Fried Green Tomato BLT

Ever had the hots for fried green tomatoes? It may sound unappetizing to those of you with 'ruby red summer tomato' lust, but it's actually quite good--especially with a well-achieved cornmeal crust. You bite into the crunchy exterior and are met with succulent juice, oozy seed jelly, and firm green flesh.

Okay, so maybe I shouldn't describe food as "oozy," but at least it's not Soylent Green!

Movie references aside, the sandwich idea is from the CC show "Kelsey's Essentials." I made some adjustments to her dredge, cut the original recipe in half, and tried several vegan bacon recipes. The most notable of these were eggplant bacon (bestowed upon us from Isa of the Post-Punk Kitchen) and the Veg Times' tempeh bacon. I liked both, but I know meat-eaters would prefer the texture of the tempeh bacon--make some to put in your freezer in advance of doing this sandwich.

BTW, Kelsey used a rustic loaf and arugula in her sandwich. When this picture was taken I only had multi-grain loaf bread & romaine lettuce because it's hard to find arugula in rural NC. However, my sandwich still tasted delicious. I firmly believe in substitutions and using whatever you have available to you, whether it be ciabatta bread and dandelion greens or something a bit humbler.


COMPONENTS

• Crusty bread of your choice
• Vegan mayo, made herby and garlicky
• Vegan bacon
• Fried green tomato slices
• Lettuce/greens of your choosing

DICTATIONS: Frying the green tomatoes

Dredge moisture

• Three to four tablespoons (and maybe a half more) of Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup vegan buttermilk [unsweetened, nondairy milk with 1/2 teaspoon of (apple cider) vinegar, stirred and allowed to sit] 
• A tiny sprinkle of salt and a half twist on your black pepper mill 
• Spices, of your choice, if you so choose; think garlic powder, dried basil, nooch, or a dash of cayenne pepper

Dry dredge parts & the rest

• 1/2 cup rice flour, or some other light flour (e.g. chickpea flour); If you only have all-purp or another variation of wheat flour, then you can always add a few tablespoons cornstarch to help it crisp up.
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
•  Kosher or sea salt
•  Pinch cayenne pepper

• Four slices of green tomato, cut at about 3/4 to 1 inch (~2.5 cm) thick
• Vegetable oil, for frying

1. Prep your vegan buttermilk. Or, if lazy, then just use the nondairy milk as is.
2. Set up your dredge station. First, place 1/4 c of the flour in a shallow dish. Second, whisk the mustard, milk, and spices into a fluid that is not viscous, not watery, but has sort of a creamy, flow-y consistency. Third, incorporate the remaining 1/4 c of flour with the cornmeal, spices, & prescribed leavening agents. 
3. Dredge tomatoes in flour, then wet, then coat in cornmeal mix. (In dredging you shake off the excess in-between steps, FYI.) 
4. Heat your oil to 350 F. Depending on the pot/pan you've selected or on your deep fryer, you may only want to put in one at a time. Kelsey said they needed two minutes on each side before flipping; but if in a shallow frying pan, use your own judgment for 'golden brown'. 
1. Kelsey also suggests you salt things right after you take them out of the grease. Again, your call on your sodium intake. I think it tastes fine without.

On a fresher note, Kelsey also gives us an herby mayo recipe that works out just fine. Although she uses sweet basil, you could also use fresh parsley with a touch of dill (fresh or dried works because dill is awesome like that). 

DICTATIONS: Sweet Basil Mayo

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise

1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Put it all in a food processor & pulse a few times. Or, chop the basil finely and mix by hand.

Suggestion for improvement: I happen to like aioli sauces far more than mayo, so I have been known to add a clove or two of garlic to this recipe, either making it into a paste with the tip of my knife, or grating it on my lemon zester.


Finally, I assume that you can assemble a BLT and our time together in the blogopshere is over.

Cornmeal crust = nom!

Triple Berry Upsidedown Cornmeal Cake

It's berry season. I try to only eat them in season because those fuckers are scary out of season.

Besides local and in-season produce, did I mention I fucking love cake? My devotion to it is at it's peak when the cake involves fruit, and I'm currently caught up on upside down cakes. So, to spread the healthy cake lust around, below is a recipe based on the Upside Down Berry Cornmeal Cake from Better Homes & Gardens, which I veganized and modified further for moisture and tastiness.

COMPONENTS

• 2 and 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries
• 1 and 1/3 cups all-purp flour
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• A dash each of nutmeg and allspice

• 1 Tablespoon finely chopped/snipped fresh basil (optional)
• Highly recommended addition: the zest of one lemon
• Two flaxseed "eggs" 
• 1/2 cup sugar + one teaspoon of agave nectar
• 2/3 cup non-dairy milk
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/8 cup liquid sweetener (e.g. agave nectar, maple syrup, fruit juice)
• Fresh basil or mint for garnishing (totally optional)

DICTATIONS

1. Stir together the dry ingredients: the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. Make your flax eggs.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, milk, oil, and basil and/or lemon zest, if using. 
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8-inch round cake pan. Arrange 1& 1/2 cups of berries in the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
5. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in two stages, stirring until well combined. Pour over the berries, spreading evenly to cover them completely.
6. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until the edges of the cake have pulled away from the rim of the pan. Once removed from the over, cool the cake in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes. 
7. Invert the cake. Take a clean spoon and taste a tiny amount of the berry goo. If it's too bitter for your liking, you can dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar.
8. Then, decorate the top with the remaining berries and garnishing herbs, if using.

When you invert it, you will be greeted with glory akin to this:

I'm not great at decorating, but the berries do most of the work for you.

I invite you to stain your mouth with their berry blood...