Fried Green Tomatoes

Although I have not made these for David yet, I wanted to share them! Summer is coming and I am getting a craving for fresh tomatoes! As a kid, I grew up in the country on a farm and we always had our own vegetable garden. My father grew fantastic tomatoes and I was spoiled by having them. It ruined me for any sort of store bought, half ripened, flavorless tomato! In the summer, after school, my grandmother would go out to the garden and grab a few fresh green ones and fry them up as an after school snack. They were FABULOUS. If you have never tried them, I highly recommend it!


 

Too Green

Just right!

Ok, the trick to a flavorful green tomato is all in the choosing. When a tomato ripens it goes through several phases. First it's a very bright emerald green color when its first forming. It then begins to turn a lighter green, then to almost white, then to a light orangeish yellow, and then finally red. You want to choose a tomato that is still in the light green phase of the ripening process. When they are this color they have an almost tart flavor to them and are delicious. Emerald green tomatoes have very little taste and the orangeish yellow and almost white ones are too soft and mushy to fry and begin to taste like a regular ripe tomato.


 

Fried Green Tomatoes

• 4 green tomatoes
  
• 2 large eggs beaten
  
• Fresh chopped dill
  
• 2 tbs of salt
  
• ¼ cup of white vinegar
  
• 3 cups of white flour
  
• Ground black pepper
  
• ½ cup olive oil
  
• 1 tbs butter
  
• Cold water
  
• ¼ cup of whole milk
  
  
  
  
  
  Slice tomatoes into ¼ inch slices and place in a large bowl with salt and vinegar. Fill bowl with enough water to cover tomato slices. Refrigerate for one hour.
  
  
  
  Beat eggs with milk and place in a medium sized bowl. Finely chop dill and set aside. Place flour in a medium bowl. Place olive oil and butter in a large non-stick skillet and heat over medium high heat. Preheat oven to 350.
  
  
  
  Dip tomato slices in egg mixture and then dredge in flour, and then re-dip in egg mix. Place in hot oil on skillet. While frying sprinkle dill and black pepper over slices. Brown until golden on both sides. Remove and place on a baking sheet and bake in oven at 350 degrees for ½ hour. This will finish cooking the tomato slices. If you skip this process the tomatoes will not be fully cooked and will be chewy.
  
  
  
  Remove from oven and allow to cool a little. For a great sandwhich butter two slices of whole wheat bread and place two slices of tomatoes in between. Tastes awesome!