Cooking with Green Tomatoes

[andiesenji]

The green plum tomatoes (paste tomatoes) are excellent for chutneys and all the other things you do with regular green tomatoes or those beginning to turn, (or "halfers" as a friend's father, Dominic Campagna - who made the wine I tood to Tejon's going-away party, calls them). Dominic likes to make pickles from the half-green, half-orange tomatoes, split in half. I don't have his recipe but it is not quite as sour as dill and not as sweet as bread and butter. It is similar to the brine found in the sweet Italian peppers.

Edited October 3, 2006 by andiesenji (log)

[NealH]

I have made fried green tomatoes several times without great suceess - they've never been nearly as good as ones I've had in restaurants (maybe I need a good deep fryer!).

I'm intrigued by the differences I see in the recommended recipes - some have brown sugar, some have some spiciness, the "classic" one has only salt and pepper for seasoning. The ones I remember liking best had a little kick to them.

Are these regional differences - is there a "Georgia Style" and a "Louisiana Style" for fried green tomatoes? And if so, what would the characteristic ingredients be?

[andiesenji]

I have never had them any way except pan-fried.

The seasonings are individual, not exactly regional. I have eaten them in many places and when I had them in Louisiana, some were spicy, some were not.

I happen to like them with just a bit of spiciness.

[Pontormo]

Just to add an international note:

1) The flagship restaurant of Jose Andres (cf. eG Spotlight Conversation), Jaleo, is holding a tomato festival from the 14th through the 28th of this month. Featured on the special menu are two dishes w green tomatoes: one fried w blue cheese; the other, a gazpacho.

Here's the link, most likely accessible for a limited time: Jaleo.

2) Foodman just documented an Italian dish from Puglia: Post 153.

[Paul Bacino]

Frost has settled in here in Nebraska. It has been hard enough to kill the leaves, but plenty of tomatoes still lay around. Are they worth the effort to mess with? Any better than a generic store bought at this point? Curious?

[rooftop1000]

Fried green tomatoes?

tracey

[NancyH]

We routinely bring our green tomatoes into the house at the end of the season. Set them out on some newspaper or in a dish - they will eventually ripen, and yes, they are worth it.

[djyee100]

You could make green tomato jam. Rosetta Costantino has a recipe for Green Tomato Jam (Marmellata di Pomodori Verdi) in her cookbook, My Calabria. It's available on Googlebooks, page 275.

Here: http://books.google.com/books?id=86R77RdzTj8C&pg=PA275&lpg=PA275&dq=rosetta+costantino+green+tomato+jam&source=bl&ots=vXZnKGHxb3&sig=qHqEQQVGVOTfWBYsv891NN0ACuY&hl=en&ei=MX2kTuLvOoeiiQK1hJWnAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CBoQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

I tried some of the jam recently, and I thought it was great. It's sweet-tart and versatile. You can use it in a jam tart, or serve it alongside cheeses. Someone told me she likes to serve it with manchego cheese.

An adapted version of the green tomato jam recipe, and other green tomato recipes, are here. Keep scrolling.

http://forums.finecooking.com/node/33229

[teagal]

Or make a green tomato pie or cake. For the cake just take an apple cake recipe and sub the tomatoes for the apples. Saw a recipe for the pie somewhere-can't think of it at the moment.

[SylviaLovegren]

Absolutely they are worth it. They are better than supermarket and they're free! You'll feel very virtuous. Pick carefully and wrap each in newspaper, pack gently. Check periodically to make sure nothing's rotting.

[StanSherman]

Halloween is only a week away. Kids love tomatoes much more than candy

[Country]

Tomato wine? I can dig out my father's recipe if you want to try it.

[andiesenji]

If they aren't bruised at all, you can wrap each individually in newspaper - cut them from the stem and leave it attached to avoid any breaks.

Put them in a single layer where it is cool and there is some air circulation and check them every couple of weeks.

They will very slowly ripen and if you want some to ripen quickly, put them on the window sill where they can get light but not direct sunlight and they will ripen within a few days.

If you have small tomatoes still on the vine and have a shed that is somewhat protected, pull up the entire plant and hang it upside down.

Cherry tomatoes will hang on and ripen very slowly as long as they aren't bruised or touched by frost.

[dcarch]

Green tomato pizza!

dcarch

[Pierogi]

Pickled green tomatoes ! One of the best things I've eaten recently. And amazingly easy. Next summer I plant one plant just for a supply of greenies for pickles and fried.