Growing up in Connecticut, garden fresh Summer tomatoes were a short-lived treat. Because of the climate, we didn’t put out our plants until Memorial Day weekend, and where we lived in the Northwest Corner, our first frost could sometimes be as early as Labor Day weekend.
So I’d wait and wait until they were ready to harvest, usually late July and into August – during which time we’d eat as much as we could fresh, and preserve the rest.
Inevitably though, each year we’d get close to frost time, and there would be TONS of fat green tomatoes on the vine that would have me praying for JUST A FEW MORE DAYS of warm, sunny weather for them to ripen up so they wouldn’t end up in the compost heap.
Now I’d heard of the movie Fried Green Tomatoes (who hasn’t), but had never actually eaten them – it just wasn’t really a thing in New England. So when we visited SC the first couple of times before moving here, I would without fail order some form of fried green tomatoes when we’d eat out. I LOVED them, and felt sad for all the years that they went to waste in my garden, never to reach their full, delicious potential! A moment of silence please.
This year, I couldn’t WAIT until my plants produced some fat green tomatoes for me to fry up. It never happened – I had the most pathetic crop of teeny weeny (but flavorful) tomatoes ever. I had originally planned to put this recipe in the ezine, but since my tomato plants weren’t cooperating, I had to wait until I could score some from my local produce department.
[pinterest text=”Fried Green Tomato BLT Salad – a low carb and gluten free recipe from ibreatheimhungry.com” layout=”horizontal” image=”https://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/fgtomatoes2small.jpg”]
Well this week it finally happened, and I couldn’t be happier with the results! Crunchy, salty, tangy perfection! It was all I could do not to eat these right out of the pan, but it was worth the wait to assemble them into this salad – which also includes bacon, guacamole, ripe tomatoes, and a roasted red pepper aioli. Perfection!
Hope you guys like it! If you’ve never tried them before, here’s your chance – you won’t regret it!
PrintFried Green Tomato BLT Salad – Low Carb and Gluten Free Recipe
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
A low carb and gluten free fried green tomato recipe to use up all of those green tomatoes still in your garden!
Ingredients
- 4 green tomatoes
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup olive oil for frying
Instructions
- Wash and slice the tomatoes into 1/2 inch thick slices. Mix the coconut flour, salt and pepper together in a medium bowl. Toss the tomato slices in the coconut flour until fully coated. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat the 2 eggs. In a separate bowl, combine the almond flour and parmesan cheese. Heat the oil in a medium nonstick saute pan. Dip the coconut flour coated tomatoes into the egg, then into the almond flour/parmesan mixture – be sure they are completely coated on both sides. Fry in batches in the olive oil until golden brown on both sides. Serve hot with roasted red pepper aioli, lettuce, bacon, guacamole, ripe tomatoes, and anything else you want to add!
Notes
Approximate nutrition information:
Per serving (5 slices tomatoes): 223 calories, 16g fat, 5.5g net carbs, 10g protein
Note: This is just for the tomatoes, not the salad ingredients since each person would tailor the salad differently, using different lettuce, different guacamole, etc.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Approximately 5 slices
[pinterest text=”Fried Green Tomato BLT Salad – a low carb and gluten free recipe from ibreatheimhungry.com” layout=”horizontal” image=”https://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/fgtomatoessmall-643×950.jpg”]
Even though this recipe didn’t make it into the e-zine, 25 other fantastic recipes for Fall DID, so join the hundreds of people who have already downloaded the IBIH Autumn Recipes 2013, and start enjoying these recipes today!
Susan Hawthorne says
Some of us can’t do net carbs, can we have the total carb counts on recipes please?
Or at least include the fiber so we can add it back in.
Martina says
What an amazing idea… and the photos! I have never thought of using green tomatoes in a salad like this. Thank you for sharing <3
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious says
What a glorious salad! If all salads are like this, I could eat a salad a day!
Mary Anna says
Looks great! I did some a few weeks ago with peanut flour – that was pretty tasty too, but will have to try these. Where did you grow up? I’m in southeast CT now, near the shore, but we lived in Harwinton when I was little. (I’m actually planning to drive up to Goshen on Monday – have you ever been to Nodine’s Smokehouse? Most beautiful bacon, hams, smoked cheeses – oh, gosh, just the whole place is awesome.)
Mellissa Sevigny says
Small world! I grew up in Central CT, then moved to Torrington (near Goshen) when I was 16 and lived there until I was 29 when Mr. Hungry and I bought our first house in Goshen, less than HALF A MILE from Nodine’s Smokehouse! If you drive past Nodine’s on North Street we were number 141 on the left. We’ll be in CT visiting for the next two weeks and will likely drive by the old homestead while we’re there and visit some of our neighbors. We loved living there – it’s a beautiful area and such a peaceful little town. We miss it sometimes and are looking forward to our visit! And yes, Nodines has the BEST smoked everything! I love their smoked fish too!
Mary Anna says
Ha! I think we might be some sort of parallel universe backwards twins or something – I was born at the Torrington hospital. We moved from Harwinton when I was 3, TO the center of the state – (lived in Portland, though I went to Middletown High) until I met my husband (and moved down here when I was 29…). Too funny! When I’m up there on Monday, I’ll make sure to tootle down the road and peek at 141. :)
Mellissa Sevigny says
You totally should! Although the neighbors we keep in touch with report that my beautiful gardens haven’t been maintained very well by the current owners which makes me sad. Though it’s probably better for me or I’d be even more nostalgic and missing it when we drive by next week! Enjoy your trip to Goshen! :)
charlotte says
While I DO love a good fried green tomato – since we can’t get green tomatoes in stores here, it’s one of the best parts of growing tomatoes….there is no need to compost green tomatoes! I pick all my tomatoes at the end of the season, then let them sit in flats in the basement, where they gradually ripen. I have red tomatoes til Christmas – still INFINITELY better than store-bought!
Sherry says
I’ve never had that kind of luck leaving them to ripen. Guess I’m gonna have to give it another try!
I usually end up taking all my green tomatoes and make a ton of “verde” sauce (which would normally use tomatillos). I freeze it, then use it to cook pork loin in a crock pot with some poplano peppers, onions, etc. The pork falls apart, and then we add a little sour cream to some of the remaining sauce in the crock which has now also been flavored with the cooking pork.
Mellissa Sevigny says
I never thought of making salsa with the green tomatoes! What a great idea, can’t wait to try it!!!
Sherry says
Can’t wait to make this!
Your photography is fabulous. Can I ask…. what camera/lens do you use?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks so much Sherry! I currently use a Canon Rebel Xsi, and I’m hoping to upgrade it in a few months to one with video capability and more megapixels. The lens I’ve been using lately is the Canon EF 50mm which I love! Hope that’s helpful!
Sherry says
Very helpful, Mellissa! Thanks :-) Keep up the amazing work! We all appreciate you so much!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks so much Sherry! :)
Donna says
The photography here is sublime….I MUST obtain green tomatoes as soon as possible…the aioli must send this heaven-ward….You impress CONSISTENTLY…gushing merited!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thank so much Donna! And yes, the aioli is delicious on pretty much everything!!!! The bacon doesn’t hurt other! ;)