrumbs, and bind the mixture with a beaten egg. A little chopped parsley can always be added with advantage to any stuffing. Fill the tomato cups with this mixture, piling plenty in, and press a piece of butter into the middle of each. Arrange them in a buttered casserole, cover each with a _ rasher of bacon, and cook in a moderate oven till it is nicely done and the bacon crisp. Greek Tomato Sauce This is to serve with grilled chops, steak or sausages. Its distinctive flavour lies in the variety of herbs used. Take 2 lb. of tomatoes, wipe them with a cloth, cut them up, and put in a saucepan with half a teacup of water, a clove of garlic, a little salt, 4 cloves and half a dozen peppercorns, a bay leaf, a sprig or two of parsley, thyme and other fresh herbs as procurable, such as marjoram and chervil. Bring to the boil and simmer gently till sauce is well flavoured. Pass it through a sieve. Then heat an ounce of butter, stir into it a tablespoon of flour, add the tomato puree and cook for a few minutes. Eggs Baked in Tomatoes Choose fairly large tomatoes. Cut off the tops and scoop out some of the pulp.

Shake a little pepper and salt into each cavity and then carefully break an egg into it. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in a buttered dish until the egg is set and. the tomato cooked. Serve on slices of fried bacon, fried bread or buttered toast. Pour over each a little sauce made by heating up the scoopedout tomato with a little butter and seasoning with pepper and salt. Two Tomato Pastes Half a pound of tomatoes, 2 oz. sliced processed

cheese, 1 beaten egg, Y% oz. butter, 4 oz. breadcrumbs, little grated onion, salt and pepper to taste.

Skin and cut tomatoes, simmer with butter 5 minutes. Add other ingredients and cook slowly in double saucepan till it thickens. Do not boil. Will keep in pots a week or two, in cold place. Half pound of tomatoes, 1 oz. processed cheese, 1 oz. butter, 1 egg, pepper and salt. Skin tomatoes, mash, add the butter and cook. Add cheese, beaten egg and seasoning. Cook till thick in double boiler. Do not boil. Put into small pots. Tomato Soup Cut up about 2 Ib. tomatoes and let them cook in their own juice gently about 20 minutes, Then press through a colander and add this to an equal quantity of hot milk in a saucepan. Do not let it boil but just heat gently, adding pepper and salt to taste and a knob of butter. A grating of onion may be added and a pinch of powdered cloves. Thicken as desired. Baked or Grilled (Good) Cut tomatoes in half _ crosswise, sprinkle each half with a little sugar, put about %¥% teaspoon of vinegar on each and top with a knob of butter. Arrange in rows in a baking tin and bake near top of a hot oven till skins are crinkly-about ¥2 hour. Or put them on rack of griller. Sprinkle with chopped parsley or mint and serve. Cucumber Stuffed Tomatoes This is particularly cool and refreshing. Cut a thickish slice off the top of each tomato and scoop out half the pulp. Season the hollow with salt and pepper to taste and fill with grated cucumber. Mix the scooped-out pulp with a little mayonnaise and pile on top of cucumber. Serve on crisp lettuce leaves, with cold green peas. heaped around. Substantial Stuffed Tomatoes Scoop out nearly all the pulp of the tomato, after cutting off a thickish slice. Season the hollow with pepper and salt to taste. Mix the scooped-out pulp with finely-chopped chives or spring onion, celery (a very nice addition), parsley and mint, all bound together with a very little mayonnaise. Pile plenty of this into each tomato and then place crosswise on top four strips of cheese or cooked cold fish, sardines or a hard-boiled egg cut into four longways. Stand each filled tomato in a lettuce leaf and surround with slices of cucumber and cold new potato. Tomato Jelly (Good) Cook some tomatoes with a clove, a teaspoon of chopped onion, a little sugar

and seasoning. When they are quite tender press through a fine sieve. To every pint of tomato juice add % oz. melted gelatine, Stir well till the mixture begins to cool and pour into a wetted mould to set. Chopped olives may be added to the jelly, which is very delicious with cold meat, or may be used to decorate a vegetable salad.