Traditional Southern fried green tomatoes are actually tart, unripened red tomatoes, breaded and fried in oil. Their firmness makes them perfect for frying! I was given some gorgeous, solid heirloom tomatoes that were so sweet, not mushy at all, so I decided to fry them for a sweeter version.  Of course topping them with parmesan cheese and fresh basil for a totally perfect mix of flavors!
Heirloom tomatoes are the best. Passed down from generation to generation, heirlooms’ taste will far exceed any tomato you find at the grocery store. Found in an array of colors, they all taste a bit different.

I made a Caprese salad last night using really ripened heirlooms. I’m not sure which ones tasted better yellow, orange, red/green striped, brown? They are all amazingly delicious!
Ok, back to frying them. So the trick is to use firm tomatoes, and fry them in a hot pan. This way the outside “crust” will be nice and crunchy.

Fried Heirloom Tomatoes
Ingredients:
2 firm heirloom tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 cup flour
1/2 tbsp. dried basil
1/2 tbsp. dried rosemary
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
2 eggs, whisked
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
3 tbsp. olive oil
salt/pepper
fresh grated parmesan cheese
fresh basil

Directions:

Add olive oil to pan and heat on high.

Mix flour, basil, rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder in a bowl.

Whisk eggs in a second bowl.

Add Panko breadcrumbs to a third bowl.

Prepare tomatoes by lightly salting slices, coating in flour, dipping in egg, and covering in breadcrumbs.

Add slices to pan, fry until golden brown on first side, then flip.

Remove slices, let oil absorb on a paper towel covered plate.

Top with fresh grated parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and serve!

Enjoy!
Ciao!