Fried Green Tomatoes (with Mexican Street Corn)

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Some decisions come back to bite you. I know this because I have really missed having fresh-off-the-vine tomatoes and zucchini this year, and I’ve felt twinges of regret over having ripped out my deer-ravaged garden a couple of summers ago. I just didn’t have it in me anymore, but at least we have the farmers’ market. I recently invited a neighbor to join me at our fabulous Saturday market, and I brought home a few fresh tomatoes as well as some green ones. 

Most people assume that fried green tomatoes are a delicacy of the American South, but this is only because of the now-classic 1991 film based on the Fannie Flagg book, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, which was set in 1920s Alabama. But food historians credit midwestern newspapers and Jewish cookbooks with the first published recipes for this dish.

Wherever the heck they came from, I’m grateful. And today, I’ve put a fun flavor twist on this classic, in the form of— you know it— Mexican street corn.

Didn’t I tell you there’d be more elote to come?

How do you make fried green tomatoes?

Confession time: I had never made these before, and so I was relying mostly on a recipe from Southern Living magazine as well as my own memories of having eaten fried green tomatoes at some of our local hot spots. The trick, apparently, is to use tomatoes that are truly green, freshly picked off the vine or farm stand while still firm and solid. This is necessary because frying won’t work on softer, juicier tomatoes. I bought my tomatoes on a Saturday, and by the time I got my proverbial ducks in a row on Tuesday, two of my maters were already headed toward varying shades of pink, but they worked out fine.

Still green enough, thankfully!

You’ll need a dredging station— that is seasoned flour, buttermilk with beaten egg and a seasoned cornmeal-flour mixture— and a hot skillet with a half-inch or so of neutral frying oil. I used peanut oil, but grapeseed, soybean, canola or safflower would be good options. Olive oil has a low smoke point and is not good for frying at this temperature. Save that for sautéing and salads.

The fun part: frying the green tomatoes!

Because I wanted to marry these fried green tomatoes with Mexican street corn, I took the liberty of seasoning every layer of my dredging station. This meant a couple of dashes of local hot sauce into the buttermilk mixture and a few shakes of Trader Joe’s “Chile Lime” seasoning into both the flour and cornmeal mixtures.

One of my kitchen mottos: “Never miss a chance to add flavor!”

The tomatoes are sliced to approximately 1/3-inch thick, and then dredged and laid carefully into the hot oil until browned and crispy. This only takes a few minutes on each side. As with anything fried, give it a quick salt when they emerge from the pan, and keep them warm while you finish the remaining slices. 

These cooked up quickly and crispy.

About these Mexican street corn flavors

I’ve been all about elote lately, and this dish was simple to adapt, beginning with those flavor embellishments to the dredging ingredients. To seal the deal, I squeezed a few drizzles of spicy mayonnaise over the hot fried green tomatoes, and then scattered them with leftover grilled corn, some crumbled Tajin-flavored feta (my new favorite ingredient) and fresh chopped cilantro.

These flavors were made for fried green tomatoes!

The marriage with street corn felt like it was meant to be, and the grilled corn played so well with the cornmeal crust on the tender green tomatoes, which were delightfully tangy underneath that spicy mayo and salty feta. My intention was for this to be a side dish, but they were so filling, we found them to be perfect on their own and called it a meal. 

Fried Green Tomatoes (with Mexican Street Corn)

  • Servings: About 4
  • Difficulty: Average
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These tasty treats are bringing a south-of-the-border flavor to what has become a staple appetizer in the American South. A great way to use any green tomatoes that linger on the vines this fall.


Ingredients

  • 3 good size very green fresh tomatoes
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, divided (see directions)
  • 1 cup fine cornmeal
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper
  • Several shakes chili powder or Trader Joe’s “Chile Lime” seasoning
  • 1/2 cup real buttermilk (thick is best)
  • 1 large egg
  • Bottled hot sauce to taste
  • Neutral cooking oil for frying
  • 1/4 cup spicy mayonnaise
  • Kernels of one grilled corn on the cob
  • 1/2 cup Tajin-flavored feta (or make your own, or use traditional cotija)
  • Fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (for garnish)

Notes: It’s crucial that you select very firm green tomatoes. Juicy tomatoes will not yield a good result. Arrange your ingredients before you begin, as the cooking moves quickly.

Directions

  1. Slice tomatoes cross-wise into roughly 1/3-inch slices and pat dry with paper towels. Heat enough oil in a cast iron or electric skillet between 1/4-inch and 1/2-inch deep. The oil should be 375° F; use a thermometer if you have one, or consider cooking a test tomato and adjust the temperature as needed.
  2. Combine buttermilk and egg in a shallow bowl, and beat in a few shakes of bottled hot sauce. Place 1/2 cup of the flour on a deep paper plate. Combine the rest with the cornmeal on a second plate, and season both plates with a few shakes of chile lime seasoning, plus the salt and pepper.
  3. Moving quickly, dredge the tomato slices in the flour, then dip into the buttermilk mixture and finally into the seasoned cornmeal mixture. Shake off excess breading and carefully lay the slices into the hot oil. Cook for about three minutes, until you can see the edges turning deep golden color. Use a spatula together with a fork to turn the slices over (this will help you avoid splashing the hot oil). Cook the second side two to three minutes, then carefully transfer to the wire rack placed over a baking sheet. Season tomatoes with salt promptly, and repeat with remaining tomatoes.
  4. To dress them up Mexican street corn-style, stack three tomatoes onto a plate and drizzle spicy mayonnaise over the top, then follow that with the grilled corn, feta and cilantro.

Southwest Wedge Salad

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Sometimes a food captures me in such a way that I can’t think about much of anything else. I just want more of it, and I call up all the possibilities for enjoying that food. It’s like falling in love, I suppose, and I’ll be the first to admit I have become somewhat obsessed with the flavors of Mexican street corn. I’ve been daydreaming about new ways to incorporate the sweet kernels of corn, creamy spicy mayo, Tajin, tangy lime and fresh cilantro into our menu plan, as I did when I made the Mexican street corn potato salad a couple of months ago. Today’s salad is not specifically a Mexican street corn dish, but it was definitely inspired by its flavors. Expect a few more “street corn” creations in the weeks ahead, as I am undeniably head over heels.

All my cravings are covered here, from crunchy to creamy and cool to spicy!

Keeping meals cool in the hot summer

It’s been a brutal summer in North Carolina, with temperatures far exceeding the typical, plus too much humidity. This week has been more tolerable, but all of July and the better part of August were sweltering. When it’s too hot, we try to make the most of our outdoor cooking by grilling up extra proteins (and sometimes vegetables) to use later in the week. Chicken is the simplest, and I love the ease and flexibility of tenders, which can be seasoned any number of ways for sandwiches, wraps and salads. This time, we had grilled our tenders with Tajin, and that was quite on purpose because my muse was already busy developing this salad. Here’s how the rest of it came to be, starting with the lettuce.

During most months of the year, I am a lettuce snob, opting for romaine over less-expensive varieties. Plus, I generally prefer the substantial texture of romaine for a Caesar or garden salad. But in the summertime, there’s something irresistible about iceberg— that crispy, hydrating crunch and refreshing, slightly bitter flavor— and it is obviously the star of any wedge salad.

Easy and done!

The simplest way to clean iceberg lettuce is from the inside out, and that requires removing the core. You could carve it out with a knife, I suppose, but I rely on a simpler trick of smacking the head on the counter to break the core from the leaves, then the core just pulls right out. This makes it easy to rinse the lettuce head, and then shake out the excess water and let it drain in the fridge for a few hours.

A shortcut to flavor

I made the dressing early in the day so that the flavors had a chance to meld before dinner. I knew that I wanted a creamy, ranch-style dressing, and I considered making it from scratch before I found a packet mix with simple, clean ingredients. For southwestern flair, I subbed in a spicy mayo along with the buttermilk. It was perfect for this salad, and saved a bunch of time.

Changing the mayonnaise turned this into a completely different dressing.

The street corn inspiration is evident here, but I wanted more pop and color, so I also prepped a handful of baby tomatoes, some diced red onion and cubed avocado. The only thing left to do was build this salad!

I love when the simplest of ingredients become something special.

A south-of-the-border twist on a classic wedge

A wedge salad is exactly that— a wedge of the lettuce head— and so I cut this crunchy iceberg in half, then halved one side again for our two portions. The dressing is spooned over the cut edge so that it runs down the sides, and then it was simply a matter of piling the other ingredients on and around it, finishing the salad with all those lovely Mexican street corn flavors. We used the Tajin-flavored feta that Les had found for the potato salad, and it was a perfect stand-in for the bleu cheese you’d normally find on a wedge. 

Even the colors are exciting!

Delicious as this was, I doubt that it has satisfied my fervor for Mexican street corn, and I’ll be dreaming up other ways to incorporate the flavors again very soon. I’m open to ideas, of course! And I’m curious whether you have a similar experience with being obsessed about particular foods. What can’t you get enough of that you want to present in new and interesting ways? Let’s chat about it in the comments!

Southwest Wedge Salad

  • Servings: 2
  • Difficulty: Easy
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The wedge salad, classic though it is, can also be a blank canvas for interesting flavor twists, such as this one with vibrant southwestern flavors and a hint of Mexican street corn.


Ingredients

  • 1/2 large head iceberg lettuce (rinsed and chilled)
  • Southwest ranch dressing (choose bottled or make your own from a packet, using spicy mayo in place of regular)
  • 4 large grilled chicken tenders, pre-seasoned with Tajin spice blend (see notes)
  • 1/2 ripe avocado, cubed and dressed with a squeeze of fresh lime to preserve color
  • 1/3 cup leftover grilled corn (we seasoned ours with Trader Joe’s “Everything But the Elote” seasoning)
  • 1/4 cup minced red onion
  • Handful of cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered and seasoned with salt and pepper
  • Handful of fresh cilantro leaves, rough-chopped
  • 1/4 cup Tajin-seasoned feta crumbles (see notes for substitution ideas)

Notes: For a tasty seafood option, consider spice-grilled shrimp or cubes of grilled firm fish, such as halibut or tuna.

If your specialty cheese section doesn’t have the Tajin-seasoned feta, make your own by crumbling a handful of feta into a small bowl with a spoonful of Tajin. Shake gently to coat, and perhaps do this a few hours ahead so that the seasoning melds into the feta. Alternatively, if you want less spice, use plain feta or cotija, which is the traditional Mexican hard cheese used in street corn.

Directions

  1. Using a large knife, cut the iceberg into equal wedges and place them, curved side-down, onto a chilled plate. Spoon about two tablespoons of the dressing over the top, allowing it to run down both sides.
  2. Scatter sliced pieces of chicken around the wedge, and top the wedge with the corn, tomatoes, red onions and avocado cubes. Sprinkle with cilantro and feta.
  3. Enjoy!