What to do with all these GREEN tomatoes...

This years rain fall and short Summer did a number on our tomato plants... here are a couple articles that I found and plan on trying... we only have about a month left for these babies to turn RED so I'm going to cut all the leaves off and see what happens... in the mean time... why not whip up some GREEN tomato enchilada sauce!!!

=====================

Green Tomato Enchilada Sauce
Published September 14, 2010

Makes about 3 cups
Try making extra of this sauce and freezing it in 3-cup portions.

Ingredients

•1 tablespoon vegetable oil

•1/2 medium onion, chopped

•2 cloves garlic, chopped

•1 7-ounce can whole green chiles, drained and chopped

•1 pound green tomatoes or tomatillos, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)

•1 teaspoon ground cumin

•1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican

•1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

•1 cup vegetable broth (or 1 vegetarian bouillon cube dissolved in 1 cup hot water)

•1/2 cup water

•1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Stir in the green chiles, green tomatoes, cumin, oregano, salt, broth and water. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and the mixture becomes saucy, about 10 minutes. Pour the mixture into a blender or food processor, add the cilantro and purée until smooth.
--From Linda Faus, former FOODday test kitchen director


========================================
Green tomatoes: One more time around
Published: Friday, September 17, 2010, 12:44 PM Updated: Saturday, September 18, 2010, 7:46 AM

Kym Pokorny, The Oregonian

I've heard from several people who have ripe tomatoes, and I'm eaten up with envy. Let me tell you, though, they are in the minority. Two suggestions are worth repeating, one about ripening green tomatoes off the vine, one about a method to do early in the season to get them to ripen on the vine. As well, take a look at some recipes for green tomatoes published by FOODday last Thursday (Sept. 9) and in September 2008.
OFF THE VINE: Sharon Wiley writes, "I've never had a problem getting all my green tomatoes to ripen by using this method: All year long, I gather boxes that are large, but only a few inches deep. When its time to bring in the green tomatoes (before first frost), I place a layer of newspaper in each box, then a single layer of green tomatoes, another layer of newspaper and close the top of the box. I try to put a ripening tomato in each box to speed things along. I check the boxes daily for ripe or damaged tomatoes. I am heartless about picking out damaged tomatoes and all of the remaining tomatoes ripen over time."

ON THE VINE: Skip Heberden of Rock Springs Farm tried a method I've never heard of. I'm not sure about the science behind leafless tomatoes, but he's had good results, so I think it's worth a try. Skip, who sells produce and plants at Estacada Farmers Market writes, "I read your article in this weeks HGNW on tomatoes. I have some interesting information for you on that "sad" subject. I read an article late last year by Kacper M. Postawski on the internet titled the Leaf Less Tomato Plant (I couldn't find the article Skip Heberden read; looks like the website domain expired, but I did find a video.

Early this year, about April, I planted two early girl tomato plants in our greenhouse. I am on FaceBook and I pictured these two plants on my profile for my Estacada Farmers Market customers. If you were to go to my profile (you'll have to friend Skip), click on photo No. 7 dated July 1, and then click on photo No. 5 dated July 19. You may find the testing interesting. We have had juicy red tomatoes since mid-July.

"As I stated on facebook, these two plants were planted at the same time, same planting mix, watered the same, however the results were sure different. I am totally convinced the leafless tomato plant is the only way to go for our little operation."

-- Kym Pokorny