The Green Tomato Friendship

The prolific tomato plants on my balcony are still covered with fruit; little green globes that will not ripen. Perfect for green tomato chutney and my favorite Ginger Tomatoes, a Pennsylvania Dutch sweet chutney made from red and green tomatoes, ginger, lemon, cloves and sugar. I attempt to skin the tiny green spheres by scalding and then chilling them, and have rather mixed success. Ah well, tomato skins will not ruin the concoction. I have great jars this year, only 1.5 deciliters, about ¾ cup, with wide mouths. At some point I must get a jam funnel but for the moment I am relieved not to have to spoon in the mixture with great care and a small spoon.

The first jar is set aside for my friend Vera, she of the prolific fig tree. Enjoying the golden light of a perfect October day, I walk down the hill to her house. She and her husband and one of their grandchildren are working in the garden, and Vera announces that she needs a break and invites me for coffee. Good espresso, vermicelles with cream and quince paste with almonds appear on the table in their winter garden, and we gossip over the coffee cups. I leave with a jar of their green tomato chutney, different from mine, figs (!), chestnuts from Ticino and a persimmon. Neither the fig tree nor the persimmon tree is very large, but both are handsome trees with glossy leaves. They are also extremely generous, like Vera herself.

If making one’s own jam and chutney is satisfying, sharing the results with friends is more so. Something about the distillation of one’s lifestyle, the work of one’s hands, the memory of time spent together, the richness of life, sharing.

Ginger Tomatoes Recipe

3 lbs green tomatoes

1 lb red tomatoes

2.5 lbs sugar

2 lemons, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp whole cloves

2   1.5 inch pieces ginger root

Scald the tomatoes, peel and cut into pieces*. Stir in the sugar, lemons and spices. Bring to the boil and then reduce heat; cook slowly until mixture thickens. Pour into sterilized jars and seal. Yield: about 8 cups.

* I do not cut cherry tomatoes into pieces, rather mash them as they cook. Larger tomatoes or a mixture of large and cherry sizes works best.