Tomatoes are a fickle plant. If you plant them too late, put them in the wrong spot, don’t prune them and/or get a spell of cool weather, all the fruit won’t ripen, especially late in the growing season. And yes, there are ways to store and ripen those tomatoes off the vine, but even then, some won’t.
And to all of above I say: Thank goodness!
Because that means you’ll have some unripe, crisp, tart — almost sour-tasting — green tomatoes around to use in dishes that can be as tasty as those made with sweet, ripe and juicy tomatoes. I demonstrate that in today’s three recipes.
The first one, fried green tomatoes, is so well known it was used in the title of a book and a movie set in the American south, a place where a lot of green tomatoes get fried.
Before they do get fried, those tomatoes are sliced and coated in a crunchy cornmeal mixture, which is flavoured with the same type of aromatic and lively seasonings I use in my fried-chicken coating.
After cooking, the firm tomatoes soften somewhat and have marvelous golden exterior, with the tastes of both working magically together. For added flavour, I serve my fried green tomatoes with remoulade, a zesty mayonnaise-based sauce similar to tartar sauce.
After coating the tomatoes, I let them sit 15 minutes, which allows the cornmeal mixture to soak in a bit and better adhere to the tomatoes when they are fried. You can serve fried green tomatoes as a main course or side dish.
Like a small, immature cucumber, green tomatoes are crunchy, which makes them perfect for pickling. In my second recipe, I did that, without canning and heat-processing them in a boiling water bath.
Instead I simply packed wedges of them in jars, poured over brine and let them cure in the refrigerator. After three days, these tangy and inviting pickles are ready to enjoy with just about anything you normal would serve pickles with.
My last recipe incorporates green tomatoes into beef and greens, a stir-fry I flavoured with not-too-spicy, Thai-style sweet and tangy chili sauce. In that stir-fry, which also has other greens, such as broccoli and bell pepper, the tomatoes soak up some of the sauce, but don’t loose their crunchiness, which makes them ideal for a stir-fry.
Serve the beef and greens over rice or noodles and create a fine mid-week meal.
Fried Green Tomatoes with Remoulade
Hot, tart, crisply coated tomatoes can be served as an entrée with a salad alongside. You can also serve the tomatoes as a side dish with your morning eggs, saucy shrimp, fried or barbecued chicken, sausages, ribs, ham and steak.
Preparation: 25 minutes, plus soaking time
Cooking time: six minutes per batch
Makes: Four main course servings; six side dish servings
For the remoulade
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp whole grain Dijon mustard
4 sweet mixed or yum yum pickles; finely chopped
2 tsp capers, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp chopped parsley or minced green onion
• pinches dried tarragon and paprika
1/2 tsp Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce; or to taste
Combine ingredients in a small serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed below. The remoulade will keep about a week.
For the tomatoes and to serve
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground sage
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
• vegetable or peanut oil
12 to 16 (1/2-inch thick) green tomato slices
Place the first 10 ingredients in a shallow bowl and whisk to combine. Place the eggs and buttermilk in a second shallow bowl and whisk to combine. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Thoroughly coat a tomato slice in the egg mixture, and then dredge and coat in the cornmeal mixture. Set the coated tomato slice on the baking sheet. Repeat these steps until all the tomato slices are coated, ensuring that you set them in a single layer on the baking sheet. Let tomatoes sit on the baking sheet 15 minutes, as this will allow the coating to soak in and better adhere to them.
Preheat the oven to 200 F. Line a second baking sheet with parchment paper. Heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium, to medium-high heat. Pour in enough oil to reach about 1/4-inch in depth. When the oil is hot, working in batches fry the tomato slices about three minutes per side, until golden brown and hot. Drain the fried tomatoes on paper towel, set on the clean baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you fry the rest.
Plate and serve tomatoes with the remoulade.
Refrigerator Pickled Green Tomatoes
These crunchy, tangy, easy-to-make pickles cure in a jar in the refrigerator, no heat processing required. Serve them with anything you would normally serve pickles with, such as ribs, ham, sandwiches and sausages. You could also coarsely chop some of these pickles to top a hot dog with.
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Curing time: three days
Makes: two (500 ml) jars
2 (500 mL) canning jars
1 1/4 lb green tomatoes (about 3 to 4 medium)
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
12 sprigs fresh dill
3/4 cup plus one 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
3/4 cup plus one 1 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp sea salt
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1/4 tsp crushed chili flakes
Wash and dry your jars well, and then submerge in simmering water a few minutes to sterilize them. Drain the hot jars well and set on a work surface.
Cut each tomato in half, and then cut each half tomato into five to six wedges. Very tightly pack the tomatoes into the jars, cutting and adding more wedges to fill them if needed. Intersperse the garlic slices and dill sprigs into the jars when packing in the tomatoes.
Place the remaining ingredients in a small stainless pot. Bring to a simmer and whisk until the salt and sugar are completely dissolved. Remove from heat and pour this hot brine over the tomatoes, filling the jars to within 1/4-inch of the top and making sure the tomatoes are fully submerged. If some tomatoes start to float, pack a few more wedges in.
Cool the pickles to room temperature, and then screw on the jar lids, set the jars in the refrigerator, and let the pickles cure and build flavour for three days. The pickles will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Thai-style Beef and Greens
Wedges of green tomato, bell pepper, broccoli and green onions are the greens in this quick cooking beef dish.
The Thai-style sweet chili sauce used in the recipe is a mildly spicy, sweet and tangy mixture sold in bottles in the Asian-foods aisle of most supermarkets.
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking time: About 10 minutes
Makes: four servings
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
3/4 lb. stir-fry beef (see Note)
2 medium green tomatoes, each cut into 10 wedges
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2- to 1-inch cubes
12 to 16 small (about an 1-inch wide) broccoli florets
2 tsp chopped fresh ginger
1 cup Thai-style sweet chili sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 to 3 green onions, cut into 1-inch long pieces
Heat 2 Tbsp of the oil in a large skillet or wok set over medium-high. When very hot, add the beef, in batches, and cook until nicely browned. Remove and set the cooked pieces of beef on a plate as you go along.
Heat the remaining oil in the skillet or wok. Add the tomatoes, bell pepper, broccoli and ginger and stir-fry two to three minutes. Add the sweet chili and soy sauces and bring to a simmer. Return the beef to pan along with the green onion, toss to coat with the sauce, heat through one to two minutes, and then serve.
Note: Sliced and ready to cook stir-fry beef is available in the meat department of most supermarkets. If you can’t find it, slice 3/4 lb. of sirloin steak into thin strips, each about two inches long.
Eric Akis is the author of The Great Rotisserie Chicken Cookbook (Appetite by Random House). His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
