Random WillyNilly Cooking Presents: Fried Green Tomatoes

The other day while I was in the garden, I noticed a baby green tomato had fallen off the plant. I picked it up and brought it in the house. I had no idea what to do with it. Yesterday when I was looking at the garden there are tons of green tomatoes with one or two just starting to get ripe. So I decided that I would try and make Fried Green Tomatoes.

I had never ever heard of Fried Green Tomatoes until the movie came out. When I saw it, I thought wow it's weird people would eat green tomatoes. But the movie left me with the idea that I needed to eat fried green tomatoes. The first time I ever tried them was about 7 years ago when I was in Charleston, SC at some training. I was there about a week and it included the weekend. Tom drove up and stayed with me. That weekend we went on a Plantation Tour and then we stopped at this tiny little diner in the middle of nowhere to have lunch.

I was in hog heaven because they had all the Southern food I love. Fried Chicken, collard greens, mashed potatoes, biscuits and they had fried green tomatoes. So I ordered some. I wasn't sure what to expect but what I got was a bite of deliciousness I had never tasted. The batter was light but tasty. When I bit into the fried green tomato, it was tart and the taste surprising. The tomato was not raw but it was still firm. The whole experience was fantastic because it was a flavor profile I had never had. I was hooked.

Now anytime I see fried green tomatoes on the menu, I order them. Here in Sylva I had them at the Spring Street Cafe. They were served with a ranch dressing. When I went to Asheville, I visited the Early Girl Cafe and they had them in a salad with bacon. They were delcious!

I have tried to make them once before but it didn't turn out so great. I used flour and it just wasn't the right thing. Of course, I should have looked for a recipe but I am willy-nilly when I cook so I just started cooking without thinking. The batter cooked but the tomato was cut too thick and stayed raw.

This time since I was going to grocery store, I decided to try something instead of flour. I realize I should have used cornmeal but I saw cracker meal instead and grabbed that. I figured it was something different.

I started cooking and had the Food Network on in the background and, my favorite, Guy Fieri, was on cooking some fried fair food. I stopped for a second to watch and he was saying to coat the sausage first with the flour and then dip it into the batter. I usually dip whatever in the batter first then the dry stuff. So I decided to follow his advice with my green tomatoes.

I took the cracker meal and added pepper, salt, seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder and a pinch of paprika. I can't tell you how much because it was all willy-nilly measuring. I mixed it all up. I took the tomato dipped it into the cracker meal, then an egg wash and then the cracker meal again and started frying. I have to say that I would give my right arm to have a proper fryer because using a frying pan is just not the best thing.

I fried them all up and they came out beautiful. I decided to serve them up with some blue cheese dressing I found in the frig. I have to say that of all the fried green tomatoes I have ever had in my life, these were the absolute best. Yes, better than any I have tasted at any restaurant. I usually don't say that about my cooking but damn these were good. Even Tom liked them and he doesn't eat fried green tomatoes.

I might have to pick a few more green tomatoes next week and try again. Who knew I would learn to make the such delicious fried green tomatoes.