The evening before first frost is often a mad frenzy for gardeners, who rush to bring tender plants indoors and a final harvest of cold-intolerant produce into the warmth of our kitchens.
This year my garden was a flop. Almost nothing I planted — be it seed or transplant — grew. But a huge number of winter squash and various tomatoes sprouted out of compost and persevered.
I transplanted a bunch of these happy volunteers. They survived and set plenty of fruit … and then sat there. Out of a large number of tomatoes, (all West Virginia heirloom varieties, which did well last year) only a handful ripened before the first frost of the season.
I’ve grown tomatoes before, and never had so few ripen — I blame the cool and wet summer.
Despite this disappointment, the day before frost I headed out to my weed-filled garden to see what I could scrounge up.
I ended up bringing in baskets full of green tomatoes. To keep any from getting mushy I spread them out on two large pizza boxes laid out flat on my kitchen floor. The underripe harvest covered both boxes, plus cherry tomatoes in two baskets.
The number of green tomatoes was greater than I expected. I thought I’d get a few handfuls and fry them.
It was clear I would have to begin preserving and cooking a lot. There was no way I could fry what amounted to dozens of pounds of green tomatoes.
The first recipe I tried was for a savory green tomato pie. The recipe called for peeling and blanching the tomatoes, and ingredients I didn’t think ended up adding much to the finished meal.
So next I just used them in a quiche, and skipped peeling and blanching. I thought this was better than the first recipe, so I repeated it.
I also tried a sweet green tomato pie. This is a dessert I’d never tasted, so I don’t know how mine compares.
I saw recipes with corn starch, but opted for one that just called for a couple cups of sliced green tomatoes (I added extra, since I had so many), five tablespoons flour, a cup and a half sugar (I cut it down to one cup since the family usually prefers less sweet desserts), cinnamon and a tablespoon of vinegar.
Although the recipe didn’t call for it, I also added a little cardamom.
The pie was good — good enough that I made a second one when I had company coming. But it isn’t anywhere near my top favorite pies, and I wouldn’t harvest tomatoes early to make it.
I also simmered a pot full of green tomatoes down along with onions and garlic and herbs to make a pasta sauce, which I enjoyed. Again, if the tomatoes had a chance of ripening I would leave them and make red sauce, but it was a good way to use some.
Next, I tried my hand at green tomato ketchup. I compared recipes and found a wide variety of spices and seasoning suggested — everything from fennel to Worcestershire sauce.
Keeping it simple, I just used some mustard seed, spice bush berries and salt, along with six pounds of green tomatoes, two cups of white vinegar and a cup of honey. I’d like to improve on this recipe, maybe adding other spices or omitting the spice bush berries. But I’ll can what I made and happily use it.
After all these recipes, I still have lots of tomatoes to try more recipes with.
ALDONA BIRD is a journalist, previously writing for The Dominion Post. She uses experience gained working on organic farms in Europe to help her explore possibilities of local productivity and sustainable living in Preston County. Email columns@dominionpost.com.
