Tyler Florence's Fried Green Tomatoes-- and the cat's out of the bag...

The other day, I noticed some green tomatoes at my local farm stand. They were so pretty, that I had brainstorm that I would try to make Fried Green Tomatoes. There was only one hurdle I needed to cross-- I had never eaten fried green tomatoes, and I've never made them...

Tyler Florence to the rescue! Tyler has roots in the south, so I chose his recipe. I did see that the queen of Butter and Fried Foods, "Paula Deen" had a recipe that used a lot more oil that I'm willing to cook with. Food Networks  irritating stars "The Neely's" (love their recipes, but Gina... calm down!) used panko crumbs, but I envisioned using corn meal. I love the crunch of corn meal, and I felt it would be more authentic as a Southern dish. For the record, I think Paula Deen is a lot of fun to watch-- her cackle and her recipes look scrumptious. I love Southern Food! However, I struggle to limit how much fried food I eat, so I don't make it often. I would, if I could!

The recipe looked easy enough...

Tyler says to slice them about 1/2" thick..

I set up a dish with 3 cups of flour, seasoned with garlic powder and cayene... the second shot is me realizing I forgot the cornmeal.  In another dish, I poured buttermilk. Tyler recipe has a typo. It calls for 1/2 cup of oil and some butter, but there are no instructions on how to use the butter. I have a cast iron griddle, so I heated the oil and flavored it with the butter. Is this right?

I grilled these for 3-4 minutes per side and blotted them on a paper towel.

I rarely nosh on food while I'm cooking.  I broke my own rule, because I could not wait to try this. Tyler says to finish these with a squeeze fresh lemon juice and hot sauce. I'm a wimp, so I don't particularly like hot sauce and I was too impatient to bother with lemon juice...

Mercy!  Oh my!  I love this!  It's hot, and I was fanning my tongue...but the sweet and slight tanginess of the green tomato-- the crunch of the cornmeal and the cayenne paper was just right. My husband loved them, too.  I know this is a Southern Dish, but it's going to be a regular dish in my  repertoire. Oh, these are good.  I served these with a wonderful dinner that I will share later on in the week. I just have to tell you my little secret!

Now, I've been holding on to something a little too long and I have to say it.  There is going to be a very special Food & Wine Event in Carmel Valley, California this weekend. The event is called "Food & Wine Harvest to Table" at the beautiful Quail Lodge Resort. I have such a strong connection to the luxury resort, because this was my first job-- working the front desk and reservations. I also got married here (um, in a previous life...before Craig).  But the most exciting thing for me...

I get to meet see the guest celebrity chef-- Tyler Florence!!!

Yes, my dear foodie friend/food writer/cookbook author and all-around Food & Wine Guru,  Dorothy (who knows Tyler Florence) is involved in this event and I offered to be her personal slave volunteer to have a chance to see him up close and personal. If I'm a really good girl, I will be able to attend the evening private party.  I'm already trembling with the thought of stammering asking Tyler for a photograph... though I suspect I will be one of many folks wanting to do the same thing. I'm going to hang on to Dorothy's coat tails, hoping to get one personal "Hello" from Mr. Tyler Florence, himself.  I'd probably drop I.Q. points and be at a loss for words, while my finger twitches on my camera button. Yes, I am bringing my camera and 100 extra batteries. I will be blogging about this.

It seems fitting that I chose Tyler's recipe for my contribution to Tyler Florence Friday's.  I wish you could all join us-- you still can, if you buy tickets and can make it here. I'd love to meet you.

Excitedly,