I did it! A good old fashioned Green Tomato Pie, just like the one Ma Ingalls made, hopefully! This has deep roots in the midwest where they would use it as a way to prepare all the green tomatoes still on the vine upon the first frost, although it has become a standard in the South too, evidenced by the fact that I used a recipe from Southern cooking diva, Paula Deen. While I'm not a huge fan of hers, not because of dislike but rather that I don't watch cooking shows, I do know of her reputation of a home cookin' type gal. You can find the recipe by clicking on her name above. I found it to be really sweet, maybe a bit too syrupy sweet for my liking since I like my apple pie stacked thin and high and on the dry side, and I never cook my fillings beforehand. I don't think there is a way to get around having a syrupy filling here however, due to the nature of tomatoes.... they're wet!
Started with...
Sliced for the pie...
The finished product:
It is purported to taste similar to an apple pie, so upon serving it, I told the kids it was a special kind of apple called a Pseudo Apple. Hey, I'm not lying :) It did smell and sort of taste like an apple pie, but what wouldn't being cooked with all that nutmeg, cinnamon and sugar LOL?
Here's the reaction, the kids do not know it's tomatoes -
Would I make it again? Yes, but only if I could get rid of it in one night, like a novelty item served to gardeners at a party! This is one of those things that isn't bad at all, but it's a lot of work to not be a much beloved apple pie LOL. Plus, as soon as the kids realize what it is, they won't eat it, and it will sit in the fridge all week. So I highly recommend it for an "event" as a fun thing to serve and get oohs and ahhhs as to your garden cooking prowess, but don't make a whole pie just for yourself, it's not that good :)
I'm hoping to do pickled green tomatoes next. I figure it will be nice practice so for the future I will immediately know what to do with green tomatoes!
This is just for fun... this is what happens when you tell your kids "no tv today, make your own fun"!
Finnegan-Monster
It was the perfect day for experimenting, rain all day and the temp even dropped from the mid 80's in late morning all the way down to 67 degrees by mid afternoon. I just went out and surveyed a lot of wind damage, ugh - and temps are once again climbing tonight, we are supposed to be 98 by Wednesday :(
HA! Love it.
ReplyDeleteRIbbit
Your experiments w/ green (ha - I was gonna write APPLES!) tomatoes will prep you for living in northern MN, too! ;) And, I love the FinneMonster - YAY for "no TV days"!!!
ReplyDelete:) xo
P.S. 6 more hours (MN time!) until your BIRTHDAY!!!!
When I was a kid my mom made a mock apple pie with zucchini. I found a seed and immediately alerted the rest of the family to her trickery. Needless to say no one would eat the pie and she still brings up my big mouth to this day.
ReplyDeleteI love green tomato mincemeat, but that's likely too sweet for you. I used to make and can it every year, but now the recipes say to freeze it only, and I don't have the room in my little freezer.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I salute your bravery for making the tomato pie!
Yes, indeed, this will be practice for when you move up to the Land-of-Never-Ripe-Tomatoes! Your pie looked bee-yew-tiful!
ReplyDeleteHope your wind damage doesn't turn out to be too disheartening!
Ribbit, it did at least "look" yummy:)
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Chicken Mama, NOOOOOO! My mom just called me and wished me a Happy Birthday, I bet it makes her feel older than I am LOL
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Jane, there's seeds all through this one LOL but I think they were blinded by the sugar content!
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Gran, I did see a few mincemeat recipes while surfing, there appears to be a big following of green tomato junkies!
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Mama Pea, I wasn't as excited about the green tomatoes as I wanted to be, I think I'll just resign myself to growing lots of grape tomatoes up there and buying a MASSIVE dehydrator :) just what I need, more stuff on the list!
I don't think I've ever had green tomato pie. I'm not much of a pie maker and I think I'd rather put my effort into the real thing.
ReplyDeleteFor later on- you just build yourself a hoop house for up north. Or, you come to the more civilized climate further south in the midwest. Nothing against MN. Really- I've got relatives up there!!
Hope you weathered the storm. We're due again in a few hours. Just what I needed- more rain.
Judy
So was your hubby wearing the helmet in case you threw a plate at him??
ReplyDeleteI think all Moms stretch the truth a little to get the kids to eat. And heck, it makes for great stories later on!
Ok, so question do you not like pie fillings that call for cooking first? I have one or two that do and the Apple Pie one is my favorite all time pie recipe! Just curious.
I found a recipe at http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2005/09/saving-harvest-green-tomato-relish.html. It looks and sounds yummy check it out. My tomatoes are still having trouble. At first I thought it was fungal but am leaning toward mites.
ReplyDeleteWhen I hear of green tomato pie I thought it would be more a savory pie than a sweet one. Looks like it was a hit though.
ReplyDeleteWe are actually supposed to get some sun this week! Maybe my garden will grow.
I'm so sorry that you've had to wage this War on Early Blight; it's a tough adversary! It has, indeed, been a year for troubles in the garden. The pie looks great, though! My crusts never look quite that good.
ReplyDeleteHAHA!!!! I myself am becoming a master of the parental half-truth/lie/slight of hand. I don't think it makes a bad parent, does it?
ReplyDeleteGreat idea. My mother-in-law substitutes yams for pumpkin in pumpkin pie. Nobody knows the difference.
ReplyDeleteI have made "apple" pie from squash before, and it's pretty darn good--and cheaper, often. But tomato pie creeps me out. Maybe I will try it--the apples here in Saudi Arabia aren't so good, but the greenhouse-grown tomatoes are firm and meaty (though not anything I'd eat fresh sliced).
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Girlfriend!
ReplyDeleteThat green tomato pie is right up my ally along with horseradish and sauerkraut. That Finnegan of your sure would get along good with my g.s. Devin he comes up with stuff like that mask all the time I bet by the time harvest is done[is it ever done that far south?] you will have a full pantry and freezer.
ReplyDeletehttp://marriedwithdinner.com/2010/08/20/canning-salsa-negra/#comments
ReplyDeleteHere's another yummy looking salsa recipe.
Yark! I am not a green tomato pie fan. But I do L.O.V.E. fried green tomatoes! And Happy Birthday, Erin - I hope those boys are extra nice to you.
ReplyDeleteHahahahaha! The expression on all 3 of their faces were priceless! LOL. I think I would much rather use green tomatoes to make fried green tomatoes with. BTW, my mother-in-law made a Pseudo apple crisp for us once using... zucchini!! And i have to say, it tasted awesome! Let me know if you want the recipe!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if "I would eat it again" is exactly what a cook/chef wants to hear, but I guess it's better than "never again!" :-)
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