I have a lovely little backyard garden this summer with mint, marigolds, coneflowers, two kinds of tomatoes, three kinds of peppers and some tomatillos. The tiny plot is set up on a slightly raised platform in repurposed pots — deep drawers from a built-in linen closet we removed from our bathroom, halved wine and whiskey barrels, a clay pot I failed to return to a friend. Our biggest challenge, so far (knock on wood), has been keeping the flourishing plants safe from our very curious, very large dogs.
But I must confess, I'm a greedy gardener. Despite plants heavy with green fruit, I've been buying green tomatoes because I'm not willing to sacrifice any of my own.
Whether they're green or ripe, one of my favorite ways to eat tomatoes is dipped in buttermilk, dredged in cornmeal and pan-fried.
Fried Green Tomatoes
1 egg
½ cup buttermilk
½ cup all-purpose flour, divided use
½ cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
3 or 4 green tomatoes, cut into 1/3-inch slices
Vegetable oil, for frying
In a shallow dish, whisk together the egg and buttermilk; set aside.