Fried Green Tomatoes w/goat cheese & tarragon vinaigrette

It's been a long, long time since I've posted ANYTHING!

All I can say is, life (bad, good, and incredible) got first dibs on my attention.   I have two fabulous ladies, who devoutly attend my cooking classes, ( and to whom,  I will owe $20 each, if I don't blog soon) to thank for pushing me back into the water.

So......



I LOVE, love, love this salad.

Except for those brief moments in summer, where tomatoes are so perfectly ripe they need JUST the slightest suggestion of salt, the biggest motivation to plant tomatoes is....FGT's.  Fried Green Tomatoes! I purposely plant too many tomato seeds each spring solely to support my green tomato obsession.

I am arriving late to the wonders of FGT's, as I never had them as a child, teenager or even as young adult. Unfortunately, in my "pre chef, food-nerd" days,  if it did not come from a can or was not cooked to a point beyond recognition, my family did not serve such things.  In truth, it was not until a few years ago when someone asked me for additional ideas to utilize a bumper crop of green tomatoes, that I even gave FGT's a thought. Once I made my first batch, I was in love.  For some reason, this is it for me.  I see no reason to even suggest other recipes. If I had to choose my last meal, it would most certainly include various forms of FGT's. This humble little offering captures my complete attention (if you know me, then you know that's saying a lot).   What I love is biting into the crispy, crunchy cornmeal, and then the firm, thick, tangy flesh of the warm tomato.  I honestly eat about three or four ( or six) before any can actually make it to a plate or platter.

 I've paired the green tomatoes from my garden with spicy baby arugula, local goat cheese (Haystack), and tarragon (my garden, too), to make a wonderful end of summer salad.

Note:  Feel free to slice the tomatoes as thin or thick as you prefer, I like thick slices. Also, I use a three part dipping process: flour ( or GF substitute), egg & water mixture, and cornmeal.  I use this combination because I like the results, but feel free to substitute a little panko (japanese bread crumbs) in for some of the cornmeal.  This salad taste best when served while still warm.

    Fried Green Tomatoes w/Haystack Goat Cheese & Tarragon Vinaigrette 

Serves 4

2 large green tomatoes, sliced 1/4"-1/2" thick

1 local eggs

1/4 cup water

1 cup flour ( or GF substitute, or rice flour)

1 cup corn meal ( or 1/2 c. corn meal & 1/2 cup panko)

2 tsp.kosher salt

pepper

1 cup canola, vegetable or olive oil 

2 oz. local goat cheese (I like Haystack Applewood smoked, or feta)

2 cups baby arugula

Tarragon Vinaigrette (Recipe follows)

First, slice tomatoes and salt and pepper both sides.

Next, take 3 bowls or shallow containers with rims.  Place flour in bowl one, eggs mixed with water in bowl two, and corn meal in bowl three.  Lightly salt and pepper the flour and the corn meal .  Your bowls should be set up: Flour, egg, corn meal.  Dip each tomato slice in the flour first, then egg mixture, then corn meal.  Set aside until oil is ready.

Heat a medium sized skillet over medium high heat for two minutes,  then add 1/2 cup oil and heat for 1 minute, carefully add tomatoes to skillet (make sure you do not crowd the pan), and cook until the coating is lightly browned. Turn the tomatoes and brown on the other side.  Remove tomatoes and drain on paper towels. Repeat until all tomatoes are browned, adding oil when needed.  NOTE:  if the corn meal in the pan begins to burn after your second batch,  remove the pan from the heat, and carefully wipe out the corn meal bits and begin again with fresh oil.

To plate:  Toss arugula with a little vinaigrette and divide between the four plates, top arugula with 2-3 slices of FGT's, crumble goat cheese on top and drizzle a tablespoon of vinaigrette over the top.  I usually bring extra vinaigrette to the table.  Enjoy!

                      Tarragon Vinaigrette

1 tsp finely chopped shallot

1 Tbl Dijon mustard

1 Tbl local honey

2-3 Tbl Fresh Tarragon, chopped ( please do not use dried)

1/4 cup white wine (or champagne, or rice wine) vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt & Pepper

Whisk together shallots, dijon, honey, 1/2 the tarragon and the white wine vinegar until thoroughly combined.  While whisking slowly add in olive oil until emulsified, add other half of tarragon,  season with salt and pepper to taste.  You can also use a blender or a hand held blender to make the vinaigrette, however you may have to increase the recipe to make it work in a large blender.  This Vinaigrette will last about a week in the refrigerator. 

Roasted “Bohemienne” w/ Spaghetti Squash

This is a repost!  The recipe was such a hit at one years farmer's market, EVERY farm stand sold out of all the ingredients... so, I offer it again for those of you who are new or who may have forgotten to give it a try.

I am a reformed squashophobe. There, I said it. I've worked long and hard to overcome my aversion to all things 'squash'. Even the word sounds unappealing doesn't it? Say, "squash". Now, say "cake". Which word makes you happy?

As a child, I was not a big fan of any variety of squash, especially if my mom had anything to do with it. In our house, squash had to be cooked until it no longer held its form, there was no texture to speak of, and one never really knew what the original flavor had been. The only word that comes to mind is: slimy (and blechk!!). To this day, the very thought of my mom's calabacitas still brings on an involuntary shiver. The avoidance of squash is the number three reason I became the family cook.....

Today, I can say I have a better respect for this summer and fall vegetable and I have grown to, (ahem), love it. But I have to confess, each time I am faced with a squash recipe, I approach it the way someone would, when they are jumping off a 10 meter platform into a pool. I have to psych myself up for it and then I am completely surprised I lived through the experience.

Last year at this time, I offered a double squash recipe to LFM shoppers and the farmer's sold out of the ingredients. I was blown away by your reactions to this dish and I thought I would post it again this year. Clearly, my mom never cooked for you or this would have been a much harder sell.

A little history: Bohemienne is the poor southern cousin to Ratatouille. It's simple in composition and easier to make (and less slimy). It consists of: eggplant, tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, thyme. That's it. Hands down, I prefer this recipe to ratatouille. It makes a really rich vegetarian sauce that can be used in a dozen applications: on pasta, as a topping for Bruschetta, or as a side dish with fish or poultry.

Today, I used it as a topping for roasted spaghetti squash and finished it with some nice thin slices of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Roasted Bohemienne w/ Spaghetti Squash

Serves 4

• 2 small- medium eggplants cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 6 small- medium ripe tomatoes
• 4 Tbl Extra Virgin Olive oil
• 1 medium red or yellow onion, cut to 1/2-inch dice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 2 stems fresh basil leaves gently torn.
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1 large spaghetti squash cut in half and seeds removed
• Fresh butter or additional Olive oil
• 2 oz. shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preheat your oven to 375° AND Put a 4-quart pot of water on to boil.

Bohemienne: If using smaller eggplants or ones from you local Farmer's Market, there is no need to salt your vegetable. If the eggplant is large and the seeds are dark (it's older and not as fresh), lightly salt the pieces and allow to rest for 15- 20 minutes, rinse, dry and begin the recipe.

With a paring knife, remove the core of each tomato, and make a 1-inch “x” on the bottom of each. Gently place the tomatoes into the pot of boiling water for 1 minute. Remove and place them in bowl with ice water. Beginning at the “x”, remove and discard the skins from the tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes into quarters, and squeeze out the seeds. Chop the tomatoes into 1/2 chunks, and set aside. ( you may substitute a large can of GOOD Italian tomatoes.)

Using an oven safe casserole pan, heat on stovetop to a medium temperature, add oil, then onions and cook for 5-6 minutes.

Next add eggplant, and cook for 10 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook for 2 additional minutes and then add chopped tomatoes. Place casserole in the oven on the bottom rack and cook for 30- 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, smashing vegetables as they cook.

Remove from oven when vegetables are soft and tender, remove thyme and bay leaf. Add basil and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Spaghetti Squash: Place Squash on a rimmed sheet pan lined with parchment or foil, cut side down, pour 1/2 cup of water around the squash. The Squash goes into the oven after the Bohemienne has been cooking at least 20 minutes. Begin to test Squash for doneness after 20-25 minutes, by simply inserting a paring knife into the flesh. If the knife slides in and out without any resistance, your squash is done.

To Serve: Using a fork gently begin to pull the flesh of each squash way from the skin, (notice it looks like spaghetti) add a few pats of butter or olive oil, a pinch or two of salt and some fresh pepper. Divide the seasoned squash onto warm plates, top with hot Bohemienne, Parmesan and a few more leaves of basil. Enjoy the season where the end of summer meets the beginning of fall.

See you at the Market!

Chef Deb T