No, not really... BUT... one of the wonderful things about Christmas is the surprise of opening presents... and this was just as good...
We had a huge crop of green tomatoes... and I really do mean green. These were not "almost ripe..." they were Kermit Tomatoes!
So, as I think I mentioned, we tried out my dear mother-in-law's solution: each tomato was carefully wrapped in newspaper (a rare commodity in today's digital world) and placed in a box in a cool, dark place.
Now, this was an experiment... she lived in North Carolina and had an uninsulated room that was frigid on all but the hottest days... and we live in Yonkers... but it was worth a shot. After all, how much tomato chutney or fried green tomatoes can two 50-Somethings eat?
Upon my return from doing the play in Connecticut, we unwrapped a few...
They were deep crimson...
Then a few more...
They were as well...
And so on until we had the bounty you see here...
Fine... they were red... but what did they taste like?
I sliced a few as a bed for a hamburger... OMG! They were tart and deep and tomato-y... No, they were not August heirlooms... but they were certainly head and shoulders better than any store-bought OCTOBER tomatoes...
And in conclusion: do not ever, EVER, discount the wisdom of farm women from North Carolina!
PS. These tomatoes were from the seeds Marcia Kiesel gave me... so if any of you have a wonderful friend who happens to be a great chef... and she gives you some seeds...
