This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Fried Green Tomatoes

Vine-ripe tomatoes are hard to beat, but Fried Green Tomatoes come close.

A plump, red tomato at the peak of ripeness is hard to beat. But after filling up on vine-ripe tomatoes, I go green. As in Fried Green Tomatoes.  I especially love eating them for breakfast at this time of year, as summer turns to fall. 

Slices of green tomato – dredged in a blend of flour, corn meal, salt, pepper, and oregano – then fried in olive oil till golden, are a treat.  The sweet-tart flavor of under-ripe tomatoes combined with the crispy coating always reminds me of pizza.  Fried Green Tomatoes are terrific adorned only with shaved Parmesan. I find they also make a marvelous meal served with fried eggs.   

Before you whip out the frying pan, a word of caution.  Do not disregard cooling instructions. The insides of freshly fried green tomatoes are extremely hot.  Do not give in to impatience or hunger; you must let the tomatoes cool for a good long time. Once they're cool, dig in and enjoy.

Fried Green Tomatoes

(printer-friendly recipe)

The key to this dish is a hot pan. You want a golden crust to form on the exterior, while the inside of the tomato becomes tender but remains fairly firm. Your goal is tenderness with structural integrity. If the heat is too low and the cooking time too long, the tomatoes disintegrate into mush. For an irresistible sweet-tart flavor, choose under-ripe tomatoes that are very firm and still green, with hints of pink in the skin.

2 medium (1.25 pounds) firm, green tomatoes
1 cup milk (or buttermilk)
¼ cup cornmeal, white or yellow
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon if needed
Freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste

Core the tomatoes. Cut ¼ inch off the top and bottom of the tomato. Slice tomatoes into ½ inch rounds. Pour milk (or buttermilk) into cereal bowl. Add flour, cornmeal, salt, oregano, and freshly ground black pepper to a second cereal bowl. Stir well to combine.

Next, triple dip each tomato slice as follows. First, press a tomato slice gently into the flour/cornmeal blend, coating both sides. Second, dunk the tomato slice in the milk (or buttermilk), making sure both sides are coated with liquid. Third, press the tomato slice back into the flour/cornmeal blend, again coating both sides. Set aside the coated tomato slice and repeat with remaining slices.

Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Test the heat by carefully dipping the edge of single tomato slice into the hot oil. It should begin to sizzle. When the oil is ready, carefully slide the tomato slices into the pan. Cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom. Gently turn the slices over and cook second side for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden. If needed, add 1 teaspoon olive oil to cook second side of tomatoes.

Remove tomatoes from pan. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.  Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan if desired. 

Makes approximately 3 servings (2 tomato slices per serving).

Nutrition Information Per Serving: 198 calories, 4 grams protein, 11 grams fat, 2 grams dietary fiber

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?