Southern Fried Green Tomatoes with Remoulade Sauce for Dunking

"I found out what the secret to life is: friends. Best friends." From one of my favorite movies, Fried Green Tomatoes starring a fellow Tennessean and Academy Award winning actor - Kathy Bates. 

I served this southern delicacy- Fried Green Tomatoes with Remoulade Sauce for dunking aside a salad of butter lettuce with hot bacon vinaigrette. Oh are they are without a doubt one of the best signs of warm weather in the South.  Even folks who don't like tomatoes loves these crispy veggies. Y'all enjoy.

Southern Fried Green Tomatoes with Remoulade Sauce for Dunking
6 Green tomatoes (firm and feel heavy in your hand)

Kosher salt

Fresh cracked black pepper

Sugar

1 egg

1-1/2 cups buttermilk

1-1/3 cup all purpose flour

2/3 cup yellow cornmeal

Canola (or peanut) oil

Slice your green tomatoes 1/3 of an inch thick (too thick your batter will get soggy and they won't have a crisp exterior - too thin and they're tasteless.) Lay the sliced tomatoes on a foil-covered baking sheet and generously add salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar to each one. Allow them to sit 15 - 30 minutes. The tomatoes will start to sweat liquid.

Pour the oil into an iron skillet to a depth of one inch, and heat to 350 degrees. Having a high temperature before you put in your battered green tomatoes is really important -- it's what makes them crisp, and helps them to color really beautifully.

Mix the flour and cornmeal in a paper sack or gallon freezer bag. Mix the egg; add buttermilk and mix in a bowl. Place tomatoes into your cornmeal mixture and coat well. Prepare all tomato slices before moving on to the next step. Place tomatoes on clean sheet of foil which has been dusted with flour. The cornmeal mixture sticks to the tomatoes because of the sweating with salt mixture.

Place tomatoes into the buttermilk mixture, and then back into the sack to coat them with your flour/cornmeal mixture. Shake off the excess. Place in skillet and fry a couple of minutes until edges turn brown. Turn and fry a couple more minutes. Drain on paper towel and salt/pepper to taste. Serve warm with Remoulade Sauce.

Remoulade Sauce
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 cup good mayonnaise

1/2 cup yellow onion, diced

1/4 cup green onions, diced
1/3 cup celery, diced

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon garlic, chopped fine

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

3 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

1/3 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process for 30 seconds. Use immediately or refrigerate.

Mother Nature and Mother's Day

Mother's Day - the flowers were blooming - peonies, Falling in Love Rose, English Darby Rose, and my beautiful mother.  

The honeysuckle is blooming here in Tennessee and the magnolia trees are laden with what will soon be lucious and fragrant white blooms. The lilies will soon open up and the iris are ending their cycle. The herb garden is abundant and even the bumble bees are plentiful this year.

Mother Nature is amazing in spite of the recent tornados, earthquakes, flooding, and tsunami waves. Prayers and blessings for a safe and happy spring and summer to everyone.

Finishing the book, and oh it's got some amazing stuff thanks to many who have shared their stories, secrets, and recipes with me.