Jen and I had a few friends over for dinner and I wanted to make an appetizer to munch on while I finished cooking dinner.  Normally, I am not a big fan of making appetizers due to time constraints, but this time, it worked out well. For inspiration, I went through my email recipe requests that the readers have sent, and I had several emails asking for my take on Fried Green Tomatoes.  Ask and you shall receive, so here it is!

Let’s cook!

Fried Green Tomatoes

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 cup buttermilk

4 large unripe tomatoes

1/2 cup vegetable oil

hot sauce, for serving

ranch dressing, for serving

In a large bowl combine the cornmeal, flour, garlic, and cayenne pepper.

Pour the buttermilk into another bowl and season with salt and pepper. Slice the tomatoes into 1/2-inch thick slices.

Dip the tomatoes in the buttermilk.

Now dredge into cornmeal mixture, coating both sides well.

In a large cast iron skillet over medium heat add vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add tomato.

Cook on each side for 4 minutes and turn over using tongs.

Carefully remove the tomatoes and let them drain on paper towels for 5 minutes. Here is how I plated this dish.

Here is the close-up:

I served the tomatoes with ranch dressing and hot sauce but you could also do any type of sauce or dressing to your taste.  The tomatoes were a hit, and it was worth the extra effort put into the appetizer portion of the meal.  Be sure to try the recipe and let me know how you like it.  One bit of advice, the best results are with a fryer if you have one, and if not, the oil in the pan will do in a pinch (as shown above).

Happy Cooking!