EXTENSION COURSE IN VEGETABLE FOODS. 39 



but is more often added to thin soups, as its mucilaginous nature 

 serves as thickening, or with onions, carrots, etc., in making vegetable 

 soups and in stews. 



EGGPLANT. 



This plant has long been known and succeeds well as a garden 

 vegetable in many localities. It ships well and so is often found in 

 market. It belongs to the same family as the potato and tomato — the 

 nightshade family. As is the case with all succulent vegetables, its 

 nutritive value is not high, but it is palatable and much liked by 

 many, and should be better known than it is in some localities. It 

 may be cut in two, stuffed and baked, or sliced, crumbed, and broiled 

 or fried. To extract some of the moisture before frying, the sliced 

 eggplant often is sprinkled with salt and a weight put on top of the 

 pile of slices to press out the juice. 



TOMATO. 



The tomato is a native of America, but though known in Europe 

 since the sixteenth century, was slow in coming into favor, no doubt 

 because of supposed poisonous qualities. It did not become common 

 as a vegetable in the United States until about the middle of the 

 nineteenth century, though grown before that as an ornamental gar- 

 den plant. It is now used very generally and has grown in popularity 

 here and in Europe very rapidly. 



To this vegetable fruit we owe much in cookery. Though its- food 

 value is not high it is very palatable and refreshing and very useful 

 as a seasoning for a great variety of dishes. Alone and in combina- 

 tion it provides soups, sauces, and salads, and many relishes which 

 make many mild-flavored materials appetizing. Tomatoes are pre- 

 served, made into pickles, and used in many similar ways, as well 

 as raw and cooked as a vegetable. The tomato owes its flavor to 

 special substances including citric acid. 



Except in the case of special varieties with tender skin (and these 

 should always be washed), tomatoes when served raw should always 

 have the skin removed. This is easily done if the tomatoes are 

 plunged into boiling water for less than a minute, then drained, and 

 chilled. They may be peeled when needed. Perfectly ripe tomatoes 

 may be scraped with the back of a knife to loosen the skin, which then 

 will peel easily, but this is less rapid than the scalding process. If 

 cooked, tomatoes are to be strained. It is unnecessary to peel toma- 

 toes for stewing, as they can be strained before use and the skin 

 will remain in the strainer with the seeds. The very small red toma- 

 toes which grow in clusters, known as cherry tomatoes, are often found 

 in large markets and are very attractive for salads, and the yellow 

 plum tomatoes are perhaps always eaten without peeling, and hence 

 should be carefully washed. 



