Fried Green Tomatoes

 Anyone who has a garden likely has a recipe for fried green tomatoes.  I believe that there are as many recipes as there are types of tomatoes.  I don't make them the same way each time.  Below I've listed how I often make them and I also give variations.  

Freshly Fried Green Tomatoes

I never remember Granny frying tomatoes, but she did make a terrific fried apple dish.  Memaw and Mom both made them.  I'd bet money that Grandma Dora made them, but I honestly do not know.  Mom and Memaw made theirs much the same.  Memaw always used bacon grease and Mom always used Crisco solid.

Tomatoes can be almost any stage of green.  Personally, I prefer them when they have lightened a bit but still do not have color when sliced.  Tomatoes that are too ripe are too juicy even though they are still green.  Those that are very green are too dry to me.  It's a preference.

Above left is too green.  Bottom is too ripe.  Remaining one is JUST right - for me anyway.

Another preference is how thick do you want them sliced?  I personally go between 1/4 and 1/2 inch slices depending on the size of the tomato.  And yet another preference is how much coating do you want?  I like the coating to be thin.  Too much coating, and I feel like I don't actually taste the tomato.  

Tomatoes can be coated in flour, cornmeal, bread crumbs, pork rinds, and I am certain tons of other things.  (I have a friend who uses almond flour and pork rinds with good results.)  My preference is a ratio of 1:1 white flour to white corn meal or Panko crumbs. 

Tomatoes, Buttermilk, and Flour/Cornmeal 1:1 mixture

Some people just dredge in dry ingredients and fry.  Others will dip them in egg, milk, buttermilk, water, or any combination above.  (Personally, I like buttermilk if I slice them a bit thicker and do not use anything if I slice them very thin.)  I will say that buttermilk will crisp them up well when it is used.

Cast Iron Skillet.  Heat first, then add oil.  When the oil shimmers, it is ready to fry!

You need an oil or grease with a very high smoking point.  Bacon grease or lard  is yummy, but most do not have it on-hand.  I used avocado oil to make these.  (I like avocado oil because it has little flavor and it can really stand the heat.  Plus, healthy!)

Okay, select your tomatoes and rinse them.  Then slice your tomatoes and spread them out.  Salt and pepper them.  (This is where other spices can be added, but I am a green tomato purist.)  Then, if using a liquid, dip them in flour and then the liquid - or straight into the liquid. (I dip them straight in the liquid because the coating is generally thinner then.)  Then you coat them with the dry ingredients.  They do not need to "rest" as some coatings do.

Medium heat is perfect with Cast Iron.

Heat the oil/grease in a very heavy, pre-heated skillet.  (Cast iron is perfect!)  Drop each coated tomato slice directly into the grease.  A pig tail is perfect for flipping the tomato slices. Use a cooking fork if you do not have one so you do not rip off your coating with a spatula.  Drain well on a paper towel.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve hot.  They sadly do not reheat well.

Some things that have been true for me: Using flour alone doesn't result in a very crispy coating.  Olive oil burns too fast to make an effective grease. Too much cornmeal masks the flavor.  Egg gets the coating very think - which is fine on really thick tomato slices, but I don't like it on thinner slices.  Also, tossed in a hint of avocado oil and plunked on the grill - the tomato flavor can really shine.

Dipped in Buttermilk, coated in cornmeal and flour.

Turn and move with a pig tail (above) or use a cooking fork.  Spatulas will often knock off the coating.

Salt and pepper as removed from the skillet and drain well.  Serve them hot! 

(Recipe summary: Wash and slice the tomatoes.  Salt and pepper.  Dip in milk/buttermilk, and then dip in flour/cornmeal mixture. Fry in hot oil. Drain well.  Salt and pepper again.  Serve.)

Fried Okra

I first had fried okra at Memaw's house along with fried green tomatoes.  However, I do not remember her growing okra so I don't know where she got the okra.  (Likely from a neighbor who had a bumper crop!)  Recently Laura visited with her fella.  They seemed to like it so I said I would post the recipe.

Without being 100 miles south of the Mason-Dixon line, good fried okra can hard to find.  Outside of the south, okra is generally found frozen, pre-coated, and heavily breaded.  In the summertime, it is easy to grow and has gorgeous Hibiscus-like flowers, and it is simple to grow from seed.  Out of ten okra plants, I harvest the pods daily when they are about 4 to 5 inches long.  I keep them in the fridge in a colander until I have enough to fry.  I will get four servings worth about every two or three days.  

Slice the okra into 3/4 inch slices and drop in a bowl with a beaten egg.  Mix it well so that the okra is thoroughly coated.  Let it set for 20 minutes in the fridge stirring to re-coat it often.  

While the okra sets in egg, mix up the coating.  Equal parts of white cornmeal with all-purpose flour, salt and pepper, and whatever else you might want.  (Garlic powder, HotShot, cayenne, etc.)  

The egg will "soak" into the okra quite a bit and the okra will be very sticky.  Remove the okra from the egg and toss in the coating ensuring it is covered.

Don't worry if you get a bit of clumping.  Once coated, place in hot oil.  (I like avocado oil because it has a very high smoke point.)

Gently stir often until the okra is fully cooked and browned to your liking on all sides.  

When done, drain well on paper towel or in metal basket.  Season with salt/pepper to taste.  I really like okra.  I have several okra recipes that I like to make, but this one seems universally enjoyed even by people who "don't like okra."  My other recipes do not have family ties though but I may post them anyway!

I will sometimes fry green beans using the same method!  Tasty!

Potato Salad, Picnics, and the Fourth of July

Growing up, we camped a fair amount and picnics were common.  One thing that was made - especially if it was a summer picnic or potluck was Potato Salad.  Mom (and Granny AND Grandma Dora) made the best potato salad.  It was always a hit at gatherings.  On the Fourth of July, we did not generally make potato salad unless we were camping or eating at home.  (More about July 4 traditions at the end.)

How good is this recipe?  Once, on a camping trip, Mom made 15 pounds of her wonderful potato salad.  It was housed in a cooler while we all went fishing at Raccoon Lake. Now, we always had our German Sheppard Sheena, and Sheena protected us and everything around us.  However, on this particular July 4th camping trip, we took her with us down by the water.  While we were fishing, raccoons chewed their way into the tent and cooler...and then into the huge ice cream container that held the potato salad and ate all 15 pounds!  Mom was furious, and wished all raccoons involved a horrible bellyache!

As with many recipes, there are variations to the recipe, and I will let you know the differences.  Like Mom and Granny, I take liberties with Grandma Dora's recipe. The original recipe calls for potatoes.  It does not say how many or what kind.  I find using Russets work very well.  Idahos are pretty dry to me.  Yukon Gold makes a wetter potato salad.  I will also confess that the potato type is not important enough to me to get me in a car to go to the store.

Cooked and Cooled Russet Potatoes

Put whole, un-skinned potatoes in water to cover them and bring them to a boil for 45 to 60 minutes.  You will be able to pierce them easily with a fork when they are done.  Let them cool.  Once cool, peel the skins off and dice them.  You do not need a knife to remove the skins.  They will easily peel right off.  The dice size depends on how chunky you want your potato salad.

The skins will peel right off.  So will most of the "eyes."

You need 1 large, peeled, hard-cooked egg per potato.  If you want it extra-special...that would be EGG-stra special, two large hard-cooked eggs per potato.  (That joke came from Granny!)  I cut the eggs in half to ensure the cooked yolk will mush into the salad easily, then dice the white part of the egg.

This salad will be EGG-Stra Special!

So for roughly six large potatoes, you also need a small to medium yellow onion, semi-finely diced.  Also, the recipe calls for 1/2 small jar of sweet Gherkin pickles and 1/4 jar of pickle juice for six potatoes. 

No one but me uses Sugar-Free.

As with the onion, dice the pickles.

Don't forget to add in pickle juice.

Okay, confession time: When in a huge hurry, I have used relish.  However, I will say that I feel the salad misses something without the little chunks of sweet pickles.  Also, again, I find the potato salad will be less stiff when relish is used, and I do not like a runny potato salad.

Grandma Dora used a teaspoon of powdered mustard, but Granny and Mom did not.  I don't like powdered mustard in it.  Instead, I use a healthy squirt or two of basic French's yellow mustard.  I simply like it.  Also, Mom and Granny both used celery seed, but I like to chop up a few stalks of celery.  If using large potatoes, I will use a stalk per potato. 

Nothing mixes this better than clean hands.

Add a cup or two of Miracle Whip and mix well.  How much Miracle Whip?  Enough until everything is coated and sticky.  Make certain the yolks are well-mixed into the Miracle Whip.  Taste it.  Add in salt, pepper to taste and mix again.  There should not be yolk "chunks."

Then pat everything into a large bowl.  Garnish with pickle fans, egg slices, and paprika.  (FANCY!)  Even if I do not add egg slices or pickle fans, I add paprika.  I swear it is better when I do!  Make potato salad the night before.  It is better when it sets a day.

People will fight over egg slices.  Seriously.  The pickle fans freak Millennials out.  I don't know why.

Okay, Troubleshooting:

• Too dry, add more Miracle Whip
• Too wet, add more egg yolk or another potato.  
• Not sweet enough, add more pickles or juice or relish if you are in a hurry.
• Not enough celery?  Add some celery seed (or celery salt if you have not yet added salt.)  
• Too much mustard?  It will be a first for me.  Embrace the taste.  HAHA
• It is an easy recipe to make, but it is not a fast recipe to throw together.  Don't be duped into making it at the last minute for gatherings.  It's time-consuming to get this kind of deliciousness.

Truthfully, potato salad is pretty forgiving.  Now, Grandma Dora did not use Miracle Whip.  She used a few cap-fulls of white vinegar, a few teaspoons of sugar, and regular mayonnaise.  You know...home-made Miracle Whip.  While there may be people who make potato salad as good as our family, no one makes it better. 

Typical Fourth of July picnics with Granny and Pepaw were a trip to a State Park or swimming at Devil's Garden.  However, the menu did not change.  It was Hot Dogs with chili, mustard, ketchup, relish, and onion options.  We had Charlie's Potato Chips (and Borden's Onion Dip if Dad was there.)  Little Debbie Oatmeal Pies and Cookies (Chip-Ahoy and waffle sugar cookies.)  The chili was Armor Star Chili with Beans, and it was cooked over the charcoal right in the can.  I have no idea how safe the can was.  We never worried about it in those days.  (Remember, they let us play with mercury at our desks in school.)

One year, Sandy found a little stump-tailed cat that was named Miss Meow on a State Park picnic.  She was always finding strays (or they found her.)  We would swing on swings or go for a hike, and then head home.  At night, we would light fireworks using flares that Pepaw brought home from the railroad.  They glowed a bright pink and  I thought they were beautiful. 

In Indiana, the menu changed.  Maybe steaks or hamburgers, and sometimes hotdogs.  But fireworks were lit.  In Indiana, we also always went to see the city fireworks.

If we picnicked with others or stayed at home, potato salad was almost always on our Fourth of July table.  And watermelon followed prior to fireworks...and homemade ice cream often followed afterwards.  

Fresh Strawberry Pie

This has a bit of recent humor.  I started to write recipes in a book a very long time ago to attempt to make sure I could remember how to make them.  It drove Mom a little bit crazy, but nothing like it did with Granny.  I was smacked with spoons, towels, and pot holders as she would tell me to get out of the way.  After my sister got married, I started a book for her and wrote some of the recipes in it.  Then, I forgot that I had did it.  One day, my sister made two strawberry pies from the recipe that I gave to her.  I thought that it had come from my Betty Crocker Cookbook, but no.  I could not find the recipe.  I asked her several times for the recipe.  Yesterday, she said, "You gave me the recipe."  And then she sent me a photo of the recipe in the book that I made for her.  Yes, I felt foolish and realized that I am forgetful when it comes to gifts that I give.  Too funny!

Definitely my awful scrawl with a mix of upper and lower case letters randomly placed or omitted.

This recipe was made by Granny.  It is likely from the 50's when Jello (or Campbell's soup) was put in everything.  It may have been Grandma Dora's but was likely in a magazine with a Jello ad or placed on a box in either case.  It makes a wonderful pie, and Sandy and I would make it to take to springtime gatherings with my Dad's neighbors when they invited us over after Mom passed.

First, you need a baked pie shell.  (For the love of all that is holy, someone needs to teach me how to make a nice pie crust.  Even when I use pre-made crusts, they will shrivel, shrink, or bake unevenly.  It is a standard failure for me!)

It was pretty going INTO the oven but this is what came out.

Then stir a 3 ounce box of Strawberry jello, a cup of sugar and a cup of hot water until the jello dissolves.  Add 3 Tablespoons of flour (or 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch) and bring to a boil until thickened. 

Stir, stir, stir until dissolved.  Then boil until thickened.

Once thickened, remove from heat.  When cooled, add 3 or 4 cups of strawberries.  Coat all well, and then place in your pre-baked pie crust.  Place in the refrigerator until set.  Serve with whipped cream.

Fresh Strawberry Pie

The beauty of this recipe is that it can be used with other berries.  For example, fresh blueberry or blackberry pie can be used with blackberry jello following the same steps.  In the picture above, I did not let the jello cool enough so it overflowed the crust. but still delicious!

Tuna Casserole

If you ever need a 1950s dish idea, Tuna Noodle Casserole works well.  Personally, I am not a fan of most casseroles.  My parents and grandparents found it odd, but I really do not like food that touches or is mixed.  *shrugs*  Ah, well.  This dish is a rare exception to my food-weirdness rule.  I don't remember Memaw making casseroles.  Granny made a few.  Mom made casseroles, and truly stretched culinary boundaries with them.  (Turkey casserole with dressing, green beans and cranberry sauce....an awful memory.  Just....don't.)

Most people made tuna casserole with egg noodles.  Mom typically used elbow macaroni when she made hers.  (I use shells because it makes me feel 1960's FANCY!)  Plus, they cost the same, which was not the case when they first came out.

Ready for crushed potato chip topping!

To make this casserole, cook a pound box of pasta and drain well.  Put the pasta back in the pan and mix in two regular cans of Cambell's Mushroom Soup reconstituted with a single can of whole milk and a pinch of pepper.  Once all is mixed well, add a pound package of frozen peas and carrots and distribute well.  Pour into a buttered casserole dish.  Drain two cans of chunk tuna well and sprinkle it all around pressing it into the mixture in the casserole.  Top with crushed original-flavored potato chips.  Bake it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 40 minutes until hot all way through.  Serve.

Just add a fork!

This will microwave really well.  I think it gets dry when reheated in the oven.

Add a refrigerator pie and you have an authentic retro dinner!

We had this often when I was a kid.  It was an easy meal that could be put together quickly.  Sandy was not a huge fan of it, but she was a picky eater at times.  She was an expert at slipping her food to Sheena, our German Shepard, who would wait silently under the table.  However Sheena did not like peas, so this was a tough meal for to slip to the dog.  I, on the other hand, was happy to have tuna casserole anytime!  :)

When I have it now, I remember eating dinner with my parents and sister at the restaurant booth that we used for a kitchen table prior to putting the addition on the house.  The dog was under the table and would warm feet on a cold winter night.  Everyone would talk a bit.  Basically, this is a taste of a regular day when I was small.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

What's Irish and stays out all winter?  Paddy O'Furniture!  HAHAHAHA!

It's my favorite St. Patrick's Day joke!  No kidding!  I tell it to SOMEONE every single year.

I have heard about our Irish side of the family all of my life, but I remember few "Irish" meals growing up.  The exception is corned beef and cabbage.  I really love a good corned beef and cabbage.  Sadly, most that I find have little flavor because I believe that too many cooks boil it all in too much water.  My mother made hers in a CrockPot.  It was "hit and miss" on flavor.  This is how I make Corned Beef and Cabbage.  I feel that the flavor always comes through.

With a name like "O'Donnell", it had to be good!

First, find a good corned beef that has a small layer of fat along the top.  (I like the point cut over the brisket because I think it holds moisture better.)  I find that 3 pounds is about right for a few nights of healthy-sized meals.  Remove the corned beef and rinse.  Place it in a Dutch oven with the fat side up.  Rinse the bag out with a half-cup to cup of water and pour it over the Corned beef. 

Corned Beef rinsed and water added.  Oh, what is that little packet?

Many dump the spice packet in with the water.  I like to wrap mine in a cheesecloth "bag" so I don't bite in to the spices during dinner.  It's easy to make. 

Spices from the Corned Beef package.

Cut a piece of cheesecloth, wrap the spices in it and tie off with string.  Then drop the packet in the water next to Corned Beef.

Almost like a teabag of spices.

Cover the Dutch oven and bake at 250 degrees Fahrenheit.  (I generally estimate the time to fully cooked as an hour per pound for it to be fork-tender.)

Now it is time for choices.  You could par-boil your carrots, potatoes and lightly steam your cabbage so that they are nearly cooked before you add them to the liquid while your Corned Beef rests prior to serving.  OR you can add them all in about 60 to 90 minutes prior to the Corned Beef being cooked and save a step.  (60 minutes if you cut it small, 90 minutes for bigger veggie pieces.) 

Potatoes and Carrots on the bottom.  Top with Corned Beef, and Cabbage Wedges on Top.

For this 3 pound Corned Beef, I added about 1.5 pounds of baby potatoes, a pound of baby carrots, and 1/2 head of cabbage cut into six pieces.  Cover and continue to bake until the beef is fork tender.

Now it may be that the veggies are not quite done to your liking at this point.  If they need to cook more, pull the Corned Beef so it can rest, discard the spice packet, and put the Dutch oven on the stove top, and then simmer until done.  (If overdone, make note of the time you put them in and adjust the next time you make it.)

To serve, plate it and pour a bit of the cooking liquid over the top. 

Ready for Dinner!

When your leftovers get down to nearly nothing, dice whatever is left over and create an Irish "bubble and squeak."  (To make this, dice a small onion and saute in a chunk of butter.  Add everything leftover after dicing it up.  Think of it like a twist on Corned Beef hash.)

Delicious and hearty.  May the luck of the Irish follow you until you land in heaven days before the devil knows you are gone!

Granny's Potato Soup

I call this "Granny's Potato Soup", but I think all of the "moms" in her lineage made it. I've mentioned a few times that I view my mother as part-Momma/part-WitchDoctor.  It's true. She always had some kind of concoction that could help anything.  One of them is this potato soup recipe.  Now, it is not simply potato soup: It's an amazing elixir that can cure anything. Yes, you heard me right. It. Cures. Anything. Sickness. Heartbreak. Life Disappointments.  All will be better after eating a bowl of this delicious potato soup.  I promise.

No worries, Miranda. When she is older, you will fix Claire right up with this soup just like your grandma did for me!

I've been sick with some sort of sinus madness for over a week. Antibiotics and decongestants have resulted in limited improvement, so I felt that I needed to pull out the big guns and make potato soup.

The ingredients are simple: Butter, salt, pepper, onions, potatoes, flour and milk.  For the love of family history, use real butter and whole milk, because you are not going to cure sickness or heartbreak with skim milk or oleo. Personally, I prefer starchier potatoes for this recipe but I only had some baby Yukon Gold new potatoes on-hand today.  They work well-enough.  Plus, since they are baby potatoes, I did not bother to peel them.  If buying potatoes, I'd likely go with Russet potatoes and peel them.

Onions, butter, salt and pepper

For ratios, I'd estimate a small-medium onion for a pound of potatoes. A teaspoon of finely-ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons salt, 3 tablespoons of butter, a third-cup of flour, and half to whole cup of milk.

With potatoes and water

Peel and dice your onion. I like a smaller dice, but the dice is up to you.  Peel potatoes, if needed, and dice them to spoon-sized pieces.  Rinse again after cutting the potatoes.  Add the onions and potatoes to a pot with the pepper, salt, and butter.  Add water until the potatoes are barely covered. Bring to a boil and simmer until the onions and potatoes are soft, which takes about 30 minutes.  Stir from time to time - more if the potatoes are starchy.

Flour and Milk

Make a slurry of flour and milk.  Whisk it so that it is very smooth.  Slowly pour it into the simmering soup while stirring constantly.  Once it thickens to the point that you want, keep stirring for another full minute.  (If too thick, add more milk and stir for a minute.  If not thick enough, add more slurry and cook a full minute after it reaches the desired thickness.)  Adjust salt and pepper.  Do not fear either, but keep in mind that salt can dissolve to overly-salty very quickly.

Soup!

Serve with saltines, if desired.



Variations: Cheese, bacon, and scallions are nice to add....but it is no longer Granny's soup.  I cannot vouch for its healing properties.

If you add no onions and make it thicker, it is essentially your grandmother's "creamed potato" recipe. She often made creamed potatoes as a side to go with fried fish (usually ocean perch) in the winter.  She also made scalded bread with it.  Delicious!

Potato soup can be made in advance, but will develop a skin on the top.  It will melt away when you stir it in.  Add milk to thin it, if needed.

Your grandmother would make this to help us "break a fever" when we were small.  It's actually pretty good for that purpose.  Also, it will get congestion moving.