Uncle...Mercy...whatever you want to call it, I officially give up. I’ve resigned myself to the fact that no more are going to pop up, no red ones are on the horizon. My tomato garden is officially over for the year.
This season should be classified as a flop. Normally, I have tons of tomatoes available on the vine at any given moment and feel like the shrimp scene from Forest Gump when reciting all of my tomato dishes. I make tomato sauce, tomato salad, tomato soup, diced tomatoes, roasted tomatoes—you get the picture. I have enough for the squirrels, the rabbits, the birds, my dog, and even some humans to pick whenever they want.
This year, however, I fed mostly wildlife—few of them turned red or yellow, depending on the variety, and with the storms we had early in the season, my perfect rows became a tangled mess of tipped-over stakes. What's left on the vine is green and going to stay that way.
As a general rule, I try to make the best of the situation I'm in—when life hands me lemons, I make lemonade. And when my tomatoes are the color of cucumbers, well, it’s fried green tomatoes for everyone.
I’ve done a lot of experimenting when it comes to fried green tomato recipes. My favorites always include buttermilk and cornmeal. Below is one of the better recipes I have found—it is particularly easy and yields good results. I like to serve it with remoulade sauce (also below.) Some remoulade sauces have just a couple of ingredients--the one I like takes a little more time. I highly recommend allowing the flavors to blend overnight. If you prefer a smoother texture, omit the celery.
Reluctantly, I purchased my first bin of red grape tomatoes at the grocery store this week. The squirrels and rabbits are on their own until spring.
Fried Green Tomatoes (from Southern Living Magazine)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 medium-size green tomatoes, cut into 1/3-inch slices
Vegetable oil
Salt to taste
Combine egg and buttermilk; set aside.
Combine 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl or pan.
Dredge tomato slices in remaining 1/4 cup flour; dip in egg mixture, and dredge in cornmeal mixture.
Pour oil to a depth of 1/4 to 1/2 inch in a large cast-iron skillet; heat to 375°. Drop tomatoes, in batches, into hot oil, and cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels or a rack. Sprinkle hot tomatoes with salt.
Remoulade Sauce (from food.com)
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup finely chopped scallion
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 stalk finely chopped celery
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Whisk together all ingredients. Cover and chill 1 hour.
