Fried Green Tomatoes with Sour Cream Dill Sauce

Every year I try to grow a little produce, and every year it's a pretty dismal failure, but somehow I still get excited every spring to do some planting.  While my garden doesn't produce much, I still enjoy watching the plants grow, and I'm always optimistic that this will be the year I'll grow a tomato plant that yields a bounty.  Since that hasn't happened yet, I was very excited when my neighbor dropped by some green tomatoes along with a recipe for Fried Green Tomatoes with Sour Cream Dill Sauce.  I don't make fried foods very often, so it's kind of a fun experiment whenever I do.  These tomatoes were quite tasty, and even my husband, who does not like fresh tomatoes, liked these.  The Sour Cream Dill Sauce made these really fantastic.

Now I'm wondering if I can make a baked version of "fried" green tomatoes (and still enjoy them with this amazing dipping sauce).

I served these as a little salad on a bed of spinach with some avocado, crumbled bacon and parmesan cheese (although I forgot to put the parmesan on before taking pictures).

Fried Green Tomatoes with Sour Cream Dill Sauce
Ingredients for Sour Cream Dill Sauce:
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh dill
salt and pepper, to taste

Ingredients for Fried Green Tomatoes:
5-8 large green tomatoes
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided
3 eggs
1/4 cup milk
dash salt
1 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon garlic salt
pinch cayenne pepper
black pepper, to taste
vegetable or canola oil, for frying


Directions:
1. In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, mayonnaise, and lemon juice.  Stir in the garlic, dill, salt and pepper until combined.

2. Slice tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick.

3. In a small bowl put 1 cup flour.  In another small bowl mix together the eggs, milk and dash salt.  In a medium-sized bowl or pie plate, combine the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, remaining 1/2 cup flour, cornmeal, garlic salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper.

4. Heat oil to 350 degrees.  Dip each tomato slice first in flour, then in egg wash, and finally in the breadcrumb mixture.  Fry until golden brown (2-4 minutes), turning occasionally to brown evenly.

5. Drain on paper towels and serve with sour cream dill sauce.

Source: adapted very slightly from Serena's Kitchen at the Boone Hall Plantation, via my friend Wendy; salad ideas from Paula Deen

Cornbread Stuffing with Apple and Bacon

My friend started describing to me this cornbread stuffing she makes, and the more I heard about it the better it sounded.  This is a fun new way for me to enjoy fall flavors--in stuffing form.  I tend to associate cornbread with fall and winter, since I usually make it to have with chili, and this recipe makes wonderful use of leftover cornbread from chili night.  While one of the pleasures of fall is making a snack out of a fresh apple or enjoying sweet apple baked treats, it's so fun to incorporate apples into dinner as well.

Cornbread Stuffing with Apple and Bacon
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 slices bacon, chopped
1 apple, chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 cups crumbled cornbread

Directions:
Preheat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add bacon and cook for 2 minutes.  Add apple, celery, and onion and season with the sage, thyme, salt and pepper.  Reduce heat to medium.  Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add the crumbled cornbread and stir to combine.

Source: slightly adapted from Rachel Ray via my friend, Sara