GREEN TOMATO PIE

If you're like me you harvested a bunch of green tomatoes and then stood there wondering what to do with them. You could chuck them into the compost. Or you could make a green tomato pie!

This is Chef Lou Aaron's recipe I saved back in 2002 and dug out of a binder for the first time this week. It's easy to make and tastes like apple pie. If you're in a hurry you can use two frozen pie shells for a top and bottom, or make your own fancy crust.

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 large green tomatoes sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons butter (I usually omit this. You don't miss it.)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put the sugar, flour, salt, cloves, cinnamon and red pepper together in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Put abut 1/3 of the tomatoes at a time in the sugar mixture and coat them so they are evenly coated on all sides. Spread the coated slices evenly over the pie shell. Sprinkle the raisins evenly over the tomatoes and then sprinkle the remaining sugar mixture on top of the raisins. Drizzle on the vinegar, then dot wit the butter (or not). Brush the egg on the edges of the pie shell. Invert the other pie shell on top of the first pie shell. Crimp the edges so that they are sealed well. Cut vents in the top. Bake for 40 minutes or until juices are bubbling around the edges.