[*let me just start by saying that the diner/yo'-mama's version of this classic (on, gasp, plain 'ole toasted wonder bread) needs no real improvement. a treat in-and-of itself, to be sure]
...HOWEVER...
TA-DA:
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| (not yo' mama's blt) |
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| (mayo, chopped basil, s&p, ready to be combined to create the aioli) |
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| (fresh basil from the garden...okay if you look really hard, there's some mint in there, too) |
...all on lightly toasted challah bread (see previous post for recipe). listen, i ain't gonna lie: it was delicious (would i be sharing it with all of you folks, otherwise?!?)
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| (the green tomatoes still on the vine in the backyard) |
the first thing i did was fry up 'dem green 'maters ("green tomatoes" = very underripe tomatoes. in this case, from our garden, but you can find them at many grocery stores, and, frankly, the least ripe tomato you can find, even if it's a little red, will work, here. just needs to be firm).
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| (the 'maters, washed and ready to go) |
so, here's my fried-green-tomato recipe:
ingredients:
-very underripe tomatoes (4-5, depending on size), sliced about 1/4 to 1/2 inch-thick
-1 1/2 cups buttermilk
-1 cup cornmeal
-1 cup all-purpose flour
-1 tablespoon garlic powder
-cayenne, paprika, sea salt, and ground black pepper to your taste
-1/2-3/4 cup bacon grease
-or-
-1/2 cup vegetable oil plus 1 tablespoon butter
1.process your cornmeal in your food processor (i find that, unless you have a super-finely ground cornmeal, many recipes, this one included, benefit from this processing...it eliminates the sometimes too mealy quality whilst still retaining that desirable crunch-factor)
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| (cornmeal in processor) |
2. add the remaining dry ingredients (flour, garlic powder, cayenne, paprika, salt and pepper) to the cornmeal and pulse to combine,
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| (the dry ingredients, ready to be pulsed) |
place the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside
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| (the dry ingredients) |
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| (buttermilk with s&p) |
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| (that's right. delicious and equally useful bacon fat) |
4. heat a heavy-bottomed skillet to medium/medium-high. add bacon grease (perhaps you keep it around in a jar in the fridge for very such purposes? perhaps not) or veg oil and butter combo
5. while the oil/grease is melting down and heating up, soak the tomato slices in the seasoned buttermilk
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| (maters a-soakin') |
6. once grease or oil/butter is melted and hot in the skillet,
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| (bacon grease a-meltin') |
dredge the buttermilk-soaked tomato slices, one at a time, in the cornmeal mixture, to coat on both sides
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| (soaked, dredged maters a-fryin') |
8. drain on paper towels
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| (fried-green-tomatoes a-drainin') |
9. now...eat 'em!
excellent with lemon and hot sauce, buttermilk dressing, etc
OR...
as i suggested, on a sammich'
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| [here, with a cucumber, feta, and mint salad. get in my belly (and it did)!] |
