Tomatoes, (tomates,) form a most valuable portion of our vegetable produce. They are easily grown in this Presidency, and are often procurable when the stock of garden stuff has sunk to its lowest stage during the hot weather. Whether cut up cold in its raw state, and eaten as a salad, - or, in the form of puree as a soup, or sauce, - "an gratin" as an entremets, - with maccaroni, - with fish, or with other vegetables, as a garnish, - the tomato never fails to be a welcome friend. In Italy, Spain, and Southern France, it forms a staple part of the daily food of all classes, and I believe that I am right in saying that it is a very wholesome vegetable in a hot climate. I give you elsewhere several dishes in which tomatoes play an important part, I will, therefore, confine myself now to two excellent recipes for serving them as an entremets.

"Au gratin"

Cut a slice off the top of each tomato as you would decapitate a boiled egg. With a dessert-knife scoop out the pulp and seeds from the shell as well as you can, put the cases so obtained on one side : make a puree with the scooped out pulp, flavour it nicely like tomato sauce, strain off the seeds, and thicken it with fine bread-crumbs : beat up some eggs (one for every two cases) and mix the whole well; add pepper and salt, stuff the cases therewith, give the surface of each a light dusting of grated cheese, bake on a buttered dish for ten minutes, and serve.

Another method, which has the advantage of simplicity, may be followed in this way. Put an ounce of butter into a small stew-pan, throw into it a table-spoonful of finely minced sweet onion, put the pan on the fire and lightly fry the onion; before the pieces take color, put into the vessel four or five large, or a dozen small tomatoes, cut up into small pieces. Stir well over the fire until the tomatoes are thoroughly cooked. Now, rub an au gratin dish with a piece of garlic, butter it, and pour into it the contents of the stew-pan, dust over the surface a layer of Parmesan, Gruyere, or other mild cheese, and bake for eight or ten minutes : serve hot.

"A l' Italienne"

Cut the tomatoes in halves, scoop out the pulp and seeds with a silver spoon, and place them on a baking dish upon which you have poured a little of the best salad oil. Make a mixture of grated ham, bread-crumbs, some finely minced shallot, parsley, marjoram, and thyme, seasoned with pepper and salt; mix this with the tomato pulp, and fill the cases, covering them completely, shake an allowance of salad oil in drops over all, and bake for a few minutes, serving the dish intact as it comes from the oven. The proportion of crumbs to the ham should be two spoonfuls of the former, to one of the latter, the flavouring herbs, etc., to taste at discretion. Chopped anchovies, olives, capers, mushrooms and truffles, can be introduced if at hand, and butter (melted) may be used by those who do not like oil.