After a very successful harvest a couple of weeks ago we ended up with lots of green tomatoes. It was not very unusual and surprising to have this many tomatoes, considering that I planted more than 20 tomato plants in a small lot.
Overwhelmed with the abundance of the amount I started to think over the possible recipes that feature green tomatoes as the main ingredient. With the urge of going beyond the fried green tomatoes and pickles I started looking for a way to incorporate green tomatoes into some recipes I had under my sleeve.
To keep the “al dente” texture of the green tomatoes can be tricky in recipes. Moreover depending on the level of maturity of the green tomato, its taste can be on the bitter side: Less maturity means less developed flavor. Most of the time green tomatoes are cooked into an apple sauce consistency like in relishes and chutneys or used cubed or grated in baked goods to enhance the texture and visual appeal.
With all these in mind and with the urge of not ending up with gallons of relish, chutneys and pickles, I sorted all my green tomato bounty according to shapes, sizes and maturity / readiness. The idea was simple: Spare the good looking ones, the ones without scars, discoloring or blemishes for self-ripening; and use some on the way for recipes that require no or minimum cooking. Since these recipes ask for immediate or relatively short term use of green tomatoes, they are not so common. For this very reason I would consider green tomatoes as seasonal delicacy. I used cubed tomatoes in salads to give texture and a crunch, I baked green tomato casserole, made veggie and green tomato fritters and of course fried green tomatoes.
The second group would consist of not so good looking but almost mature green and pink tomatoes. I turned this group into a raw tomato sauce immediately with the addition of peppers, garlic, and fresh herbs. I used some of it on pizzas, and flat breads and freeze the rest in small batches for future use. Oh my, I must add: When this tomato sauce served on a slice of toast with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil it can easily become a favorite breakfast option. I will share some more details, but I believe it would be better in another post.
The third group, well the rest of the tomatoes, is then used to bring consistency to a recipe. Wait, what? I mean I ended up making relishes, chutneys, pickles, and baked goods with the tomatoes in this group. Among all the recipes I ended up making, I enjoyed the baked goods the most. The consistency that grated green tomato brings to the recipe is unbelievable: Airy, moist and delicate. Although I enjoyed the sweet tomato cake that I baked a lot, these savory muffins got the first place among my green tomato recipes.
Better late then never, right? So here is the recipe for “Savory Green Tomato Muffin”, where you can serve it for many occasions with just little tweaks. For this recipe all you need is a bowl, a whisk and spatula…
Savory Green Tomato Muffins
A beautiful transformation of sharp cheddar cheese, fresh herbs and green tomatoes into delicious muffins. You can have it as breakfast, or a snack or even you can serve them along with your charcuterie board. ENJOY ...
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cup green tomatoes, grated or cut into very small pieces
- 1 cup olive or avocado oil
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3 eggs
- 3 Tbsp honey
- 3 1/3 cup flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled or grated
- 1 cup old cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 cup finely chopped fresh herbs (parsley, dill, mint)
- Bocconcini and sesame seeds to decorate
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat the oven to 375F
- Step 2 Put honey, eggs, buttermilk and oil in a big bowl and whisk them all until well incorporated and honey dissolves completely
- Step 3 Mix the grated green tomatoes in to the bowl
- Step 4 To the same bowl add flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Mix just until flour is combined.
- Step 5 Add the cheese and the herbs. Mix thoroughly
- Step 6 Using a cookie scoop or spoons add the mixture to the muffin pans lined with parchment paper or baking cups. Place one bocconcini in each muffin and sprinkle sesame seeds
- Step 7 Bake the muffins 25-30 minutes until the muffins are golden brown and bocconcini is completely melted
- Step 8 Take them out of the oven and let them cool down. Serve warm
Well, as a chef I am always after tweaks and alterations and find it hard sometimes to follow a recipe. That’s why even when I am talking about it, I can list a dozen of substitutes for ingredients to make this recipe fit for every occasion
- First of all, if you don’t have buttermilk no problem! Just use the same amount of milk with a Tbsp of white vinegar. Or mix 3/4 cup plain yogurt with 1/4 cup water.
- If you want to go rich substitute all or some of the butter milk with cream. The greater the fat content the richer the muffin be, even taking the muffin to “afternoon tea party scone” category.
- Be creative with fresh herbs. Parsley, dill,rosemary (just a tiny sprig), couple of sage leaves, mint, tarragon will do great in this recipe. However, rather opt out basil or cilantro as they are better when not cooked.
- Keep the feta cheese in the recipe but feel free to change the cheddar cheese with other sharp or distinctive cheese alternatives. However always use semi-hard or hard cheese. Swiss, Emmental, Gruyere, and Jarlsberg can be good options to serve this muffin along side a charcuterie plate.
Enjoy…
