Things fall apart in the fall. It is the season of death and decay and the gradual fading of the light (fall back on Saturday, November 3rd. Take the country back Tuesday, November 6th).
It is also a time of powerful transformation and intention setting and a season of acceptance that comes after grief in the face of extraordinary change.
This is clearly reflected in nature. Leaves litter the sidewalks and the grass wears a morning tiara of sparkling frost that melts away with the rising sun.
In the garden, overgrown green turns spindly and the last vestiges of fruit struggle to hang on the vine. This is the last call for the summer garden – last call to bring in any kind of harvest before the sun barely crests the horizon and night falls before dinnertime.
Green tomatoes are a unique by-product of the scraggly fall garden. Tart and bright, they are everything you need when the light dims.
Here, two recipes: Green Tomato Chow-Chow and Roasted Green Tomato Soup. The former a staple in the south, the latter a bright ray of sunshine in a darkening fall kitchen. If these don’t do it for you, give last year’s ode to fall a whirl. You can’t go wrong with any of these.
Green Tomato Chow-Chow
Use this uniquely southern condiment on greens, black-eyed peas, pork chops, chicken, BBQ sandwiches, and in salad dressing (or stir it into the soup that follows). Add finely chopped white cabbage if you like. This recipe scales up easily and can be canned for winter time. This particular recipe makes one pint.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups chopped green tomatoes
1 or 2 Thai chilis, diced
1/4 cup diced onion (about 1/4 a large-ish onion)
1/4 cup diced celery (1 stalk, give or take)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
5 or 6 black peppercorns
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup drained tomato juice
Optional: 1/4 teaspoon fennel and/or coriander seed
Method
Dice the green tomatoes, Thai chili, onion, and celery. Place in a glass bowl and add salt. Stir, then cover with plastic wrap and let sit, at least four hours but preferably overnight.
Place a mesh sieve over a bowl and strain the vegetables, reserving the liquid. Pack vegetables in a pint jar. Measure spices and place on top of the vegetables.
Heat sugar, vinegar, and a 1/4 cup of the reserved tomato liquid in a heavy saucepan until sugar dissolves. Let cool slightly, then pour over vegetables. Let cool to room temperature on the counter, then refrigerate. Only gets better as it sits, but unless you preserve it, eat in a month or less.
Roasted Green Tomato Soup
This soup is quite accidental and made from the bits and bobs of my CSA, herbs grown on my porch, and stock made from vegetable peelings from the summer. This particular batch of stock featured corn cobs and fresh fennel, both delicate, subtle flavors that actually manage to lift the soup to a whole other level. Roasting the tomatoes and caramelizing the onions coax the last bit of summer’s sweetness from both. As with its red brethren, this soup goes well with a buttery, gooey grilled cheese.
Ingredients
2 pounds green tomatoes, cut into quarters for roasting
Olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 medium onion, diced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
3 cups vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups arugula (ish)
Optional garnish: thinly sliced scallions
Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss green tomatoes and whole garlic cloves in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 40 minutes.
In a large stockpot, heat another two tablespoons of olive oil. Add onion and cook on medium-low until caramelized (around 30 minutes, so start these when you put the tomatoes in the oven).
Add roasted tomatoes and garlic and stir to combine. Add fresh thyme, salt, and pepper and cook for two minutes. Add stock and arugula. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
Use an immersion blender (or regular blender) to puree the soup until smooth.