Chef John Lawrence whipped up this wonderful Fried Green Tomato Salad with Pickled Onions and a Basil-Bacon Dressing during a recent garden club food demo at Elm Bank in Wellesley, MA.  Enjoy!

Pickled Onions

1 medium red onion, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon salt

2 cups water

Combine all the ingredients in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Remove from the heat and place the bottom of the pan in a ice-water bath to cool.  Keep cool until serving.

Basil-Bacon Dressing

3 strips bacon, cooked and finely chopped

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup diced and caramelized onion

1 tablespoon buttermilk

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1/4 teaspoon basil puree

1/8 teaspoon roasted garlic

1/8 teaspoon salt

Mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl.  Taste the dressing and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Green Tomatoes

2 cups all-purpose flour, seasoned

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

4 cups cornflakes, finely ground

2 green tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick

Oil for deep frying

Kosher salt

2 ounces mache lettuces

8 angel hair pasta noodles, fried and coated with chili dust

Have the seasoned flour, eggs and ground cornflakes each in a separate shallow bowl.  Dredge the tomato slices first in the flour, then in the egg, and finally in the cornflakes.  Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment and refrigerate.

Heat the oil in a large pot to 350 degrees and fry the tomato slices until golden brown.  Place on a sheet pan lined with paper towels to drain.  Sprinkle with kosher salt.  Stack tomatoes with pickled onions on serving plates.

Toss the mache with some of the basil-bacon dressing and top the tomato stacks with some of the greens.  Hold each stack together by skewering it with a fried noodle.  Decorate the plates with flavored oils (optional).

A recipe inspired by Chef Jamie P. Keating