Fried Green Tomatoes and Quick Pickled Bell Pepper, Jalapeno and Cilantro Salad

Here in western New England we're smack dab in the middle of harvest time. Thanksgiving is about a month away, and we've been reaping the benefits of the great growing season with early fall apples, squash, pumpkins and other vegetables. Just last week I harvested the last of my "summer crop" which included the final picking of hot peppers, bell peppers, tomatillos and tomatoes. This year was a spectacular year for my tomatoes, which included a variety of large red tomatoes and super sweet cherry tomatoes, due to the seemingly extra hot weather we had. My reward at the end of the season was a nice basket of large unripened green tomatoes. While I'll probably make some kind of relish such as a Chow Chow, the first thing on my list for these green tomatoes was the southern classic "Fried  Green Tomatoes".

The Fried Green Tomatoes are simply breaded in a corm meal crust and pan fried in a little oil. To add some contrast to the dish and make it a more well rounded first course, I paired them with a quick pickled bell pepper and cilantro salad. Here's how I put it all together.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients:
2 medium/large green tomatoes, sliced (1/2 inch thick)
2 Cups flour
1 Cup Cornmeal
few shakes cayenne pepper
salt and pepper

1 egg
water
Canola or Peanut Oil for frying

Directions: Set up three bowls for an assembly line for dredging the tomato slices. Season each slice on both sides with salt and pepper. Add 1 cup of flour to bowl 1. In bowl 2 add the egg and beat well with a splash of water. In bowl three combine the corn meal, 1 cup of flour and season with cayenne, salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add enough oil to the pan to completely cover the bottom. While the oil is heating bread each tomato slice by coating in the flour, then into the egg wash and finally in the corn meal. Set aside on a wire rack until ready to fry. Cook the slices in the hot until until crisp and golden brown, flip and brown. Remove and season while hot with sea salt. Serve with pickled bell pepper salad.

Quick Pickled Pepper Salad

Ingredients:
1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced thin
1 Yellow Bell Pepper, sliced thin
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
1-2 jalepenos, sliced thin (remove seeds/membrane if desired)
hand full fresh cilantro
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper
Good Hot Sauce

Directions: Combine the sliced onion and peppers and cilantro sprigs in a mixing bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the oil into the vinegar to make an emulsification. Season with salt and pepper. Add the vinaigrette to the veggies, combine well, and set aside in the fridge for at least an hour to give the peppers and onions a quick pickling. Serve with a garnish of hot sauce droplets.

Baked Cod with Zesty Walnut-Cilantro Sauce

I got this recipe from Jacques Pepin's cookbook Fast Food My Way. This is a great cookbook, and Jacques has a cooking philosophy that I can relate to..simple ingredients that are adaptable to what you have or personally like. Nothing fancy, but the final results seem like haute cuisine somehow.

My wife made this recipe shortly after we got the book. I didn't try it because I was in the mood for pan fried cod instead. Jacques recipes calls for raw garlic, and I had to deal with garlic kisses for the rest of that night. This time, I opted for roasted garlic, which is much milder. I also made a few other substitutions, namely lime juice and zest for apple cider vinegar, a dash of Tabasco for extra heat, and chili powder for extra zest, and to run with the whole southwest flavor theme that runs through this dish. You can use any firm, mild white fish for this, but I used cod.

Walnut-Cilantro Sauce

Ingredients

1 cup walnuts
3 garlic cloves, halved
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
zest & juice of 1/2 a lime
1/2 tsp each of cumin and chili powder
1/4 tsp each of salt & pepper
a few shakes of Tabasco or hot sauce
1/2 cup V8 juice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped fine

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place garlic in a bit of aluminum foil with a drizzle of olive oil and wrap tightly, and place in the oven.

Once the oven is preheated, spread walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 7-8 minutes. Remove the nuts once they are lightly browned, as well as the garlic. Place the walnuts, roasted garlic and remaining ingredients except for the cilantro in a small food processor or blender and blend until creamy. Stir in the chopped cilantro. Sauce may be stored in the fridge for 2 weeks.

Baked Cod

Ingredients

4 cod fillets (about 6 oz each)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp each salt & pepper

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and arrange the cod, season with salt and pepper and rub with the oil. Cook for 12 minutes, or until cooked through in the same 400 degree oven.

To serve the dish, spoon a couple of large spoonfuls of the sauce on warmed plates, lay a fillet on top of the sauce, add a little more sauce, a slice of lime and a few shakes of chili powder.

Enjoy. This dish is delicious!