BL Fried Green T

As I was in the store this week, I ran across a beautiful display of tomatoes. Now to me the sole purpose of a tomato is for salsa/guacamole, but on occasion, especially in the summer I just want to eat them on everything. The tomato display had a variety of locally grown produce from Schweizer's Orchard whom I blogged about earlier this week. In the display they had green tomatoes, which you can't find very often and I jumped on the chance to make fried green tomatoes and add it to a BLT.

I learned from a Food Network program (not that I remember the show, but I know it was on there) that when selecting tomatoes for fried green tomatoes you need to make sure they have a slight amount of pink to them. They will cook up a little quicker and since they have started to slightly ripen they are less acidic.

I have made fried green tomatoes a variety of ways and learned the best way is the simple way. I like to start my dredging with bisquick because it has a little more flavoring to it than flour. I also used a cast iron skillet because well it is awesome, and I asked for it for Christmas one year, and my mom got it for me...I use it a lot!

Fried Green Tomatoes

tomatoes (use as many or few as you like)

bisquick or flour
buttermilk (if you don't have buttermilk then you could use milk or a milk/egg combo, your choice, but I recommend buttermilk)
Panko (the Japanese breadcrumbs make it crispy...I don't recommend a substitute)
Oil, salt, pepper

Heat oil in a cast iron skillet enough to cover the bottom. Set up your dredging station a plate with bisquick, with a bowl of buttermilk followed by a plate of Panko. Generously season your tomatoes before starting the dredging station. Season buttermilk and Panko. Dip both sides of the tomatoes in bisquick, then in buttermilk then in Panko...use your hands and press Panko into the tomatoes to ensure they are covered. Turn heat on pan down to medium low and add tomatoes to the pan...cook 2-3 minutes on each side watching closely to make sure they don't burn. Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel.

You can eat them straight with a nice grilled pork chop, add them to a burger or do what I did and build a BL fried T sandwich. It was filling and summery and awesome.

Cast iron skillet time! I used Instagram to edit this...follow me at travelingcowgirl.

Doesn't this look like heaven? Fresh baked bread (from HyVee), low sodium bacon, butter lettuce and fried green tomatoes.