New Way To Market Tomatoes & Green Tomato Recipes

[Tutter]

I've been thinking about something for several years, and thought I'd share it here after reading Parsonswife's post on fried green tomatoes.

A lot of people like fried green tomatoes, I talk to them in the summer about it, especially. Yet, when's the last time you could walk into the store and buy green tomatoes to fry? Not here!

Tomatoes are pretty time sensitive when ripe, and you have to handle them so carefully. Why don't companies sell green tomatoes to the store? Easier to handle, and I know there's a market for them.

Then it occured to me....why a company? Why not me? (Or, you.) If you are growing tomatoes, chances are you will have plenty. Perhaps they would sell at the farmer's market, or maybe people you know who don't grow vegetables would like to buy some once a week; perhaps with their eggs!

Or a small, local store?

Anyway, I would like to see if I could make a few cents on something plentiful, and thought someone else might like to try, too.

I wanted to add, which is why I posted here, that you could include a tasty recipe, such as Parsonswife's for her fried green tomatoes, with the green tomatoes. I don't imagine I'm the only one who makes them with a plain breading, and there are probably people who've heard of them, but have never made them at all. So maybe a basic recipe, and then something more interesting!

 

[Karlachix]

I don't know how big the market would be, but I would buy them... so my Mom could make *green tomato pie! I don't grow very many tomatoes so I rarely have enough at one time for the pie. I have often thought that it would be nice to be able to buy them at the store.

*I know that many people will think it sounds gross but it's fabulous. Very similar to an apple pie but with a delicious tangy taste

 

[me&thegals]

Good luck to you! Here's a recipe my family loves. I grow a tomato that is actually very firm and green when ripe.

Green Tomato Stew—allrecipes.com
½ cup flour
salt and pepper
2 pounds chuck, cut into 1” pieces
3-4 T vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 small hot green pepper, seeded and minced
2 cups beef broth
4 medium-sized green tomatoes, sliced
4 ounces mild green chilies, drained and chopped
2 cups corn
chopped fresh parsley

Combine flour with 1 t salt and ½ t pepper in bag. Coat beef pieces. Heat 2 T oil, brown beef, and drain. Repeat until finished. Add onion. Cook over medium-low heat for 2 min. Add garlic and hot green pepper; cook for 4 min. Return meat and sprinkle with 2 T of the reserved flour mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 min. Slowly stir in 1 cup broth, scraping bottom and sides of pot. Add tomatoes, mild chilies and remaining broth. Heat to boiling; cover and bake in oven at 350° x 1 hour (or stovetop), stirring occasionally. Stir in corn; cook about 1 hour longer. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with rice.

 

[me&thegals]

I found 2 more for you. The cake sounds unusual but is very good. The salsa verde is great, too.

Green Tomato Cake
4 cups chopped green tomatoes
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
DIRECTIONS:
1.Place chopped tomatoes in a bowl and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt. Let stand 10 minutes. Place in a colander, rinse with cold water and drain.
2.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
3.Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat until creamy.
4.Sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add raisins and nuts to dry mixture; add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Dough will be very stiff. Mix well.
5.Add drained tomatoes and mix well. Pour into the prepared 9 x 13 inch pan.
6.Bake for 40 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.

Mexina Salsa Verde

INGREDIENTS:
3 green tomatoes
2 fresh jalapeno chilies
1 large red tomato
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup lime juice
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

DIRECTIONS:
Place tomatoes and jalapenos in a pot, and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and cook until the tomatoes and jalapenos turn light green, about 15 minutes. Drain well, and place in a blender with the onion, lime juice, salt, pepper, and cilantro. Puree to desired consistency and chill.

 

[me&thegals]

I've never tried this one, but it sounds great:

Green and Red Tomato and Corn Soup
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 green tomatoes, chopped
4 tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels
7 cups vegetable broth
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1.In a stockpot heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, sauté until soft.
2.Stir in the cumin powder, tomatoes and corn. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
3.Stir in vegetable broth, reduce heat to low and cook until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

[Yogiman]

And then there's the green tomato relish that is out of this world.

 

[Tutter]

Karlachix, I don't think it sounds bad at all! It reminds me of a Little House on the Prairie book, where they made a pie from green pumpkin, and it tasted a lot like an apple pie!

That seems to be the general feeling, that if they were for sale, people would buy them!

Meandthegals, wow, you are amazing! What a wealth of recipes, thank you!!

Your green tomato stew with rice sounds wonderful, and I fully intend to try it! Do you think adding other peppers as well, such as bells, would ruin it? And when we have corn in the garden, I'll enjoy trying the other soup, as well!

That's a good sounding version of salsa verde! Have you ever tried it with tomatillos?

I saved the cake for last, because I am really excited to try it! I have a feeling it will be like using tart apples, and that it will help make it moist, but we're going to find out!

Now here's a good example of green tomatoes in the store. If I could go and buy them, I would make this cake this weekend, for Mother's Day. As it is, I have to wait for my own tomatoes, and that's still a ways off.

In any case, I appreciate so much your taking the time to find these recipes for me; thank you!

Yogi, are you going to share with the class? Please?

 

[RoostersCrow]

Green Tomatoe Pie:

6 med. green tomatoes (about 1 3/4 lbs.)
1 C sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Blanch tomatoes in boiling water for 20-30 seconds. Remove from water, core and peel. Cut prepared tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices.

In a large saucepan, combine sliced tomatoes with 1/4 C water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove tomatoes from liquid with a slotted spoon, reserving boiling liquid.

Combine flour, 1 C sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and lemon zest. Add flour mixture to liquid. Cook, stirring constantly just until boiling. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted. Gently stir in prepared green tomato slices. Cool slightly 10-15 minutes, and spoon into the unbaked pie crust. Top with top pastry crust, crimp and seal edges. Cut venting slits in tops crust and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake for about 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

 

[Tutter]

Oooo, thank you RoostersCrow!

Even if I'd guessed all the ingredients correctly, the "how to" was definitely needed! And this is a case where the butter shouldn't be substituted.

(Are my tomatoes ripe yet? How about now?

)

 

[Tuffoldhen]

My Green Tomato Relish Recipe...

3 qts. Ground Green Tomatoes
3 ground red peppers
1 qt. ground onions

Pour boiling ater over ground vegetables, let stand 5 minutes..Drain well..Add the following to the mixture and cook 20 minutes...

1 qt. vinegar 3 Tbsp. mustard seed
6 cups of sugar 2 Tbsp. Turmeric
3 Tbsp. celery seed 1/4 cup of salt

Pack in hot jars and seal.....