Fried Green Tomatoes

Posted on July 5, 2013 by Peg

My dear friend Lou and I are treating ourselves rather royally this coming Sunday/Monday to a cooking seminar at Fearrington Village with executive chef Colin Bedford. In honor of that upcoming venture I give you this version of a Fried Green Tomato. This initially appeared in the 1987 book by Fearrington creator/owner (now deceased) Jenny Fitch titled The Fearrington House Cookbook. It’s rather plain for my personal taste, but add the sauce from Georgia Brown’s in DC and you’ll be in love all over again. I’ll post Georgia Brown’s exquisite ramped up version of the good ole Southern fried green tomato in the next couple of weeks. And that is a promise that you will beg me to keep! D.I.V.I.N.E.

6 medium green tomatoes cut into 1/4″ slices
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1 t salt
1 Tbs ground black pepper
1 1/2 t cayenne pepper
2 t dried thyme
1/4 cup peanut oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Soak tomato slices in buttermilk.
Mix together cornmeal, flour and spices.
Dredge tomato slices in cornmeal mixture.
Combine oils in large skillet and heat on medium.
Sauté over medium heat for about 2 minutes per side, until golden.
Drain on paper towels.

Tomato Cheese Pie

Posted on July 3, 2013 by Peg

With fresh heirloom maters (in case you ain’t Southern that’s slang for tomatoes!) flying in like mad these days, I hustled myself to the kitchen to make this delicious pie yesterday afternoon. Mandy was coming over for a teamwork session on the web site for our husbands’ dental practice. We accomplished so much that I just had to give her half a pie! Never mind that it was a bit mushy…I was over zealous with the tomatoes!! She swears that she and her sweetie loved it anyway. Double Rainbow All the Way!

You will need:
1 regular pie shell
3 large tomatoes, chopped, patted dry
1/2 vidalia onion, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
1/4 cup basil leaves, chopped
Fresh ground black pepper.

Preheat oven to 350°.
Cook pie shell for 8 minutes.

In a medium bowl combine tomatoes, onion, mayonnaise, cheeses, and basil.
Place mixture in to the pie shell.
Sprinkle with the fresh black pepper.
Bake approximately 25 minutes and watch to make sure it doesn’t brown too much!

Cabbage, Kicked Up a Notch

Posted on June 27, 2013 by Peg

I took Gray’s Kicked Up Collards recipe and applied it to my fresh from the farm cabbage. This rocks!

This is my small cabbage head, chopped

1 small head green cabbage
1 Tbs olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 slices precooked bacon, cut into small pieces
2 cups fat free, low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 t salt
1/2 t fresh ground black pepper
1/4 t red pepper flakes

Cut end off and then cut in to 2 inch pieces or strips.
Rinse under water to remove any possible grit.
Heat oil in large pot over medium high heat.
Add onion, and cook 3 minutes.
Add garlic, and cook 1 minute.
Add cabbage.
Cook 2 minutes, tossing constantly with tongs, so all cabbage pieces are coated with oil.
Pour in broth.
Cook 8 minutes on medium, covered.
Add bacon pieces, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
Cook 3 minutes*, uncovered, until broth is reduced.

*This renders a crunchy cabbage. If you desire a totally limp finished product, cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes.

Transfer to bowl or individual plates with slotted spoon.
Serves 4.

Sugar Snaps and Goat Cheese

Posted on June 24, 2013 by Peg

For the past two weeks in a row my friend and farmer Ben has brought me fresh sugar snaps straight from his glorious Leggett Farm Organics. I remembered this quick little recipe and whipped it up last Thursday for a healthy lunch. Mmmmmm!
1 lb fresh sugar snap peas
1/4 cup minced sweet onion
3 Tbs olive oil, divided
20 grape tomatoes
4 oz crumbled goat cheese
2 Tbs chopped fresh basil
1/2 t fresh ground pepper

Cook peas in boiling water 1 1/2 minutes.
Drain.
Plunge into ice water; drain.

Heat 1 Tbs olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet
When oil is hot, turn to medium low and add onions.
Sauté 2 minutes.
Add remaining 2 Tbs olive oil. Heat until oil is hot.
Add sugar snaps and tomatoes, and cook until heated through, approximately 2 minutes.
Place mixture in a bowl.
Add goat cheese, basil, and pepper.
Toss gently.

Serves 4.

Leggett Farm Vegetables…fantabulous!

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Peg

Yesterday, as all Wednesdays this summer, the doorbell rings, and I just know it is my local farmer/friend Ben Davis. He swoops up last week’s empty box, and low and behold, abundance is left in its place. This is just a portion of the always amazing Leggett Farm Organics CSA Box. Guess who’s roasting Vegetable Tian tomorrow night for our house-party. (more on that Monday!) That’s right, mí, moi, me! Get yourself to the farm or the Greenville Uptown Umbrella Market on Wednesdays to get your own stash. Yummy!

Leggett Farm Organics CSA Box #2

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Peg

Whoop Whoop! I just received my second CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box of the spring/summer season. Ben Davis, owner of Leggett Farm Organics, dropped it off himself! You simply put last week’s empty basket on the doorstep and he swoops that off and in its place is a glorious fresh basket filled with this week’s produce. AND he emails you with what’s inside PLUS recipes. How organized is that! Nice! ps…i’m making Kicked Up Collards tomorrow afternoon, mmmmmm.

Kicked Up Collards

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Peg

Last fall my daughter Gray shared this New England twist on the old southern collard greens recipe with me. They rocked the table last year at Thanksgiving and Christmas. But they are a great veggie any day of the week, any time of the year!

1 lb fresh collard greens
1 Tbs olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 slices precooked bacon, cut into small pieces
3 cups fat free, low sodium chicken broth
1/2 t salt
1 t fresh ground black pepper
1/2 t red pepper flakes

Cut stems off and tear greens away from spine.
Cut in to 2 inch pieces.
Rinse under water to remove grit.
Heat oil in large pot over medium high.
Add onion, and cook 5 minutes.
Add garlic, and cook 1 minute.
Add bacon and collard greens.
Cook 2 to 3 minutes, tossing constantly, until collards wilt.
Pour in chicken broth.
Add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
Reduce heat to low.
Cover and simmer 45 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes.

If you like a finer chop, go for it!

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