More Fried Green Tomatoes

So...almost a year since my last post, and what inspires a new post you ask? Why Green Tomatoes again, which I realized is rather funny as my last post was also about Green Tomatoes. I've had two encounters with Green Tomatoes this week. My first was standard Fried Green Tomatoes, which we had for breakfast along with refried beans, scrambled eggs, ranchero sauce and tortillas. I've never done much frying and was pleasantly surprised at how well they turned out. And the cleanup wasn't as bad as I anticipated. My second adventure was a Green Tomato Crisp. Yes, that's right, a tomato dessert. I was inspired by the many Green Tomato Pie recipes I'd seen, but there is no way I have time to make a pie crust with a 2-month old baby, so I transfered the concept to a crisp instead, which was much more forgiving of the several interruptions I had while making it than a pie crust would have been. It was a big hit, very similar in taste and texture to an Apple Crisp. I love apple desserts but apples are only in season for a very short time in the fall in Central Texas, so I'm quite excited about this green tomato discovery as tomatoes we can get locally for a large part of the year.

Green Tomato Crisp

5 cups diced Green Tomatoes (about 4 large)

zest of one Lemon

juice of 1/2 Lemon

1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon, divided

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

1/2 tsp Ginger powder

2 pinches Salt, diveded

1/2 tsp Cornstarch

2/3 cup brown sugar, divided (if you like your desserts really sweet you'll want more)

1/3 cup plus 1 tbs Whole Wheat Flour

1/3 cup Rolled Oats

1/3 cup chopped Pecans

1/3 cup butter, melted

Combine tomatoes, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, one pinch salt, cornstarch, 1/3 cup brown sugar, and 1 tbs flour in a 9x9 baking dish. Combine 1/3 cup flour, rolled oats, pecans, 1 pinch salt, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon in a bowl and mix. Spread over tomato mixture, drizzle with melted butter, and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, until bubbly and browning on top. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 6-8. Vanilla Ice Cream would make a lovely partner if you are so inclined.

Not Fried Green Tomatoes

I've always liked the idea of cooking with green tomatoes but am not a big fry person. (I hate cleaning up oil splatters.) This week synergy was created by the ingredients in my fridge and I made an Indian inspired curry with green tomatoes, butternut squash and tofu. The green tomatoes added a wonderful tang to the dish, and I can't wait to try them in more dishes as we enter major tomato season in Texas.

Okra Soup

Week two on my quest to have my lunches be soup made out of veggies from my www.greenling.com local box.  I looked at several recipes for okra soup and adjusted them to what I had on hand.

Okra Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 green bell peppers, diced

1-1.5 lbs okra, sliced

3 red potatoes, diced

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

1 14.5 oz can diced roasted tomatoes

3 cups cooked navy beans

6 cups vegetable broth

4 bay leaves

1 tsp dried oregano

3/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.

Add onions, garlic, and green bell peppers. Saute until soft and fragrant.  

Add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Simmer approx 30min.

Local Box Vegetable Soup

I've decided that over the winter, making a pot of vegetable soup to take to work for lunch during the week will be a great way to use many of the yummy fresh locally grown organic veggies that are delivered each week in my Greenling.com Local Box order. My plan is to concoct a soup from whatever I have left from the local box, after I plan my other meals. Here is my first go at it - it turned out quite well!  I like things spicy, so you may want to eliminate the Tabasco, or start with less and add to taste. I have been experimenting with different ways to make a nice broth without broth cubes, powers or pastes as I find many of them too salty for my taste. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the Bragg's worked, particularly with the mushrooms, it made a simple, clean, and flavorful broth for the veggies. I threw the carrots in because I happened to have a few that needed to get used up, the soup would be fine without them as well.

Local Box Vegetable Soup 10/12/08 (makes about 5 quarts)

* indicates from my local box

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

2 Onions, chopped*

4 cloves Garlic, minced

8 oz Mushrooms, chopped*

2 sm Carrots, chopped

1 Yellow Summer Squash, chopped*

1 Zucchini, chopped*

3 Red Potatoes, chopped*

1 lb Green Beans, cut into 1" pieces*

1 28oz can Diced Tomatoes

2 28oz cans Water (use the can from the tomatoes)

2 Bay Leaves

1.5 Teaspoons dried Oregano

3/8 cup Bragg Liquid Aminos

8 shakes Tabasco Sauce

Black Pepper, to taste

In a large soup pot (at least 5 qts) heat oil over medium heat.

  

Saute Onions, Garlic and Mushrooms about 10m, until onions are translucent.

Add Carrots, Yellow Squash, Zucchini, Potatoes, Green Beans, Tomatoes, Water, Bay Leaves and Oregano. 

Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook about 30 minutes, until potatoes are cooked through.

Add Bragg Liquid Aminos, Tabasco Sauce and Black Pepper. Cook another 5-10 minutes.

using substitute ingredients

One of my challenges in eating locally grown and produced food is getting used to substituting ingredients.  Tonight I made Oven Roasted Eggplant and Butternut Squash Curry and with a few substitutions was able to make it entirely from vegetables that came in my www.greenling.com Local Box order.  I used sweet potatoes in place of the butternut squash, and garlic chives in place of the green onions.  My box also included cherry tomatoes, eggplant, cilantro, and hot peppers. It turned out great, and it felt great to eat something made from fresh veggies from local area farms.