Faith, Folklore, and Friends

It is that time of year again.  There are lots of green tomatoes on the vines that are now dying, just about done with their cycle of life. We have had numerous BLTs and salsa-drenched omelets and burritos, so it is okay to pick the green tomatoes now. There are hundreds of  fried tomato recipes online, so here is another one for you. Starting from the left: 1/2 cup of plain flour; 1/2 cup of milk and an egg; 1/2 cup corn meal, 1/2 cup of bread crumbs, and, just to make it interesting, 1 Tablespoon Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning.  Beat the egg and milk together, and mix the meal, bread crumbs, and seasoning. Slice some firm, green tomatoes that have been washed and dried.  I usually use one tomato per person. Dip the tomato slice in the flour, then in the egg/milk mixture, making sure you cover it completely. Shake off any excess, then coat with the meal, bread crumbs, and seasoning mixture.  I did this wi...

We always have green tomatoes on the vines when frost threatens in the fall.  I use them for green tomato pickles and always fry up a few.  I have tried various methods of storing them, from wrapping them in newspapers to storing in cardboard boxes.  They always rotted before they got ripe. This year, I took the best ones and lined them up on the kitchen window sill.  They stayed hard and green for several weeks, then they started to ripen.  We have been eating tomatoes all through December. Yesterday, we had the last ones with our bacon/biscuits and scrambled eggs.  They were so good, and I'm sad to see them go.  On this cold rainy day, it seems like an eternity until July when we will start the tomato-fest again.

Fried Green Tomatoes  have been a part of our summer eating for as long as I can remember.  Every year, when the tomatoes get abundant enough that I can pick the green ones without feeling guilty, I start making them. Last week during the Handy Festival, while eating at  Champy's Chicken  in Muscle Shoals, we had some Fried Green Tomatoes.  They were so good, I thought I needed to revise my recipe.  I did a little research, and this is what I came up with. Starting from the left: 1/2 cup of plain flour; 1/2 cup of milk and an egg; 1/2 cup corn meal, 1/2 cup of bread crumbs, and, just to make it interesting, 1 Tablespoon Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning.  Beat the egg and milk together, and mix the meal, bread crumbs, and seasoning. Slice some firm, green tomatoes that have been washed and dried.  I usually use one tomato per person. Dip the tomato slice in the flour, then in the egg/milk mixture, making sure you cover it ...