Green Tomatoes

On the bright side of things, late blight in our tomato crop allows us to give you more green tomatoes this year! Green tomatoes are a southern favorite and are gaining popularity in the gourmet cooking world. They are described as citrusy and sweet, juicy and tart, full of fragrance and even reminiscent of pineapple. Store them at room temperature. While it is common practice for growers to pick green tomatoes for off-the-vine ripening, right before the last frost, we had to pick these before our tomato plants disintegrated from the late blight fungus. So these tomatoes probably won't ripen and we recommend that you use them green! You can fry them, add them to salsas, make them into soups, condiments, snacks, jam, and chutneys. Have fun and post your favorite new recipe under the "comments" feature!

Fried Green Tomatoes
From epicurious.com

4 large, firm green tomatoes, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup finely ground cornmeal

1 teaspoon paprika

2 eggs

Vegetable oil

Sprinkle the tomato slices with the salt and pepper; set aside.Combine the cornmeal and paprika in a shallow bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs. Cover the bottom of a heavy skillet with 1/2 inch of oil, then place it over medium-high heat. Coat the tomato slices in the egg, then dredge them in the cornmeal mixture. Fry as many tomatoes as fit comfortably in the pan until nicely browned, about 2 minutes a side.

Green Tomato Salsa

from rachaelray.com

3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 large jalpeno pepper, halved and seeded
¼ c fresh cilantro leaves
1 ¼ lb green tomatoes, cored and quartered

4 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 1-1/2 cups)
Juice of 1 lime

Using a food processor, finely chop the garlic, jalapeño and cilantro. Add the tomatoes and scallions and process until chopped. Transfer the salsa to a serving bowl. Stir in the lime juice and let stand for 30 minutes.

Sweet Pickled Green Tomatoes

adapted from southernfood.about.com

5 lbs green tomatoes
2 medium onions
1/3 c kosher salt
3 cups cider vinegar
1 ¾ c sugar (or a little less)
1 t ground turmeric
1 Tablespoon mustard seeds
Sweet red pepper and hot pepper, cut into thin strips (recommended! but optional)

Slice off ends of tomatoes and discard. Slice tomatoes into 1/4-inch rounds and put into a large nonreactive pot or bowl. Peel onions then cut in half and cut into 1/4-inch slices. Put into the pot with the sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle the salt over the vegetables and gently toss to coat well. Cover with a few cups of ice cubes; cover and let stand for 4 hours or refrigerate overnight. Drain the vegetables in a large colander and lightly rinse. In a large nonreactive kettle, combine the vinegar, sugar, turmeric, and mustard seeds; bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and add the drained tomatoes and onions to the pot. Continue cooking, stirring gently occasionally, until the mixture is boiling. With a slotted spoon, pack the jars with the vegetables. If desired, add a few thin, raw sweet or hot red pepper strips to each jar. Fill with the remaining liquid, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. If you wish, continue canning these jars with a canning method or just put these into your refrigerator for a few days then eat them! Makes 5 pints. You can find full canning instructions here.