by Rex Trulove

Created on: October 11, 2008

Green tomatoes have many great uses. In Oregon where cold temperatures can hit early and unexpectedly, this is a good thing, otherwise many unripe tomatoes would be left to rot on the vine. A long time favorite of my family has been fried green tomatoes, and they are so good that we start eating them in September, long before the first frosts.

Fried green tomatoes are also incredibly easy to make, and the recipe can be altered easily. If you like fried eggplant, you'll love fried green tomatoes.

Ingredients:

3-5 large green tomatoes or 6-8 medium ones, sliced in 1/4 inch (about 1/2 cm) slices (enough for 5-8 slices per person)

1-2 eggs, beaten

1 cup (240 ml) flour

salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder to taste

1/2 cup (120 ml) olive oil

Mix the flour with the spices.

Heat the oil in a frying pan until is is medium hot. Dip the green tomato slices in the beaten egg, then dredge through the flour mixture and fry in the pan until lightly browned, then turn and again fry until lightly browned.

These are best served hot, but they are also great cold. Additional spices can be added. For a different treat, serve with grated cheese such as cheddar or Parmesan.

Fried green tomatoes are especially good as a side dish with steak, such as venison or beef top sirloin.

This is an excellent way to prepare green tomatoes, and they taste so good when fried this way that many people won't even know that they are eating something that is full of vitamins and minerals. Don't be surprised when they ask for seconds. The good part is that they take so little time and are so easy to make that even if they do and there are none left, it will usually take only about 5 minutes to make more.

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