Success came in Ronni Lundy's "In Praise of Tomatoes" (Lark Books, 2004, $19.95), which not surprisingly celebrates the history, lore and business of all that is tomato.

Her fried green tomato recipe calls not just for eggs, but follows the proven triple-dredge technique — first flour, then egg, then crumbs — that produces the best frying results, pretty much no matter what the ingredient being fried.

I gave it a try and was more than impressed. Fried according to Lundy's recipe, the tomatoes they sweeten and soften. The juices burst from beneath a crisp crust as you bite.

That's right, the crust stuck. It's about time.

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FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

(Start to finish 30 minutes)

5 green tomatoes

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

3 cups bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (dried also works)

Zest of 1 orange

Vegetable oil for frying

Trim the ends off each tomato, then cut into slices about 1/2-inch thick. Arrange the tomatoes on a cooling rack and allow to stand 15 to 20 minutes (to drain, to help reduce the mush factor).

In a wide bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper. In a second bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. In a third bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley and orange zest.

Heat about 1/2-inch oil in a wide, heavy skillet over a medium-high flame.

Dredge the tomato slices first through the flour, lightly coating both sides. Next, drag each floured slice through the egg-milk mixture, again covering both sides. Finally, place the slices in the bread crumbs, coating both sides evenly.

Fry the tomato slices two or three at a time, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. Return to the cooling rack to drain excess oil. Serve hot.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

—Recipe from Ronni Lundy's "In Praise of Tomatoes," Lark Books, 2004, $19.95.

TOMATO FACTS

Thomas Jefferson

Jefferson was a pioneer tomato farmer, and his family left numerous recipes that used the vegetable. It wasn't until after the Civil War that the popularity of tomatoes began to grow.

SOURCE: whatscookingamerica.net

In a pinch

Adding a pinch of sugar to tomatoes while cooking enhances the flavor.

SOURCE: whatscookingamerica.net

Food of love

In the 16th and 17th centuries, tomatoes were thought to be poisonous and were only grown as ornamentals. In the later half of the 19th century, the cultivation of the tomato as a food became popular in southern Italy and France. Pomodoro, the Italian name for tomato, means "apple of love."

SOURCE: whatscookingamerica.net

97% of Americans homes have ketchup in the kitchen.

A tablespoon of ketchup has 16 calories and no fat.

4 tablespoons of ketchup have the nutritional value of an entire ripe, medium tomato.

In the 1980s, ketchup was declared a vegetable by the U.S. government for school lunch menus.

SOURCE: www.globalgourmet.com

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