Fried Green Tomatoes

I first had Fried Green Tomatoes at a Logan's Steakhouse in Clarksville, TN. Kevin and I had just started dating and I had never had them before. I fell in love with them! Because I don't grow my own garden I do not have the luxury of having green tomatoes on hand during peak times so I am at the mercy of those much more talented than I. Today I hit up the Farmer's Market and they had glorious green tomatoes. I was so excited that we had them for dinner tonight! I think this recipe is one of Tyler Florence's from Food Network that I printed off a while ago. Enjoy!


Fried Green Tomatoes

• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• Cayenne
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 large unripe tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices, ends removed
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Aren't they gorgeous? (the tomatoes, not my slicing skills!)

In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, garlic powder, and cayenne together. (The key is to put enough seasoning in your dry ingredients to really flavor the tomatoes, you really can't overdo it!) Pour the buttermilk into a separate bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Dip the tomatoes in the buttermilk and then dredge them in the cornmeal mixture, coating both sides well.

Place a large cast iron skillet over medium heat and coat with the oil. When the oil is hot, pan-fry the tomatoes (in batches if necessary) until golden brown and crispy on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Carefully remove the tomatoes and drain on paper towels or on a cooling rack with a cookie sheet underneath!

Serve with whatever type of dipping sauce you would like. We like Thousand Island dressing. Or just eat as is. There are numerous sauce recipes out there, decide what you like and go for it!