Southern Food Recipes

[Petra]

So, yesterday in Auckland I visited the colourful Otara markets where I saw a big box of green tomatoes. We generally don't do green tomatoes in NZ, and as soon as they caught my eye I thought, "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe! Wa-hey!" And so I bought some.


I had no idea what to do with them and couldn't get hold of my old bro, Ronnie, an old black Blues singer from Georgia to score a recipe and some tips and it's way too early in the morning for me to try calling him now! But I want to get started on a Southern Sunday breakfast 'cos I've been reading the mashed spuds thread and I'm starving.


I found this recipe on the internet, though, so I'll probably use that one....unless y'all come up with something bettah.



* 1 egg
* 2 tablespoons milk
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
* 1/2 cup 9 2 oz/60 g) sifted all-purpose (plain) flour
* 3/4 cup ( 4 oz/125 g) yellow cornmeal
* vegetable oil for frying
* 3 firm green (unripe) tomatoes, cored and cut into 12 slices
* salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
* sprigs of fresh thyme for garnish ( optional)

Preheat an oven to 200 degrees F ( 93 C)

In a medium bowl, combine the egg, milk, the 1/2 teaspoon salt and the 1/4 teaspoon pepper and beat until well blended. In another medium bowl, combine the flour and cornmeal.
In a heavy, deep skillet over medium-high heat, pour the oil to a depth of 1/2 in ( 12 mm) and heat to 350* f ( 180* C) on a deep-fry thermometer. Dip the tomato slices in the egg mixture to coat evenly. Then dip in the cornmeal mixture, shaking off any excess and wiping your hands to avoid build-up. Fry the tomatoes in 3 batches, turning once, until the coating is crisp and light golden brown on both sides, a total of 3-5 minutes per batch.

Working quickly with a slotted spatula, transfer the tomatoes to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain. Then transfer the tomatoes to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and place in the warm oven until all the batches are ready to serve. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve warm. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.


So, what are your fave green tomato recipes, and/or any other great Southern USA recipes?


And what are grits, and should I make them for breaky this morning too?

[inland wave]

That recipe sounds right to me, at least that is how my mom makes them. As a matter of fact I made some for Warrenly when we were dating. He must of been crazy about me, cause he hated them, but ate them anyway. When I was growing up we had them often and they taste best coming right out of the skillet.

[Petra]

Originally Posted by inland wave

....I made some for Warrenly when we were dating. He must of been crazy about me, cause he hated them, but ate them anyway.

When I was growing up we had them often and they taste best coming right out of the skillet.

They do sound pretty yummy. What do you eat them with? Eggs? Grits? Hog? Beer?



/please say beer.

[inland wave]

We pretty much made it a veggie, meal. Salad, green beans, maybe some corn. It was good very good. I would say beer would work nice with them too. We just drank ice tea.

[Petra]

Originally Posted by inland wave

We prety much made it a veggie, meal. Salad, green beans, maybe some corn. It was good very good. I would say beer would work nice with them too. We just drank ice tea.

Sounds yummy, but not so breakfasty. I'll definitely make a dinner or lunch meal like that though.


(And no, I won't be having beer with my breakfast. Tea sounds perfect. )

[viscousmemories]

I've never had fried green tomatoes, but I loved the movie.

I never had grits until I joined the Army, but I love 'em. I need to make them more often.

Good luck and let us know how they turn(ed) out.

[Beth]

We used to have them as a side dish with the rest of the meal. or for lunch alone.

[Beth]

we made the fried green tomatoes differently. We dipped sliced tomatoes (red can be fried, as well) into a mixture of sour milk (milk soured with vinegar) or buttermilk and a couple of eggs, then we dipped it self rising flour that was seasoned with salt and ample pepper. After that, we fried it in a shallow bath of oil.

I never liked the tomatoes with the cornmeal as much.

I know this is a little late to add this.

Tonight I will make fried red tomatoes and fried eggplant. The fried eggplant will be made in a similar fashion, except I will not use buttermilk and have to directly salt the eggplant. After frying it partially, I will bake them in an oven, that way the eggplant will not absorb as much oil as it would if I had fried it till done.

Stuffed bell peppers and cornbread will be the rest of the meal.

[TomJoe]

Originally Posted by lunachick

And what are grits, and should I make them for breaky this morning too?

Grits. They seem to have their own website.

[Beth]

Grits are fantabulous! Cold grits can be fried in butter and eaten as a a snack, too.

[LadyShea]

I love the Fried Green Tomatoes at LuLu's here, but it's mostly the WOW sauce (with a dash of horseradish) that makes them so tasty. I love grits as well, with lots of butter. Never tried to make fried green tomatoes though, I don't do well with battered stuff, the batter never sticks.

[ChuckF]

Well, you simply GOT to have grits in any proper breakfast. Of course, one also needs a decent biscuit, which can be hard to find. This courtesy of mom:

6 cups of flour
2 tablespoons of baking powder
a cup of shortening
2 cups of buttermilk

My aunt puts in a little bit of powdered sugar too, and those turn out pretty good.

Anyway, knead it good, make sure it isn't too crumbly, cut it into the desired size, and bake at 400 for 15 minutes, or until the tops start to get flaky. I like them brushed with butter. Let them sit for a few minutes and soak up the butter before eating

And then there's barbecue...but that's a whoooole 'nother thread.

* ChuckF prepares to defend the supremacy of North Carolina barbecue

[viscousmemories]

What about the sausage gravy, though? Got a recipe for that?

[LadyShea]

I make a damn good gravy, only thing I can make. Also made it easy because browning flour just sucks. Of course I can't explain it to you, there is no recipe....you just sorta whick together some milk and flour and add it to to the drippings, then adjust until it's as thick as you want.

[viscousmemories]

But I'm talkin' about that thick, whitish gravy with chunks of sausage in it that you get slathered on a country biscuit at places like Bob Evans.

[Skep]

It's pretty easy, vm. For 1 lb. breakfast pork sausage you'll need:

1/2 cup flour
1/2 stick butter
quart of milk
salt and pepper

In a large saucepan or dutch oven, brown sausage, cook until most of the fat is rendered out. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon, leaving drippings. Add butter, stir until melted. Slowly whisk in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes, constantly stirring. Gradually stir in the milk and bring to a boil. Add sausage and cook until gravy is nice and thick. Add salt and pepper to taste.

[viscousmemories]

Cool! Thanks. No wonder that stuff is so good, look at all that fat.

Will skim milk work, or is fatter better?

[Skep]

Originally Posted by viscousmemories

Cool! Thanks. No wonder that stuff is so good, look at all that fat.

Will skim milk work, or is fatter better?

Hell, water would work, but why??

[Beth]

Originally Posted by ChuckF

Anyway, knead it good, make sure it isn't too crumbly, cut it into the desired size, and bake at 400 for 15 minutes, or until the tops start to get flaky.

I only ever fold the biscuits on a floured surface about six times. Otherwise, it can get tough. Sometimes if the dough is dry, I fold the dough over even less.

[viscousmemories]

Originally Posted by Skep

Hell, water would work, but why??

[pescifish]

Originally Posted by ChuckF

* ChuckF prepares to defend the supremacy of North Carolina barbecue

Eastern NC or Western NC? Wet or dry? Vinegar-y or tomato-y sauce?

Is it possible to simply say "North Carolina barbeque" without specifying more characteristics to identify it?

* pescifish really wants to know, \'cuz she\'s a SoCal gal and has been genuinely confusalated about this issue.

I keep traveling to NC and trying to get NC barbeque, but haven't managed to succeed in this quest ...yet.

[ChuckF]

Originally Posted by pescifish

Eastern NC or Western NC? Wet or dry? Vinegar-y or tomato-y sauce?

Is it possible to simply say "North Carolina barbeque" without specifying more characteristics to identify it?

* pescifish really wants to know, 'cuz she's a SoCal gal and has been genuinely confusalated about this issue.

I keep traveling to NC and trying to get NC barbeque, but haven't managed to succeed in this quest ...yet.

Personally, I come from the Western NC tradition. That is to say, tomato and vinegar based sauce, rather than the more vinegar-intensive Eastern NC sauce. But we try to keep that infighting under wraps when dealing with lesser barbecues. "North Carolina" barbecue should be distinguished from the mustard-based varieties of sauce, or too too sugary kind, or the very strange type of sauce they make in Texas.

The best barbecue comes from the pig pickin'.

BTW, you let me know next time you're out here. I'll take you to Short Sugars, the filthy dive that supplies barbecue to my home town. Good stuff!

[The Lone Ranger]

Originally Posted by pescifish

Eastern NC or Western NC? Wet or dry? Vinegar-y or tomato-y sauce?

Is it possible to simply say "North Carolina barbeque" without specifying more characteristics to identify it?

* pescifish really wants to know, 'cuz she's a SoCal gal and has been genuinely confusalated about this issue.

I keep traveling to NC and trying to get NC barbeque, but haven't managed to succeed in this quest ...yet.

ChuckF covered it pretty well. Within N.C., people will think you're a heathen, pervert, or perhaps even a Democrat if you don't know the difference between Western N.C. barbeque and Eastern N.C. barbeque. And may the fates protect you if you should ever be so foolish as to express a preference for Eastern barbeque while standing anywhere in N.C. that's west of Raleigh or thereabouts. The same goes if you should express a preference for Western barbeque while standing anywhere in the Coastal Plain.



Even so, it is an objective fact, confirmed to the highest-possible degree that there's no better barbeque anywhere on the planet than can be found in Lexington, N.C.

Cheers,

Michael

[ChuckF]

Originally Posted by The Lone Ranger

Even so, it is an objective fact, confirmed to the highest-possible degree that there's no better barbeque anywhere on the planet than can be found in Lexington, N.C.

Cheers,

Michael

This wise man speaks the truth. Heed him.

[pescifish]

Well, at least I knew there was a difference to consider between east and west. Now, if only the areas I get to in NC (Charlotte and northwest of Charlotte) actually had any of these barbeque places! Thanks for the info, guys, I WILL succeed one of these trips, I'm sure of it.