Green tomatoes team with fresh citrus for early winter salsa

Three weeks ago, I thought I’d have ripe tomatoes for Christmas. One of my vines (Early Girl Bush) had healthy bunches of green tomatoes that seemed to be maturing nicely.

Alas, that thick and chilly fog that settled over Sacramento stopped my green tomatoes dead. Before the whole vine browned in our recent 30-something overnight temperatures, I reluctantly brought those last tomatoes inside – and turned them into salsa.

Green tomatoes combine nicely with fresh mandarins and limes, our earliest citrus. This light, bright salsa works well as an accompaniment for chicken, pork or fish or enchiladas, tamales or chips.

Green tomato-mandarin salsa

Makes about 1-1/2 cups

Ingredients:

1 mandarin, peeled, seeded and separated into segments

1 cup green tomatoes, chopped

¼ cup onion, chopped

Juice of 1 lime

1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine

½ teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon paprika

Instructions:

Cut mandarin segments into pieces. In a medium bowl, mix mandarin pieces, chopped green tomatoes, chopped onions and lime juice. Mix gently. Add jalapeño and mix again. (For hotter salsa, include jalapeño seeds.)

In a small bowl or cup, mix together olive oil, white wine, sugar, salt and paprika. Pour over green tomato mixture and mix gently to coat.

Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.

Note: Cilantro and/or chile flakes can be added if desired.