Fried Green Tomatoes....fresh from the garden!

Fried Green Tomatoes with Goat Cheese and Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette

When I think of Southern Food what comes to mind is cornbread, hush puppies, brisket, ribs, okra, collard greens, baked beans, mac n’ cheese, fried chicken, pulled pork, and a lot of sweet tea, and it is all amazing. But one of my favorite things of all is fried green tomatoes, straight from the garden. So it is only appropriate that I include this recipe for Fried Green Tomatoes with Goat Cheese and Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette - Delish!

PREP TIME : 15 mins
COOK TIME : 15 mins
TOTAL TIME: 30 mins

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS
For the Green Tomatoes:
4 green tomatoes
2 eggs
½ cup milk
1 cup flour
¾ cup plain bread crumbs
¾ cup corn meal (yellow or white both work fine)
2½ teaspoons Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying
Fresh basil, chopped, to top
6 oz goat cheese, crumbled, to top
For the Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette
7 oz roasted red peppers
1½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar (red wine vinegar works, too)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon dried Italian herbs (such as basil, parsley, oregano, and thyme)
Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Slice the green tomatoes into ½" rounds, discarding the tops and bottoms.

Combine the eggs and milk in a shallow bowl. Combine the bread crumbs, corn meal, kosher salt, and black pepper in another shallow bowl. Pour the flour on a separate plate.

Dip the tomatoes in the flour to coat, then the egg, then the bread crumb mixture, making sure to coat the tomatoes well with the breading. Set the tomatoes aside.
Add vegetable oil to a high-walled, heavy-bottomed skillet, to about ½" high. Heat over medium-high heat.
As you wait for the oil to heat up, combine the Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pulse until mostly smooth, with just a few small chunks of red pepper remaining.
When the oil is hot (you can test this by dipping the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil and seeing if it bubbles), add in 3-4 green tomato slices, depending on how large your pan is. Fry until golden brown on each side, flipping once. Remove the Fried Green Tomatoes from the oil using a slotted spoon or tongs and place on a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess oil.
Reduce heat to medium and fry the remaining slices, 3-4 at a time.
Once all of the tomatoes have been fried, top with crumbled goat cheese and fresh basil. Serve with the Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette.