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Post by 12540dumont on Jun 14, 2012 18:49:57 GMT -5
So, for those of us who are not from the South, is this a dish served in fall when you have a bunch of tomatoes that are not going to get ripe?
A dish served in spring while waiting for the taking forever ripe tomatoes?
Or are you using Cherokee Green Tomatoes or your other favorite variety of green tomato?
None of my cookbooks spell it out. Every recipe starts the same...
Green tomatoes
Kind of like the miner who's eating beans. A fellow comes up to his campfire and says, "Hey I thought you got a new cookbook and were going to make something other than beans."
"Nah, the book was no good. Every recipe started the same...take a clean pan"
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Post by Drahkk on Jun 14, 2012 19:10:25 GMT -5
So, for those of us who are not from the South, is this a dish served in fall when you have a bunch of tomatoes that are not going to get ripe? A dish served in spring while waiting for the taking forever ripe tomatoes? Both. Plus some throughout the season whenever we've got a taste for them. And some mixed with okra and fried together! Regarding the green-when-ripe varieties, though: I tried it with some Evergreens last year. Tasty, but difficult to cook or eat without falling apart. You need the firmness of truly unripe tomatoes to hold up through the cooking process. Besides, the majority of southern tomato growers (with notable exceptions, of course) are still growing Big Boy, Better Boy, Celebrity, and whatever else they can get at the big box stores. They've never heard of a green-when-ripe tomato. MB
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Post by tatermater on Jun 14, 2012 21:36:32 GMT -5
Here are some of my fried tomatoes which you can see the unripe green tomatoes showing up more green. They were coated with an egg/flour mix before frying. Here the same tomatoes....happens to be my New Shirmer Stook variety.
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Post by steev on Jun 14, 2012 22:52:04 GMT -5
In my opinion, you want nice, big, unripe tomatoes (first I ever saw of using a stuffer, could be good, but more like onion rings than FGT), sliced ~3/8-1/2" thick. Dredged in seasoned (salt and pepper) flour, dipped in egg/milk wash, dredged in flour/cornmeal (each of these steps depends what you have/want at the time, results will vary; that's what makes life interesting), fried, drained to blot excess oil, served to the fortunate. A bit of bacon grease added to the frying oil is neither obligatory nor amiss.
I use unripe tomatoes, in any season, as a whole 'nother vegetable (I do the same with apples) in stewed dishes. Bockwurst, unripe tomatoes, onions, and shaggy-mane mushrooms make a stew fit for royalty.
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Post by Drahkk on Jun 14, 2012 23:14:33 GMT -5
Yeah, what Steev said! That is pretty much exactly the way everyone I know does them. The only thing nobody agrees on is what spices go in the seasoned flour layer. I like seasoned salt, garlic, and cayenne. Sometimes I even add a little butt rub! (Love that stuff...)
MB
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Post by DarJones on Jun 15, 2012 0:10:29 GMT -5
You want tomatoes that are just starting to turn white because they give the best flavor fried. As for spices, here is my recipe.
4 or 5 large green tomatoes sliced 3/16 inch thick 1 cup self rising flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper powder (cayenne, etc) 1/8 teaspoon celery powder 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
mix the ingredients in a large bowl. Prepare a large cast iron skillet with cooking oil and heat to about 300 degrees. Dip the slices of tomato in the flour mix so they are thoroughly coated. Place in a single layer in the skillet and cook until brown on one side, then turn them and cook until the other side is brown too. Place on a paper towel to absorb some of the oil. Serve while still warm.
In some areas, corn meal is used instead of flour or sometimes a mix of self rising flour and corn meal.
DarJones
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Post by gray on Jun 15, 2012 8:17:32 GMT -5
I pretty much agree with most of the instructions. The thinner sliced the better, and bacon grease is obligatory, and dont drain the excess grease. Also a little old bay seasoning sprinkled on top is always nice.
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Post by PapaVic on Jun 15, 2012 12:04:05 GMT -5
Fried Green Tomatoes are eaten from the time you get green tomatoes up to green ripe or first breaker size, thence all the way to frost, and a little beyond.
I know people who never eat tomatoes any other way than fried green tomatoes.
I know produce farmers who have boxes full of green tomatoes for sale at their roadside markets all thru the season just for people who want to fry up some green tomatoes (or make some chow chow).
I know urban gardeners and community gardeners who complain they never get to eat a ripe tomato because someone is always stealing all the green tomatoes from the community garden.
Personally, I like fried green tomatoes made from tomatoes that are just starting to break a pink color in the center while the outside of the tomato has taken on that whitish color indicating "green wrap stage." When the tomatoes have broke pink at the core, they are nearly fully Brix, and fried green tomatoes made from these have an awesome flavor.
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Post by 12540dumont on Jun 15, 2012 18:32:04 GMT -5
Well, I thank you all. While waiting for tomato season to get here, I have a Patio tomato by the back door. (Doesn't everyone have a back door tomato?) Patio tomatoes are not that great ripe...so I pick them in the just turning orange stage and I got to thinking about FGT.
As we are weeks away from okra...I haven't even seen it break ground yet, I'm thinking I'll have to wait on that whole shaggy mane thing and just settle for plain ole FGT>
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Post by steev on Jun 15, 2012 22:33:13 GMT -5
"Settle for plain ole FGT"? Spoken like a Yankee! That's like "settle for filet mignon"! Lord love a duck! Won't you learn to eat right, girl?! Yesterday's FGT is not only good straight from the fridge, it makes a kick-ass sandwich addition.
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Post by 12540dumont on Jun 16, 2012 15:09:05 GMT -5
I can't find my towel.
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Post by johninfla on Jun 27, 2012 7:09:51 GMT -5
Southern Heresy but here it goes......I don't like FGT.....fried okra (the only way it is fit to be et), fried onion rings....fried fish, fried potatoes...etc but I just don't get excited about FGT.....s'pose I'm a yankee at heart?? John
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Post by Got Worms? on Aug 31, 2012 11:08:23 GMT -5
I may get my salsa from N.Y.C., but I love the smell of fried green tomatoes in the morning! First I make the bacon in one pan, then I pour off half the grease into a second pan in which I add a little olive oil to do the FGTs. Dredge = Flower, egg/milk, fine cornmeal, egg/milk, breadcrumbs. Seasonings are whatever I feel like (and have) at the moment. When they're almost done, I go back to the first pan with a chunk of butter added to the bacon grease to make "Doity Eggs". Fresh ground coffee and, well... it sure beats a sharp stick in the eye! Charlie
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