Green tomatoes

FOOD | Julianne Glatz

Of course, my childhood’s late summer/early fall biggest tradition was beginning school. But there were culinary traditions, too. The seasonal tomato flood reached its peak, and canning tomatoes either whole as the primary ingredient in Nana’s prize-winning chili sauce reached fever pitch.

When days cooled, another seasonal surety appeared on our supper table: fried green tomatoes. Today they can be found on restaurant menus year-round, but then they were utilized from late tomatoes that wouldn’t ripen before frost.

Restaurants typically dredge green tomatoes with a sequence of seasoned flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs, the heavy coating oftentimes obscuring their tart taste. Nana simply dredged them in seasoned flour, although she then “gilded the lily,” piling the slices back into the skillet, then drizzling them with the golden heavy cream that the grass-fed cows supplied with our milk.

I prefer Nana’s simpler coating, although rarely add lashings of cream. But multitudes of green tomato preparations exist, from pickles to pie.

These are adapted from Mile End, a deli only two blocks from my Brooklynites’ apartment, and currently rated as NYC’s best. Mile End has these pickled green tomatoes on display in their front window.

Pickled green tomatoes Pickling brine:

• 1/2 c. plus 1 T. kosher salt, Diamond Crystal brand preferred

• 1/4 c. sugar

• 2 c. plus 2 2/3 c. water

• 2 c. cider vinegar

• 2 1/4 c. distilled white vinegar Put the salt, sugar and 2 cups water in a large nonreactive pot. Stir to combine, placing over medium heat until the sugar and salt completely dissolve, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the additional water and vinegars. Cool to room temperature before using. Excess brine can be stored at room temperature for 2 months. Makes about 1 gallon. For the tomatoes:

• 1 gallon green (unripe) tomatoes, any type or combination, left whole or cut into wedges or slices

• 10 1/2 c. water

• 1 1/2 T. kosher salt, Diamond Crystal brand preferred

• 2 fresh or 4 dried bay leaves

• 1 tsp. to 1 T. hot pepper flakes, optional

• 2 tsp. yellow mustard seeds

• 2 tsp. coriander seeds

• 2 tsp. dill seeds (not dill weed)

• 3 T. sugar

• 2 tsp. black peppercorns

• 6 garlic cloves, or more or less to taste, cut in half

• 1 bunch of dried dill weed Rinse the tomatoes, discarding damaged or bruised ones (or cut out bruised/damaged parts). Put the water and salt in a nonreactive container large enough to hold the tomatoes and liquid. Stir until the salt dissolves. Add the tomatoes. They should be completely covered. Let sit covered at room temperature overnight.

The next day, transfer the tomatoes to quart canning jars or other large sealable nonreactive containers. The tomatoes should not extend to the top of the jar; leave at least about 1 1/2 to 2 inches headroom. How many containers you need will depend on the size of the jars and the tomatoes. I usually cut large tomatoes into wedges or use whole tomatoes no bigger than golf balls.

Cut the fresh or crumble the dried bay leaves and combine them in a bowl with the hot pepper flakes, if using, the mustard, coriander, dill seeds, sugar and peppercorns. Combine thoroughly, then divide the mixture evenly between the jars. Divide the garlic cloves among the jars. Distribute the bunch of dried dill by breaking the seed head and stem and leaf parts into pieces, then divide them among the jars.

Pour the pickling brine over the jarred tomatoes, making sure they’re completely covered. Weight them down with a heavy object if necessary to keep them submerged. Leftover pickling brine can be used for another purpose.

Cover the jars tightly. Let the tomatoes marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks before using, turning the jars upside down or stirring containers where appropriate every couple of days.

The pickled green tomatoes will keep at least 6 months in the refrigerator.

Cajun/Creole cooks sometimes guild their fried tomato lilies with shrimp and a tartly tangy rémoulade dressing.

Fried green tomatoes with shrimp rémoulade

• 36 large-to-jumbo shrimp, cooked, peeled and deveined For the rémoulade:

• 1/2 c. Creole, other stone-ground coarse or Dijon mustard

• 1/3 c. catsup

• 1 T. prepared horseradish, or more or less to taste

• 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

• 2 tsp. sweet Hungarian paprika

• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or more or less to taste

• 1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper, or more or less to taste, optional

• 1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/4 c. chopped celery

• 2 T. finely chopped scallion greens

• Salt

• Celery leaves for garnish, optional Combine the mustard, catsup, horseradish, lemon juice, paprika, pepper and cayenne in a bowl. Whisking vigorously, slowly add the olive oil. Stir in the celery and scallion greens. Taste, seasoning with salt.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using. Check the seasoning again, adding more salt, cayenne, pepper or lemon juice if needed.

If using the celery leaves, tear the pale-green to green leaves from the celery’s inner stalks and set aside. For the tomatoes:

• 4 large green (unripe) tomatoes or more

• 1 1/2 c. buttermilk

• 2 c. corn flour (Bob’s Red Mill brand is available in many groceries) OR 1 c. fine cornmeal and 1 c. all-purpose flour

• 2 T. kosher salt

• 1 T. freshly ground pepper, or to taste

• Oil for frying Cut 3 approximately 1/2-inch thick slices from the tomatoes’ centers. More tomatoes may be needed. Regardless, there should be 12 slices.

Put the buttermilk in a large bowl, add the tomato slices, making sure they’re covered with buttermilk. Set aside while preparing the frying ingredients.

Mix the corn flour, or cornmeal/flour with the salt and pepper in a large shallow pan or bowl or paper bag.

Heat the oil in a large skillet to a depth of about 1 inch. It should be hot but not smoking.

Remove the tomatoes from the buttermilk, letting excess drip off. Dredge individually in the flour mixture and gently place into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels and keep warm while frying the remainder.

To serve, place 2 fried tomatoes on each of 6 salad plates. Top each slice with 2 shrimp and a drizzle of rémoulade and a few celery leaves, if using. Pass additional rémoulade separately. Serves 6.

The Betty Crocker 1950 Picture Cookbook calls this “an old-time autumn favorite.” Bet your family and friends can’t guess what the filling is!

Green tomato pie

• Pastry for a 2-crust, 9-inch pie

• 1 1/3 c. sugar

• 7 T. all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg OR 1 tsp. either cinnamon or nutmeg

• 1 tsp. grated lemon rind, heaping

• 4 c. sliced and then quartered green (unripe) tomatoes

• 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice

• 2 T. butter Preheat the oven to 450 F. Roll out the pastry for the bottom crust and fit it into a 9- inch pie tin. Refrigerate while preparing the filling.

In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, salt, and cinnamon and/or nutmeg until thoroughly combined and no lumps remain.

Add the lemon rind and incorporate it into the mixture. If it tends to clump, rub it between your fingers with some of the sugar/ flour mixture until the gratings separate.

Stir in the green tomatoes and lemon juice. Roll out the pastry for the top crust and set aside.

Remove the pastry-lined tin from the refrigerator and pour in the tomato mixture. Spread it evenly, then dot the surface with the butter.

Place the reserved pastry over the filling, trimming the edges, then crimping them to seal. Cut a few vents into the top crust.

Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 F. and bake an additional 30-45 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Makes 1 9-inch pie.

Contact Julianne Glatz at realcuisine.jg@gmail.com.