What to do with Green tomatoes?

Fried Green Tomatoes

If you’ve been out to any of the Farmer’s Markets or out door markets, you must have noticed it’s ‘Tomato” season. They’re everywhere. Check out the cooking websites and cooking blogs there’s an abundance of recipe ideas for tomatoes.

If you don’t want to fry in the heat of the Las Vegas, the more ethnic supermarkets carry a great range of more interesting produce.

As the tomatoes I was trying to grow either started to split before they turned red or flatly refused to go red. So “Fried Green Tomatoes came to the rescue. I became hooked on these after watching a couple of movies where fried green tomatoes seemed to be the central theme. Obviously the movie “Fried Green Tomatoes” and “The Secret Life of Bees”

Here’s the recipe I use. I know everyone’s Granny has her own secret recipe, this one works for me.

A very satisfying feeling to go out to your tomato patch and pick a few garden fresh tomatoes. In 15 minutes or so you are eating your very own produce for breakfast. 

Fried Green Tomatoes with Red Onion

Ingredients

1/2-cup flour

1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

2 eggs or 1 egg with egg white to top up the mixture

2 tablespoons water or 1% milk

1-cup cornmeal or Wheat germ.

2 Biggish green tomatoes sliced into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

Number depending how many you have to feed.

Olive or canola oil as needed

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

Optional

Garnish: ¼ cup low fat sour cream and 2 tablespoons minced red onion.

**I liked the sour cream but the onion taste stayed with me all day**

The Method

Heat the oven to 425°.

I cook these fine in my small grill oven. Waste less energy. Also keeps the kitchen area cooler.

In a shallow bowl or pie plate, combine flour, salt, and pepper.

Beat together the eggs and water; I used 1% milk; pour the mixture into another shallow dish or pie plate.

Pour cornmeal into a third shallow dish. Coat each tomato slice with flour (shake off excess), then egg, then cornmeal.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, pour a thin layer of oil to completely cover the bottom of the skillet. Pan-fry the coated tomato slices until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Lay them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, (I used kitchen foil with a brushing of oil)

Season with salt and pepper.

Place in the oven to finish cooking, about 8 minutes.

The black looking object isn't one a I burnt. It a dark portobello mushroom. Honest!

Place tomato slices on serving plates or a large platter, then top with sour cream and red onion.

Keep warm or serve immediately.

For added touch of class you can add a side of mushrooms and grilled bacon. Pork or turkey.

For us trying to drop a few pounds: Only use one egg and add enough egg white to top up the egg mixture; Use whole meal flour; wheat germ instead cornmeal.