Jul

Fried Green Tomatoes

I know, I know!! I’m supposed to wait until frost threatens before picking green tomatoes, but I just couldn’t wait! My boys and I love, love, LOVE fried green tomatoes. My husband hates them. But that’s perfectly fine by me …. more for the boys and me! I had quite a bit of fun while making these for dinner this evening, thanks to my 15 year old son. You’ll see what I mean in a minute.

Fried Green Tomatoes
4 medium green tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup flour
1 egg, beaten
Splash of buttermilk or milk
2 cups Panko bread crumbs
2 teaspoons Hungarian paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon pepper.
Oil for frying

Line up 3 bowls and place flour in one, egg and a splash of buttermilk in another, and combine Panko crumbs and seasoning in the last. First coat the tomato slices in flour, dip in egg next, and then coat in the seasoned Panko crumbs.

Place 1/4 inch of oil in skillet and heat over medium high heat. Work in batches and don’t crowd your tomatoes. Fry tomatoes 2 to 3 minutes on each side, turn again for another minute on each side until golden brown.

Here’s how it went down in my kitchen this evening.

Me: Dredging tomato slices in flour.

My son: Are you putting those in pancake mix?

Me: Huh??

My son: Why are you putting those in pancake mix?

Me: It’s flour. What makes you think I’m using pancake mix?

My son: Points at the counter beyond my line of vision.

There sits an empty box of pancake mix. I was cleaning out a cupboard earlier and found an old box left over from a camping trip. Normally, I wouldn’t be caught dead with prepackaged pancake mix. At this point my son wanders off.

So I go on dredging and then dipping the slices in the egg mixture.

The Panko crumbs come next. My mom always used corn flake crumbs, and traditional recipes use cornmeal, but I love the crispness that only comes from Panko crumbs.

Me: OWW!!!

My son: Hee-hee-hee!! Did that really hurt?

He’s wandered back in the kitchen and snapped me with a dish towel.

Me: Yes, it hurt! Do that again and I won’t give you any tomatoes.

He gives me a look that says, “you wouldn’t dare!”. Honestly, working in the kitchen is always more fun when kids get involved. It’s going to be so boring when the boys leave home. I go on and start loading up my giant cast iron skillet with tomato slices. I do let him have some, and he and I end up calling dibs on the last one.