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This month's Quick Fix: Michelle’s at Hanover Tavern Fried Green Tomatoes

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 Fried green tomatoes have long been a best-selling appetizer at the historic Michelle's at Hanover Tavern.

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Karri Peifer
Richmond.com
Friday, April 27, 2007

There are few vegetables that I associate with summer more than the tomato. My grandfather grew pounds of them in his backyard and my cousins and I consumed them as fast as he could grow them. We had tomatoes with mayo as a snack, BLTs for lunch and when the bacon and lettuce ran out we had TTs (tomato and toast).

As an adult I grow them myself, along with cilantro and jalapenos (for some fabulous salsa), though it seems to take forever for my annual crop to be ready for consumption. Thankfully though, I don't have to wait for the tomatoes to ripen to enjoy them.

Enter the fried green tomato. Ever since Fannie Flagg penned her novel and inspired the classic chick-flick "Fried Green Tomatoes," this delicious, crisp appetizer has been one of the south's signature dishes. Its flavors are the perfect combination of tart, sweet and tangy and no one makes them quite like Michelle's at Hanover Tavern.

Michelle's fried green tomatoes are this historic restaurant's best selling appetizer and, with green tomatoes just about ready to pluck off the vine, owner Michelle Williams has agreed to share her recipe. It's the exact same concoction that Executive Chef Greg Haley cooks up nightly, right down to the serving sauce. Which means that if your fried green tomatoes don't turn out perfectly it's likely that it's the fault of the cook, not the recipe.

So if you're in the mood for a great warm weather appetizer, side dish or just a light dinner, then Michelle's fried green tomatoes make the perfect dish. Especially if, like me, your craving for tomatoes can't wait for summer.

And if your appetite for upscale southern cuisine requires more than an appetizer, be sure to check out Michelle's Sunday dinners and new light-fare menu. Best of all, you can enjoy them both on the newly landscaped patio.

Fried Green Tomatoes

INGREDIENTS:

4 Large green tomatoes, sliced in 1/2" thick rounds (tomatoes should be firm but not hard)
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal (fine ground)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
3 cups of vegetable oil (for frying)

DIRECTIONS:

Place sliced tomatoes in a large bowl with buttermilk to soak. Mix all dry ingredients in another large bowl. Coat tomatoes with breading mixture and fry for two to three minutes on each side (or until golden brown). Place on paper towels to dry, serve with roasted garlic aioli.

Roasted Garlic Aioli

INGREDIENTS:

6 cloves garlic
1 cup light mayonnaise
1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
Salt and pepper (to taste)

DIRECTIONS:

Roast garlic in 350-degree oven until soft. In food processor, combine all ingredients until smooth.

Michelle's at Hanover Tavern
13181 Hanover Courthouse Rd.
(804) 537-5250

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