Get your mind out of the gutter. I am talking about tomatoes. I picked them all last Sunday, the day after the first frost. They were just barely OK.

The texture was all funk but the flavor was great. I made a big batch of sauce with the reds and relish with the greens. The sauce turned out most excellent. Although can someone please tell me why you have to deseed the maters? It seems some odd torture to me. Maybe I just don’t know the secret trick. Here’s a secret: I left all 4,398 seeds in the sauce and it is great.

The relish I haven’t tried yet but I think will be very delicious and versatile. I got the recipe from a trusted source, Farmgirl Fare. One note that is not mentioned in the recipe: do not chop jalapeños and then rub your nose. Holy shit it burns.

I doubled the recipe and ended up with eight pints. For apples, I used some of Bobbie and Shirley’s perfect macs from the Bitterroot. I used up the last of my garden peppers and bought one giant, organic pepper that weighed 1 1/2 pounds.

Farmgirl Susan’s Green Tomato Relish
Makes about 3-4 pints
Recipe may be doubled; increase cooking time by 10-15 minutes

2 lb. green tomatoes, cored and chopped
1 lb. white or yellow onions, chopped
3/4 lb. sweet red peppers, cored and chopped
1/2 lb. tart cooking apples, cored and chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon kosher or sea salt
4 jalapeño peppers, cored, seeded if desired, and finely chopped
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)

Combine the tomatoes, onions, peppers, apples, garlic, vinegar, and salt in a large, nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about an hour.

Stir in the jalapeños, cilantro, and cumin and simmer for 5 more minutes. Carefully puree the mixture using a stick blender or in a traditional countertop blender (in batches if necessary) until still somewhat chunky.

If canning, return the pureed relish to a boil, then ladle the hot mixture into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Process 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner. Store in a cool, dark place.