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| Green Tomato Pie |
We’re having a mild, wet Autumn in Manitoba.
Mother Nature will always just do her thing and she often has a surprise or two up her sleeve for us.
I hope she’ll surprise us with a mild winter, too.
Since by now we’ve usually had frost conditions at night, I’ve pulled most of my tomato plants.
The plants that are still in my garden are loaded with green tomatoes.
If we do get a ‘Frost Tonight’ warning they’ll join the other green tomatoes ripening in the basement.
There are so many down there already.
I think I’ll use some of them in a Green Tomato Pie.
If you’ve never had green tomatoes in a pie you’re in for a surprise.
Thanks to the spices it tastes just like an apple pie and is often called ‘Mock Apple Pie’.
Speaking of pie, all of the 'processed in the U.S.' canned pumpkin and pie fillings are just sitting on the shelves in our local grocery store.
The manager has tried everything to rid of them: offered more points, done the two for the price of one deal, and the old favourite, just reducing the price.
But the boycott of American products is holding firm in our neighbourhood.
Who wants to pay a tariff when we can replace it with something that is home grown?
Thanksgiving is on October 12 this year.
If there’s one thing we learned during Covid it’s to make do with what is available and ignore tradition.
That might be a good idea for this year’s Thanksgiving menu.
Canadian winter squash comes in a few different varieties and makes a nice side dish.
Who needs to cook another winter squash for dessert?
If you don’t have green tomatoes in your basement, no problem.
Canadian apples are readily available and are a good buy right now.
You might even have a forgotten bag or two of rhubarb in the freezer or a bag of coconut just sitting in the cupboard.
There aren’t any Pie Police knocking on doors to check what you’re serving for your holiday meal.
Out with the pumpkin and in with a tariff-free surprise dessert!!
Happy Holidays!!
Hints:
Don’t have a package of double-crust pie pastry.
Just want something to put in the bottom of the pie plate and don’t need a top crust?
No problem.
Place in a 9 inch pie pan
1 1/2 Cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
Mix together.
Place in a measuring cup
1/2 cup oil
3 tablespoons cold milk
Beat together until creamy.
Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture in the pan and blend well.
Spread the mixture in the pan and pat in to line the pan.
If you want to, crimp the edges.
About the Green Tomato Pie…
You could cut the second pie crust into strips and arrange in a crisscross lattice over the filling.
About the Crustless Apple Pie…
Choose firm, tart sweet apples for best texture.
Store pie at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days.
You can also wrap the pie tightly and freeze for up to one month.
About the Rhubarb Pie…
Frozen rhubarb gets soft and watery.
If you use frozen rhubarb just thaw and drain it thoroughly before using it to prevent the excess moisture from affecting the recipe.
If your rhubarb is extra tart, add cinnamon or sugar to the filling.
You could cut the second pie crust into strips and arrange in a crisscross lattice over the filling.
Halfway through, if the crust is browning too quickly, cover the edges with foil.
About the Crustless Coconut Pie…
Don’t worry if it seems too liquid at first. The custard firms up as it cools.
This dessert is spoonable, almost like a cross between a flan and a pie, but slices hold their shape well.
The pie lasts up to 4 days in the fridge. Just cover it with plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container.
The pie, wrapped tightly in two layers of plastic and foil, can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
Try these variations:
Chocolate Coconut Pie - Stir in 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips before baking.
Tropical Pineapple Twist - Fold in 1/2 cup well-drained crushed pineapple.
Lemon Coconut Pie - Add 1 tablespoon lemon zest to the batter.
Almond Coconut Pie - Use almond extract instead of vanilla.
Mini Coconut Pies - Bake in muffin tins and adjust time to 20 to 25 minutes.
About the Buttermilk Pie…
If you don’t want to buy buttermilk, just combine in a measuring cup
1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice
enough fresh milk to make 1/2 cup
Stir and let it sit 5 minutes before using the mixture in the recipe.
You can double the vanilla and the ground nutmeg for a slightly stronger flavour.
For a lemony flavour leave the nutmeg out and add
1 Tablespoon lemon zest or 1 teaspoon lemon extract
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Cover leftovers with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two to three days.
Green Tomato Pie
Have on hand
1 package double-crust pie pastry, thawed, or homemade pastry crust
Press one thawed pie crust or home made crust in a 9 inch pie pan.
Chop or thinly slice and place in a large bowl
5 medium green tomatoes (4 to 5 cups when chopped or sliced)
Add
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar or lemon juice
Stir to combine.
Place in a medium bowl
1 1/2 Cups sugar
1/3 Cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
Mix together and sprinkle over tomatoes.
Toss to coat evenly.
Preheat oven to 350º F
Pour tomato mixture into the pastry.
Dot the top of the filling with
2 Tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
Top with second pastry crust.
Crimp the edges to seal, and cut 4 small slits in the top for steam to escape.
Sprinkle a little sugar and cinnamon on the top crust.
Bake until the filling is bubbly and the crust is brown, 60 to 75 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool completely before slicing so the filling can set.
Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper.
Place in a medium bowl
3 Cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Stir to combine.
Toast lightly
1/2 Cup almond slices for topping
Peel, core and thinly slice
4 medium apples
Place in medium bowl.
Add
1/4 Cup flour
Toss to coat apple slices.
Preheat oven to 350°F
Place in a large mixer bowl
1 1/3 Cups unsalted butter, room-temperature
1 1/2 Cups sugar
Cream together until smooth.
Add, one at a time
4 large eggs
Beat well.
Stir in
1 teaspoon vanilla
Add the flour mixture.
Gently fold the sliced apples into the batter.
Pour batter evenly into pan and smooth top with spatula.
Sprinkle toasted almond slices over top of batter.
Bake for 40 minutes, testing centre with toothpick for doneness.
Let cake cool slightly before removing from pan.
Generously dust top with
Confectioner’s sugar
Rhubarb Pie
Have on hand
1 package double-crust pie pastry, thawed, or homemade pastry crust
Press one thawed pie crust or home made crust in a 9 inch pie pan.
Dice into 1/4 inch pieces
2 Cups rhubarb
Place in a large bowl
1 Cup sugar
1/4 Cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Whisk together.
Add, one at a time
2 large eggs
Beat until smooth.
Gently fold in the chopped rhubarb.
Preheat oven to 400°F
Pour the mixture into the pie crust.
Dot the rhubarb with
1 Tablespoon butter, sliced
Place top crust or lattice on top and crimp the edges.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling.
Let the pie cool completely before slicing to allow the filling to set.
Crustless Coconut Pie
Grease a 9-inch pie dish with butter.
Melt
1/2 Cup unsalted butter
Preheat oven to 350° F
Place in a large bowl
1/2 Cup flour
1 1/2 Cups granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
Whisk together.
Add
The melted butter
2 Cups milk
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Whisk until fully combined.
Stir in
1 1/2 Cups sweetened shredded coconut
Pour mixture into prepared pie dish.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until top is golden and a knife inserted comes out clean.
Cool completely before slicing.
Buttermilk Pie
Have on hand
1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust in a 9 inch pie plate.
Melt
1/2 Cup unsalted butter
Preheat oven to 350° F
Place in a large bowl
1 1/2 Cups sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
Whisk together.
Add
the melted butter
3 large eggs
1 Cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
Mix until smooth.
Pour into pie crust.
Sprinkle over top
nutmeg or cinnamon (optional)
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until top is golden and a knife inserted comes out clean.
Let the pie cool completely before slicing to allow the filling to set.
~~~
Back in 2012 I was posting stories about our adventures in our garden.
This was one of my August posts.
We still have the chokecherry, but we haven’t had wasps for quite a few years.
Guess the fake wasps' nests are still fooling the real wasps.
A few weeks ago I mentioned how, while watering, one gets to really see a garden.
Last week I was giving our tomato plants a much needed soaking.
Then I happened to glance at our chokecherry.
Let me tell you about our chokecherry...
When Paul planted it in 1989 it was just a stick.
It's now about as tall as our 2 story house.
In the spring it's a mass of lovely white flowers.
Well, it is for about a week.
Then the flowers are blown off by a huge wind storm.
The annual wind storm is guaranteed.
Same time every year.
After the storm the yard looks like it's covered in snow.
Chokecherries are not meant to be trees.
They sucker like crazy.
Paul has to hack the suckers down every time he mows the grass.
The branches are also prone to nasty black growths that have to be cut off.
The growths happen where the branches rub together.
If you're considering getting a chokecherry for your yard, don't.
Just a friendly word of advice.
Well, the birds enjoy the cherries, and we enjoy the birds.
So our chokecherry stays.
Anyway, last week I glanced at the chokecherry and was surprised to see a lump.
It was the same colour as the wood.
I went to check out the new growth on the branch.
It was our fourth wasps' nest in about a dozen years.
In 1999 wasps had created a huge hive right under our bay window.
They had burrowed through to our basement.
They were flying around, getting settled for the winter.
We had to call an exterminator.
The poor guy got stung, but he got rid of them.
In 2002 Paul and I were sipping iced teas and enjoying our yard.
Then Paul glanced toward the doghouse, frowned and went to take a look.
There was something round hanging from the ceiling of the doghouse.
I thought our Bichon, BoBo, had hung up a doggie piñata.
It was a rather large wasps' nest.
Paul called the exterminator.
He said Paul could buy a bug bomb and take care of it himself.
We'd just seen a week's worth of Discovery's Blue Planet.
Maybe Paul had been fired up from images of Nature, red in tooth and claw.
Or maybe it was a mid-life Hemingway type of thing.
Anyway, Paul decided he'd tackle the wasps' nest himself.
We called my folks and told them about our wasps.
They regaled us with tales of their own wasp adventures.
Pop had been stung in the eye as a child.
Grandma's stung hand had swollen to twice its normal size.
They wished us luck.
Okay... forget about skipping out there in shorts and T-shirts.
Paul prepared to do battle.
Finally... 10:00 p.m. All good little wasps were in bed.
Killing time.
Paul pulled on his sweat pants, winter boots, coat, hat and leather mitts.
His safety glasses had left some skin exposed.
I grabbed a half dozen packages of cheesecloth and gift-wrapped Paul's face.
With the heavy clothes and gauze Paul looked like an Eskimo mummy.
Bomb in hand, Nanuk the Sweating Mummy stalked the wild wasp.
Paul sprayed the wasps' lair.
Twenty four hours later, another corner of Winnipeg's north end was safe for humans.
Thank God we don't live in Wolseley.
In 2006 I found myself surrounded by wasps whenever I went out to hang laundry.
The detergent didn't smell that good.
Wasps had settled in under our air conditioner, right next to the clothes line.
Paul didn't waste time calling the exterminator.
He just bought a bomb and did the deed.
He also hung a couple of fake wasps' nests in our yard.
Wasps are supposed to politely respect other wasps' territory.
That's what the wasp bomb salesman had said.
Which brings us to the rude wasps who built a nest in our chokecherry in 2012.
Sunday afternoon we took a few pictures of the nest.
Sunday night Paul got dressed and wrapped.
He bombed the bejesus out of the nest.
Tuesday afternoon I was watering the tomatoes.
Just life in the 'burbs.
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