The day before the hurricane dumped loads of water on us, my good friend Lynnie started protecting her garden like a lion watches over her cubs.  She hesitantly picked a bunch of tomatoes out of her garden—even though they were green—so they wouldn’t get ruined by the storm.  Lynnie called me up to see what I’d do with them and the only thing I could think of was to fry them.  But how many fried green tomatoes can you possibly eat?

So I did a little research and found this amazing recipe in the September (2011) issue of Bon Appétit Magazine.  Chef Andrew Little (of Sheppard Mansion in Hanover, PA) says he simply lets a blender do all the work!

Green Tomato Gazpacho

2 ¼ lb. green (unripe red) tomatoes

1 English hothouse cucumber, trimmed & coarsely chopped

1 shallot, chopped

½ jalapeno, seeded & chopped

1 tsp. fresh cilantro, minced

½ garlic clove, minced

1 Tbsp. honey

1 ½ inch thick slice white country bread, cut into pieces  

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

½ cup fresh lime juice

1 ½ Tbsp. finely grated lime zest

1 Tbsp. fresh basil, minced

Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper

½ cup ¼ inch cubes peeled, seeded watermelon or cantaloupe

1 Tbsp. thinly sliced fresh mint leaves

Place first 6 ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth.  With machine running, gradually add honey, then bread, then oil.  Puree until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in juice, lime zest and basil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cover and chill until cold.  Before serving, garnish soup with the melon and mint.

So whip some up and enjoy!  Don’t ever waste a tomato—even if it’s green!

 

Stay Healthy & Smile,

Molly