Use'em or lose'em

Now that the weather is decidely fallish, the nights are cooler, the sun is not quite so warm, we have decided that our tomatoes are not going to get any less green, as can be seen here. So, we try to come up with creative ways to eat them. Don't get me wrong, I love fried green tomatoes, but some times they are a pain to make. So I dug out this recipe that I made two years ago for the first time, and I really love it. I am sorry to say I have no pictures of it b/c, well, it is all gone. But it was lovely and even lovelier tasting!

Green Tomato Chocolate Cake

As unlikely as it might seem, among thrifty gardeners there is a tradition of using up excess vegetables in cake. They don't necessarily lend taste, but they do make it more moist. This recipe comes from "The Tomato Festival Cookbook," by Lawrence Davis-Hollander. Serves 12.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup unsalted butter
1 3/4 cup sugar
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sifted unbleached flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup beer
1 cup puréed green tomatoes
1/4- 1/2 cup water (optional) (you need this if the puree is very thick and dry. I had to add ¼ cup)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan (I used two 8-in. round pans).
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Stir in chocolate, then, one at a time, the eggs. Add vanilla.
In a medium bowl, sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with beer and tomatoes.
If batter appears stiff, add water (moisture content of tomatoes varies).
Turn batter into the prepared baking pan.
Bake for 35 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
Ice with frosting or serve plain.

The first time I made the cake, I made a frosting of powdered sugar, unsweetened cocoa, vanilla extract, and half-n-half. I spread it over the top and let it drip down over the sides. It looked really good this way.

This time I made the frosting recipe from the back of the Hershey's cocoa powder can, and used 6 Tbsp. butter and 2 Tbsp. all natural peanut butter. Can you say, YUM?!???!?!