Tidbit's For Trails (con't) 4

Fire and Ice Tomatoes

Adapted from " Provisions and Politics: Recipes Honoring Sarah Childress Polk"

6 large ripe tomatoes

1 meduim yellow onion

1 green bell pepper

3/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup cold water

1 1/2 tsp. mustard seed

1 1/2 tsp. celery

1/2 tsp. salt

pinch cayenne pepper

pinch freshly ground black pepper

Cut tomatoes into eight wedges each and place in a 9 x 13 glass or ceramic dish. Finely dice onion and sprinkle over tomatoes. Core, seed and remove the ribs of the bell pepper and cut into thin strips ( if the pepper is long, cut the strips in half) Scatter the peppers over the tomatoes and onions.

In a sauce pan, combine vinegar, water,  mustard seeds, celery salt and peppers. Bring to a boil, stirring, and boil for one minute. Immediately pour the hot vinegar mixture over the tomatoes and stir gently to combine. Allow tomato mixture to cool slightly, then cover with plastic wrap to marinate for several hours stirring occasionally. Serve on its own as a salad, side dish, or atop some lettuce leaves.

For Sarah, religion was her life and this life was simply preparation for the next and greater life in Heaven.