Creole Tomatoes (on Toast)

Tasty, fresh, ripe tomatoes from the garden or farmers’ market are at their peak, so I browsed through my hundred-year-old cookbooks for a tomato recipe. I found a recipe for Creole Tomatoes and decided to give it a try. The recipe called for cutting tomatoes in half, topping with chopped onion and green pepper (and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper), and then baking until hot and tender. The baked tomatoes are served on squares of toast that are surrounded by a lovely sauce made with browned flour.

I knew this recipe was a winner when my husband, after his first bite, said, “This is really good.” The tender, sweet tomatoes paired perfectly with the slightly bitter and tangy onions and green peppers, while the cayenne pepper added a bit of heat – and the toast and sauce provided additional delightful textures and flavors.

Here’s the original recipe:

Recipe for Creole Tomatoes (on Toast) — Source: Rumford Complete Cookbook (1925)

This recipe called for four large tomatoes – which would probably make four (if everyone had two squares of toast and a whole tomato) to eight (if everyone had a square of toast with 1/2 tomato) servings. This seemed like a lot of servings, so I halved the recipe when I updated it (though I did use the total amount of water called for in the original recipe). One-half cup of water was needed to adequately cover the bottom of the baking dish when baking the tomato halves.

I used butter rather than meat drippings when I made this recipe (though bacon drippings might add a nice additional dimension). The recipe called for using a mixture of milk and cream when making the sauce; I just used milk which worked fine, though the sauce was probably slightly less rich than if the mixture had been used.

This recipe called for melting the butter, then stirring in the flour and browning. I think that the usual way to brown flour is to put it in a heavy skillet, then heat using medium heat for a few minutes while stirring constantly, so that is what I did. After the flour was lightly browned, I added the butter and continued stirring until it was melted and combined with the browned flour.

I trimmed the edges off the toast and cut the pieces into squares as directed in the recipe, but whole slices of toast would work fine.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Creole Tomatoes (on Toast)

Servings: 2 - 4
Time: 35 minutes
Difficulty: moderate
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2 large tomatoes

1/3 cup onion, finely chopped

1/3 cup green pepper, finely chopped

salt

cayenne (red) pepper

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon butter or meat drippings (I used butter.)

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 cup milk

4 slices toast

Preheat oven to 425° F. In a small bowl, combine the chopped onion and green pepper. Set aside.

Remove the stem from the tomatoes, then cut them in half crossways. Lay the cut tomatoes (cut side up) in a baking dish. (I used an 8-inch square baking dish.) Evenly spread the chopped onion and green pepper mixture over the top of cut tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and cayenne pepper. Use 1 tablespoon of the butter to put small dabs of butter on top of tomatoes. Pour the water into the baking dish around the tomatoes. Put in oven and bake until the tomatoes are tender and hot (about 20 – 25 minutes).

In the meantime, put the flour in a small heavy skillet (a cast iron skillet works well). Using medium heat, lightly brown the flour while stirring constantly. When the flour is lightly browned, add the butter. Continue stirring until the butter is melted, and the butter and flour are combined. Slowly stir in the milk and the liquid from the baking pan (after the tomatoes are baked); bring to a boil while stirring constantly.

If desired, remove the crusts from the toast and trim the toast into squares. (Whole slices of toast would also work.)

To serve, put a baked tomato half on each square of toast. Pour the sauce around the toast squares.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Old-Fashioned Broiled Tomatoes

broiled tomatoes on plate

I recently came across a hundred-year-old recipe for Broiled Tomatoes, and decided to give it a try. But I then wondered . . . What type of tomatoes should I use in the recipe? Should I use purple, chocolate, yellow, or orange heirloom tomatoes? . . . or should I use red tomatoes. . . . beefsteak? . . . plum?

What did tomatoes look like a hundred years ago? When I search on “tomato” and “history” I get articles about wild tomatoes that were small and yellow or orange. The Aztecs and Mayans raised tomatoes, and tomato seeds went from Latin America to Europe in the 1500s. They became very popular, though some people thought that they weren’t safe to eat. The number of tomato varieties increased and they were bred for various characteristics. Tomatoes were then brought back to North American during the colonial era. But, I’m not finding information about what tomatoes were like in 1924. I think that they generally were red, so I decided to use red, medium-sized tomatoes.

The Broiled Tomatoes were easy to make and tasty. They are topped with just salt, pepper, and a little butter, which allows the naturally balanced flavors to shine.

Here’s the original recipe:

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Broiled Tomatoes

Servings: 2-3
Time: 5 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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2 medium tomatoes

salt and pepper

2 teaspoons butter

Cut tomatoes into slices 1/2 inch thick. Put on a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with small dabs of butter. Place under the broiler and broil until hot (about 3-4 minutes).

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

“A Good Dish for the Meatless Meal” Recipe

A Good Dish for a Meatless Meal

Sometimes the names of dishes in old cookbooks make me smile. The recipe I made for today is called “A Good Dish for the Meatless Meal.” It was one of several recipes in a section on Lenten recipes in an old newspaper recipe supplement.

The recipe made a delightful rice, tomato, and onion casserole topped with creamy melted cheese, and garnished with parsley and paprika. The recipe author was right. It was a good dish. The recipe is a keeper.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

I assume that “drippings” refer to the fat created when cooking beef or pork – though I am a bit foggy why meat drippings would be called for in a recipe for a meatless dish. Maybe a hundred years ago “meatless” just meant that there were no chunks of meat. In any case I substituted olive oil for the drippings, but any oil or fat could be used.

A Good Dish for a Meatless Meal

Servings: 3 - 4
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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1 cup rice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

2 cups stewed tomatoes (1 14.5 ounce can)

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup grated American cheese

parsley, chopped

paprika

Preheat oven to 375° F. Cook the rice according to package directions.

In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a skillet and then add the chopped onion. Using medium heat, sauté until the onion is transparent. Stir in the tomatoes and salt, then add the rice. Cook until hot and bubbly then transfer to a casserole dish. Top with the grated cheese. Place in oven and heat until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the chopped parsley and paprika.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Old-fashioned Deviled Tomatoes

I recently found a delightful hundred-year-old recipe for Deviled Tomatoes. Tomato slices sautéed in butter are topped with a lively deviled egg mixture.

Here is the original recipe:

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Deviled Tomatoes

Servings: 5 - 7
Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: moderate
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4 medium tomatoes, sliced

1/3 cup flour

3 tablespoons butter + 1 tablespoon butter, softened

1 teaspoon powdered sugar

2 teaspoons dried mustard

dash salt

dash cayenne pepper

yolk of 1 hard-boiled egg, mashed

1 tablespoon vinegar

2 tablespoons green pepper, finely chopped

2 tablespoons onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

Coat the tomato slices with flour. Then, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet, and sauté the flour-coated tomato slices for two minutes on each slide or until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels.

In the meantime, in a small bowl cream together 1 tablespoon butter, powdered sugar, dried mustard, salt, cayenne pepper, and mashed hard-boiled egg yolk. Add vinegar and stir to combine. Stir in green pepper, onion, and parsley. Heat until warm (on stove or in microwave).

To serve, put a heaping teaspoonful of the egg mixture on top of each tomato slice.

Old-fashioned Okra and Tomatoes

I seldom eat okra, but I recently saw some beautiful okra at the local farmers’ market, and decided to give it a try. Then, of course, I had to find a hundred-year-old okra recipe. I found a delightful Okra and Tomatoes recipe in 1904 Kentucky cookbook, called The Bluegrass Cookbook.

The Okra and Tomatoes (and a little onion) were tasty, as well as easy-to-make and nutritious. One drawback – the okra had a bit of a gooey (some call it a slimy) texture; but that’s just par for the course for this vegetable. No vegetable’s perfect.

Here’s the original recipe:

Source: The Bluegrass Cook Book by Minnie C. Fox (1904)

And, there’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Okra and Tomatoes

Servings: 3-4
Time: 15 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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1 cup okra, sliced

2 medium tomatoes

1/4 cup onion, diced

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Put okra in a saucepan, and add enough water to just barely cover it. Bring to a boil using high heat, then reduce heat to low and cook until tender (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat, and thoroughly drain.

In the meantime, put a pan of water on the stove; bring to a boil. Drop the tomatoes into the water for about 15 seconds: remove from heat and gently slip the skin off the tomatoes. Core tomatoes, then dice. Put the diced tomatoes in a saucepan, and using medium heat cook 5 minutes while stirring frequently; then add onions. Continue cooking and stirring until soft and juicy (about an additional 5 minutes). Stir in butter, salt, and pepper. Add cooked okra, and stir gently to combine. Serve immediately.

Note: See the reader comments. Several readers suggested adaptations to this recipe that might improve the texture and make the okra less gooey.

Old-fashioned Tomato Succotash Recipe

I always thought Succotash was a mixture of corn and lima beans, so I was surprised to see a recipe in a hundred-year-old magazine for Tomato Succotash. The recipe called for seasonal vegetables – tomatoes, corn, green pepper, and onions – so, of course, I had to give it a try.

The medley of vegetables was delightful. This recipe is a keeper. And, I know that it will become part of my repertoire of recipes that I regularly make.

Here’s the original recipe:

Source: Good Housekeeping (August, 1917)

I’m not sure what is meant by “green corn” in the recipe. When I made the recipe, I took it to mean tender (perhaps slightly immature) corn.

And, here is the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Tomato Succotash

Servings: 5 - 7
Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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4 large tomatoes

3 large ears of corn , cooked (tender corn is best)

2 tablespoons butter

1/ 2 green pepper, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon paprika

Peel and slice the tomatoes, set aside. (I put the whole tomatoes in boiling water for about 30 seconds, then removed from the hot water and put briefly in cold water. The skins are then easy to slip off the tomatoes).

Cut the corn from the cob. Set aside.

Put the butter in a large skillet; melt using medium heat. Add green pepper and onion; saute until tender. Stir in the sliced tomatoes, corn, salt, sugar, and paprika. Cook until the mixture is hot and bubbly. Remove from heat and serve.

Old Poached Egg in Tomato Recipe

Eggs and tomatoes make a nice pairing, so I was excited when I saw a new way to make eggs and tomatoes in a hundred-year-old cookbook – Poached Egg in Tomato.

Preparing the tomato shell for the egg reminded me of scooping a pumpkin but on a much smaller scale. And, it was fun to slide the egg into the tomato shell, and cover it with a circle of parchment paper that I’d cut out.

The Poached Egg in Tomato was delightful with toast. The one downside – it took longer to bake than I anticipated. I had to delay breakfast because it took about 45 minutes for the egg white to fully set.

Poached Egg in Tomato

Time: 50 minutes
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For each serving:

1 medium tomato

1 egg

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350° F. Cut the top of the tomato and gently scoop out the pulp, then set the tomato in a ramekin or custard cup. Break the egg into a small bowl, then slide the egg into the tomato shell, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cut circles from a piece of parchment paper that is the same size as the ramekin; then cover the filled tomato with the parchment paper circle.

Place the ramekin into a small cake pan or other oven-proof dish or pan. Gently pour hot water (approximately 125° F.) into the pan until it is about 1 inch deep. (I use the hottest water that comes out of my tap.). Place into the oven and cook until the egg is desired firmness (approximately 45 minutes).

Poached egg in tomato a — Source: Lowney’s Cook Book (1912)