Recipe Favorite: Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried Green Tomatoes are a favorite in our house. We adore the combination of the crispy outside with the tart middle! It is a great spring option, and summer option, and fall option… you see where this is going right? We love to find local tomatoes and pick up the green ones. Another bonus is that they are budget friendly. You can eat them on their own, as a replacement for your tomato in your favorite burger, as a sandwich, with your favorite grilled items, the possibilities are endless (until you run out of tomatoes of course).

When you pick your green tomatoes make sure they are firm and a little heavy for their size. Green tomatoes are often less expensive which makes it a budget friendly treat! Here are our two favorite recipes for you to choose from:

Southern Style Green Tomatoes:
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk (you may need a bit more to get the batter to the consistency you like)
1/4 cup biscuit mix or gluten free flour blend  
3/4 cup biscuit mix (our favorite is the Bacon, followed by the Herb, and Rosemary Black Pepper)
3 medium-size green tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch slices
Sunflower Oil (you can use vegetable oil but avoid olive oil)
Salt to taste

Combine egg and buttermilk; set aside. Pour your mix into a shallow pan or dish. Dredge tomato slices in remaining 1/4 cup flour; dip in egg mixture, and dredge in cornmeal mixture. Heat ¼ to ½ inch of oil to 375 degrees in a cast iron or heavy bottom pan. Fry tomatoes in batches and cook 2 minutes (approximately) per side or until GBD (golden brown and delicious). Drain on paper towels or rack above a pan. Season immediately with salt to taste.   

“Tempura” style Green tomatoes:

¾-1 cup COLD seltzer water or club soda (we also like hard cider)
1 cup biscuit mix
3 medium-size green tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch slices
Sweet onion quartered and separated
Salt to taste.

Sunflower Oil

Heat oil to 375 degrees. We do use a deep fryer but you can also use a pan on the stove. Mix the two ingredients and let set 5 minutes. Dip into batter and place directly into hot oil. Fry until it floats and is GBD. Drain on rack or paper towels. Season with salt directly out of hot oil.

In the spring we love to use these batters on asparagus and zucchini.  Through the summer this is great on summer squashes, young sweet potatoes and green beans.  For the fall butternut squash, potatoes and hatch or pueblo chili’s.