Monday, September 3, 2012

Fried Green Tomatoes

IMG_0598eDo you remember your first time?  Okay get your head out of the gutter, I’m talking about the first time you ate something that totally rocked your world?  Well for me it was the first time I tried a fried green tomato and I still remember the experience vividly.  I had recently made the move from New England to the south and was living down the road from Marietta Square where on the weekends the Marietta Square Farmer’s Market was held.  I loved to wander up there to pick up fresh veggies, baked goods and other treats.  On one of my very first visits there was a vendor selling tomatoes and in his stall he was cooking up samples of fried green tomatoes.  They smelled absolutely wonderful but when he told me what they were, I honestly turned my nose up at them…but the smell…well I just had to take a taste and WOW, they were absolutely magical.  How is it that Southerners have been eating and enjoying Fried Green Tomatoes forever but us Northerners seemed to know nothing about them?  Is the secret of Fried Green Tomatoes kept from us Northerners as a way to one-up us after the whole North vs. South conflict?  Well no matter the reason, since that fateful day this former Northerner has delighted in eating Fried Green Tomatoes, usually at my favorite little lunch spot in the form of their Fried Green Tomato Sandwich.  

IMG_5400e Now though, thanks to Amanda’s blog Dancing Veggies my Secret Recipe Club assignment this month, I have a super awesome recipe for fried green tomatoes.  I enjoyed reading through Amanda’s blog, trying to figure out songs based on the lyrics she uses as blog titles and of course reading her recipes.  Amanda’s recipes were mostly vegetarian and I found them inviting as they were simple to make and used everyday ingredients.  While I realized that I really stank at figuring out most of the songs, I found that I was really good at wanting to try many of her recipes including her Zucchini Parmesan Crisps, Slow Cooker Coconut Curry and Slow Cooker Eggplant Korma but as soon as I saw her fried green tomato recipe it was all over, I knew what I’d be making…Plus I had a garden which was overflowing with tomatoes, red & green…how perfect was that! 

IMG_0594eThe Fried Green Tomatoes I made were absolutely delightful and brought back wonderful memories of that first one I tried years ago at the Farmer’s Market.  The crunchy coating on the tomato was a bit gritty from the cornmeal and was a wonderful contrast to the tomato itself which was smooth and al dente and provided the perfect resistance to the bite though it had been cooked through.  The flavor of the tomato was delicate and just a tad tart which worked beautifully with the slight little kick and heat from the cayenne in the coating.  I’ll admit it, the first time I made these tomatoes I ate almost all of them myself and it wasn’t that no one else wanted or liked them but it was because I didn’t want to share.  In the end, over the course of the month since I first received my assignment, I made three batches of Fried Green Tomatoes so that others could enjoy them too.  Me, I adore Fried Green Tomatoes, I could eat Fried Green Tomatoes daily for the rest of my life and I also found that I love Fried Green Tomatoes however they are served, hot, room temperature and even cold from the fridge, anyway you slice the green tomato I’m addicted.  If there’s a support group for my Fried Green Tomato addiction I don’t want to know.  So happy that I moved to the South, not only did I get away from snow in the winter but I also found a new love, Fried Green Tomatoes …total YUM!! 

IMG_0599eFried Green Tomatoes (slightly adapted from here)
  • 6 large green tomatoes, sliced 1/2 in thick
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk (I prepare from powered as I don’t keep fresh buttermilk in the house and this always works wonderfully)  
  • 3/4 cup corn meal 
  • 1/3 cup flour 
  • 1 1/2 tsp. cayenne powder  
  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt   
  • 1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
  • peanut oil or oil of your choice

In a large cast iron skillet heat about 1/4-inch of oil over medium high heat. 

In a wide shallow bowl whisk together the eggs & buttermilk.  In a separate dish combine the corn meal, flour, cayenne, salt & pepper.  One at a time dip the tomato slices in the egg mixture then lay in the corn meal mixture and cover the tomato completely with the coating..

Once the oil is hot, add the coated tomatoes to the hot oil being sure not over crowd the pan. Cook the tomatoes until golden brown on both sides, trying to only turn one time once the bottom side is cooked and golden. Remove from the oil allowing all the excess oil to drain back into the pan and then place the tomato slices on a wire cooling rack which is covered with a paper towels.  Season with salt.  Serve hot, warm or cold, any way you eat them they are delicious!

Enjoy!

My previous Secret Recipe Club Recipe Posts:

Chicken Satay Noodle Salad 
Double Chocolate Mousse Cake 
Candied Popcorn
Fruit, Nut & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad 
Broiled Sushi 
Health(ier) Peanut Brittle 
Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites 
Texas Chicken with Lime Butter 
Pork Belly Soup with Collard Greens 
Thin Mint Irish Coffee 
Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies 
Welsh Cakes 
Nutella Crêpes 
Cilantro Lime Chicken 
Holy Guacamole 
and
Home Style Chicken Curry

Secret Recipe Club

27 comments:

  1. These look absolutely delicious! I was just talking about fried green tomatoes yesterday with my husband.

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  2. Those fried green tomatoes look amazing! My husband was born and raised in the south so he might really enjoy those :)

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  3. Fried green tomatoes are one of those foods I love to eat, but am always a little hesitant to try, looking at these I now really want to try making them. I had a great time checking out your site, you have a lot of wonderful recipes!

    Thanks for a great SRC

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  4. Fried green tomatoes are one of my favorite summer treats. These look great.

    Micha @ Cookin' Mimi

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  5. Kinda wish I had some green tomatoes. I've never tried them and the crusty fried part looks de-lish. (already know I've love the tomato part.)

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  6. Yum! I am still harvesting lots of red ones, but this is one of my favorite ways to use up the tomatoes on the vine! Yours look delicious!

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  7. I made these a long time ago after the movie came out because I was so curious. Yum! I will have to give this recipe a try (although I don't know where I'll find any green tomatoes as I don't grow them and my grocery store only carries red).

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  8. Mmm...nothing like a tart fried green tomato! And the cornmeal is a MUST for us southerners...
    I just got back from a weekend in New Orleans...one of the restaurants we reviewed served us an appetizer of fried green tomatoes topped with shrimp remoulade. Talk about good...

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  9. Since living in the South I've only had them one time and have dreamed of them since. I am craving them now! Delicious. Yummy!

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  10. looks great! i've never actually had a fried green tomato...but you make them sound so good!

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  11. Glad you enjoyed the blog! The lyrics come from all over the place, and I'm sure many of them could be from multiple songs.
    So happy to be in SRC with you :-)

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  12. That crispy coating looks heavenly. I have never tried fried green tomatoes; need to fix that!

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  13. Being from the north I think I only tried FGT once in my life while on holiday in the south. They were not impressive so had a boring view of them. With your recipe here for SRC I am really curious to try this recipe again, perhaps at home now.

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  14. Ooooh! Those look so good! I never had fries green tomatoes. I really want to try them now

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  15. I do believe those might be the crunchiest, crispiest looking fried green tomatoes I've ever seen in my life. They must be pinned! I wish I had a plate now,,,at 4:30 am lol

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  16. Love love love fried green tomatoes and yours look just perfect. Great photos!

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  17. These look so tasty! I love fried green tomatoes - good thing I've got a few in the garden right now =)

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  18. LOVE fried green tomatoes ever sicne I ate one by accident not knowing what it was. Have to try your recipe because mine NEVER are as crispy as I want them.

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  19. As a Northerner who has been transplanted to the South, I have also fallen in love with fried green tomatoes! I make them and place them on a marinara sauce . . . . it's the only way that my husband will touch them (he's just so picky). This is one tremendous recipe that I'm keeping for next spring's green tomatoes!

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  20. Yum, Love me some fried green tomatoes. So glad I live in the South and know about this delicious Summer treat.

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  21. Those look delicious! Nice and crispy, yum!

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  22. Love Fried Green Tomato's and have been making them for years. And your recipe looks good. Thanks for the nice comments about my cookies.

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  23. I have always wanted to try fried green tomatoes. This looks seriously good!

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  24. When I was much younger, one year we had so many tomatoes that we decided to try freezing some of the green ones to use during the winter for FBT. Guess what, it worked.

    I slice the green tomatoes and place a square of wax paper between each one. I make each stack about 8 slices tall. Then I wrap the roll of tomatoe slices in wax paper, placing a tiny piece of tape to hold it closed. Next, wrap the roll about three times with regular foil, twist closed the ends and freeze.

    When I'm ready to cook up some during the winter months, I take them out and while frozen batter and fry them. Mmmmmm, delicious!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the information on freezing, I never knew that this could be done. I'm going to pick more green tomatoes this weekend and give it a go. Can't wait to make this recipe again come winter.

      Lisa

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