But first, I give you a picture of my sister-in-law Janie frying some sausage.
No real reason for that. Other than the fact that so much pork product in one skillet made me a little giddy.
And yes. It’s true. I have no life at all.
None whatsoever.
So to make the fried green tomatoes like Janie does, you’ll need five ingredients:
5 green tomatoes, sliced about 1/4″ thick (unripened red tomatoes will work just fine if you don’t have the green variety in your neck of the woods)
1 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
1 cup flour
4 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup olive oil (you may have to add a little more on your 2nd or 3rd batch)
By the way – you could certainly use bacon fat instead of olive oil. Of course, your heart might explode, but considering that I’m a person who JUST POSTED A PICTURE OF SOMEONE FRYING SAUSAGE, I really don’t think I’m in a position to be offering Helpful Hints for Coronary Health.
I’m just sayin’.
And now, a fried green tomatoes play-by-play.
Unless the second person likes to scream at random intervals. In which case he or she is really no help at all to the person doing the cutting.
IN A ROW, PEOPLE! IN A ROW!
This is also a nice time for the talent portion of the evening. I mean, if you’re into that. Or you can just move right on to evening gown. Totally up to you.
Make sure to put the tomato in the flour first, then egg, then breadcrumbs.
You also have the option of doing a second post-egg / pre-breadcrumb flour dredge, but Janie went with the one-flour-dredge option. And you can’t argue with perfection, people.
I didn’t get a picture of the garnished tomatoes because I was too busy eating one right after another. Rapidly.
It’s some bonafide Southern goodness, y’all.
Sweet!! I was one that asked for pictures and boy did you give us pictures! I love it.
I really need to try these.
Thanks for sharing!
Hey, Boo-
I’m still a plain corn meal fried tomato girl.
One thing I learned from Paula- Put the sliced tomatoes in a collander, sprinkle a little salt. Let them set a bit. The salt will draw out the water and they won’t be soggy. She’s a genius.
PS- Apply the salt BEFORE frying them. :>)
I love, love this, not just because it is Southern to the very uttermost, nor because it gives a California girl like me the chance to make some of them scrumptious fried green tomatoes myself, but because, goodness gracious, there’s a real, live picture of Sister herself right there. A celebrity. On my computer screen. The shock of it is enough to render me speechless.
Well, Holly Molly, that was so much fun.
I might just have to try me some fried green tomato’s.
However, when I mentioned it to the children they all scrunched up their noses and made disgusting faces. What do they know?
Maybe we will have some tomorrow evening. Just for fun.
Fried green tomatoes rock. Thanks for the recipe. I have to make these.
Look awesome! I don’t blame you for not having a picture of the finished product…I don’t think I’d have a picture of them cooling down! They are so yummy!
I’m off to pick some of my unripened tomatoes! These look delicious!
Yeah no doubt Stephanie – going to pick some green tomatoes off the vine! Thanks for the recipe! YUM-O
I grew up eating these and haven’t had them for a long long long time!
Oh Lord have Mercy!!! You would think that a good ole girl like me would not be drooling all of the computer keyboard but y’all would be wrong!!
If i had not already made those children breakfast I would be frying something (anything) right now :)!!
~~Mrs. J.~~
Must eat me some NOW!!!
Holy cow, that looks good! I know what I’m making with dinner this evening!
We are two-time dredgers here. Darling likes them nice and thick and crispy. I’ll take them anyway I can get ’em, even cold leftovers (if there are any) the next day. Nothing is as yummy as Fried Green Tomatoes! Thanks for sharing…
A few weeks ago we got rid of our Dish Network. Thank heavens I can come here and still get my fix of the Food Network! It’s like having Paula Deen right here live on my computer! And I can print it no less. Who’s laughing now!?!?!?! :D
I’m hungry!
Sister obviously missed her true calling.
I’m drooling all over my computer. I could eat a plate of those right now and I haven’t even had breakfast yet! I’m marching right out to my garden and pull some of those green tomatoes and we are having fried green tomatoes for lunch, along with the fresh greenbeans and squash. I can’t wait for lunch!
Oh yes, I’m cooking new potatoes with the greenbeans.
You should see the looks I get around here when I even mention fried green tomatoes. I grew up eating them and honestly, people just don’t have any idea how wonderful they really are.
Am I the only one jumping up and down because you posted a photo of Sister? She’s cute! Does this mean a photo of BooMama could finally happen, too? Imagine! So I’ve decided to pretend you look just like her, you know, just for the visual. :-)
They look yumming. Anything fried is pretty good in my book.
Reminds me of The Lady and Sons! Yum-O!
Oh my. It’s 9:34 in the morning and my mouth is watering! I’m not a Southern girl, but I’ve made every attempt to be one since I’ve moved to Texas. FGT with black-eyed peas and cornbread. *sigh*
I’ve made FGT once in my life and couldn’t keep the breading on the dang things, but the flavor was good. You’ve inspired me Boomama to give it another whirl – thank you!
Oh, do those look so good! I’ve never made them myself, but I sure like to order them out at a good restaurant..with that good dipping sauce. YUM!!!!!!!
Rhoda in B’ham
Great pics. Fried green tomatoes brings back great memories for me of my father…he used to love friend green tomatoes.
I’m not sure my mom loved them as much, but she made them for him.
Thanks for the post and the memories it reminded me of.
YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY! Not really sure I should have looked at those because now I’m hungry!
They are very lovely.
Oh my sweet mercy! For the love of all that is deep fried with a batter!
I MUST try these!
And your picture taking skills…just fabulous…pulitzer prize moment!
Man, I wish I was eating these right now.
Oh, my stars. Looks like good eatin’ to me. Clearly my midwest roots and adopted western roots have done me wrong. Now, mind you, I have had delicious pan-popped corn with bacon grease, and green beans with bacon grease. However, I have not yet tasted fried green tomato goodness, whether in olive oil or bacon grease. Summer project, no? :)
Bossy has been making these every day for the last week. God bless the stretchable waistband.
Meanwhile: Bossy turns the flame to high and adds milk or heavy cream to her pan right before lifting the tomatoes out. They get a wee bit creamy on top of the crunch. Plus, a zillion calories wasn’t quite enough.
I avoid frying stuff (not so much but because of the mess and the smoke alarm), but this posts makes me want to try the recipe, whereas just posting a recipe would have made me think, Meh.
That should be “not so much because of coronary concerns but because of the mess and the smoke alarm.”
I’m going to see my mom and dad in Arkansas this weekend and she promised me we could make some fried green tomatoes. We can’t really find green ones out c’here in N. California! These look so “delish” as R.Ray might say.
Cannot.think.
Too.busy.drooling.
Must.find.towel.
BooMom?
It can’t be.
Did you momma just post ON. THE. INTERNET?
Looks yummy! Next time I fry up some, I’ll have to try the fancy garnishings! I guess that’d be a bit more refined than my ranch dressing??!!
Those look sssooo good. Love the food and love love love the movie. Twowanda!!!!!!!!!
As a good Pennsylvania Dutch girl, we make just like that BUT we use RED, RIPE Beefstaek tomatoes. Can you say de-lic-ous!!!! (It’s a dang shame that I am living in Hawaii…because a 8 inch, fresh from the vine, grown in rich manure composted earth beefsteak tomato just ain’t happn’ here people!)
Ok, Boomama…… I SPOKE TO BARB today, and we discussed your tomatoes. (Well, she says tomaytoes, and I say tomartoes really, but that is irrelevant.)What I want to know, is this… is a green tomato just any old unripe tomato or is it a special kind? I am foreign and all, you see. And SPEAKING TO BARB (which has made my day) we felt the need to discuss you and your amazing talent for making us cry with laughter. You need to know that you are the subject of transatlantic calls!
Yumm-E!
OH it makes me wanna go HOME!!!
no more boston for me.
What? “Green tomatos” and “unripened, red tomatos” are not the same thing?
Finally I am validated! Blog reading isn’t just a way to pass the time. It’s educational as well! Well at least for those of us who don’t know our tomatos ;-)
I’ve never actually cooked fried green tomatoes, but oh boy can I eat them. Love, love, love them. There’s a restaurant here in town that serves them topped with lump crab meat and a lemon butter sauce. Incredible! Try it that way sometime. You won’t be sorry.
Hugs!
Kat
Never had any, and I am considered a southerner… sure looks yummy though. and I LOVE tomatoes! TFS!
Hi! Just stopped by to check out your blog…thought someone called BooMama had to be pretty cool and I was right.
Love the fried green tomatoes step by step “how to”. Thanks for the instructions…if I can just get my bowls lined up correctly I’ll have it made!
My grandpa used to make these for us all the time. I love them! Thanks for sharing the recipe. I must go make some!
So it isn’t congealed salad, but they are fried green tomatoes and I should probably try some since my sister and I have some 40 odd tomato plants planted. Hmmmm. I wonder if they’ll be enough to work with?
Love me some fried green tomatoes! I’ve never used breadcrumbs, though, I’ll have to try out this recipe. And thanks for the play by play with pictures; oh so helpful. :-)
I am still laughing about “unripened red tomatoes will work just fine if you don’t have the green variety in your neck of the woods”!!
Oh these look so good! And wouldn’t they be great with some homemade buttered biscuits?
I just wrote down your blackeyed peas recipe – any chance you’ll pass along a cornbread recipe?? Otherwise I’m reduced to using (gasp!) the box of cornbread mix. What can I say? I wish Paula Dean would adopt my northern butt at teach me all ways southern but until she does I’m relying on y’all.
Side note: I’ve always said y’all I’m not ripping on anyone. I was born in Indiana so doesn’t that sort of count?
I had no idea that there was an actual variety of tomato that was actually green. (?)
But lucky for me I have a zillion green tomatoes which will one day be red on my vines in my garden right now.
My Mom is coming to stay the night tomorrow and guess what we are going to make for dinner.
Yum!
Oven Fried Green Tomatoes
heat oven to 400*
slice green tomatoes about 1/2 inch in thickness
in a mixture of egg whites and water dip the tomatoes
then drag thru a cornmeal and salt and pepper mixture
on an olive oiled pan place tomatoes
bake for about ten minutes
goodness BooMama, I’ve been making fried green tomatoes wrong for years!! I guess we can chalk that up to my being a California hick, not southern bred. I’ve simply used green tomatoes grown in our yard..that are supposed to be green, ripe, and sauted them in olive oil. Yours look much tastier. I’m going to have to try it, I know hubby will approve.
thank you for saving me from slightly
boring green tomatoes.
and your play by play comments were a crack-up!
Well, I’ve always just dipped mine in flour. But those look good.
She looks Italian.
My hubby looks forward to the fried green tomato’s I make. But your look pretty yummy!!!!
Drooling… As I always say, even clumps of dirt would be tasty if you fried them…I had a very hippie-ish health-nut great aunt that used to batter and fry and all kinds of vegetables-he he.