Fried Green Tomatoes
A family recipe for a Southern favorite!
My family takes our fried green tomato recipes pretty seriously. Sometimes I think we have as many variants as we do relatives, and we have a lot of kinfolk. One aunt uses a flour coating and a nonstick skillet. Another uses all cornmeal for her breading. My brother soaks his 'maters in buttermilk and hot sauce before battering them and placing them in the deep fryer. As for me, I like a flour/cornmeal mix, a bite of heat, and the smooth texture that can only be accomplished with a cast iron skillet.
First, I pick out two or three green tomatoes. It's best if they're at the "almost ripe" stage.
Then, I slice them thin. A mandolin or a tomato knife should do the trick.
Then, I make a dredge of one part all-purpose flour to one part corn meal. I season with salt, fresh cracked pepper, and some cayenne. I temper the cayenne to the tastes of my dining companions. When it's just Bob and me, we like them pretty spicy.
Then, you fry them. As far as I'm concerned, there's simply no replacement for cast iron. Preferably the kind that's been seasoned for decades. Then, I add some bacon grease to the cast iron skillet and heat on medium-high heat, frying them in small batches until golden brown. You want a good, crispy crust on your tomatoes.
Of course, they're fabulous to eat as a side dish or snack, but I love adding them to other dishes as well. These fried green tomatoes are topped with a dollop of pimiento cheese (I love jalapeño Palmetto Cheese!) and a slice of bacon. They are so good, y'all!
A fried green tomato BLT is pretty amazing as well!
How do y'all fry your green tomatoes?
Whiskey Wednesday: Buffalo Trace Hard Hat Tour
A few weeks ago, my beau and I had the opportunity to tour the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort. You may not hear quite as much about Buffalo Trace as you do some of the other distilleries, as they have chosen to remain independent of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, ensuring that all tours will remain free to the public. Don't let that marketing/ tourism designation keep you away; this is an absolutely beautiful distillery that you don't want to miss!
The distillery grounds are simply beautiful. Talk about garden goals!
The distillery site now known as Buffalo Trace dates back to the early 19th century. In 1870, Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr., purchased the distillery, where he produced a label called O.F.C., "Old Fire Copper" bourbon. Over the years, the distillery switched ownership and production several times. It was known as George T. Stagg Distillery after 1904, employed famed bourbon distiller Elmer T. Lee for nearly 40 years, and produced the world's first single barrel bourbon, Blanton's, in 1984.
There are several different tours you can take at the Buffalo Trace Distillery, ranging from historical landmarks to bourbon barrels to ghost hunting. We opted for the hard hat tour, which delves most into the actual bourbon production. It was fascinating and fun, but be warned that it involves a lot of walking and heights!
I highly recommend Buffalo Trace for a fun day of bourbon knowledge! If you go, be sure to pick up a bottle of Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream in the gift shop!
Original Makers Club Supper + Shoot at Ashbourne Farms
Last weekend, my beau and I took in the Original Makers Club Southern Supper + Shoot at Ashbourne Farm in La Grange.
It was a perfect night to shoot clays, sip a little Woodford Reserve (after the shooting, of course!), and enjoy the gorgeous weather, a lovely dinner, and conversation with new friends!
Thanks so much to the Original Makers Club for the invitation!
Whiskey Wednesday: Woodford Reserve Rye Whiskey Sour
Y'all, this is my favorite cocktail of the summer.
I'm just in love with Woodford Reserve Rye right now. It's such a smooth, interesting whiskey. Combine it with homemade sour mix (one part water/ one part sugar, reduced + juice of one lemon) and garnished with a couple of maraschino cherries, it's pretty much perfection.
National Fried Chicken Day
I hear today is Fried Chicken Day, which happened to coincide with Fried Chicken Day at HerKentucky HQ. We marinate our chicken in hot sauce and buttermilk, then bread it in seasoned flour and deep-fry it. How do y'all make your fried chicken?
Blueberry-Bourbon Peach Cobbler
Fresh peaches are the quintessential flavor of summertime.
Southern summers mean fresh peaches.
Georgia peaches, and Vidalia onions, and Florida oranges. They all mean that somebody's been traveling, and that somebody loves you.
Growing up in Eastern Kentucky in the Eighties, we still heard a lot about "the old days." The times when there weren't big supermarket chains or box stores on every corner, carrying every exotic fruit or vegetable you can imagine. The times when it was a huge luxury to take a car trip Down South.
Appalachian folks, rural folks, we're a practical lot. When you're fortunate enough to travel, you want the folks back home to know you're thinking of them. When you're traveling on a budget, it makes a whole lot more sense to bring back the fresh flavors of the South than a bunch of t-shirts and mouse ears and other souvenir junk.
Peaches from a roadside stand are a treat that'll last a bit. They'll provide a delicious treat for the family. They taste like the Georgia sunshine. And they remind you of your own adventures and road trips. They never go to waste.
Last weekend, The Peach Truck visited Louisville. This Nashville-based supplier deals in sweet, juicy nostalgia, bringing fresh peaches from South Carolina and Georgia. The line snaked all the way through the parking lot, as dozens of Louisvillians sought to recapture these sweet memories. (The folks at Brownsboro Hardware want y'all to know that the Peach Truck will be back on the 25th. In fact, they're touring all over Kentucky this summer!)
With all this peachy goodness in mind, I wanted to create a memorable, yet simple summer dish that combines the sweetness of peaches with a little Kentucky kick. A blueberry-bourbon peach cobbler was the perfect solution; it requires little prep time and makes a dramatic presentation when served still bubbling in a cast-iron skillet.
I used about about 1/3 cup of bourbon in this recipe. I wanted something that had strong vanilla notes, so I used Woodford Reserve. The sweetness of the Woodford made a great compliment to the fruit.
Blueberry-Bourbon Peach Cobbler
Filling
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup bourbon whiskey
- 3 large peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch thick wedges
- 2 1/2 cups blueberries
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Lemon zest, optional
Biscuit Topping
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces or grated
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
Add bourbon to peaches and allow to macerate in a covered dish for a few hours or overnight.
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
For the filling:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cornstarch. Add the peaches, and blueberries, and mix, coating the fruit evenly with the sugar mixture. Toss with the lemon juice and zest, if desired. Put the fruit filling in a cast iron skillet and place in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. In the meantime, make the biscuit dough.
For the topping:
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Using a food processor, a pastry cutter, or your fingertips incorporate the chilled butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and stir just until moistened.
Carefully remove the skillet from the oven and spread biscuit dough over the berry mixture.
Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F and bake until the biscuits are golden brown on top and the fruit is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Serve with vanilla ice cream and a cup of coffee, obviously.
Original Makers Club Southern Supper & Shoot
Next Friday night, July 8th, the Original Makers Club will host their Second Annual Southern Supper & Shoot.
My beau and I attended last year's event last year, and it was so much fun, y'all! Ashbourne Farm was the perfect setting for shooting, cocktails, and an outdoor dinner.
We started the evening with skeet shooting, under the careful supervision of a shooting instructor.
After the shoot, a cocktail and social hour commenced, followed by a lovely dinner.
I felt like I was in a Garden & Gun shoot. It was simply perfect!
I can't wait for this week's event, and I hope y'all join us! Pick up tickets here.
