Green Tomato Pie

I cleaned out the greenhouse the other day, and although it really was a pretty good tomato season for our cold area, I was left with lots of little green tomatoes. (Isn't that a great basket my sister gave me? It's made of recycled chopsticks!) So I combined a recipe that I found on line for green tomato mincemeat with one for green tomato pie and it was very well received at Gramma Loie's bridge night. Enjoy- winter's on it's way.




Green Tomato Pie

Prepare your favorite pie crust for a deep dish pie (top and bottom)   

~ Thickly slice or cut into small wedges and place in a medium sized bowl:
3 cups green tomatoes,
    1 ½ cups peeled apples
~Add ½ cup golden raisins
~Stir together and then add to fruit:
    2 tsp ground cinnamon
     a pinch cardamon (1/4 -1/2 tsp to taste)
     a pinch salt
    1/2 cup brown sugar
    ½ cup white sugar
    1 -2 tbls flour
~Stir together and then add to fruit and sugars: (you should have about ½ cup)
    juice from ½ lemon
    juice from ½ of a  small orange
    2 heaping tbls of orange marmalade



Put the fruit into your prepared pie crust- cover with your top crust- cut steam vents, and bake until lightly browned and a bit bubbly- about 45  minutes at 350 degrees.

Tastes like citrus-y mincemeat apple pie.

   

More Soup

I've never  succeeded at making a creamy soup before. Sometimes I can get away with using soy cream cheese to replicate some of the cream taste, but it's never quite right. but this 'creamy' chicken soup turned out very very tasty! I adapted one of the recipes from the Julia Child cookbook where she uses pureed cooked rice to thicken the soup base. I precooked the carrots in the microwave, which prevented them from turning mushy and shortened the overall soup cooking time. I had frozen puff pastry sheets so I just covered an oven proof dish filled with soup with the pastry and it was great. I liked the crisp on the outside but a little popover type doughiness (should be a word, anyway) of the finished crust.

Creamy Chicken Soup (milk free) for Chicken Pot Pie

Dice, and sauté in 2-3 tbl butter or margarine until limp: ( I put it all in my largest sauce pan.)
    1/2 sweet onion, (about 2 cups diced) 2-3  ribs of celery, (about 1 ½ cups)
Meanwhile, cook 1 ½ cups diced or bite size julienne sliced carrots in 2 cups chicken broth in the microwave on high for about 5 minutes or until just starting to soften. Reserve the carrots.
Combine in the large saucepan with the onion mixture~
    ½ cup raw white rice, the chicken broth without the carrots, plus 4-5 cups
    additional liquid- more broth (vegetable, chicken) or water
    ½ cup dry white wine
    1 tsp dried thyme, 2 chicken bouillon cubes, 1 lg bay leaf
Cook until the rice is very tender about 30 minutes.  Add 2tbls soy (or real) cream cheese. Puree the mixture until smooth and creamy. (I put it in the food processor- remove the bay leaf)
Return to the saucepan, over med low heat and add:
2 boned and skinned chicken breast halves cut into 4 pieces
The reserved carrots
 Simmer for 15 minutes or until chicken can be shredded. Shred the chicken into bite size, but hearty chunks. Return to pot and add:
    Salt and pepper to taste
    1 cup sliced or diced raw mushrooms
    3 green onions diced
    1 cup frozen peas
    fresh or dried parsley to taste
Simmer for another 5-15 minutes or until mushrooms soften.
Serve as  a yummy soup OR ladle into an oven proof high sided soufflé dish or other casserole type bowl. Lay one thawed square of Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry Dough sheets (available in the freezer section of most big box grocery stores) over the top of the dish and arrange and crimp the dough to form a generous pleated if need be ‘lid’ to the pie. Brush with one beaten egg wash. Cook until puffed and browned in a 425 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes.