Green tomato goodness

One morning last week, when it seemed the rain would never cease, I popped open an umbrella, slogged into my muddy garden and counted 81 green tomatoes.

Two yellow blooms tipped the end of one twig; like me, they seemed to be holding out hope for more sunshine and summer. These are the last fruits of the season, and it's doubtful they'll ripen on the vine.

My mission: to turn this gardeners' plight into an epicure's delight.

My theory: there have to be more uses for a pile of green tomatoes than dragging them in cornmeal and dunking them in the fryer.

Because fried green tomatoes? Meh. They're not for me.

Bite into a raw slice of one and the texture is crisp, the flavor tart with notes of green apples. There has to be more to this.

A dispatch from Robert W. Bain, a trusted source from Southampton County, offered up the first option - a recipe for his late Aunt Dot's green tomato chow-chow. Aunt Dot was a great cook, Bain recalled, and at her funeral the preacher opined about her corn pudding and damson preserves. But chow-chow was Bain's father's favorite.

In general, chow-chow is a mustard-flavored, vegetable relish. Bain's Aunt Dot made green tomatoes part of the chorus, sharing the stage with equal parts cabbage and onions and a bunch of green peppers.

"This is speculation," he said after giving me a jar he canned last fall, "but back in the day, I think people tried to use everything they could. Towards summer's end, that meant green tomatoes and peppers."

The canning jar seal broke with a soft whiff to release a mouthwatering aroma of vinegar and mustard. The flavor was a balance of acid and sweet that still allows the vegetables and seasonings to shine through.

Bain likes the chow-chow on hot dogs, collard greens, crackers and butterbeans. I think it could go anywhere relish might venture.

For those who fear canning, Bain offered this encouragement: "The hardest part is cutting the stuff up."

I later found a recipe for a grilled green tomato and bacon sandwich, then tweaked it a bit by subbing regular bacon for the Canadian version and adding lettuce to make it a bona fide BLT. Grilled green tomatoes are soft and slightly tart and offer an inspired detour from the standard BLT.

Monroe Duncan, a longtime local chef who is now general manager of the Smithfield Inn, recalled that growing up in Emporia, his mother used to make green tomato pickles, "which were absolutely fabulous."

He added that the best way to use up those green tomatoes might just be the easiest - sliced on a plate, drizzled with balsamic and sprinkled with salt and pepper.

"That," he said, "is divine."

RECIPES

AUNT DOT'S CHOW CHOW
Makes: 8 pints

-4 cups onions
-4 cups cabbage
-4 cups green tomatoes
-6 to 8 cups green peppers
-6 sweet red peppers
-1/2 cup salt
-6 cups sugar
-1 tablespoon celery seed
-2 tablespoons mustard seed
-1-1/2 teaspoons turmeric
-4 cups vinegar
-2 cups water

Dice vegetables using coarse blade. Sprinkle with salt and let stand overnight. Rinse and drain next day.

Combine remaining ingredients and pour over vegetables. Heat to boiling, then simmer 3 minutes. Seal in hot, sterilized jars.

Lorraine's notes: put the salted vegetables in the fridge overnight. You can use some hot peppers mixed in to give it some heat.

Source: Robert W. Bain of Berlin, Va.

GREEN KETCHUP
Makes: about 1 quart

-3/4 cup cider vinegar
-2 tablespoons pickling spice
-2 tablespoons neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn
-1 green pepper, cored, seeded and roughly chopped
-1 large onion, roughly chopped
-1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
-2 cloves garlic, crushed
-2 pounds chopped green tomatoes
-1 pound peeled, cored and chopped tart apples
-1 cup water
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-Salt

Cayenne, to taste Heat the cider vinegar and pickling spice in a small pot until just beginning to boil; turn off the heat and let the spices steep until ready to use, at least 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. When hot, add the bell pepper, onion, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, apples and water and stir well, scraping the bottom of the pot to prevent sticking.

Adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 45 minutes, being careful not to let the tomatoes and apples stick to the bottom and burn.

Strain the spiced vinegar and stir it into the tomato mixture along with the brown sugar, salt and cayenne; cook until just a little thinner than bottled ketchup, about 45 minutes. Taste, adjust the seasonings and remove from the heat. Use an immersion blender to puree the ketchup in the pot or pass it through a food mill. Or let the mixture cool slightly, pour it into a blender or food processor, and puree carefully. Cool and serve or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Source: "How to Cook Everything," by Mark Bittman, 2008, John Wiley & Sons Inc., $35

GRILLED GREEN TOMATO FOCACCIA SANDWICHES
Serves: 4

-1 large lemon
-1/2 cup light mayonnaise
-1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
-3 medium (1 pound) green tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-8 slices Canadian bacon
-1 loaf focaccia bread, about 10 inches by 6 inches (1 pound), cut horizontally in half Prepare outdoor grill for direct grilling over medium heat.

From lemon, grate 1 teaspoon peel and squeeze 2 tablespoons juice. In cup, combine lemon peel and juice, mayonnaise, and pepper.

Sprinkle tomato slices with salt; brush lightly with oil. Place tomatoes on hot grill rack and cook until browned and slightly softened, 6 to 7 minutes, turning over once. On same grill rack, cook Canadian bacon until heated through, 2 minutes, turning over once. Transfer tomatoes and bacon to platter. Place focaccia, cut sides down, on grill rack and grill until lightly toasted, 3 to 4 minutes.

Assemble sandwiches: Spread mayonnaise mixture on cut sides of focaccia. On bottom half of focaccia, layer tomatoes, then Canadian bacon.

Replace top half of focaccia. To serve, cut sandwich into four pieces.

Source: "Grilling - More than 275 Perfect Year-Round Recipes," Good Housekeeping, 2011, Hearst Communications Inc., $24.95

Lorraine Eaton, (757) 446-2697, lorraine.eaton@pilotonline.com