No, not the movie. Although I’m certain Kathy Bates and crew would approve of this recipe. You can bet that we will be cooking this one up from mid-summer all the way through fall. There are at least fifteen tomato plant varieties in the ground at our house in the summer. It is nice to be able to snag a few that aren’t quite yet ripe and turn them into something tasty—or at least save the green tomatoes from our labradoodle, Phoenix, who thinks the green tomatoes look a lot like tennis balls.
My favorite is poaching an egg and placing right on top of some fried green ’maters for a breakfast bonanza of flavor.
4 medium green tomatoes
1½ cups (225 g) almond flour
2 teaspoons black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 large egg
½ cup (125 mL) olive or coconut oil
- Slice tomatoes about ¼ inch (½ cm) thick.
- Combine all the dry ingredients in bowl and mix well.
- Beat egg in separate bowl. Drop the tomato slices (one at a time) in the egg batter to coat both sides (use a fork to lift in/out).
- Place tomato slices into the bowl of the dry mixture and coat both sides. Gently shake off the excess flour and set aside until ready to cook.
- Heat oil in medium-sized cast-iron skillet or frying pan over mediumhigh heat.
- Once the oil is hot, use a fork, to place the tomato slices gently into the oil. Work in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan.
- Turn the tomatoes over when the sides begin to brown slightly (about 2 minutes) and cook for another 2–3 minutes Remove from the frying pan and place on a plate with some newspaper or paper towels to soak up extra oil (you can add paper towels on top as you go).
- Repeat process until you have cooked all the tomatoes. Serve hot!
Variation—These can be served solo with a little Chipotle Dipping Sauce (recipe here) on the side or as an appetizer.
Ingredient Notes—Green tomatoes should have a slight give in them. I find the best ones have a hint of color at the blossom end.
Tips & Tricks—You can keep your batches of just-cooked fried green tomatoes warm by placing them on a sheet pan in the oven at 250°F (130°C). To ensure they stay crispy, place them on a heat-proof cooling rack on the sheet pan.
