Green Tomato Cake from Christine

My sister, Christine, lives in the Denver area and has a garden every summer in her backyard. With so much sun, she often has bumper crops of tomatoes. As a result, she has collected some great recipes that she can make and freeze for future use. She wrote yesterday to tell me that she had cleaned out her garden since a frost will be in the near future. She made three of these cakes. One to eat now and two to freeze. And she still has more green tomatoes!

---Barbara

Green Tomato Cake

Makes a 9 x 13 inch cake (serves 12)

2 ¼ cups sugar
1 cup melted shortening
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 cup raisins
2 ½ cups diced green tomatoes
Coconut(optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

In mixing bowl, beat sugar, shortening, eggs and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg; slowly beat into egg mixture. Blend well. Stir in pecans, raisins and tomatoes.

Pour into greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Top with coconut if desired.

Bake for one hour or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.