MEMPHIS, Tenn. — When visiting your local farmers’ market, stock up on tomatoes which are in season and extremely versatile.
We stuff them. We deliberately pick them before they’re ripe to fry them.
To get us through winter, we labor to preserve them.
Chef Elle returned to share how to transform them into fritters.
Tomato Fritters as developed by Chef Elle
2 large green tomatoes (diced)
20 grape tomatoes (quartered)
1 shallot (minced)
¼ c garlic chives (snipped)
1 ½ c all-purpose flour
1 t sea salt
½ t baking powder
¾ t baking soda
¾ t ground red pepper
1 c buttermilk
grapeseed oil
* Roasted Red Pepper Dip
Tools: medium bowl, whisk, measuring cups, measuring spoons, sharp knife, mixing spoon, 2 teaspoons, slotted spoon, large pot, paper towels
In a medium bowl, add all dry ingredients and chives and whisk together. Stir in the buttermilk. Once it becomes a thick batter, add tomatoes and shallots and gently mix.
Place 2 inches of oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Allow temperature to reach 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Working in small batches and using the 2-spoon method, gently drop teaspoons of batter into the oil. Fritters should cook 1-2 minutes on each side. Using a slotted spoon, remove tomato fritters. Transfer to paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
Yields approximately 24.
To accommodate a larger crowd, simply double or triple the ingredients.
Easy Solutions: Serve with Chef Elle’s Roasted Red Pepper Dip. And for quality assurance and optimal results, Chef Elle suggests following the recipes as written and using products mentioned.
© 2014 Elle Green All Rights Reserved. Chef Elle appears courtesy of Simple Conceptions. Recipes developed and tested by Elle Green. Credits: Food Styling: Elle Green; Photography: Hillary Rosenberg; Copywriting: Hillary Rosenberg: Home Cook Recipe Testers: Alice Maloney, Hillary Maloney, Jack and John