I would normally wait on a recipe like this until the end of August or the beginning of September. With all of the drastic weather changes happening throughout the country, I thought that now, just might be a good time for it.

In the northeast, we've had an abundance of rain and cool weather for this summer. Gardens are growing slower and tomatoes have seen a bit of sunshine but not enough to send them reeling into gleaming, red beauties. Even strawberries had a somewhat difficult time this year. Blueberries so far are doing pretty well on the other hand.

In other parts of the country, the intense heat has taken a toll on some crops as well. So for all of you that have some green tomatoes that you'd like to do something with, wondering if you should pick them now, or chance them on the vine...here's a “green” recipe for you.

Fried green tomatoes were originally an end of season way to utilize tomatoes before the first frost hit them, as well as, green tomato relish and pickled green tomatoes. Another vantage to picking them green and early, would be to wrap them in paper, and store in a root cellar or a cool dark storage area, waiting for them to slowly ripen in time.

This is originally a Pennsylvania Dutch recipe but also, long standing, as a traditional southern dish and can also be made using heavy mayonnaise, onions and cheeses, such as, Cheddar, Jack and Colby. The following recipe is more classic and much like a deep dish apple pie recipe. I hope you enjoy it!

What you will need;

Your favorite pie crust (top and bottom)

About 7 large green tomatoes (turning slight pink is great...but I mean, very, slight pink!)

½ cup of cane sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1 ½ teaspoons of grated lemon peel (zest)

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

½ teaspoon of salt (I use sea salt)

1 teaspoon of grated nutmeg

3 tablespoons of all purpose flour

3 tablespoons of butter divided into small pieces

Blanch tomatoes for 1 minute in boiling water, then let cool. When cool, slice into ½ or ¼ inch rounds and slice again (much like an apple slice for size)

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Toss all ingredients together in a bowl except for the flour and butter. When coated evenly, toss in flour and butter. With a spatula, pour into bottom pie crust (the flour and butter will mix with the tomato juices as they cook and will make a thick sauce so your pie won't be too runny) Cover with top crust, making sure to vent your crust and crimp the edges.

For venting a pie crust, use a sharp knife and score little lines. Make your own designs, I like to make little star bursts, starting from the center and working outwards. You will cook this pie for about 45 minutes, but take care that as the top browns, you may want to cover the top crust with foil so the pie cooks completely but doesn't burn the top crust.

Serve warm and with fresh whipped cream!

Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!

Sue