Lisa Food Blog : Green Tomato

Welcome to my Wednesday ! Today on my blog its all about Green tomatoes – perfect for those who love to arden.

Green tomatoes:

If you are shopping for green tomatoes to use for frying, be sure to choose firm ones. The variety is not as important as the firmness of the tomato, but any good beefsteak will bring good results. If you are gathering them from your garden, again, choose fully grown, firm tomatoes.

Harvesting green tomatoes

Try to select nearly-ripe, mature green tomatoes. They will have a glossy, whitish-green to slightly pink fruit color and be larger in size. Only pick green tomatoes from healthy vines. Only choose green tomatoes that are free of disease, insect and mechanical damage.

•  3-4 unripe green tomatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch thick discs
•  1/2 cup flour
•  1/2 cup buttermilk
•  1 egg, beaten
•  1/2 cup cornmeal
•  1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
•  1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning the tomatoes
•  1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus additional for seasoning the tomatoes
•  1/2 teaspoon onion powder
•  Pinch of smoked paprika
•  vegetable oil, for frying

1. Wash and slice the green tomatoes into 1/4-inch thick slices. Arrange flat on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
2. Place the flour in a shallow dish or pie plate. In another shallow dish or pie plate, combine the cornmeal, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, onion powder, and smoked paprika. Whisk the egg and buttermilk together in a medium bowl.
3. Dredge the tomato slices in flour first, shaking off any excess. Then dip the tomatoes in the buttermilk mixture. Finally, dredge in the cornmeal/breadcrumb mixture and set aside on a baking sheet or cutting board. Repeat with all tomato slices.
4. Heat about 2 cups of oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat until the oil reaches 375 degrees F or the oil immediately bubbles around the handle of a wooden spoon when you stick it into the hot oil. There should be about 1/2-inch of oil in the pan.

Serve with ranch dressing, , thousand island dressing or Sriracha Mayonnaise:

Fried green tomatoes appetizer :

In a medium bowl, stir together mustard, 1/2 cup olive oil, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, garlic, lemon juice, onion and 2 teaspoons of green onion. Season with paprika, pepper, cayenne pepper and parsley. Gently stir in the shrimp until evenly distributed. Cover and refrigerate until needed.