My tomatoes didn't make it to ripe before the frosts hit. Ok- so i planted them late and everybody knows that tomatoes don't 'do' winter...but I couldn't pull out those little plants that got me through summer. Now there's green everywhere and the plants have been laden with green tomatoes for months with no sign of ripening. so I did what I always do when I have too much of a good thing- google recipes!
The first few searches produced 'fried green tomatoes' which, despite the quirky movie of the same name turned out to be quite a disappointment. Sliced green tomatoes rolled in cornmeal, salt and pepper and fried. I only tried them once, but i suspect they only taste as good as the oil they're fried in - which is why all the recipes recommend bacon fat (clogged artery alert!!) and 'rice bran oil' just didn't cut it.
But persistence paid off and google produced a jackpot- Green Tomato Cake - WOW!
so, thanks to: http://southernfood.about.com/od/greentomatoe1/r/bl10712g.htm
the recipe goes like this:
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil or melted marg/butter
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
• 2 1/2 cups diced green tomatoes
• coconut (optional)
Beat sugar, vegetable oil or shortening, eggs and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Sift in the dry ingredients, then the walnuts, craisins and tomatoes.
Glob into a greased 9x13-inch pan, top with shredded coconut and bake for an hour... or 2 at 180 deg C until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
