My October 8, 2008 Column About Fried Green Tomatoes

"Fried Green Tomatoes...Yum!"
By Kathi Dameron (From the October 8, 2008 Entertaining with Kathi newspaper column

“Oh, what I wouldn't give for a plate of fried green tomatoes like we used to have at the café,” Ninny Threadgoode said in the 1991 block buster movie, Fried Green Tomatoes.

A spotlight of national hoopla shined bright on this fabulous Southern delicacy.

Beyond the Fried Green Tomato Girdle of the Deep South, from coast to coast, the fame of green tomatoes skyrocketed following the release of the movie.

In sophisticated and cosmopolitan cities like Manhattan, Chicago and LA the humble Fried Green Tomato became a hip, hot and honorable hors d’ oeuvre.

Just about everyone fell in love with these smile-poppers.

Mention ”a plate of fried green matos” to someone and you can almost guarantee that the corner of their mouth will raise heaven ward in anticipation.

But then “a plate of em’ is sort of a misnomer isn’t it? In many homes, Fried Green Tomatoes never seem to get to the table.

How many of you remember hovering around your momma and the old cast iron frying pan while ‘matoes sizzled away in bacon grease? Did you eat ‘em just about as fast as your momma could fry ‘em?

For today’s column, I’m sharing the Fried Green Tomato recipe that I’ve been using in my tallahassee catering business since the mid 1990’s.

One of the novel things that we get to do from time to time at Canopy Rose is to set up a Fried Green Tomato Station at a wedding, tailgate party or other special event.

If you have never experienced a Fried Green Tomato themed station at a party - you really should have this experience at least once.

Guests go wild!

Now granted, setting up a LIVE Fried Green Tomato Station for a couple hundred friends will create a lot of wow…keep in mind it will also create a whole lot of hands-on work, but then that is why there are caterers.


Fried Green Tomatoes

Firm green tomatoes
Milk
All Purpose Flour
Eggs, Beaten
Breadcrumbs, panko or cornmeal (I like to season my crumbs for extra flavor)
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Seasoning Salt

Wash & Dry Green Tomatoes

Slice tomatoes in one half inch or less slices.

Sprinkle tomato slices with salt, pepper and seasoning salt. Allow to stand for 15 minutes.

Line up 4 pie pans on the counter in a row. Put milk, flour, eggs and breadcrumbs into their own pie pan.

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat.

Dip green tomatoes in milk, then flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs.

Fry about 5 minutes per side or until nice and golden brown.


Kathi Dameron is a caterer, special event designer and creator of innovative food stations for weddings, parties and other soirees. She owns Canopy Rose Culinary Arts Studio and Catering Company. Visit her on the web at http://www.canopyrose.com/ She can also be reached at canopyrose@aol.com or at 850-539-7750.