Pictures then and now of Cornmeal Crusted Fried Green Tomatoes with Homemade Ranch Dressing! It’s so great to have a food blog – how else would I keep track of my favorite recipes?

I originally made this recipe about 8 years ago for a Pig Roast I did for Potrero Nuevo Farm in Pescadero and now here I am making it again for a backyard Fourth of July Party with two kids in tow. Oh how life has changed since my Farm-to-Table days.

Tangy green tomatoes make such a great starter. Feel free to batter up zucchini sticks too – the cornmeal crust slips off a little bit but they are still pretty darned snack-able. And if you can’t find fine cornmeal you can use a medium grind but they will be extra crunchy…

I love dunking fried green tomatoes into homemade ranch. But feel free to double up the sauces, remoulade is also great with this. I also make a killer Anchovy Remoulade Sauce that adds a little umami flavor.

Pictured below is Chef Valentin prepping 60 fry baskets for the Pig Roast many years ago…

Chef Valentin, Potrero Nuevo Farm, Pig Roast

Finding green tomatoes can be a little challenging if you don’t grow them yourself. The Green Zebra variety is actually ripe when green and too juicy for this recipe. If your market doesn’t stock green tomatoes as a specialty item have a look in the colorful heirloom pile. I often find green ones thrown into the mix or stop by your local farmer’s market and ask.

Potrero Nuevo Farm Pig Roast many years ago with Chefs: Jose, Myself, Stefan, Valentin and Paula – Fun times!

Here is a link to my original post many years ago…

http://www.amyglaze.com/cornmeal-crusted-fried-green-tomatoes-with-homemade-ranch-dressing/

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Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup All-Purpose flour
  • 1 cup fine ground cornmeal
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning out of fryer
  • 1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 medium size firm green tomatoes
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • For Ranch Dressing:
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise (homemade preferred)
  • 1/4 cup sour cream or crème fraîche or crema
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 bunch chives, minced
  • 1/4 bunch parsley, minced
  • 1/4 bunch dill, minced
  • 1/2 bunch tarragon leaves, minced
  • 1 meyer lemon, zested and juiced (more juice if you think it needs it)
  • Hot sauce of your preference for hot Ranch: sriraccha, tabasco, etc

For the Ranch dressing: whisk all the ingredients together adding hot sauce to your liking. You can also leave the kick out if you prefer. Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a deep fryer, fill with a flavorless oil that has a high smoke point. I prefer rice bran oil but often use high heat canola if I cannot find it (not all canola will take high heat FYI). Preheat the temperature to 375˚F. Alongside the fryer set up three shallow dishes. One for  flour, one  for buttermilk, and the third for the cornmeal mixture-spice-salt mixture

Slice the tomatoes 1/2-inch thick. Dust in flour, shaking off excess. Then dunk in buttermilk. And last  coat in the cormeal-spice mixture before gently lowering into deep dryer. When cornmeal turns golden and is crispy remove onto a tray lined with paper towels and season with extra sea salt.

Make sure the fry oil is up to temperature or the crust will be soggy instead of crispy. And only fry a few at a time or the temperature drops and you won't get that nice crust. We had three separate deep fryers going for this Pig Roast.

Enjoy immediately!