Monday, October 19, 2009

Fall Harvest


Hooray for Autumn!! Éowyn & I have been enjoying the fall sunshine & listening to Vivaldi's Autumn (from The Four Seasons) all day.

I've been waiting for a warmer day to go and finish off the garden for the year, and today seemed to fit the bill. I bundled up my precious baby, and she took a nap outside while I picked all the tomatoes still on the vine, as it's quite unlikely any of them would reach ripeness with the nights so cold now, and the vines dying. We had SO many green tomatos! This year summer was so "late" around here that our vines weren't really bearing until now. Sad, huh. At least we did have enough to enjoy all summer.

After I'd picked all the tomatos and the peppers left, I dug up all our sweet potatos. I think I missed a few, but I won't know until I go back out and turn all the soil over-- once the tomato vines die (I can't find it in me to uproot any still-growing non-weed). I couldn't do any more today; this old girl still just ain't what she used to be! :) I seriously am getting carpal tunnel from burping this baby, lol.

I was pleased, though, with all that we DID get. With the green tomatoes I had already gathered, I tried my hand at a Green Tomato Pie. It was really good! When I told Ryan what it was, he thought I was joking. But he was a good sport and dug in (I guess he figured anything that smelled that good would taste ok smothered in vanilla ice cream). The pie tastes sort of like an apple pie, but with a tartness from the lemons that apple pie doesn't have. I also threw in a zucchini that I had lying around (I don't much like that veggie, so I have to sneak it in so they won't go bad when we have them)-- it wasn't my idea. I'll definitely make more of these! Of course I'll also fry some... I can't resist.


Green Tomato Pie


Ingredients:
6 to 8 medium green tomatoes (I found this to be about 2 1/2-3 cups once sliced)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I also threw in ginger, nutmeg & allspice)
3/4 cup granulated sugar (I used brown sugar)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter
pastry to 9-inch 2-crust pie (I used a GF recipe)


Preparation:
Wash the green tomatoes well; peel and slice. In a saucepan, combine tomatoes with lemon juice, peel, salt, and cinnamon. Cook tomato mixture over low heat, stirring frequently. Combine sugar and cornstarch; stir into tomato mixture. Cook mixture until clear, stirring constantly. Add butter, remove from heat, and let stand until slightly cooled. Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry; pour in tomato mixture. Cover with top pastry, seal edges, crimp, and cut several small slits in crust to allow steam to escape. Bake at 435° for 35 to 45 minutes, or until nicely browned. Serve warm or cooled.



True story: I KNEW there was a such thing as a green tomato pie because of my childhood love affair with Little House on the Prairie. I thought I remembered there being a scene in which Ma Ingalls made a green tomato pie which Pa thought was an apple pie. I think I remember him exclaiming "WHERE did you get apples, Caroline?!" =D Thank you, internet, for finding me a recipe.


Now I think I'll go make myself another pumpkin spice latte (decaf of course), and finish writing down my birth story before I forget it all... Maybe some day I'll post the edited version online; I've always found it inspiring and reassuring to read positive birth stories of other women!!

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