(Note to self: I need to NOT post after drinking margaritas.)
Okra is a southern delicacy. Fried, stewed, alone or with tomatoes, I love it. My wife says it will never touch her lips after watching us eat it at her first family function as my wife, it was stewed and slimy. It was also her first Southern family function. She won’t even touch it fried.
One of my friends back in the day, moved to Oregon, because of a job he couldn't say no to. He was raided by the police and temporarily arrested for growing marijuana. He said they had ripped up several of his okra plants before they realized they had made a mistake. They, the city, ended up being forced by a judge with a sense of humor, which I hear is damn rare in Oregon, to reimburse him for destroying his okra plants, which resemble pot plants very closely. Every time he encountered them after that in a restaurant or wherever, he would loudly tell the story of getting busted for manufacture of okra.
Fried okra and fried green tomatoes.
And all of you that love a good BLT really need to try a BLT with fried green tomatoes … or what we have started doing is finding some firm red tomatoes and frying them up the same … it makes a BLT a totally different experience.
The Whistle Stop Cafe in Juliette, GA was the inspiration for the movie 'Fried Green Tomatoes' which was not a blockbuster, but being from the south, we enjoyed thoroughly. The story line takes a minute to evolve, but most people will enjoy the movie I think if they allow themselves to understand the region and the times.
Set as the iconic café in the movie, Fried Green Tomatoes, the Whistle Stop Café got its humble start in the little town of Juliette, Georgia. When filming was done, the restaurant remained open and still serves classic southern dishes and of course, Fried Green Tomatoes, everyday!
This is our recipe with an awesome sauce that I found in Southern Living years ago and we still use it today.
Fried Green Tomatoes
Ingredients:
2-3 medium to large size green tomatoes
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup flour (plain or self rising, doesn't matter)
1/2 lb. grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
salt
pepper
oil for frying (I use Olive oil with 2 - 3 tsp. bacon drippings and a couple of 1/4” slices of butter)
Instructions:
Slice the tomatoes in thick slices, about 1/4 inch. Place in a bowl and pour the buttermilk over them. Let them sit in the buttermilk for 15 -20 minutes.
Mix the cornmeal, flour and parmesan cheese in a shallow dish or pie plate and dredge the tomato slices a couple at time in the mixture. Turn them over and pat the cornmeal mixture into them well.
Pour about an inch of oil mixture in a skillet and heat to around 350 degrees or until it is sizzling. Make sure your oil is hot enough (but not too hot) or the tomatoes will be greasy and the batter may not stay on. Drop a little of the cornmeal mixture in the oil and it should sizzle. Leave room in the pan to turn the slices.
Sprinkle each slice with a little salt and black pepper. Only turn once or twice while cooking or they will fall apart. When they turn golden brown, remove from oil and place on wire rack covered with paper towels to drain. Salt again while they are still hot.
Buttermilk Ranch Herb Sauce
Yield: 1 1/3 cups
Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 teaspoons Ranch dressing mix
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
Whisk together mayonnaise, buttermilk, chives, Ranch dressing mix, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, freshly ground pepper, and salt. Serve immediately, or cover and chill up to 2 days.
Way back in the day, before the sun came up and we were milking cows we would listen to Jerry Clower on the radio. Jerry Clower would tell a story about hunting dogs and boiled okra. I know most of you educated city folk have never heard of Jerry Clower OR boiled okra and NO, foofoo dogs are NOT the same as a good black and tan.
I lived in Southern Alabama for 12 years and married a true Southern girl, but to this day I will not eat an okra... I don't care how it is cooked or served up, no. I do enjoy deep fried pickles, of course, fried green tomatoes and even as far as eating catfish which in my younger years would catch and release. I love grits and there wasn't a Southern dish I didn't enjoy except okra... I don't know if it was the taste or texture, but I would gag... You put a dish of some good Southern food and I would devour it.
ReplyDeleteI totally understand. I have southern friends that won't touch the stuff. I love all those southern foods and okra is no exception ... fried, boiled, or just cooked with tomatoes, we called it okra gravy and put it over rice ... yummy, yummy, lol.
DeleteWhen the garden grows well, walking out in the morning, snapping off okra,grabbing cherry tomatoes and standing there eating breakfast straight from the garden is ,,good..
ReplyDeleteOkay, I'm definitely with you on eating the tomatoes straight off the vine but eatin' okra raw is one of the proven signs of a madman. Go get checked dude ...... lol.
DeleteI'm just your average, garden variety, madman..
DeleteIt's not slimy.. I will clip the caps off and steam some, if there is a good bunch after I've gnawed the raw stuff..
LOL, never eaten it raw. They didn't come up with the spineless variety until I was older and there's no way I would eat that stuff raw. Shit, we wore gloves just to pick the stuff.
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