Fried Green Tomatoes

Now that we are well into August, it's officially jersey tomato season....um, yay.  (If you're unlucky enough to not have experienced the awesomeness that is jersey corn and tomatoes, I'm truly sorry, you're really missing out.)  But to make it even better, as I walked into a gardening store of all places, there was a huge tomato display that included a whole crate of green tomatoes.  Upon seeing them I knew I had to make Fried Green Tomatoes.  I mean, how could I pass that up, they were perfect.  Bright green and hard as a rock, just right.

I was first inspired to make FGT after (of course) the movie of the same name.  My love of Mary-Louise Parker was truly cemented with that movie (only to grow with her current Weeds endeavor, but I digress).  But as one can imagine, finding green tomatoes...I mean really green ones, not just a bit unripe....is pretty difficult unless you live on a tomato farm.  My first attempt was a few years ago.  I found some mostly green tomatoes and decided to give it a shot.  They were ok, but not great.  The tomatoes were too ripe, giving the finished product a slightly too sweet taste.  Not to mention they were all mushy and didn't hold their shape at all.  But my second attempt was much more successful.

I scoured the interwebs for a perfect recipe (which I couldn't find).  Below is my composite of like 10 or 12...and it worked out perfectly.  Crunchy corn meal-y crust with a tart center...pretty f-in awesome if I do say so myself.

4-5 green tomatoes

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 c half & half
1 c cornmeal
1 c flour
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 c olive oil

slice the tomatoes into rounds, approx 1/2 inch thick
combine eggs and half & half
combine 1/2 c flour with cornmeal, garlic powder, salt and pepper
dredge tomatoes in remaining flour, dip in egg mixture, and dredge in cornmeal
fry over medium high heat, the oil should come 1/2 inch up side of pan (preferably a cast iron frying pan)
3-4 minutes per side until brown and crispy