Boil a dozen or a can of tomatoes until they are very thoroughly cooked,
and press them through a sieve. To a quart of tomato pulp add a
tea-spoonful of soda. Put into a saucepan butter the size of a pigeon’s
egg, and when it bubbles sprinkle and stir in a heaping tea-spoonful of
flour. When it is cooked, stir into this a pint of hot milk, a little
Cayenne pepper, salt, and a handful of cracker crumbs. When it boils,
add the tomato pulp. Heat it well without boiling, and serve
immediately.
The soda mixed with the tomatoes prevents the milk from curdling.
SORREL SOUP (_Soupe à la Bonne Femme_).
This is a most wholesome soup, which would be popular in America if it
were better known. It is much used in France. Sorrel can be obtained, in
season, at all the French markets in America.
For four quarts of soup, put into a saucepan a piece of butter the size
of an egg, two or three sprigs of parsley, two or three leaves of
lettuce, one onion, and a pint of sorrel (all finely chopped), a little
nutmeg, pepper, and salt. Cover, and let them cook or sweat ten minutes;
then add about two table-spoonfuls of flour. Mix well, and gradually add
three quarts of boiling water (stock would be better). Make a _liaison_,
_i. e._, beat the yolks of four eggs (one egg to a quart of soup), and
mix with them a cupful of cream or rich milk.
Add a little chevril (if you have it) to the soup; let it boil ten
minutes; then stir in the eggs, or _liaison_, when the soup is quite
ready.
POTATO SOUP (No. 1).
Fry seven or eight potatoes and a small sliced onion in a _sauté_ pan in
some butter or drippings--stock-pot fat is most excellent for this
purpose. When they are a little colored, put them into two or three
pints of hot water (stock would, of course, be better; yet hot water is
oftenest used); add also a large heaping table-spoonful of chopped
parsley. Let it boil until the potatoes are quite soft. Put all through
the colander. Return the _purée_ to the fire, and let it simmer two or
three minutes. When just ready to serve, take the kettle off the fire;
add plenty of salt and pepper, and the beaten yolks of two or three
eggs. Do not let the soup boil when the eggs are in, as they would
curdle.
POTATO SOUP (No. 2).
A very good soup for one which seems to have nothing in it.
Peel and cut up four rather large potatoes. When they are nearly done,
pour off the water, and add one quart of hot water. Boil two hours, or
until the potatoes are thoroughly dissolved in the water. Add fresh
boiling water as it boils away. When done, run it through the colander,
adding three-fourths of a cupful of hot cream, a large table-spoonful of
finely cut parsley, salt, and pepper. Bring it to the boiling-point, and
serve.