One of my favorite things to do during the Summer is visit local farmer’s markets and create fresh and delicious meals with my findings.  Last week, I was excited to find green tomatoes on my farmer’s produce table.  At first, I picked them up and examined them like a foreign object, because I had never been so up close and personal with one.   But after acknowledging how beautiful they were, I picked up a basket. 

I went over and complimented the farmer on the tomatoes.  He asked me when I was going to fry them and I told him I had never fried my own green tomatoes before and was actually afraid that I might screw them up. He asked me if I’d ever made eggplant parmesan.  After telling him that it happened to be one of my favorite things to cook at home, he simply said, “Pan fry your green tomatoes just as you would eggplant and let me know how it goes.”

So that afternoon, I marched home from the market and did exactly that. Just as I would eggplant, or even chicken, I dredged my green tomatoes in flour, eggs, and seasoned panko breadcrumbs and they came out golden and crispy.  After trying a couple, I knew that my chipotle mayonnaise would be the perfect compliment.  Once the sauce was added, I marveled at how successful, and delicious, my first fried green tomato experience was.  I knew the recipe had to be shared! Enjoy!

Ingredients: (Makes 4 appetizer portions)

  • 2 Green Tomatoes
  • Kosher Salt & Fresh Cracked Pepper
  • 1 cup All Purpose Flour
  • 2 tablespoons Seasoned Salt (Such as McCormick or Lawry’s)
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • Splash of Milk or Cream
  • 1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
  • Zest from 1 Lemon, about a teaspoon
  • 1 teaspoon Smoked or Regular Paprika
  • 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
  • Chipotle Mayo for Dipping (recipe found below)

Directions: Prepare the tomatoes by slicing them into ¼ inch rounds.  Your goal is to get 12 slices from the 2 tomatoes.  Arrange tomato slices on a baking sheet and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. 

Next, create a breading station by arranging 3 shallow dishes on your work surface.  In the first dish, add the flour and season salt.  In the middle dish, combine the egg with a splash of milk or cream.  Then, in the final dish, add the breadcrumbs, fresh parsley, lemon zest, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste.  Dredge each tomato slice in the flour first (shaking off any access), then the egg mixture, and finally coat in the breadcrumb mixture.  Return each slice to the baking pan. 

Lastly, heat vegetable oil to 350 degrees in a cast iron skillet or any shallow frying pan.  Once oil is hot, fry the tomato slices in batches for about 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.  Drain tomatoes on a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with a little salt.

Serve immediately with the chipotle mayo.

Chipotle Mayo

Ingredients: (makes 1 cup)

  • 1 cup Mayonnaise
  • 2 Chipotles in Adobo Sauce
  • 1-2 teaspoons Adobo Sauce
  • Juice from ½ a Lemon
  • Pinch of Salt

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend to combine.  Serve mayo on fried green tomatoes, burgers, and sandwiches.  Any leftovers can be covered and refrigerated.