A Bushel of Green Tomatoes

When the local weather channel started to announce frost warnings, I knew it was time to save the green tomatoes. Once again this year, I gathered them in and now I have tomatoes perched all over the kitchen to ripen. The crazy hot summer stunted my tomato vines and they didn't really start to produce until after the weather broke. When they did come in, they were abundant.

So, now I have lots of green tomatoes and am hunting for some way to prepare them. Last year I tried Green Tomato Chutney, but it was a disaster. I had to cook it forever, it stunk up the house, and on top of that it didn't taste all that great. Since my husband doesn't care for pickled things, I wasn't going to torture him with vinegar smells again and I really didn't want to eat green tomato pickles all winter by myself. I already made salsa and don't use that much of it since the kids have been gone, so didn't want to make that either. We're not fried food eaters, so fried green tomatoes are out too.

I think I'll just wait for those that wish to turn to do so in my kitchen windows. Those too stubborn to turn will add their energy to the compost and go back to the Earth. But in the meantime, I did try one recipe new this evening: a recipe for Green Tomato Bread. It tastes pretty much like zucchini bread. Really, it does. That used up two cups. If you're like me and are looking for green tomato recipes, I recommend that you try this!

Green Tomato Bread


Mix together:
2 cups white sugar
1 cup oil
3 eggs, slightly beaten

Sift together and add:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons cinammon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Cut up tomatoes and put in Cuisinart. Chop enough to measure 2 cups. Be sure to drain off the excess water before measuring. Add green tomatoes to the batter and mix well. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until bread tests done.