Editor's note

I know that most people want to see pictures of what they are cooking. The problem is, my food is always delicious, but it's not always pretty.

But since this blog is supposed to be some sort of journey to self-improvement (or so my shrink says), I am going to try to post more pictures.

It will be a work in progress, but I see many good things in the future.

I am trying a new recipe tonight. I will report back if it turns out well. It involves boxed cake mix. I don't hate boxed cake mixes. Sometimes I like them better than cakes made from scratch.

Anyhow, tune in tomorrow!

Fried Green Tomato BLTs

Now that you know how to make fried green tomatoes, I am going to teach you a variation that has been the summer brunch all-star this year: fried green tomato BLTs.

What you need:
Green tomatoes (1 or 2)
Flour
Egg
Cornmeal
Parmesan cheese (the kind in the green can)
Salt and pepper
Bacon
Lettuce
A crusty baked bread from the bakery (I use the french loaves)
Mayo, if you want to put that on your finished sandwich

First, you take some bacon and cook it in the oven. It is better that way. Crisp, and not greasy. Plus I sprinkle brown sugar and pepper on it, and it gives the sandwich a little extra something.

Heat oven to 350. Lay slices of bacon on broiler pan. Sprinkle brown sugar and pepper on top of the slices.

Bake about 30 minutes or until it's brown and cooked. You might flip it once during the cooking, but be careful of the grease in the bottom of the broiler pan.

While the bacon is cooking in the oven, fry up your tomatoes. Pretty much follow the recipe I gave you before, with a slight variation. Put just salt on the tomato slices and stir a little pepper and parmesan cheese in with the cornmeal.

Toast good, thick slices of the french bread. I find they are too big for a regular toaster, so either use a toaster oven or pop them in the other rack of the oven with the bacon.

When everything is done, put a couple slices of bacon and tomatoes with some lettuce and mayo on the toasted bread.

Enjoy!

Fried Green Tomatoes

The name of the game lately has been "Let's cook all the stuff from the farmers' market before it goes bad." I already gave you one of the recipes from that excitement, squash casserole, so it's about time that I give you my fried green tomatoes recipe.

Ever since I moved to the South, I've developed a love for fried green tomatoes. I'm not a huge tomato fan, so it's quite strange, really. But after a little tweaking, I make fried green tomatoes that I'm told are some of the best.

My inspiration came from Martha White's recipe, but I changed it around a little and I think mine works a little better. I still always use their sauce, but I realized when looking at that recipe that I have been forgetting the dijon mustard and it's still pretty good.

So, you make the sauce.
1 c. sour cream, 2 T mayo, 1 T horseradish and 1 T dijon mustard. '
Mix it up and let it sit for a while. It's better if it sits.

Ingredients for the tomatoes:
3-4 green tomatoes
1 egg, beaten (you may need an extra one, depending on how many tomato slices you have)
1/2 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
Oil for frying
Salt and pepper

Next cover the bottom of your skillet with canola or vegetable oil and let it heat up while you get the tomatoes ready. I put it about medium/medium low, so the grease doesn't splatter.

Slice your tomatoes and sprinkle salt and pepper on them. I don't know why that makes them taste better, but it does.

Dredge the tomato slices in flour. Dip them in egg until they are covered on both sides, and then dip in cornmeal.

Drop in the hot oil and cook on each side until golden brown. Drain on plate covered in paper towel.

Serve warm with horseradish sauce.