Okay, so I know I promised you lemon bars, but you really should eat your vegetables first. When my Greenling box arrived with green tomatoes in it, I was really excited. I had been eyeballing this recipe by the incredibly sweet and good-looking Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen for the longest time, thinking I would make it if I could just get my hands on some green tomatoes.

We used to have tomatoes out the wazoo in the summer, back when my dad used to have a garden. But now homegrown tomatoes are a rare and precious commodity. They come only from the farmers market, Greenling, and generous friends with green thumbs.

I thought maybe this year would be different since we started our own garden. So you can only imagine my disappointment when my six tomato plants yielded two, count ‘em TWO, tomatoes the whole season that were not even as big as a golf ball. Not that this small yield was any thanks to me. I just bought the plants. Shawn put them in the ground while I was wailing and carrying on about stepping on a gardening tool and whacking myself in the face. He diligently watered and cared for them every day in the sweltering summer heat. And for what?!? Two stinkin’ tomatoes! 

But, none of that was important that day when the green tomatoes arrived at my front door. I knew the moment I saw them that they would inevitably be covered in panko bread crumbs, fried to a crispy golden brown and drizzled with sweet chili sauce. This recipe is almost identical to the original, except that I’ve simplified the fried green tomatoes and I added sliced avocado for some creamy contrast to the tart tomatoes and dressing.

Fried Green Tomato Salad with Sweet Chili Dressing

Adapted from Steamy Kitchen who adapted it from others. Leftover fried tomatoes make delicious breakfast tacos. Cut them into small pieces and warm them up in a pan with a scrambled egg. Serve in a warm tortilla with hot sauce.

Salad

3 medium, firm green tomatoes

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup milk

2 beaten eggs

2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup olive oil (for frying)

1 tsp kosher or sea salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

large pinch of chili powder

1 avocado, sliced

salad greens

Dressing

1 tablespoon bottled sweet chili sauce (use an asian brand)

1 tablespoon tomato ketchup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 teaspoon minced cilantro leaves

1. Slice unpeeled tomatoes into 1/2″ slices. Season both sides with salt, pepper and chili powder and let sit. The salt will draw some of the moisture out of the tomatoes. In the meantime, combine dressing ingredients and prep the following in separate bowls in this order: milk and egg mixed together, flour, panko.

2. Heat a large skillet with olive oil on medium-high heat. Dip tomato slices in milk, then flour, then eggs, then panko. In skillet, in small batches, fry slices 3-5 minutes each side until golden brown. Add more olive oil as needed for each batch.

3. Serve the tomatoes over salad greens with the sliced avocado and sweet chili dressing.