We still have a few pale, red tomatoes hanging on the vines, struggling to ripen, but in our neighbor's gardens, there are literally hundreds of green tomatoes that will never reach their peak and will therefore be pulled up and composted.

When we first moved here I would walk by and I ask if I could have a few. They always looked at me strangely. "What do you do with them?" they asked. "Beignets de tomates vertes ou confiture de tomates vertes," I replied. (fried green tomatoes or green tomato jam) "Ah, I've heard of that..." they would say.

But they said it with a look on their faces that read, crazy foreigner. It was pretty amusing!




I adore Fried Green Tomatoes. Admittedly, I had never heard of them before I saw the movie, but now I look forward to their tangy, crunchiness every autumn with great anticipation.

Now I'm fortunate enough to have loads of them foisted upon me, which is why I've chosen the green tomato for Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Haalo at Cook (almost) Anything...at Least Once.




I'm a follower of the triple dipping method: flour-egg mixture-flour mixture. It keeps the Fried Green Tomatoes moist inside and crunchy outside. Also, I use firm tomatoes and fry them in shallow oil, about 1/4- to 1/2-inch deep.
Here's my favorite recipe.

Fried Green Tomatoes

about 4 servings

1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 medium-size green tomatoes, cut into 1/3-inch slices
Vegetable oil for frying

Put 1/4 cup flour on a plate.
Combine egg and buttermilk in a shallow bowl and set aside.
Combine remaining 1/4 cup flour, cornmeal, salt, thyme, pepper and cayenne pepper in another shallow bowl.
Dredge tomato slices in plain flour, then dip in egg mixture, then dredge in flour/cornmeal mixture.
Pour oil to a depth of 1/4 to 1/2 inch in a large cast-iron skillet or other skillet and heat to 375°.
Put tomato slices into hot oil in batches, and cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden.
Drain on paper towels.
Sprinkle hot, fried green tomatoes with salt and serve.