Put a quart can of tomatoes in a saucepan over the fire with half an
onion, a slice of green pepper, if convenient, three cloves, two bay
leaves, a sprig of parsley, a teaspoonful of sugar, and pepper and salt
to taste. Cook until the onion is tender--about ten minutes--remove from
the fire, press through a sieve fine enough to retain the seeds. When
cold freeze as water-ice and mould--a melon mould is very pretty for
it--pack in salt and ice in the usual way; turn it out in a nest of
crisp young lettuce and serve with a mayonnaise dressing in a sauceboat.
[2]TOMATO JELLY.
One can of tomatoes put on to heat in a granite or porcelain-lined
saucepan with a large slice of onion, one clove, two bay leaves, a
teaspoonful of chopped green pepper, salt to taste and a little sugar.
Soak half a box of gelatine in a little water for half an hour, and
after the tomatoes have simmered fifteen minutes let them come to a boil
and pour over the gelatine to dissolve it; strain through a very fine
sieve into a bowl, let it get perfectly cold, and when it begins to
thicken stir well and turn into an earthenware mould. It looks prettier
in a round one. Set on ice. Serve the jelly on a round dish in a bed of
fresh, crisp young lettuce leaves, and place a spoonful of tender,
finely-cut celery in each leaf, and pour mayonnaise around it. The jelly
is better made the day before it is needed.
[2] We have as yet in this country no substitute for animal gelatine.
I have experimented with carrageen or Irish moss and the Sea-moss
Farine preparation, and find them unsatisfactory. It is impossible to
make a clear jelly with them, and by soaking in water to destroy the
sea flavor, the solidifying property is lost. In England they have a
vegetable gelatine (Agar Agar) which makes, I am told, a clear,
sparkling jelly, and is said not to be expensive. I trust that before
many months it may be obtainable here. I have ventured, therefore, to
give a few recipes where gelatine is used, knowing that there will be
something to replace it. Groult's tapioca and potato flour are said to
be unadulterated, and with fresh fruit juices make nice and wholesome
desserts, especially for children. These preparations are made in
France, and put up in half-pound packages, and sold by all of our
leading grocers.