I have been trying to make a Layered Crab Cakes with Fried Green Tomatoes topped with Hollandaise Sauce for a little while now to no avail. Green tomatoes are not the kind of item that you can purchase in normal supermarkets, and my food vendors (if they even have them) would sell them to me by the case (which I definitely do not need). My trip to the Holland Farmer's Market on Saturday was disappointing at best. Out of a dozen or so stands that were set up, only a couple were selling vegetables at all. Neither of them had green tomatoes, although one of the vendors tentatively promised me some on Wednesday. There were a few stands selling tomato plants, but they were only blooming. If they had fruit growing, I might have felt brave enough to buy either just the green fruit or the whole plant.  |
| Green Tomatoes |
My search continues. In the meantime, here is a recipe that will go on the features menu at Blue House Bistro as soon as I find green tomatoes. If you have some in the Holland, Michigan area send me an email or come by Blue House Bistro; there are hungry people waiting!
Crab Cakes
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/8 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup diced bell peppers (I like red the best because of the color mixture)
2 tbsp butter
3 eggs
2/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 Parmesan cheese
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp mustard
Tabasco to taste
Two 10 oz cans of crab meat (unless you have access to fresh!)
1/4 cup cooking oil (use more or less depending on the size of your pan)
Sautee the onion, celery and peppers in butter until it onions turns clear. Whisk the eggs and combine with breadcrumbs, cheese, and seasonings. Stir in onion mixture and crab meat. Shape into patties. Heat oil in a skillet. Place crab cakes in hot skillet. Sear on each side until golden brown; about 2-3 min.
Fried Green Tomatoes
3 medium size green tomatoes
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 cup breadcrumbs
pepper to taste
1/4 cup cooking oil (use more or less depending on the size of your pan)
Slice tomatoes in 1/4 inch slices. Dip in milk. Dredge in combined flour, pepper, breadcrumb mixture. Heat oil in a skillet. Place tomatoes in hot skillet. Sear on each side until golden brown; about 2-3 min.
Layer the crab cakes and tomatoes into towers.
Hollandaise Sauce
1/2 cup softened butter (in pieces)
3 egg yolks
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Tabasco to taste
dash of salt
In the top section of a double boiler (because this sauce goes wrong FAST!) combine egg yolks, vinegar, and Tabasco. Whisk constantly over boiling water while slowly adding butter until it reaches desired thickness. Spoon over crab and tomato towers. Serve immediately.
