Zesty Fried Green Tomatoes

I've wanted to try fried green tomatoes ever since the movie came out in the 90s.   I've never seen them on a restaurant menu here in NH and I managed to miss out on trying them the few times I've traveled south.    While picking up corn at the farm, I noticed they had baskets of big beautiful green tomatoes too.   Score!   

I brought them home with me, and went searching for a recipe on the Taste of Home site.    I printed this one, and then my day got away from me.   The second day on the counter, my tomatoes weren't quite as green.   I sliced them up and slapped them in the freezer on some parchment in a single layer.    When they were solid, I put them in a ziptop bag.

Yesterday I had time to cook them up.   I defrosted them in the fridge, blotted them well and proceeded with the recipe.   Minor changes-  instead of garlic salt, I used Roasted Granulated Garlic.   I sprinkled kosher salt on the tomatoes after they were fried.   I sat and admired my finished tomatoes and thought, I have bacon and sourdough bread and lettuce!  

I assembled all of it into an amazing fried green tomato BLT.     I'm not a mayo fan, usually I use ranch.   I didn't bother with a sauce this time, I was too anxious to eat.  For the remaining tomatoes I think I'll do a riff on a remoulade using sour cream and Greek yogurt.  

So happy that I finally tried these!  I loved the crispy flavorful coating, the slightly tart bite of the tomato.    It worked perfectly with some salty, bacon, crisp cool lettuce and hearty bread.  Thanks so much to Gladys G for sharing this fantastic recipe!

Zesty Fried Green Tomatoes

Yield: 6

Author: Jolene's Recipe Journal

Ingredients

• 4 medium green tomatoes -- cut into 1/4-inch slices
• Salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup olive oil -- (1/4 to 1/2)

Instructions

1. Sprinkle both sides of tomatoes with salt; let stand for 10 minutes. In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs.
2. In another shallow bowl, combine the cornmeal, cheese, flour and seasonings. Pat tomatoes dry. Dip in eggs, then coat with cornmeal mixture.
3. In a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium heat. Fry tomatoes, a few at a time, for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown, adding more oil as needed. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm.

Notes

Source: "http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/zesty-fried-green-tomatoes" Recipe is no longer available on the website.

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American