Fried Green Tomatoes with Goat Cheese and Balsamic Glaze

Fried green tomatoes have been one of my favorite foods from a very young age! When I was little my mom had a tomato plant growing in our backyard and I was always so eager to pick the tomatoes off the tree. I could never wait until they were ripe and red so my mom would let me pick them green and then she would fry them up for lunch! Green tomatoes are much more firm than ripe red tomatoes and honestly have a bit of an acidic/sour taste, but when fried they taste delicious! There are a lot of fried green tomato recipes out there but this one is about as simple as it gets. Dip the tomatoes in flour, then egg wash and then breading. Some recipes will call for cornmeal and others will call for panko, but I use a mix of both. The cornmeal does a great job of holding the fry together and the panko makes it a little lighter. Then pan fry the tomatoes in oil for 2 to 3 minutes on each side and you’re done! You can eat the fried tomatoes plain or add goat cheese and balsamic like I did, either way they will be delicious! 

* I ended up using one very large green tomato and cut it into 4 circular slices and then cut each of those in half, resulting in 8 still large fried green tomato halves (not all pictured here). I would recommend this method or using 2 smaller green tomatoes!* 

Serves 3 to 4 as an Appetizer 

Ingredients:

1 Large Green Tomato or 2 Smaller Green Tomatoes

1 Egg 

½ Cup of Flour 

½ Cup of Panko Breadcrumbs

½ Cup of Cornmeal 

¼ to ½ cup of Vegetable Oil or Canola Oil (either will work so just use what you have!)

Salt

Goat Cheese Crumbles

Balsamic Glaze

2 to 3 Basil Leaves

1. Slice tomatoes about ¼ to ½ inch thick. Sprinkle a little bit of salt on the tomatoes and set them aside. 

2. Set up your breading station using three shallow plates or bowls. Add flour to one dish, beat the egg in another dish (sometimes I add a dash of water to make sure there is enough liquid for all the tomatoes) and combine panko and cornmeal with another dash of salt in the last dish. 

3. Heat a large pan over medium to high heat and add about ¼ to ⅓ cup of oil. You want to make sure the entire pan is covered with oil. 

4. Bread the tomatoes starting with flour and shaking off any excess. Then dip in the egg mixture and then the panko and cornmeal. You want to make sure that every tomato is fully coated in the mixture. 

5. Once the oil is heated add the tomatoes and cook on one side for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown. Using a spatula or tongs flip the tomatoes to the other side and continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove fried tomatoes and place on a plate lined with a paper towel to drain. Immediately add a pinch of salt once they are done frying. 

6. Top tomatoes with goat cheese crumbles, balsamic glaze and thinly sliced basil - enjoy! 

Note: You may have to do this in batches depending on how many tomatoes you use and how large of a pan you use. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan or it will take longer to cook and not get as crisp.