Ahh, thunder. Sweet thunder. 7 a.m. found it pouring, and, though devastated that we wouldn't accomplish as much as we hoped for the day, what were we to do but hit the snooze button? If nothing else, we are resilient.
Out the door at 10 a.m., then, to clearer skies...and breakfast at Sam's Cafe. We hit the market around 11, by then panicked that we'd tarried away the morning. We made one lap and raced out with green tomatoes.
Green tomatoes. My great grandmother used to pickle these. You can find them pickled, by Clausen, but they're soft and mushy, and don't touch the crunchy, pickly goodness that Great Grandma used to produce.
Owning no canning equipment, we decided to skip the pickles, and try, for the first time, Fried Green Tomatoes.
We went the no-frills route: dredge in egg and bread crumbs, fry in olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
To. die. for.
We only fried up 3, ping-pong ball-sized tomatoes, as an appetizer to tide us over until dinner was ready Saturday night—after yet another thunderstorm sent us home early.
We initially considered perking these up with a little cayenne pepper or something, but after a bite or two, I decided that they were perfect as they were. A little breading, a little salt & pepper, and you've got a Fried Green Tomato as God intended it to be.
If you get a chance, pick up a few tomatoes before they get to that sun-ripened state. There's a reason these are a staple in Southern diners. Fry up one or two, and you'll find out why.
I thought my Studio City farmers market had it all, but you got me on this one! NOBODY sells green tomatoes around here. Such a shame because I have always wanted to try 'em fried just like you did.... looks yummy!
ReplyDeleteI mad pickled green tomatoes one year and no one but me would eat them. They were nice and crunchy though. I love fried green tomatoes. Yum
ReplyDeleteI've had fried green tomatoes, green tomato pie, and green tomato jelly. None were nothing to write home. Could have been the cook...
ReplyDeleteMan, I mangled that sentence....none of them were anything to write home about.
ReplyDeleteHaving been to CA farmer's markets, I imagine that green tomatoes are the only thing we have that you don't. I drool over your market photos!
ReplyDeleteGreg: I'd eat 'em! Love the pickled green tomatoes. Might try pickling green beans too...good for bloody mary's!
StFarmer: green tomato pie doesn't sound good...and they'll make jelly out of anything. Nice save on the mangling.
oh my Yankee friend, had I known you had never had a fried green tomato, I would have sent you some (although they would've gotten soggy so it's probably best this way.) aren't they little green slices of sheer heaven????
ReplyDeletewelcome to the South, honey!
You can tell I'm an "old farm gal"....I loved your blog on green tomatoes..........they are absolutely delicious... and now you know...
ReplyDeleteOh, man..my mouth is literally watering..yummm!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know this fried green tomato thingy. Next time I see some around..will try that at home, for sure.
BTW, am waiting to see some rain drops..send some of your thunderstorm this way pls.
I've never had those, but they look like something I'd eat the heck out of!
ReplyDeleteYUM - wish we could get them here!
ReplyDeleteHey...I wonder if I could try growing them????
Janet
Pobs: A hearty welcome. Now, if I could just get a picnic table covered in newspaper and a bucket of steaming crawfish...
ReplyDeleteMary: I can't stay out of them. The basket we bought was full of little tiny ones, so there are tons of them. Yum!
AlwaysHappy: GLAD to send you some rain; we had 5 inches in 5 days, drowning as we worked on the house. My rain is your rain.
BuffaloDick: I imagine it won't be long before you are eating the heck out of these. I'll wait to read about it.
Janet: Sure you can grow them there; we grow tomatoes in pots here! Do it!
I was so gonna go, but with the rain and thunder the babies were sleeping in and I thought it a good chance to do so too! However, I swear I spent Saturday watching the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes" over and over....thats funny...can I have some? PLEASE?
ReplyDeleteMan, I think you could fry up the ping pong balls and I would eat them willingly. Anything dredged and fried...
ReplyDeleteCYBW: It WAS a good morning to stay under the covers! I was surprised how busy the market was, after the supposed "rain out."
ReplyDeleteSS: Brian has a good recipe for ping pong balls that involves setting up 10 cups of beer on both ends of my folding table...
I read about pickled green tomatoes last winter or spring, and I really want to try making them; had never heard of them before and was intrigued. I do love the fried ones; yours look yummy. I think I ended up putting a monster slice on a bun last year, for a fried-green-tomato "burger"!
ReplyDelete