Reen's Fried Tomatoes

Plum tomatoes
Flour
S&P
1 or 2 eggs (or more, if needed)
Panko bread crumbs
1 packet Ranch dressing mix
Vegetable oil for frying


 Whenever I stop over at my sister Reen's house, she's usually improvising a new dish. She loves to go to a produce market, see what looks good, and then come up with some sort of dish using that ingredient. And when I hear of a great dish that she's made, I always say "Take a picture of it and write down what you did!" But often times, it gets gobbled up before the picture is taken, and the dish was basically a little of this and a little of that.
 Well, at least THIS time, I was able to get her recipe for fried tomatoes. They're absolutely delicious and SO simple to make!! It's the same principal for breading anything, (wet into dry, dry into wet, then wet into dry again) but the addition of the ranch dressing mix is the thing that sets it apart. Serve with your choice of dipping sauce as a fabulous appetizer, with a burger instead of fries, or even on top of a salad. No matter how they're served, they're sure to be gobbled up!
Thanx Been!


Cut the tomatoes into thick slices, and don't leave a rounded end
(since the crumb coating won't stick to it). Prepare 3 bowls: one
with flour, salt and pepper; one with beaten egg; and one with Panko
bread crumbs mixed with dry Ranch Dressing mix. Dip the tomatoes into
the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Fry in vegetable
oil. Drain on a rack. (This also works with onion rings.)

Tips:
Plum tomatoes are the right choice for this particular recipe because they have more meat to them, and less liquid in the center. It makes for better breading.
If your tomatoes are quite juicy, let them sit on a wire rack (you know, like the ones you use to cool a cake after baking) and place the rack over a baking tray. Let them drain for a while. You could also help them along by patting them with a paper towel.