Ripe for the pickling
Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday March 29, 2011
The ever-versatile green tomato gives a different hue and flavour to many dishes, from salads to chips, writes Gail Thomas. Green tomatoes conjure thoughts of unripe, end-of-season crops but some varieties, such as green zebra and green sausage, with their vibrant green and gold skins, are ripe when the flesh is still green. Unripe green tomatoes are versatile, making spiced jams; spiced vinegar syrup, to serve with cold meats; or sweet tomato pies flavoured with brown sugar, molasses and spices.Salad Make an eye-catching salad using ripe red, gold and green tomatoes, fresh basil, a drizzle of olive oil, a dash of salt and ground pepper.Fried green tomatoes Cut thick slices of green tomatoes, dredge in seasoned flour then into an egg-and-milk wash and finally into a mix of polenta and panko breadcrumbs seasoned with salt and pepper. Fry in oil until golden on both sides.Green tomato salad This is great with grilled fish. Combine diced green (unripe) tomatoes, corn kernels, diced red capsicum, finely chopped red onion, minced jalepeno pepper and chopped coriander. Dress with olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper.Tomato chips Use red, green and yellow tomatoes for a colourful bowl of chips. Warm a cup of olive oil in a pan, add two tablespoons minced garlic, remove from heat and infuse for two hours. Strain oil then brush over tomato slices. Season with salt, pepper and thyme. Place in 120C oven for one hour then lower to 95C for three to five hours until crisp.Chutney In a large pan combine three kilograms diced green (unripe) tomatoes, two cups diced onion, three tablespoons each slivered garlic and fresh ginger, two cups currants, three cups brown sugar, three cups cider vinegar, a tablespoon salt, two tablespoons finely chopped cayenne or hot chilli, one cinnamon stick and one teaspoon ground cloves. Simmer 30 minutes to a syrupy consistency, discard cinnamon stick, bottle and store in fridge for up to a month.Edited extract from The Heirloom Tomato: From Garden to Table by Amy Goldman, Bloomsbury.
© 2011 Sydney Morning Herald