Last updated on December 2nd, 2011
WHAT DO YOU DO when the only tomatoes on your vines are green? Why, turn them into Fried Green Tomatoes, of course! My recipe produces slices that are crispy-on-the-outside, and tart-tender-juicy on the inside:
Ingredients:
Large, green tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2-cups all-purpose flour
1-cup buttermilk
2-cups yellow or white cornmeal
Salt
Paprika
Vegetable oil
Arrange a work-station: pour flour, buttermilk and cornmeal into individual 8- or 9-inch pie plates; line the plates up in a row.
Coating the slices: For each slice, dip first into flour, coating both sides, and then shake off excess. Next, submerge into buttermilk, until the flour has absorbed all of the liquid it can. Finally, dredge in cornmeal.
Frying: Heat one inch of oil in a heavy skillet until hot but not smoking. Fry tomato slices until golden brown and fork-tender. Drain on paper towels.
Season with salt and a dash of paprika, and serve while hot.
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Samantha says
Kevin, this looks like a great recipe! I will try it. Like you, I have ONLY green tomatoes!
Eric says
Do you think that crushed cornflakes could be used instead of cornmeal? Or would that make the tomatoes too sweet?
Greg says
Kevin, I'd like to make FGTs, but I live in the city, and haven't seen any green tomatoes in supermarkets nor at the Farmer's Market. Any suggestions for obtaining them in Manhattan?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Eric – I think that crushed cornflakes would make a marvelous coating for FGTs.
Greg – At your next visit to the farmer's market, ask one of the vegetable vendors to bring, the following weekend, a few green tomatoes in for you. You might want to get the seller's card, so you can call or email mid-week, and remind them of your request.
Samantha says
Kevin, forgot to tell you that I made your fried green tomatoes! It was hard to tell when they were done, so I just let them brown a tiny bit. I probably overcooked them, but they were still DELICIOUS! You might add that they are GREAT for snacking! I'll add FGTs to my list of “culinary skills.”
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Samantha – So glad you tried these. BTW, I know for a fact that they are good for snacking; I ate all that you see in the skillet above! (A weekend guest ate the poached egg, bacon & FGT combo in the heading shot).
Anonymous says
My Fried Green Tomatoes:
egg
Progresso Bread Crumbs, I like Italian
green tomatoes
oil, cover the bottom of the skillet
Heat the oil in a skillet. You are pan frying, not deep frying. Beat the egg with a fork. Slice the toms on a mandoline. Dip in egg, then bread crumbs. Pan fry one layer in the skillet. Drain on paper towels. Salt and serve warm. It makes a complete meal, forget the meat and starches. This is a killer food.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Anonymous – thanks for the recipe. I will give it a try. And you are right — who needs meat and starches when you have fried green tomatoes?!!
Erin says
To bad you can't this with cherry tomatoes…. I didn't get a single tomatoe on my two plants this year(along with my naked pepper plants). My friends made stuffed tomatoes the other night for dinner. They stuffed them with small pasta shells and parm cheese…yummmm. I never had them before and now I'm hooked!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Erin – I'm very surprised you didn't get any big tomatoes from your plants. Did they not flower?
BTW – one reader mentioned spraying pepper plants with Epsom salts to get them to flower/fruit.
erin says
Do you mix the Epsom salt with water in a spray bottle or just shake it right on? I'll try anything at this point.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Erin – I've posted Jen's comment (cut and pasted from my post A Walk in the Kitchen Garden) below.
I suspect there's too much nitrogen in the soil. I'm going to fertilize my peppers with a low-nitrogen, high-phosphorous food and see what happens. If you use the Epsom salts, maybe we can compare notes!
Anonymous says
Hi 🙂
About 3 weeks ago i mixed a heaping teaspoon or two of Epsom salts with about 32 ounces of warm water in a spray bottle and started spraying my big, beautiful, pepper-less plants once every five days or so….the plants are still big and beautiful but are now filled with flower buds and tiny baby peppers.
now if i could just get rid of all these nasty cucumber beetles..*eye roll*
Jen
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Come to think of it…I should do a post on this!
Anita Ellis says
I fix fried green tomatoes by slicing very thin,salt them, then mix half and half corn meal and flour and coat the tomatoes with mixture then fry until crispy.