This vintage recipe for Fire and Ice Tomatoes is a sweet-tart salad with late summer tomatoes, bell peppers, and sweet Vidalia onions.
Summer is starting to wind down here in north Georgia. The past few days have been a tad cooler and much less humid but the afternoons still offer us temperatures into the low 90's. It's the typical prelude to Fall weather here.
Even though we know Fall is just around the corner, there's still time for some good summer cooking. If your garden is still going strong you probably have more tomatoes than you know what to do with about now. They're still widely available in the farmers' markets, too. So today I have a great quick and easy way for you to use some of that delicious fresh tomato bounty.
This recipe comes from my mother, India, better known to her grandchildren as NeeNa. In the South we have a long tradition of giving grandparents more affectionate nicknames than simply grandmother and grandfather. I've known of grandmothers whose grandchildren call them "Sweet," "MamaDeah" (Mama Dear), "Munnie," and "Ma Mag." I called my grandmother "Polly" and we're known to our own two precious grandchildren as Nana and BeeBop. My father's name was LaVon and all the grandchildren called him Bon-Bon or Daddy Bon.
All these names, of course, have a story to go with them. NeeNa came about when my daughter was beginning to talk and trying to say "India." It just came out as "NeeNa" and she's been NeeNa ever since.
NeeNa's recipe for Fire and Ice Tomatoes is a great salad or side dish for almost any summer meal. It's wonderful with fried chicken or pork chops and also goes well with ribs or even a steak. It's also a fabulous take-along for a picnic. The sweet-tart dressing that is poured over the vegetables has almost the same flavor as the brine used for bread and butter pickles. You can make these a day or two ahead and keep them in the refrigerator, too.
How to Make Fire and Ice Tomatoes
Be sure to use Vidalia onions for this dish. Their sweet, mild flavor just can't be beat! I'm not going to even try to get into the Vidalia vs. Walla Walla debate here. I'm just going to say flat out that Vidalias are the best :-)
Cut the tomatoes into wedges and the onions and peppers into rings. Place the prepared vegetables in a shallow dish.
Don't you love the colors in there? Yellow or orange peppers would also be pretty.
Bring the remaining ingredients to a boil and cook for one minute.
Pour the hot marinade over the vegetables. Cover the dish and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Keeps in the refrigerator for several days.
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You May Also Like ...- Tomato and Avocado Salad
- Potato and Green Bean Salad
- Copper Pennies
- Minty Watermelon Salad
- Sweet and Sour Cucumber and Vidalia Onion Salad
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Fire and Ice Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 2 large Vidalia onions sliced and separated into rings
- 6 tomatoes quartered
- 1 large green bell pepper cut into strips
- ¾ cup white vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons celery seed
- 1 ½ teaspoons mustard seed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cut the tomatoes into wedges and the onions and peppers into rings.
- Place vegetables in a shallow dish.
- Bring remaining ingredients to a boil and cook for one minute. Pour over vegetables.
- Cover dish and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
- Keeps in refrigerator for several days.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
More Fresh Summer Tomato Recipes ...
- Simple Summer Salad from Deep South Dish
- Simply Recipes' Tomato, Onion and Avocado Salad
- Tomato Panzanella with Ricotta from 6 Bittersweets
- Ezra Poundcake's Fresh Tomato Tart with Basil Garlic Crust
Rosemary Shew says
Fire & Ice always a favorite salad around here in the summer especially now with an abundance of produce here. Also on the list for summer dining our favorite family recipe for Italian style marinated tomatoes and both salads on the menu plan along with so many other tomato projects
Frank Mosher says
I'm going to try this recipe, but I do not see anything in the ingredients that would account for the "Fire"? Did I miss a ingredient?
Lana Stuart says
No, you didn't Frank. Honestly? I have no idea why it's called "fire and ice" except that's what my family has always called it :-) If you want a little fire, though, a pinch of red pepper flakes would work very nicely.
Ryan says
I too wanted a little heat. I've made this recipe several times and now I and add about 6-12 pickled jalapenos slices, depending on your taste, and sometimes a little juice from the jar. It brings if from a good to great!
Lana Stuart says
Good idea, Ryan.
Alta says
Looks so pretty!
megan says
Looks like a delicious dish, plus I like the name. :)
Koek! says
Lovely recipe! Yum
Barbara @moderncomfortfood says
I love everything in this salad, including the intriguing additions of celery and mustard seeds. Considering what a bread and butter pickle fanatic I am -- I eat them literally every day with lunch -- I will definitely work this into my dinnertime salad rotation. I'm currently tapped out on garden tomatoes but am planting my fall vines this week!
ADRIENNE says
LOVE THIS ONE... I'M GONNA' USE IT THIS WEEKEND!