Appetizers/ Vegetables

Fried Green Tomatoes with Cornmeal from “Glass Gem” Corn

These fried green tomatoes are crisp outside and so succulent inside, they will melt in your mouth. So make plenty for everyone.

Hello, my dear readers. This is a guest post from Debbi Pinciotti, our dear friend and neighbor. I hope you enjoy her article. (Photography by Yelena Strokin)

Just a few steps from my suburban townhouse front door, the corn really is “as high as an elephant’s eye”, just like the line in the song from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, “Oklahoma”.  Oscar Hammerstein lived on a farm outside of Doylestown, Pennsylvania for about twenty years; I wonder if it was Bucks County corn that he was looking at when he penned that famous song!

Hello, I’m Debbi Pinciotti.  I have the good fortune to befriend and neighbor to Yelena.  My beloved husband Joe, a scientist by profession but a farmer at heart – and soul – has either grown or collected from the nearby woods and fields some of the natural objects and foods in Yelena’s gorgeous photos.

Joe’s most recent contribution is the beautiful and unique “Glass Gem” corn.  This is a type of Indian corn that has striking colors; magenta, olive green, navy, rust, sky blue, lavender, and more.  Kernels on the newly-picked ears also have a lovely pearly translucence.

Joe found this corn online last summer and was struck by how pretty and unusual it is.  He was not alone – the gardening websites called it “an internet sensation”.  Of course, Joe ordered some seeds – as soon as he found a supplier who was not sold out – and planted them promptly on June first!

We now have 30 corn plants.  It’s a bit of an odd sight – a stand of corn on the lawn in the middle of ornamental suburban gardens!  For the past couple of weeks, Joe has been harvesting a few ears every day, peeling each one carefully leaf by leaf, with no idea of what colors each ear contains until the kernels are exposed.  It’s like opening fun little presents, and he has not been disappointed yet!  The corn is good to eat as well.  It can be popped or ground to meal or flour.  Joe hand-ground some of the corn into meal for Yelena to use in an upcoming recipe.  We can’t wait to see what delicious culinary treat she will create!

Fried Green Tomatoes with Cornmeal

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Serves: 2

Ingredients

  • 3-4 green tomatoes, sliced, about 1/2 inch
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 4-5 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • some fine-ground cornmeal (1/2 cup or so)
  • 1/4 cup grape-seed oil

Instructions

1

Sprinkle the tomato slices with salt.

2

Let them stand for 5-10 minutes.

3

Meanwhile, place in separate shallow bowls: the flour and freshly ground pepper, the egg, and the cornmeal.

4

Heat the grape-seed oil in a skillet on medium heat.

5

Dip tomato slices in the flour-pepper mix, then egg mixture, then the cornmeal.

6

In the skillet, fry half of the coated tomato slices at a time, for 3-5 minutes on each side or until brown.

7

Set the cooked tomatoes on paper towels to drain.

8

These are fantastic with yogurt and fresh herbs: mint, basil, or parsley.

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16 Comments

  • Reply
    Rosa's Yummy Yums
    September 10, 2014 at 1:07 pm

    Lovely corn and tomato pictures (and beautiful vegetables). I love that blue board…

    I've never had fried green tomatoes, but I'd love to taste that delicious dish!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  • Reply
    La Table De Nana
    September 10, 2014 at 3:25 pm

    What a lovely neighbour..friend..corn..fried green tomatoes..photos..sentiments:)

  • Reply
    Anonymous
    September 10, 2014 at 7:21 pm

    Beautiful Yelena and something to aspire to with our unripe tomatoes at the end of our approaching season 🙂

  • Reply
    Te de Ternura
    September 11, 2014 at 3:28 am

    Me encantan estos sabores; poder saborear este plato con el crujiente del maíz y la textura blanda del tomate frito tiene que ser una delícia para el paladar.
    UN BUEN JUEVES YELENA, RECIBE TODO MI CARIÑO :)))
    Conxita

  • Reply
    Marsha Splenderosa
    September 11, 2014 at 4:30 am

    Yelena, I LOVE tomatoes prepared any way or just fresh with nothing but a bit of salt. Love this story so much!
    But, I feel sad for the little tomato blossoms which will never get to grow into tomatoes :)'s
    xx's
    Marsha

  • Reply
    Medeja
    September 11, 2014 at 9:53 am

    All your food both sounds great and looks amazing!

  • Reply
    HEAVEN CAN WAIT
    September 11, 2014 at 10:59 am

    Very creative! As always, your photographs are amazing!

    Greetings! – Dominique

  • Reply
    The Ancient Olive
    September 11, 2014 at 12:44 pm

    Yelena, this post brings back a favorite childhood memory. My family lived in a small Florida town that produce a huge amount of tomatoes and had many tomato packing factories. When the tomato trucks were quite full, and the drivers took corners too fast, the green tomatoes would fall off to the road side. My brothers and I would scoop them up and take them home for mom to make fried green tomatoes! Thanks for the memories!

  • Reply
    melangery
    September 11, 2014 at 1:00 pm

    Jeffery, thank you for sharing your beautiful story, I love it. It is so interesting how food can bring so many memories from the childhood.

  • Reply
    Julia
    September 11, 2014 at 6:51 pm

    Yelena, thanks for stopping by and reminding me that I've been a stranger lately. 🙁 I miss commenting and visiting blogs I love like yours. I've been so busy unfortunately, with everything – fun stuff and not so fun (such as being sick for 3 months and then figuring out I became gluten intolerant). 🙁 The photography is beautiful in this post, as usually, – what an unusual kind of corn – so pretty!

  • Reply
    Sippity Sup
    September 11, 2014 at 10:43 pm

    That corn is beautiful (so is the garden and the FGTs) Heck it's all beautiful. GREG

  • Reply
    Shibi Thomas
    September 12, 2014 at 3:56 pm

    The green tomatoes on the blue board picture is stunning!! Loved the colors of the corn and the recipe sounds very delicious.

  • Reply
    melangery
    September 12, 2014 at 8:38 pm

    Shibi, I like that blue board, I made it just recently in my garage-)) Now I am thinking, what ales should I paint?-))

  • Reply
    Lindsay Severson
    September 16, 2014 at 11:04 pm

    Absolutely one of my favorite uses of color thus far!

  • Reply
    Rose Martine
    February 10, 2020 at 4:35 pm

    You are so talented and patient!! I’m sharing some of your treats tomorrow on my blog. Thanks so much for linking up to my Red, White, Blue & You Link Party! I always love everything you make!

  • Reply
    Harold Burton
    June 20, 2021 at 10:30 am

    I made this last night and it is delicious! Just wondering what is considered one serving for the nutritional information? Is that 2 prepared chicken breasts?

    Harold Burton

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