At some point in October in Portland, the tomatoes stop ripening, and it’s time to make fried green tomatoes. They are crispy on the outside, and juicy and tangy on the inside. They remind me of southern meals, but you can enjoy them almost any time. In years past, we had so many tomatoes that I made them several times, but this year our yield was so low, that I waited till now to pick any green ones.
As you can see in the picture above, sometimes when you cut into a green tomato, you have a sweet surprise awaiting you — the tomato was starting to ripen from the inside out. These slices are especially good!
Ingredients:
- Green tomatoes, preferably medium to large size (2 large ones was enough for 3 people at my house)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornmeal flour
- salt and pepper
- vegetable or olive oil
Steps:
- Cut the tomatoes into approximately 1/4 inch slices and sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides. Let them sit for 10 mins. or so to tenderize a bit. This is particularly helpful if the tomatoes are hard.
- Mix flour and cornmeal together in a wide bowl.
- Pour buttermilk into a separate small bowl.
- Heat a large fry pan on medium heat with a few tablespoons of oil.
- Dip tomato slices into buttermilk and then into flour mixture, flipping to cover both sides.
- Place slices in oil, and cook on each side for about 3 or 4 mins., until golden and crisp.
- Remove from pan and serve hot!
Cardamom & Creme 