I made Sumo promise me that he would walk with me this morning along the W&OD Trail. The trail is this awesome paved railroad track that runs from Shirlington, VA, to Purcelville, VA – about 45 miles.
Anyway, he promised, and when we woke up this morning, he made good on his promise. We headed in to Vienna, parked our car, and laughed at the sheer number of people on bikes passing “on your left.”
When we got home, I hadn’t had enough of the outside, so I decided I was going to head to the Farmer’s Market. I grabbed my black and white, polka-dotted, reuseable bag and took off.
I thought I was going to buy fruit – and I did buy fruit: sweet cherries and strawberries. But my crowning glory… well, actually, I suppose, scientifically speaking, is still considered a fruit. Tomatoes. Green ones, to be exact. I bought two of them.
I knew what I was going to do with them. I’d been wanting to do it for years. And, really, what else is there to do with a green tomato?
And let me tell you something: I want to make them every Saturday for lunch from here until my death – which, if I eat these every Saturday for lunch, might not be that far off. They’re delicious, but probably not too nutritious.
I found my recipe at Southern Living, but I modified it slightly. To see the original recipe, head here: http://www.southernliving.com/food/how-to/fried-green-tomatoes-00400000042808/
But if you want something awesome (well, more awesome, because their recipe is darn good too), read on.
Two things that I need to mention before getting started:
Since I only live 75 miles south of the Mason-Dixon, the only buttermilk I can find comes as a mixture to which you add water. I guess Northern Virginia isn’t truly the South. It’s ok though, the mixture works just fine.
And “Mixed-Up” salt is a brand of salt you can buy at the grocery store. It includes salt, pepper, garlic, onion – I don’t know; it’s fantastic. I use it on everything. Thank you to Tina Ringwold for introducing me to it.
Now, here’s what you’re looking for.
Fried Green Tomatoes
1/2 c. flour – separated
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. cornmeal
1 egg
1 tsp “Mixed-Up” salt
1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
2-3 medium green tomatoes
Vegetable Oil
Directions:
1. Preheat your skillet over medium-high heat. I did mine on the grill, so I fired up two of my three burners to high. When the grill was preheated I added my skillet to let her warm up.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add 1/4 c. flour. Set aside. In a large bowl, add other 1/4 c flour, buttermilk*, cornmeal, and egg. Whisk together.
3. When skillet is heated up, add about a 1/2 inch of vegetable oil. Again, allow to heat up.
4. Slice tomatoes about 1/3 inch thick.
5. Coat tomatoes, one slice at a time, in flour, then dredge in buttermilk mixture. Add to skillet.
6. Allow to fry two minutes per side, or until golden brown (mine took about 3 minutes per side). Flip, repeat, place on rack to allow oil to drain.
7. Sprinkle with more Mixed-Up salt, if you will, and enjoy.
I took the first bite and started dancing. I think Sumo thought the tomato was too hot, but, no, it was too delicious. The crunchy outside, the bit of spice, the soft inside – I don’t understand why these are only a staple of the South. I’d drop my Yankee pride for these.
