Owner, Allen's Historical Cafe
Auburndale, Florida

"We grew up in the Depression, so we never did have much. All you had was one pair of shoes, and you had to make 'em last a year I couldn't go to school, I had to work. We were poor I guess everyone was poor where I came from. That's why green tomatoes were so good. You could eat 'em anytime. For dinner for lunch. Really anytime. So instead of apple pie, we had green tomato pie, You just had to make do in those days. We didn't run to no store. To get something, you had to hunt it or catch it yourself. We didn't fish for fun, we fished for food. We'd eat catfish, frog legs, gators, rattlesnakes, stuff the rich people wouldn't eat. Nowadays, people consider that food exotic. Go figure."

GREEN TOMATO PIE

4 cups peeled and diced green tomatoes
I cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
I teaspoon vanilla
4 or 5 tablespoons flour
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Mix and pour into pie crust, top with 2 tablespoons melted margarine, top with other crust, bake at 350 degrees for I hour