The time is right in our area to reap the bounty of fresh vegetables and fruit! It’s the one thing that helps me appreciate the warm weather (especially since I don’t LIKE hot temperatures). Lazy spring and summer days are meant for having veggie plates and salads. Of course, it’s ok by me if you throw a medium rare steak and a baked potato beside that salad. It won’t hurt my feelings.
I reminded Jimmy the other night that it has been forever since I ate a fresh tomato sandwich. I believe there is some unwritten rule that you cannot be a t rue southerner unless you eat at least one tomato sandwich a summer. He used to grow some beautiful red “Better Boy” and other varieties during the spring. My kitchen counters would be filled from edge to edge with green, red, and somewhere in between tomatoes. If you could coax Jimmy into it, he’d cook you a fried green tomato or yellow squash. It usually didn’t require much sweet-talking, especially if we were going to have fish for supper. Of course, as southerners born and bred, we had to wash it all down with some sweet tea or lemonade.
Jimmy only helps other people with their gardens now and does not grow his own. It seems that after his retirement, he realized he really wasn’t retired. He’s probably busier now or at least on the go. I’m kind of glad about that gardening deal though. He used to find every possible inch to grow something. He said it was because it was in his genes since he grew up on a farm. He had me busy, too. He’d plant gardens other places and not just our backyard! He’d bring it home or give it away. I have to give it to that husband of mine. He’d go into the fields and pick for hours, and take it to others that would like it or need it. He’d still bring me home enough to put up or fix for supper. There was one time that he brought me home a whole (small) truck bed full of corn. Talk about flabbergasted! We set outside and began to shuck and shuck…and shuck….and it seemed like that mound of corn was growing instead of getting smaller. He assured me that I needed to go inside and start blanching the corn. I took the bushels that were shucked inside, thankful that I could get in the cooler temperatures. While I was busying myself in the kitchen, I heard voices (not in my head, silly....OTHER voices). Then a few other voices. I looked out the window and caught Jimmy giving away as much corn as he possibly could before I walked back outside. We both had a good laugh and he agreed he’d never bring home that much corn again.
You don’t have to grow your own garden or even go to the extremes of a whole pickup load. Go seek out “pick your own” farms in the area and farmer’s markets. Of course, our local grocery stores will make it even more convenient by shopping their produce department. No matter how you obtain your fresh fruit and vegetables, just be sure to indulge in the greatness of the bounty while they are available.
This week, I’m sharing some of our favorite fresh vegetable recipes! Enjoy!
Fried Green Tomatoes
*There are different ways to coat the tomato slices, and everyone has their own preference. Some people like them sliced thin, while others like them about ¼ inch thick. You just have to try them all to find which one you like best.”
Vegetable oil for frying
4 large green tomatoes, firm to the touch, and sliced uniformly to desired thickness
Salt and pepper for seasoning
2 cups flour or cornmeal (or a mixture of both)
Directions: Pour enough oil in a heavy skillet to cover the bottom and about ½ of the depth of your tomatoes. Heat oil over medium high heat. Cover a tray or baking sheet with paper toweling. Place tomato slices on a sheet pan and sprinkle on both sides lightly with salt and pepper. Add a few dashes salt and pepper to flour/cornmeal and mix. Coat tomatoes on both sides with flour and fry on both sides until golden brown, a few at a time as to not overcrowd the pan. Remove from pan and place on paper toweling to drain.
OTC
(Onions, Tomatoes, Cucumbers)
2 Large Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
2 Large ripe tomatoes, sliced
3 Large cucumbers, peeled and sliced
Italian Dressing or your favorite oil/vinegar dressing
Directions: Separate onion slices into rings. Add to a medium bowl. Add tomatoes and cucumbers. Gently pour dressing over vegetables, about 1/4” cup. Toss or stir until well coated, adding additional dressing if desired. Chill for at least one hour before serving.