Fried Green Tomatoes

The end of the growing season has arrived at Flippist World Headquarters™ (45°11′52″N 93°23′14″W).

Years ago, the first killer frost was usually around the end of September but now it is closer to the end of October. It was a tough year for plants—it didn’t rain at all for almost three months—but we kept the cherry tomatoes alive with hand-watering. September rains and warm weather kept them thriving, I harvested them all before we finally did get a frost last week.

Left on their own, most of these “greenies” will ripen, but lately I’ve enjoyed putting them in pasta sauce, omelets, and stir-fry. They are at their best when they have just started to turn from a deep green to a pale orange, frying or baking them makes them palatable. The tang they impart is a quite different flavor than ripe tomatoes; it’s lighter, a more herbal taste, pairing well with white wine.

Reading about Covid side-effects have made me more appreciative of the taste and smell of the food I eat.