Fried Green Tomatoes

This was a first for me.  I'd seen the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes," but never actually had one.  In a search for Heirloom tomatoes, I headed out to get some today @ my town's weekly farmers market on the town common.  I ended up getting a lot of tomatoes:  pink, red, orange, yellow, and - of course - green tomatoes.  I was just getting them for eating raw with a little salt and pepper or in a salad.  That is when I found the small green tomato.  It was too firm and not ripe enough for a salad.  I couldn't figure out what to do with it until I remembered that movie, and decided to try to make it.

As a vegan, it is tricky trying to find an egg substitute that doesn't take away from the dish.  I knew I needed this to be a spicy dish, which helped me easily choose my ingredients for this never-before-made mysterious fruit appetizer challenge.  My husband was the guinea big for this experiment.  As he munched them down, I got a lot of "mm-mmms" and "oohs," and "ahhs," so these vegan fried green tomatoes passed with flying colors.

Here's my recipe:

firm, green tomatoes (as much as desired)
dijon mustard
olive oil
panko breadcrumbs
pepper
no-salt seasonings
garlic granules

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.  In another bowl, combine the dijon mustard and olive oil.  In a skillet, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat.  While waiting for the pan to heat up, slice the green tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices.  Gently wipe each side of the tomato slices with the mustard mixture, then dip in the dry mixture until covered.  Drop slices into the hot oil immediately after coating.  Cook approximately 3 minutes a side, or until golden.  When finished, transfer to a warm oven until they are all made.

To serve, I drizzled a little balsamic on top of each tomato slice, sprinkling coconut bacon on top to add a little character.

Enjoy!