Try this Eastern twist on a Southern American favorite. The zing from limes and chilies complements the natural tang of green tomatoes, while the crunchy coconut balances out the heat.

2 to 3 medium green tomatoes
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground white pepper, to taste
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3 1/2 tbsp Thai seasoning blend
2 large eggs
Dollop fresh cream or half-and-half
Zest of one lime
1 1/2 cups finely ground breadcrumbs (Note: If using store-bought seasoned breadcrumbs or homemade breadcrumbs from herbed breads, be sure to adjust the other seasonings in this recipe to suit your tastes.)
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut, grated (You can use raw or toasted coconut.)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
3/4 cup coconut oil

Garnish:
Lime wedges
Fresh cilantro

Tomatoes.  Slice the tomatoes into quarter-inch-thick slices. Pat dry with paper towels. Season with sea salt and white pepper, to taste. (Beware that you will use these seasonings in the outer coatings, as well.)

Flour Mixture.  Mix together the flours, and feel free to adjust the proportion of white to whole-wheat flour. Using at least a little bit of all-purpose white flour will help keep the breading light. Mix in a tablespoon of the Thai seasoning blend. Pour onto a plate or low bowl, and set aside.

Egg Mixture.  Beat the eggs with the cream, then stir in the lime zest and a tablespoon of the seasoning blend. Pour into a low dish and set aside.

Breadcrumb Mixture.  If using homemade breadcrumbs, pulverize in a food processor or blender until finely ground. Mix in the ground coconut, chopped cilantro and a tablespoon of the seasoning blend. Don't overdo the seasoning if your breadcrumbs are pre-seasoned. Pour the breadcrumb mixture onto a plate or low bowl, and set aside.

Preparing the Tomatoes.  Dredge each tomato first in the flour; then in the egg wash, letting the excess drip back into the bowl; then coat thoroughly with the breadcrumb-cconut mixture. Let the tomato slices rest on a plate while you heat the coconut oil.

Time to Fry!  Heat the oil in a wide sauté pan over medium-high heat. Fry in batches (not too crowded), until golden and crispetty-crunchy on each side, about a minute or two per side. Remove with a metal slotted spoon, and drip-dry on paper towels.

Time to Eat!  Serve your Thai green tomatoes while still warm, garnished with lime wedges and torn cilantro, and sprinkled with the seasoning blend. They'll make a nice addition to any Thai meal, or you can offer them up as a stand-alone appetizer. To make the Thai green tomatoes the star of the meal, serve them over lime-scented jasmine rice with crispy bean sprouts and a drizzle of spicy peanut sauce. 

See also:

• Fried Green Tomatoes with a Cheesy Crust 
• Roasted Green Tomatoes 
• Green Tomato Relish 
• How Do You Use Green Tomatoes? 

Roasted green tomatoes are sweet-tart, tangy and yummy all on their own (eaten hot or cold), but also make a nice contribution to other dishes. Simply add the roasted green tomatoes to other recipes in place of regular tomatoes. For example, try their bright, zesty flavor in salsas and soups, or over pizza, pasta or bread.

Green tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

1. Slice the green tomatoes in half, and remove the stem sections.

2. Place the cut tomatoes in a baking dish, and drizzle with olive oil. Swirl all the tomatoes around so that all the surfaces are lightly coated in the oil, then make sure each slice is cut-side-up. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Broil for about 10 to 15 minutes.

See also:

• Fried Green Tomatoes with a Cheesy Crust
• Thai Green Tomatoes with a Coconut Crust
• Green Tomato Relish
• How Do You Use Green Tomatoes?

I'll take fried green tomatoes almost any way you throw them at me, but I like to boost the classic preparation of this Southern specialty by adding hard grated cheese to the breadcrumb mixture. The cheese melts into the crusts as they fry, which is of course tasty, but is also useful for keeping the breading together.

Ingredients:
2 to 3 medium green tomatoes
Dash sea salt
3 1/2 tbsp  Cajun seasoning blend  
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 large eggs
Dollop fresh cream or half-and-half
1 1/2 cups finely ground breadcrumbs (Note: If using store-bought seasoned breadcrumbs or homemade breadcrumbs from herbed breads, be sure to adjust the other seasonings in this recipe to suit your tastes.)
3/4 cup grated hard cheese, such as Parmesan or Gruyere (Note: A nutty cheese is particularly nice with the zesty flavor of green tomatoes.)
3/4 cup peanut or other frying oil

Instructions:

Tomatoes. Slice the tomatoes into quarter-inch-thick slices. Pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with a little salt. Let the tomato slices rest while you prepare the breading mixtures.

Flour Mixture. Mix together the flours, and feel free to adjust the proportion of white to whole-wheat flour. Using at least a little bit of all-purpose white flour will help keep the breading light. Mix in a tablespoon of the Cajun seasoning blend. Pour onto a plate or low bowl, and set aside.

Egg Mixture. Beat the eggs with the cream and a tablespoon of the Cajun seasoning. Pour into a low dish and set aside.

Breadcrumb Mixture. If using homemade breadcrumbs, pulverize in a food processor or blender until finely ground. Mix in a tablespoon of the Cajun seasoning, but don't overdo the seasoning if your breadcrumbs are pre-seasoned. Pour the breadcrumb mixture onto a plate or low bowl, and set aside.

Preparing the Tomatoes. Dredge each tomato first in the flour; then in the egg wash, letting the excess drip back into the bowl; then coat thoroughly with the breadcrumb-cheese mixture. Let the tomato slices rest on a plate while you heat the oil.

Time to Fry! Heat the oil in a wide saute pan over medium-high heat. Fry in batches (not too crowded), until golden and crispetty-crunchy on each side, about a minute or two per side. Remove with a metal slotted spoon, and drip-dry on paper towels.

Time to Eat! Serve fried green tomatoes while still warm, with a sprinkle of Cajun seasoning over them. Try offering them up as a snack or appetizer; a sandwich filling or salad topping; or as a main course with whole grain pilaf and steamed vegetables. When it's just the right time of year (usually late summer or early fall), I like to serve fried green tomatoes side-by-side with fresh, ripe, juicy tomatoes for an interesting and playful garden-fresh meal. And if you want to get really tomato crazy, try roasting some tomatoes and blending them with creamy roasted garlic, fresh herbs, and a soft cheese, such as sour cream, thick yogurt, or crème fraiche, for a tomato-ey dip to accompany your fresh and fried tomatoes!

See also:

• Thai Green Tomatoes with a Coconut Crust
• Roasted Green Tomatoes
• Green Tomato Relish
• How Do You Use Green Tomatoes?

It's time for green tomatoes again — yippee! I've been making all of the following with all the green tomatoes that are coming in from my CSA:

• Fried Green Tomatoes with a Cheesy Crust 
• Thai Green Tomatoes with a Coconut Crust 
• Roasted Green Tomatoes 
• Green Tomato Relish 
• How Do You Use Green Tomatoes? 

If you've got tips, tricks and recipes for using up all those end-of-season green tomatoes, please post them to the comments section below.

Well, your farmers markets should be up and going by now. Have you taken a Saturday afternoon stroll through the aisles of fresh green goodies yet? There's no time like the present! Maybe you can even find some luscious, wonderful treat to spoil your Mother for Mother's Day this weekend.

And then tell us what you made! We're interested in your seasonal recipe for the month of May. You can use the comments section below to share recipes with our readers, and encourage more seasonal cooking.

Not sure what's at its peak right now? Check out this list of in-season foods right now.

Hey pumpkin carvers: Stop. Wait. Don't waste all those yummy seeds! (Happy Halloween, by the way.) You can save those seeds from ending up in the garbage can with 4 easy steps:

1. SOAK THE SEEDS in water for a few hours. Fill a bowl with water, drop in the seeds and rub them between your fingers to start loosening up any attached pulp. Don't worry about getting every last bit off, because soaking them for a while makes it easier to rub all the pumpkin-ey pulp off later.

2. DRY THE SEEDS on a towel for a few hours, or until they are dry to the touch.

3. SEASON THOSE SEEDS with whatever's on-hand and sounds yummy. Sweet and savory both work well — be creative. (Our friend Kim Wallace, over at Natural Home magazine has a step-by-step recipe for sweet cinnamon-n-sugar pumpkin seeds.) Using a little bit of honey or oil will add flavor and help herbs and spices stick well. For the pumpkin seeds I made as a salad topping (see below), I tossed the dried seeds in extra-virgin olive oil (Global Gardens 2007 Harvest first cold press, a wonderfully fruity and aromatic premium olive oil) and Maine Coast Sea Vegetables organic kelp with cayenne pepper blend (one of my long-standing favorite seasoning blends).

4. ROAST THE SEEDS in a 300-degree-Fahrenheit oven for about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them: They'll be done when they're golden to light brown.

Crunchy seaweed- and cayenne-spiced roasted pumpkin seeds make a fabulous topping for a fresh arugula salad, and counterbalance the sweetness of crispy cucumber and pear slices.

More pumpkin know-how: Grilled Pumpkin with Rosemary and Sea Salt * Pumpkins Make any Dish a Smashing Hit * 7 Great Pumpkin Carving Tips * Wacky and Wonderful Halloween Pumpkin Designs * Three Phunky Pumpkins * The Great Pumpkin * The Great American Pumpkin * Make a Jack-'O-Lantern ... And Eat Pumpkin Pie, Too! * About Pumpkins * Beer America TV Pops the Top on a Pumpkin Lager 

From arugula to turnips, fall is the season for beautiful and nutritious cooked greens. Is there someone at your house who hates greens? The 10 ways to cook greens outlined here may convert them! Even if they are not swayed by Sicilian-style polenta with kale or Swiss chard strata, we greens lovers can always use fresh ideas to make fall a little more flavorful. 

Alton Brown's 2005 Good Eats episode called Field of Greens includes a killer recipe for Mustard Green Gratin, various versions of which get gobbled up fast at my house. Indeed, mixtures of cooked greens, eggs, milk, cheese and a little flour (which "set" when baked in a 325 degree oven) can be poured into a pie crust to make quiche, or you can stay crustless with a Spanish-style frittata.

A casserole bound together with egg and stale bread, called a strata, is easy and delicious when made with greens. Layer stale bread with chopped wilted greens, caramelized onions and fontina (or another nice melting cheese) in a buttered casserole dish. Pour in a mixture of 3 eggs and 1 cup milk, with a little cheese and bread crumbs on top. Bake until bubbly and set, and you have a great one-dish meal.

Making the most of the soft texture of cooked greens, Italians often enjoy them over polenta. My version of polenta – a half and half mixture of grits and coarsely ground whole cornmeal, cooked in lightly salted water until it stiffens – makes a fabulous bed for a mound of greens, roasted sweet peppers and grated hard cheese.

Medium-sized leaves picked from chard, kale and some types of mustard can be used as wrappers for not-really-cabbage rolls. Make a mixture of rice and meat, or rice and beans, or bulgur and mushrooms (you get the idea), roll it up in trimmed greens leaves, and place the rolls seam side down in a greased baking dish. Cover tightly, bake for about 45 minutes, and serve with a spicy-sweet condiment or mustard.

Speaking of condiments, fruits like apple, pear, raisins or currants make great flavor companions for cooked greens, or you might serve homemade chutneys with your greens. When making warm dressings for wilted salads, use balsamic vinegar to add a touch of sweetness.

When you're short on time, try one-pot pasta or rice. Have a bowl of clean, chopped greens ready to stir into hot pasta or rice just as it gets done. Put on the lid, let it steam a few minutes, and add additional ingredients (like chopped olives or roasted walnuts), maybe some salad dressing, or simply top with feta cheese and maybe some crisp crumbled bacon.

My last tip (please add more in the Comments section below!) is to gob on the garlic. Three big cloves is not too many – you may want 4 or 5 when seasoning a large pot of greens or a casserole. Don't want garlic? Try a half teaspoon of fennel, dill or anise seeds instead. In addition to adding flavor, they tame the aroma of simmering greens, which is greatly appreciated by people who hate them.

Above: Why not mix and match your greens? Chard, turnips, arugula, mizuna and other greens can be chopped and cooked together in endless combinations. Photo by Barbara Pleasant.