So it’s August and you have lots of firm green tomatoes on hand…. Lucky you! The fresh, tart taste of green tomatoes is delicious with eggs. Green tomatoes used to be something you had to figure out how to use at the end of tomato season, but now they are available year-round in many supermarkets because they are so prized.
Serves 4
Time: 30 minutes
1 pound firm green tomatoes
⅓ cup cornmeal
6 large eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons snipped or chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
Slice the tomatoes into ½-inch-thick rounds; the tomato rounds will be different sizes. Dredge each slice in cornmeal and set aside. Beat the eggs in a bowl with the salt, pepper, parsley, chives, and thyme.
Warm the oil in a 10- or 12-inch skillet on medium heat. Add the tomatoes and fry for about 2 minutes on each side, until golden but not brown. The tomato slices should be firm; they’ll continue to cook in the eggs. Remove from the skillet and drain on paper towels.
Without wiping out the skillet, cook the garlic for less than a minute. Pour in the egg mixture and cook, covered, on medium-low heat for about 2 minutes. Arrange the tomato slices on top and cook for about 5 minutes, until the bottom is firm and browned. At this point you have a choice for how to brown the top. You can finish the omelet under the broiler if your skillet is ovenproof, or you can flip it.
Flipping an omelet this size is challenging, but here’s how we do it: Run a spatula around the outside edges and then under the omelet to loosen the bottom. Slide the omelet onto a large plate. Then flip the plate over onto the skillet, depositing the omelet back into the skillet tomato side down. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the bottom is firm. Position a serving plate, upside down, on top of the skillet and, holding the plate firmly against the skillet with the palm of your hand, flip the skillet over to release the omelet onto the plate tomato side up. Let the omelet sit for a minute or two, then cut into wedges.
Serve hot or at room temperature.
Especially if you have an herb garden, experiment with other herbs. Dill, basil, and cilantro are all good choices.
You can top this omelet with grated Parmesan.
Serve with A Hash of Spuds, Beets, and Greens for a special brunch or a homey supper. Green Tomato Omelet also goes nicely with Black Rice Pilaf.