ond flavor after the plums have stood a while. Take care not
to scorch, cook until very thick, then add strong vinegar, a cupful to
the half-gallon of fruit. Boil three minutes longer, put hot into
well-scalded jars, lay brandy paper over, or seal with paraffin.

_Baked Peaches_: Especially fine with barbecued lamb or roast duck or
smothered chicken. Peel one dozen large, ripe, juicy peaches, stick two
cloves in each, set in an agate or earthen pan they will just fill, add
two cups sugar, a tablespoonful butter, a very little water, and a good
strewing of mace and lemon peel. Cover close, and bake until done. Serve
hot. Instead of butter, a gill of whiskey may be used, putting it in
just before the peaches are taken up, and letting them stand covered
until the spirit goes through them. So prepared, they are better cold
than warm. The pits flavor the fruit so delicately they should never be
removed.

[Illustration: _Vegetables, Fruit Desserts, Sandwiches_]

_Tomato Layer_: Peel and slice a dozen meaty tomatoes, slice thin six
mild onions, cut the corn from half a dozen large ears, saving the milk.
Cover an earthen baking dish with a layer of tomatoes, season well with
salt and pepper, also the least suspicion of sugar. Lay onion slices
over, sprinkle lightly with salt, then add a layer of corn, seasoning it
with salt and a little sugar. Repeat till the dish is full. Pour over
the corn milk, the tomato juice, and a heaping tablespoonful of melted
butter. Bake in a hot oven half an hour, covering it for twenty
minutes, then browning uncovered. When corn is not in season, very crisp
brown bread crumbs may take its place. But it should be against the law
to put soft crumbs or any sort of bread uncrisped, into cooked tomatoes.
A green pepper shredded and mixed through the layers adds to the
flavor--for the devotees of green peppers.

_Corn Pudding_: Slit lengthwise the grains in eight large ears of corn,
scrape out the pulp carefully, saving all milk that runs. The corn
should be full, but not the least hard--if it has reached the dough
state, the grains will keep shape. Beat three eggs very light, with half
a teaspoonful salt, a tablespoonful sugar, plenty of black pepper, and
paprika, half a cup of very soft butter, and half a cup sweet cream. Add
the corn pulp and milk, stir well together--if too thick, thin with a
little milk. Pour into a pudding dish, cover and bake ten minutes, then
uncover, and bake until do