Green Tomatoes

We have lots of green tomatoes but are still (beginning of September) waiting to enjoy some ripe ones.  However, others are turning brown in parts, whilst still on the bush.  I'm afraid they'll affect the healthy tomatoes so have picked them and cut off the brown bits, leaving about 1 kg of tomatoes to do something with.


I've also picked some of the healthy green tomatoes and put them on the windowsill to ripen, and another idea I saw on the internet was to ripen them in a paper bag.

• A friend said that green tomatoes are very tasty if sliced, dipped into egg and then breadcrumbs and fried in some oil, could also add parsley, tarragon, garlic salt and pepper to the breadcrumbs first.
• Apparently the Mediterranean way is to coat the sliced tomatoes in olive oil and champagne vinegar, salt and pepper, put a thin slice of pancetta and feta cheese on top of them as a raw salad.
• Another, more British, way of eating green tomatoes is to make Green Tomato Chutney, for which I have found a recipe but not yet tried. 

7.9.11: I made Green Tomato Chutney from a Delia recipe and it's rather tasty.  Just in case we weren't too keen, I made a quarter of the recipe which has resulted in three jars of chutney.  It's good with lots of things, including ham, sausages, fish and cheese.  So here's a recipe.


Delia Smith's Green Tomato Chutney
1 kg Green Tomatoes
1 kg Cooking Apples
900g Onions
450g Raisins
600 g Soft Brown Sugar (or Demerara)
25g Pickling Spice
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
2 level dssp Ground Ginger
1/2 tbsp Salt
1.75 litres Genuine Malt Vinegar

• Cut tomatoes into quarters; peel the onions and quarter them; and peel and core the apples.
• Chop finely tomatoes (or quickly whizz on food processor).
• Place tomatoes in the pan, then onions, then raisins, followed by the apples.
• Now stir in garlic, cayenne, salt, ginger and sugar.
• Tie pickling spice in a small piece of double thickness gauze and attach it to the handle, so that it hangs down into other ingredients.
• Pour in the vinegar, bring to simmering point, remove any scum from surface, then let it simmer very gently for about three and a half hours with lid off (I cooked mine in the pressure cooker for much less time then finished with lid off).  Stir it occasionally to prevent sticking.
• It's ready when vinegar is almost absorbed and chutney has thickened to a nice soft consistency and spoon leaves a trail.
• Be careful not to overcook and it does thicken as it cools.
• Pour hot chutney into hot jars, cover with waxed sealing discs and seal with tight lid at once.
• Wipe jars and label when chutney is cold.

13 September:  Today we were given lots of green tomatoes and made this Green Tomato Sauce below (another Delia Smith recipe) and it was really nice.  We had it as a vegetable with jacket potatoes and Delia says that it's good with sausages and also with fish.


Delia Smith's Green Tomato Sauce


1 lb green tomatoes
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
chilli
s&p


Cut off any brown bits on the tomatoes, no need to remove skins.
Mince/whizz tomatoes.
Fry pepper, garlic and onion in the oil.  Add the green tomatoes, cumin, chilli, s&p. 
Cook with lid on for about 15 mins, then about 10 mins with lid off.
Very nice hot or cold.