Perfect End of Summer Feast

This old dog has learned a few new tricks this summer. We decided to delve further into our summer roots and explore some southern classics cuisine wise. I had no choice, I told the boys who had been courting me since my arrival on their turf to bring on the harvest and prove they were serious. Yes this is the continuation of the N.C Road Trip saga.

And so they did. To my surprise I might add because sometimes these good old country boys can be all talk. Bring it they did. Good old North Carolina tomatoes, Stripy boys, green tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, okra, sweet corn. After my car was filled with boxes of produce we took advice on how to cook these delectable delights. My cousin David, who is kin to the Master of the Universe, confided to me that I needed to use just the right ratio of flour to cornmeal to perfect the fried green tomato.

I nodded my agreement and then he leaned in even further to quietly persuade me to come on up to his house where he had an extra bag of extra special southern style white cornmeal. So later that evening I did just that, I wandered up the hill to share a cup of sweet tea and some cooking secrets with this rugged war veteran, mountain man kind of cousin and I left for Michigan the next day with my supplies.

I'm ashamed to admit that I'd never eaten or made fried green tomatoes all these years. My Yankee mother had prejudiced me from such things  and as a child I would turn my nose up at these southern delights. I should have known better because although I absolutely adored my mother, she was never known for her cooking abilities. So, I guess now I am making up for lost time in preserving the southern heritage up here north of the Mason-Dixon line.

These beauties were our first attempt and I have to be honest to say that my daughter (who actually is a Pastry Chef) fried these big boys to perfection. The timing was perfect too. It was a Tuesday afternoon when we arrived home from our road trip. They had already planned a simple feast of delmonico steaks with pats of garlic butter accompanied by grill roasted asparagus, mushrooms and peppers. I suggested (quite rightly I might add) that in addition to their preparations we should include tomatoes (both the fried green variety and some ripe red sliced). And voila! The perfect end of summer feast.

There is one small problem (those sweet little bless your heart southern ladies never clue you in about) with my effort to eat my way through the south last month, in utter abandon of my common sense. I have managed to gain around 7 pounds and that is no good for my wardrobe so I'm going to have to double down on my eating and exercise disciplines cause mama don't want to have to buy the next size up!

Comments

[middle-aged-woman]

SOOO hard when there's lots of great food around. 7!? Must be great cooks!

[The Mother]

You can join hubby and I on the P90X program.

I've lost two dress sizes (although not that much weight--it's all muscle).

I also ache in places I didn't know I had. Not easy, considering I spent all that time in anatomy labs.

[The Lawyer Mom]

You too? My car got the best gas mileage ever up in the mountains so why my weight gain! Oy vey.