I grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina a town that was as Southern as you wanted it to be. An equal number of my friends growing up had debutant balls as had lavish bat mitzvahs. People discussed NASCAR at the sushi bar. Charlotte was Southern in its roots, but it was growing up into a typical metropolis.

Food is a huge part of Southern culture even in a city like Charlotte. And Southern food isn’t the same from state to state. In North Carolina, all sorts of things could be fried and anything tasted better mopped with Carolina barbecue sauce. If it wasn’t fried and it wasn’t slathered in sauce, then it was swimming in cheese. In general, it isn’t exactly healthy cuisine. That’s why I don’t cook Southern food very often. I will, though, jump at the chance to eat it.

This weekend while at Heyser Farm, they had a pile of green tomatoes. Big green tomatoes. One thing popped into my head: FRIED GREEN TOMATOES. I had to do it. I have eaten my fair share of fried green tomatoes, but I have never made them myself. If you’ve never had a green tomato, you should know that it tastes nothing like a ripe, red tomato. They are very firm and aren’t goopy in the middle. (Did I mention that my least favorite food in the world are tomatoes?) Green tomatoes are tomatoes in name only; not flavor. They are actually just unrippened tomatoes. Nothing fancy.

Fried green tomatoes are distinctly Southern, at least in my mind. Like many Southern dishes, there are an infinite number of variations on this simple dish. Each variation is thought to be the absolute best. The key is to make sure they are crunchy on the outside, but that the crust isn’t too thick and overpowering; and soft and tart on the inside.

Some people serve them with a dollop of sour cream and some hot sauce; some people serve them for breakfast with a fried egg and some bacon; in Louisiana they serve them with a savory shrimp remoulade. I like them straight up.

Fried Green Tomatoes

• 2 medium green tomatoes (I used one giant one)
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 tbsp white flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cayenne pepper to taste (this is optional)
• Vegetable oil

(No egg with cornmeal. It makes it too thick.)

Slice the tomatoes into even slices about 1/2 inch thick. Mix all of the dry ingredients together. Dredge the tomato slices in the cornmeal mixture just to coat them; don’t let it cake. Put the tomatoes in the fridge for 30 min. This helps the cornmeal stick to the tomato; otherwise it will flake off in the oil. It really works.

Heat some vegetable oil in a nonstick pan — just enough to coat the bottom. You don’t want to deep fry them, though, so don’t put too much. Pan fry each tomato for about 2-3 minutes per side or until they’re nice and brown. Once cooked, set them on some paper towels or a clean paper bag to drain some of the excess oil.

That’s all it takes. And let me tell you, my faithful readers, these bad boys were awesome. Nice, light crisp on the outside with a tart center. I was really proud of myself. I feel like I can finally have that debutant ball I’ve always been dreaming of… or not. I will have more fried green tomatoes, please.

*Idgie Threadgood is one of the main characters in the movie Fried Green Tomatoes. If you didn’t remember her or if you’ve never seen the movie, go rent it!