Fried Green Tomatoes, Spicy Grits, and Tomato Chutney Recipe

"This is a such a great flexible dish. I have literally served this as a starter dish, or in lieu of a salad, a side dish; or, serve as is - for lunch or dinner. There are 3 components to this; but each is not difficult to prepare. And the tomato chutney/jam, really should be made ahead of time; it gets better the next day. And, even the grits can be made ahead, and reheated. So; it really isn't a difficult dish to put together. The sweetness of the chutney/jam is perfect with the spicy cheesy grits. Now, I used quick cooking grits to make this easy; but, you can use traditional grits if you like. The recipes for my 'Spicy Cheesy Bacon Grits;' and, my 'Easy Tomato Chutney or Jam,' are both posted here on Recipezazz on their own as well. I am not including the cooking time for the tomato chutney/jam for this particular recipe, just the tomatoes and grits. #recipe11740 #recipe11847"

Step by Step Method

Step 1

Easy Tomato Chutney or Jam ... See the cooking directions at: http://www.recipezazz.com/recipe/easy-tomato-chutney-or-jam-11740. Again, this is definitely best made ahead of time. Very EASY, but, it takes a bit of time to cook and rest.

Step 2

Grits ... See the cooking directions at: http://www.recipezazz.com/recipe/spicy-cheesy-bacon-grits-11847. This again, easy to make ahead. They also reheat very well. Make these grits, and let them rest as you prepare the tomatoes.

Step 3

Tomatoes ... Add the sliced tomatoes to a shallow pan with the buttermilk, and marinate a good 30 minutes up to 1 hour. Then, in another pie plate or shallow dish, add the flour, cornmeal, seasoning, salt and pepper, and mix to combine. Shake off most of the buttermilk; and, add to the flour/cornmeal mix. Press the tomatoes into the mix until they are well covered on both sides.

Step 4

Pan Fry/Saute ... Bring a shallow saute pan up to medium high heat. Add about 1/4-1/2" oil, so the bottom of the pan is covered. Fry the tomatoes until golden brown on each side. They will take about 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Once they are done. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain.

Step 5

Grits ... If you made the grits ahead of time; you can reheat in the microwave or on the stove. I usually add a bit more water, mix; and, heat up. I prefer the microwave - as they take just a couple of minutes on medium power. I do find, if you let them set out a bit (to take the chill off); they heat up much quicker.

Step 6

Serve and ENJOY! ... Plate a scoop of the grits along with 3-4 tomato slices; and, top with the chilled tomato chutney/jam.

Step 7

As I said, If you want to serve this as a starter dish/salad option - just cut down on the amount of grits. If served as a side or main dish; you may want to add more grits. A side of greens would be great if you want to serve this as a main dish.