Whether you consider it a fruit or a vegetable, the lowly tomato can be prepared in many ways. Here are a couple of uncommon recipes for bringing out its versatility.
Once known as a “love apple”, the lowly tomato has quite a history. Botanically it is a fruit, but in 1893 the United States Supreme Court declared it to be a vegetable. Try your hand at one of these unusual dishes and watch your family gain a whole new respect for one of our most common foods.
Tomato Marmalade
Ingredients:
- 4 pounds ripe tomatoes
- 2 thick-skinned seedless oranges
- 2 lemons
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- 5 cups sugar
Directions:
- Prepare your tomatoes by peeling, seeding and chopping and put the pulp in a colander to drain. Set the pulp aside.
- Peel the oranges and lemons and cut the peels into Julienne strips.
- Trim off the pits and chop the orange and lemon fruits, discarding the seeds.
- Tie the cinnamon sticks and cloves in a piece of cheesecloth and put the bag in an enamel pan with the tomato pulp, the fruit meats and the peels.
- Add the sugar and cook over low heat, stirring and washing down any sugar crystals that form on the sides of the pan, until the sugar is dissolved.
- Skim off the froth as it accumulates.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for thirty minutes or until a candy thermometer registers 222F.
Discard the spice bag, skim off the froth and let the mixture cool for ten minutes before pouring into sterilized Mason-style jars. This recipe makes about five cups.
French-Fried Tomato Sandwiches
Ingredients:
- 2 ripe tomatoes
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup grated Gruyere cheese
- 2 tablespoons snipped dill
- 2 tablespoons snipped chives
- Lemon juice
- Salt
- White pepper
- 8 slices of white or wheat bread
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- 3 tablespoons butter
Directions:
- Peel the tomatoes, remove the seeds and cut into ¼” slices
- Combine the sour cream, grated cheese, dill and chives.
- Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste
- Trim the crusts from the bread and butter one side of each slice
- Spread the sour cream mixture on the buttered side of four of the slices, leaving a ¼” border
- Place a slice of tomato on each slice of buttered bread.
- Arrange the remaining bread slices on the tomatoes, buttered sides down
- Press the sandwich together slightly
- In a shallow dish, beat the eggs and milk together, season with salt and pepper to taste, and dip both sides of the sandwiches into the mixture
- Let the sandwiches soak up the milk mixture for a few seconds before transferring them to a heavy skillet
- Sauté (fry) the sandwiches in the butter for two or three minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown.
Drain the sandwiches on paper towels, cut them into quarters and serve.
Copyright Marie Brannon. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.
Marie Brannon - Experienced writer Marie Brannon hails from Texas. She is a detail-oriented writer who approaches article research with meticulous care.
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