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Pick still-green tomatoes before nightfall

A hard freeze is predicted overnight in all of North Texas, including Dallas’ inner city, which enjoys (in cold seasons) a few degrees of warmth from heat-absorbing concrete.
If you’ve got fruit on the vine, pick it now. Much of it can be ripened indoors.

While conventional wisdom says to put green tomatoes on a sunny windowsill, many experts advocate darkness and a ripe banana. Ripening advice centers on putting the green fruit in a box or paper bag along with a ripe tomato. Ethylene gas given off by the banana helps the process. If the banana gets mushy before the tomatoes ripen, replace it.

Darkness and a cool temperature, like an insulated garage, are supposed to help, too.
I just picked more tomatoes at once than I have all summer, all of them green. I figure if I can save even a few of them it’s worth the effort.
Basil and a other tender herbs will not survive the freeze, so pick them pronto.
And water. Well-watered plants are do better in a freeze than those that are already stressed by dryness.
For your efforts, here’s a recipe for fried green tomatoes.

5 green tomatoes

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

3 cups bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Zest (grated peel) of 1 orange

Vegetable oil for frying (see note)

Trim the ends off each tomato, then cut into slices about 1/2-inch thick. Arrange the tomatoes on a cooling rack and allow to stand 15 to 20 minutes (to drain, to help reduce the mush factor).

In a wide bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper. In a second bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. In a third bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley and orange zest (orange part of peel only).

Heat about 1/2-inch oil in a wide, heavy skillet over a medium-high flame.

Dredge the tomato slices first through the flour, lightly coating both sides. Next, drag each floured slice through the egg-milk mixture, again covering both sides. Finally, place the slices in the bread crumbs, coating both sides evenly.

Fry the tomato slices two or three at a time, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. Return to the cooling rack to drain excess oil. Serve hot. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Note: For a more authentic Southern flavor, add some bacon drippings to the vegetable oil before frying.

SOURCE: In Praise of Tomatoes

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