Fried Green Tomatoes

So I have heard of fried green tomatoes but being from Michigan, I didn’t really know how delicious they could be.  I think I tried making this little side dish many years ago – but obviously it didn’t make an impression on me because I certainly don’t remember this magnificent taste of late summer.

So yesterday, my sister taught me how to make Fried Green Tomatoes – the right way!  She guided me on every step from how thick to cut the tomatoes to how to coat and spice them to how long to cook them. 

You see, she had a vision earlier in the week of this delicious sandwich consisting of fried green tomatoes, lettuce, scrambled egg and a mustard cream sauce all layered neatly in a pita.  Well, I knew I had a bunch of green tomatoes in my yard so I picked some, gathered the ingredients I needed and went to her house to make her vision our reality!

Did you know that green tomatoes are just as healthy as red tomatoes? They are loaded with vitamin C and beta-carotene as well as vitamin E, K, A and B; they have iron, potassium, magnesium, copper, chromium, folate, phosphorus, tryptophan and molybdenum in them as well.  All of these vitamins, minerals and antioxidants are necessary to help keep our body healthy.  As if that’s not enough reason to try green tomatoes – I have to tell you, they taste pretty good too!

This is such a delicious and simple dish – I can’t believe it’s not a staple in my house at this time of year.  These fried green tomatoes were so good yesterday, that I went back into my garden today, picked more green tomatoes and made myself another delicious fried green tomato sandwich for lunch today! 

OK, so you want to know how to make these little gems … here’s the recipe we created:

 

Fried Green Tomatoes

3 firm, green tomatoes - washed
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup cornmeal
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil or grapeseed oil for cooking

Thick slice each tomato – about ¼ inch thick.  I consistently got 3 thick slices out of each tomato.    Next, put the buttermilk in a bowl and the cornmeal in another bowl.  Then dip each tomato slice into the buttermilk – covering it completely, then the cornmeal – covering both sides.  Sprinkle each slice with salt and pepper to taste.  Place the coated tomato slices on a flat surface – like a cookie sheet, until ready to fry. 

Meanwhile pour enough oil in your fry pan to cover the bottom and turn the heat onto medium.  When the oil is hot place the tomato slices in the pan.  Cook the tomato slice on each side until brown, and the tomato is soft when poked with a fork -about 5 minutes (or longer) on each side.

When done, remove tomato slices from the frying pan and place on paper towel to cool until ready to assemble sandwich.   

 Sauce:

½ cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp Dijon mustard (or more if you want a little more flavor)
½ tsp yellow mustard
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp salt

Mix all ingredients together and store in refrigerator until ready to use.

 Sandwich fixins:

Romaine lettuce leaves – 1 for each sandwich
Pita bread – ½ for each sandwich
3 fried green tomatoes for each sandwich
Mustard sauce for each sandwich
1 scrambled egg for each sandwich - optional

 Assembly:

Cut the pita bread in half and open up like a pouch.  Spread the mustard sauce on bottom of pita.  Then place the scrambled egg over the sauce (optional).  Place the three tomatoes over the egg (unless you have a big pita – you may need more than three slices). Top with a lettuce leaf.  Serve on a nice plate with and garnish with parsley!  Mmmm this is good!

Enjoy the late summer harvest!

 

 

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Did you know this about Lemon Balm?

Lemon balm is a wonderful herb with culinary and medicinal uses. As a culinary herb, the fresh leaves can be used as an attractive garnish or they can be chopped and used as a citrus flavoring in salads, soups, dressings or anywhere in place of lemon zest. The leaves can be used to infuse oils or vinegars or the leaves can be dried or frozen for later use.

Medicinally; lemon balm is considered an uplifting, calming herb. It acts as a mild sedative and helps to relax the body. It is antispasmodic and can be helpful in treating stress, menstrual cramping, mild depression, hypertension and nervous headaches. Lemon balm has anti-histamine actions and can be applied topically for insect bites, wounds and eczema. Lemon balm has been shown to be anti-viral and can be useful during cold and flu season; it can help heal cold sores, throat infections, respiratory infections, fevers, dysentery, Epstein Barr, chronic fatigue and shingles. Lemon balm can lower TSH levels and has been used to treat hyperthyroidism and Graves’s disease. It has long been known as the longevity herb and some say that it can relieve Alzheimer’s disease.

What a wonderful herb to have growing in the garden!

...and it make the most refreshing tea on a hot summer day! Just add about 1 cup of fresh lemon balm leaves to 4 cups of boiling water. Cover the pot, turn off the heat and let it steep for at least 15 minutes (covered). Enjoy the tea hot or pour over ice for a cool, refreshing drink.