With the onset of Fall, many times the cooler weather seems to "creep" up on gardens and harvests that still need a little bit more growing time.

Green tomatoes - they worked so hard to get to where they are - but never had the chance to finish growing, and turn into that beautiful red globe that astonishes everyone as they wait for that wonderful sweet taste of a vine-ripened tomato.
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Green tomatoes are excellent fried, sautéed, or cooked in sauces or meat stews. Use small green tomatoes for pickling. Large, unblemished green tomatoes will ripen on a sunny window sill, or you can wrap them in newspaper and let them ripen slowly in a cool, dark place.
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Be creative Hot Dog Relish:
Adjust and change to suit your particular tastes: A combination of finely chopped onion, green tomatoes, green/red sweet peppers chopped, salt, sugar, 1 tsp. celery seed, 1 tsp. mustard seed Store in the refrigerator in a covered jar. Also good on Polish Sausage, Brat-wurst, and smoked sausages.
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Swiss Cheese Bake:
4 cups croutons
2 green tomatoes, sliced thinly
1 ripe tomato, sliced thinly
1/2 lb. swiss cheese, shredded
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups milk
3/4 tsp. salt,
1/2 tsp.paprika
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
Preheat oven to 350. Arrange croutons
in a 9" pie plate. Top croutons with tomato
slices; sprinkle with swiss cheese.
In bowl, with fork or wire whisk, beat remaining ingredients; pour over cheese. Bake 40 mins. or until puffy and brown. Serve immediately.
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Green tomato saute:
1/4 cup salad oil
6 green peppers, cut into chunks
2 onions, chopped
4 large green tomatoes, peeled and cut
into chunks
1 large ripe tomato, peeled and cut
into chunks
2-1/4 tsp. salt
1-1/4 tsp. basil
In a pan, over medium heat, in hot oil. cook green pepper chunks, onions, and green tomatoes for 15 mins.
Add the ripe tomato together with the salt and basil; cover and simmer until vegetables are fork-tender.
Stir the mixture occasionally, for about 20 mins.
Serve over pork chops, meatloaf slices, or chicken breasts.
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Green tomatoes can be a great asset to your meal plans - with just a little extra preparation they are truly a delight.
ENJOY!
©Arleen M. Kaptur 2002 October
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