Every time I put together a Mexican dish, I can’t help but think of my Aunt and Uncle living down in Baja Mexico doing exactly what they were meant to be doing.
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Fried Green Tomatoes with Goat Cheese Basil Dipping Sauce
A short while back I dropped a truly Southern dish of Stewed Tomatoes and Okra onto the blog. While chatting up a windstorm about my new fangled Southern self, I mentioned an upcoming Fried Green Tomato recipe. Well get ready, because Southern cooking has never tasted better than these charmers right here.
Ever since attending the Food Blog Forum Conference back in September where I was served a Fried Green Tomato Slider that officially knocked my Northern rooted socks off, I’ve been wanting to try my hand at the little buggers. The other day while perusing through the spoils of my local farm stand, I finally stumbled upon the fruit that eluded me up to that point in my paltry culinary life – Green Tomatoes. I promptly snatched up two of the juicy unripe beauties and brought them home.
I proceeded to post a few options for how to cook them up on my facebook page. I had planned to either emulate the slider I so adored or attempt a fried green tomato BLT. However, one post caught my eye from a reader who said that she liked her fried green tomatoes with a side of, well, fried green tomatoes. Plain and simple. And why not. These show stoppers really don’t need any dressing up. They’re perfect just as they are. Serve them with the suggested sauce, or, if you’re feeling a bit adventurous, slide them between two slices of bread and create your very own Southern sandwich masterpiece.
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Stewed Tomato and Okra
Being the native Northern girl that I am, living in the south can sometimes be, well, a little different. The weather’s a whole bunch hotter, there’s a certain “twang” from the natives and the dishes lend themselves to a completely unique world of flavors from what I grew up with. My Northern roots are a strong part of who I am, but having now resided in North Carolina for an extended period along with ample time spent in Hilton Head, SC where my parents live, the Southern influences that are such an integral part of the culture here are beginning to waggle their way into my life. I have recently channeled my inner Southern “Sista” and let me tell ya, I’m liking her a whole lot. Between this dish today and the upcoming Fried Green tomatoes recipe, I could easily welcome my newly discovered Southern side to the table on a regular basis.
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Cheesy Cauliflower Puree
I know I promised an Indian feast for the next few days, but as luck would have it, I left for vacation and forgot to grab the pictures I needed to make the posts. Have no fear, they’re safely tucked away on my server back home, but alas, it does me no good right now. So, I will need to improvise a bit and go with a few recipes I do happen to have on hand. I promise the Indian food will be back in all it’s glory next week.
I asked Mr. Cheesy Cauliflower Puree to step in at the last minute and he gladly accepted the task. I’ve been wanting to try and whip a batch of this yumminess up for some time now. Ever since I saw a plate of it displayed over at a fellow Daring Cooks site, where it instantly made my mouth water.
There’s really not much to it, so let’s put it out there and have ourselves a heaping pile of puree.
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Artichokes with Tangy Lemon Dipping Sauce
Tis the season for fresh artichokes and while I typically stick with the hearts in a jar for cooking, I thought this year I might venture out and try the real thing – fresh from the store. Having never cooked them before, I have to say it was definitely an adventure; and one that ended in a tasty conclusion with both my older boys diving into the leaves with reckless abandon. Nicholas, my oldest, thought that it was “way cool” that we were eating flowers for dinner. Alex, my four year old, did the best he could but just couldn’t quite grasp the concept of sliding the artichoke meat off with his teeth and hence he ended up getting more fiber than was probably originally intended to be eaten when consuming fresh artichoke. No matter though, they ate it and enjoyed it which is what matters most.
If you’ve never cooked and eaten fresh artichokes before, you’re in for a treat. And, of course, the best part about eating them is dipping them in the lemony sauce. So let’s get started. First off, you’ll need (obviously!) artichokes. Here’s mine:
I just love how pretty they are. I bought a pack of four from Trader Joes (of course).
The first thing you’re going to want to do is cut about 3/4″ off the top and trim the tail and small leaves at the bottom of the artichoke, like this:
The next step is to get out your steamer bowl for the artichokes and place it in your large skillet filled with 2 to 3 inches of water and a smattering of lemon and garlic. I used about half a lemon cut into quarters and two garlic cloves cut in half.
Cover your skillet, bring your water to a boil and then turn it down to medium low letting the artichokes steam for about 25 minutes or until the leaves release easily. Here’s what they should look like once they’re finished.
While your artichokes are steaming we’ll go ahead and create the dipping sauce. Here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredients Needed:
1 tsp of butter + 2 Tbsp of butter
2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1/4 Cup of White Wine
1/2 tsp Worcestershire
1/2 tsp Dried Mustard
1/2 Lemon, Juiced
Salt to Taste
Ok, so for the sauce you’ll want to melt your tsp of butter in a small pan on medium heat and cook up your garlic for a minute or two. Then add in the additional 2 Tbsp of butter, wine, Worcestershire, mustard, and lemon. Let it all come together and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add salt if desired.
Ok, that’s it! Pour yourself a small jug of the tangy lemon goodness, grab yourself an artichoke and proceed to enjoy everything it has to offer. In case you aren’t enlightened on the proper way to consume an artichoke, you can find step by step instructions HERE.
