Green Tomatoes

As Summer produce winds down for the season, it loses the luster it had at the hopeful beginnings of June. Peppers cannot ripen as the temperatures drop, Summer squash begins to bitter and corn fails to reach its sweetness. Unfortunately, Fall produce is not shining at its full potential yet. Even after Fall squash are fully ripe and ready to pick, they need to rest in the field to cure for weeks before they are ready to eat. This puts chefs in a tricky position in this awkward shoulder season. The sweet, tender green beans they had on the menu last week are now starchy and tough. The cucumbers are overgrown and astringent. What’s a chef to do?

This is where the hero, green tomato, shines the brightest. As the days turn cooler, the tomatoes can no longer become fully ripe. The resulting tomatoes are crisp, brightly tangy and refreshing even in this shoulder season at the beginning of Fall. This makes them the perfect ingredient for chefs to feature at this time of year. This also makes them perfect at the beginning of Summer, when the tomatoes have yet to fully ripen, and can scratch that itch for tomato fans before they ripen to traditional levels.

Most people are introduced to this particular ingredient in the form of fried green tomatoes. This classic southern staple sees the tomatoes thickly sliced, crusted with cornmeal and deep fried. This breaks down the unripe sugars to make for a sweet and tangy fried treat. As beloved as fried green tomatoes are, it would be a shame to just keep frying them. They shine the brightest when they are still raw.

My favorite way to show them off is thinly slicing them and spooning a briny caper condiment over them to amplify the acidity of the tomatoes. The name is a playful nod to beef carpaccio in the way the beef is shaved ultra-thin while still raw, arranged on a plate and garnished with, traditionally, capers. The creme fraiche that the tomatoes are shingled upon adds a creamy, cool element that softens the sharp flavors at play, and the butter fried croutons add richness and satisfying crunch. The herb salad plays on the vegetal, “green” flavors of the tomatoes and the capers and ties the whole dish together. Introduce your friends to the true potential of this unassuming ingredient at your next late Summer or early Fall dinner enjoyed in the backyard with a glass of Grüner Veltliner!

- Catie Byrd, Senior Sous Chef at Three Sisters