June 2024

Ingredients:

• 2 large green tomatoes
• 1/4 small red onion
• 1 handful fresh chives, fresh basil or oregano
• 4 slices crusty bread
• 4 ounces goat cheese
• Garlic salt
• Fresh ground pepper

1. Slice the green tomatoes. Thinly slice the red onion, then rinse the slices several times under cold water. Chop or thinly slice the herbs.
2. Toast the bread slices.
3. On each slice of bread, spread goat cheese. Top with tomatoes, onion slivers, and herbs. Sprinkle the top of the tomatoes with garlic salt and fresh ground pepper. Serve immediately. 

Ripening Green Tomatoes: Although green tomatoes are great for cooking with, they’re also easy to ripen if you’d prefer to do that. The important thing to know is that unripe tomatoes will ripen if kept at a consistent 68-77°F . To ripen green tomatoes, bring them indoors and place them in a single layer at the bottom of a cardboard box. Keep them at a warm temp and out of direct sunlight, and they’ll change from green and hard to ripe and juicy in just a matter of days. It’s simple.

Other Great Uses For Green Tomatoes

• Green Tomato Salsa Verde
• Fried Green Tomatoes
• Green Tomato Soup
• Pickled Green Tomatoes
• Grilled Green Tomatoes
• Fried Green Tomato BLT
• Green Tomato Pie

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F .
2. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for up to a minute, until fragrant.
3. Increase heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Cook, breaking apart with a spatula, until browned, about 10 minutes. Drain if needed.
4. In a 9×13 in (23×33 cm) baking dish, stir together the rice, chopped cabbage, and Italian seasoning.
5. When the ground beef is cooked through, stir that in. Stir in marinara sauce.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the cabbage is crisp-tender.
7. Top with shredded mozzarella, if using.
8. Continue baking for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown and the cabbage is completely cooked through.