What You'll Need:

• 3 to 4 unripened tomatoes, cut into approximately ¼ inch slices.
• Vegetable oil, butter, or bacon grease for frying.
• 1 cup flour or fine-ground cornmeal.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
  

Step by Step:

1. Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a large skillet over medium-high heat.
   Dredge the tomato slices in the flour to coat both sides; shake off excess.
   Place in hot pan and brown quickly until golden (tomatoes should be slightly softened but not mushy).
2. Adjust heat as needed. Add more oil as needed between batches.
   
3. Place briefly on paper towels to remove excess oil, then on a large platter in a single layer.
   
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
   
5. You can also use coarse-ground cornmeal or breadcrumbs; if you do, you'll need to first dip the tomato slices into beaten egg.
   

Yield: 4-6 servings.