March 15th, 2015

Fried Green Tomatoes, Love Them!, Fried Green Tomato, Fig, Bacon, Corn Stack, Merryman’s Green Tomato Pickle, Recipes, Restaurants Serving Fried Green Tomatoes, Rehoboth Beach, Bethany Beach, Delaware Beaches, Cape Charles, Virginia, Charleston, South Carolina, It’s All About Green Tomatoes

I am crushed that Fried Green Tomatoes…..not a Southern dish.  That they, apparently, entered the American culinary scene in the Northeast and Midwest, with a link to Jewish immigrants.  I love them and when I see them on menus, I do order them.  Having been in Charleston, I tasted them everywhere I could.  But, let me tell you that, here, at the Delaware Beaches, we have some pretty awesome ones served at our local restaurants.

Looking forward to my fig tree this year.  Not just to eat figs off the tree but to also prepare my Fried Green Tomato, Fig, Bacon, Corn Stack….It is my own recipe; not begged, borrowed, or stolen.  You can get the recipe by clicking on the month of August of 2013 on the archives of AboutMyBeaches and scrolling down to the 11th.

In Rehoboth Beach, Delaware:

FINS ALE HOUSE & RAW BAR on Coastal Highway.  I just had these the other day.  They were delicious and hopefully, they will keep them on the menu.

BLUE MOON located on Baltimore Avenue in Downtown Rehoboth Beach.  This is a signature appetizer.  The fried green tomatoes are served with herbed sheep’s cheese, onion, compote, pesto and a balsamic drizzle.  Definitely, a blending of flavors.

In Bethany Beach, Delaware:

PATSY’S RESTAURANT in Downtown Bethany Beach.  Her fried green tomatoes are topped with roasted red pepper/Vermont cheddar cheese spread with fresh basil pesto and balsamic reduction.

Cape Charles, Virginia’s Eastern Shore:

AQUA AT KINGS CREEK MARINA in Cape Charles serves a Fried Green Tomato BLT Salad…smoked bacon and mixed greens, tossed with a roasted tomato vinaigrette.

Historic Charleston, South Carolina:

TBONZ in Historic Charleston had these great fried green tomatoes….they went in my burger.

SOUTHEND BREWERY & SMOKE HOUSE, located in Downtown Charleston had never had anyone topped their pizza with fried green tomatoes.  Of course, pimento cheese was included.  The pizza did not wow me here.  But, the combination of pizza and fried green tomatoes was pretty good.

LOWCOUNTRY BISTRO, located in Historic Charleston has a great Ambrose Farms Spinach Salad….an addition of Fried Green Tomatoes made it just perfect.

A.W. SHUCK’S – We stopped here with our Culinary Tour (post in the making)….the praline butter on the fried green tomatoes was delish.

TOAST, located on Meeting St. had their fried green tomatoes with sweet pepper relish.

The following recipe is soooooo good.  You can serve it with roast beef, chicken, or even in a sandwich.  It takes some time to make but once in the jars you can store them for a long time.  Give it as presents to special friends.

MERRYMAN’S GREEN TOMATO PICKLE

1 peck (8 quarts or approx. 20 lbs of small green tomatoes

6 red peppers

12 large onions

5 tablespoons celery seed

5 tablespoons mustard seed

1/2 gal. cider vinegar

3 lbs. light brown sugar

1 cup salt

Slice the tomatoes and onions very thin.  Cut peppers into thin strips.  Place alternatively (some tomato, some onion, some peppers) in layers in a large bowl, sprinkling salt over each layer.

Let mixture sit for several hours or overnight to draw out liquid.

Squeeze the pickle dry and place in a large kettle.  Pour vinegar, sugar, mustard seed and celery seed over pickle.

Cook slowly until onion is clear and tomato is almost transparent.  One to two hours.  Check and stir often.

Place in sterilized jars and seal.

Note:  It is usually served in my house during the Holiday Season.  It is an old Merryman recipe.

Have a good one!!

August 30th, 2012

Figs, Figs, and More Figs, A Fried Green Tomato, Fig, Bacon, Corn Stack…I had to come up with something, Recipe, Easy

How can one tree produce that many figs?  Over 100 per day.  I have my whole neighborhood eating them.  I have given them to restaurants; they are never ending.  I have had this fig tree for about 11 or 12 years.  Believe me, every year it has been producing a consistently good crop.  But, this year, it went all out.  It has also been the year when I have not been that into them.  Let me tell you, I am fig-ed out, and my friends are too!!

So, tonight, as I picked another hundred, I decided I was going to do something with them.  Bear with me, this recipe is not going to be too organized, but it turned out to be quite easy.  And, it was delicious!! It really was.

Ingredients:

A reduction of balsamic vinegar.  A week or so ago, I made a balsamic reduction by emptying a bottle of balsamic vinegar in a saucepan; cooking on low for about 1 1/2 hours, until a thick consistency.  I keep it in the refrigerator.  For this recipe only a few dots here or there of this reduction.

Green tomatoes; some already were turning.

1 ear of corn

4 slices of bacon cut in half

corn starch

pepper

butter

honey

About a cup of figs cut in half

Okay.  Here it goes.

The first thing I did was cook the bacon in a large pan.  Place the cooked bacon on paper towels to drain.  Keep the dripping on the frying pan intact.   Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you that this recipe is not low in calories, by any means.

Peel the corn husk from the corn and cut the kernels off.  Set aside.

Use a gallon plastic bag and put about 1 cup of corn starch and about a teaspoon of pepper.  If you want more, you know what to do.

Cut the green tomatoes in slices.  Place in the plastic bag to coat with corn starch.

To the bacon drippings in the pan add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.  Heat to medium high.  Fry the green tomatoes. Turning them over once after about 4 minutes or so.  Just check that they have a nice color before turning them over.

Once the tomatoes are done, then take them out of the frying pan and place on paper towels.

Heat about 1 tablespoons of butter in a smaller frying pan and add the corn that you had set aside.  Quickly cook it for a few minutes.  Take it out and put on a plate.

Put another tablespoon of butter in that same smaller frying pan and add the figs.  They will cook quickly.  Add about 2 teaspoons of honey to the pan.  Turn it off.  Move from the heat.

Get ready to assemble the Stack.

On you dinner plate, first start with the corn, then put a fried green tomato, followed by a couple slices of bacon, adding a few figs and repeat again, ending with a fried green tomato.

The extra figs can be put around the stack with some of the butter/honey drippings.

A little drizzle of balsamic here or there will be a great addition to your dish.

Then, all you have to do is enjoy!!   If I say so myself, it was really good.  It was also gluten free!!

Make it your own!!