Forgotten Fruit

An end-of-the-season treat, green tomatoes are often overlooked in New England. Don?t miss out this year.

(Photograph by Jim Scherer, Styling by John Carafoli) NEVER TOO RICH Green tomato "sandwiches" - filled with mozzarella and fried in a cornmeal crust - are sophisticated mix of salty, creamy, and tangy.

For gardeners and farmers' market junkies staring down the end of the local growing season, green tomatoes are a boon. These firm, piquant tomatoes are usually served pickled or fried, especially by Southern cooks, but I wanted to use greenies' talents in other dishes, too. Their tartness cuts right through the richest foods and can provide an intriguing counterpoint. Such is the case with lush and almost gamy-tasting lamb shanks; when they are braised with green tomatoes, the tomatoes act as a ballast to round out and balance the flavor of the meat. Likewise, they sharpen the richness of a cheesy quiche custard or a crunchy fried-cornmeal coating.

FRIED GREEN TOMATO, MOZZARELLA, AND BASIL "SANDWICHES"
SERVES 4 (2 SANDWICHES EACH)

This recipe comes from cookbook author Sally Sampson, who got it from Jimmy Burke, a former chef at Waltham's Tuscan Grill. Serve with lemon wedges, hot sauce, or aioli.

1/3 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
Large pinch cayenne pepper
Salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
4 medium green tomatoes (about 2 pounds), cored
8 1/2-inch-thick slices fresh mozzarella
8 oil-packed anchovy fillets
8 large fresh basil leaves
Ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil, for frying

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 250 degrees. Have on hand 2 shallow dishes such as pie plates. Mix the cornmeal, flour, garlic powder, cayenne, and 1 tablespoon of salt in one dish, and the beaten egg and buttermilk in the other. Cut a very thin slice off the stem and blossom ends of each tomato, and then cut each tomato into 4 slices. Assemble 8 "sandwiches" by pressing 1 slice of mozzarella, one anchovy fillet, one basil leaf, and a pinch of black pepper between 2 tomato slices.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, gently dip 3 or 4 sandwiches into the buttermilk mixture and then into the cornmeal mixture, patting cornmeal over the entire surface to form a thick coating. When the oil is hot (this takes about 4 minutes), reduce heat to medium, carefully lay sandwiches in the skillet, and fry until the first side is deep golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Use tongs to very gently turn the sandwiches and continue frying in the same manner until the second side is deep golden brown and the cheese is soft and warm, about 3 minutes longer. Remove the sandwiches to a paper-towel-lined plate and place in the warm oven, then fry the remaining sandwiches in the same manner, adjusting the burner as necessary. When all the sandwiches are done, sprinkle them with salt and black pepper and serve at once.

GREEN TOMATO AND BACON QUICHE
MAKES 1 9-INCH QUICHE

2 medium green tomatoes (about 1 pound), seeded and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
Salt
5 slices bacon
2 large shallots, minced
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch cayenne pepper
5 ounces Gruyere or Cantal cheese, grated on the large holes of a box grater (about 2 cups)
1 9-inch partially baked pie shell, warm

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. In a colander set over a small bowl, toss the chopped tomatoes and 1 teaspoon of salt and set aside to drain, about 30 minutes. Turn drained tomatoes out onto a triple thickness of paper towels, pat dry, and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet set over medium heat, fry the bacon until crisp, remove from the pan, drain on paper towels, and set aside. Pour all but 2 teaspoons of fat from the pan, return the pan to the heat, add the shallots, and cook until soft, fragrant, and lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer shallots to a medium bowl, and add the eggs, yolks, half and half, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne, and whisk to beat eggs and incorporate all the ingredients. Add 1 cup of grated cheese to the egg mixture, and whisk to combine.

Sprinkle remaining cup of grated cheese over the bottom of the warm, pre-baked pie shell, then spread the tomatoes. Crumble the cooked bacon and sprinkle it over the cheese, then place the pie shell on the oven rack and pour in the egg mixture (it should reach to about 1/2 inch below the rim). Bake until the custard is set, light golden brown, the center wiggles slightly when you jiggle the quiche, and the tip of a paring knife inserted about 1 1/2 inches from the edge comes out clean, about 30 or 35 minutes. Cool the quiche on a wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

LAMB SHANKS BRAISED WITH GREEN TOMATOES
SERVES 4

Adapted from The Gift of Southern Cooking by Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock (Alfred A. Knopf).

4 1-pound lamb shanks
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
3 medium garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
3 large green tomatoes
(1 1/2 to 2 pounds), cut into
1/2-inch chunks
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup homemade or packaged low-sodium chicken broth

Sprinkle shanks all over with 11/2 teaspoons each of salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed braising pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place shanks in pan (do not crowd) and cook without moving them until bottom side is golden brown, about 6 minutes. Turn the shanks and cook second side, again without moving, about 6 minutes longer; repeat until entire surface of shanks is nicely browned. Transfer shanks to a large plate and set aside. Pour or spoon about half the fat from the pot and discard.

Return pot to the burner, adjust the heat to medium, add the onion, carrots, thyme, bay leaves, and 11/2 teaspoons of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables turn golden, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and tomatoes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Increase heat to high, add wine, and, using a wooden spoon, scrape any stuck bits from the pan bottom. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the shanks with accumulated juices, push them down into the liquid, return to a boil, reduce the heat to very low, cover the pot, and simmer until the lamb is very tender and pulling away from the bone, about 1 1/2 hours.

Spoon off as much fat as possible from the sauce, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary, and serve at once.

Green Tomato-Chocolate Cake

Makes one 13-by-9-inch cake

Adapted from The Tomato Festival Cookbook, by Lawrence Davis-Hollander (Storey Publishing, 2004), this cake is not too sweet and plenty moist. Frost it with your favorite icing or sprinkle it with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

1 ½ sticks plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate

1 large green tomato (½ pound or more), cored

2 ½ cups flour, sifted

¾ cup cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed

Salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

3 eggs

1 ¾ cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ¼ cups beer

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Coat the bottom and sides of a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with 1 tablespoon of butter, and set the pan aside. In a microwave-safe bowl covered with plastic wrap, microwave the 1 ½ sticks of butter (cut into chunks) and the chocolate at 50 percent power for 2 minutes, stir until smooth (if not fully melted, heat 1 minute longer at 50 percent power), and set aside. Using a food processor, puree the tomato until smooth and uniform (you should have about 1 1/3 cups), and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, ¼ teaspoon of salt, baking powder, and baking soda, and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, and vanilla, then whisk in the chocolate mixture until combined. Whisk in the pureed tomato and beer until combined, then whisk in the dry ingredients until the batter is smooth and glossy. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the cake is firm in center when lightly pressed and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, at least 1 hour, and serve.

Send comments or suggestions to Adam Ried at cooking@globe.com.