Archive for the ‘Recipes’ Category


Fried Green (Heirloom) Tomatoes

 

A small hint of summer to come topped the horizon today; the first heirloom tomatoes from Comanche Creek Farms arrived at Harvest Market.  There was a veritable rainbow of reds, yellows, oranges and greens cascading from a tall basket in the organic produce section, the aroma of the season beckoning.  Suspicious of the ripeness of the large warm-toned slicers, I reached for the bright green multi-lobed ones with white shoulders.  Their firm heaviness told me all I needed to know, that they were perfect for that childhood favorite, fried green tomatoes. 

Memories of this dish go deep, and I cannot honestly tell you which one of my grandmothers loved it more.  I suspect that the roots of this family tradition came from the branch of my father’s mother’s family that hailed from somewhere in Virginia.  In our recipe, the greenest, hardest tomatoes you can find are sliced thickly, and coated with cornmeal (grits) on both sides.  Traditionally, bacon drippings were heated in a cast iron pan until the aroma filled the kitchen, then the tomatoes were added and browned on both sides.  Today, as a nod to our cholesterol, I use peanut oil with a couple of tablespoons of bacon drippings for flavor.  After draining on newspapers, the tomatoes wait in a warm oven, allowing the centers to soften and finish cooking through.  The tangy tartness edged with a hint of fruitiness balances well with the smokiness of the bacon and the crunch of the cornmeal crust.  I often eat the small end slices right off the spatula, burning the tip of my tongue in the process.

Searching though old Tuscan recipes in an Italian language food magazine, I once came across a recipe for fried green tomatoes sauced with a reduction of saba, the sour, unfermented green grape juice, sometimes called verjus here in California.  Perhaps the quintessential dish of the American south awakened some buried taste memory for my mother’s mother?  Whatever the reason, this was a dish she enjoyed when she came to stay with us at the summer cabin we rented in the eastern Sierra Nevada.  The roots of these dishes cross borders and boundaries, and seem to be born of the concept of scarcity.  I enjoy this dish in early summer, too impatient to wait for the tomatoes to achieve their full sunny glory; and in the early fall, when the remaining hard, green globes on the vines in my garden give up the idea of ripening at all.  This way, nothing is wasted, and every bit of the oh-s0-seasonal fresh tomato can be cherished.

Post by Julia Conway on June 11th, 2008

Spring Onions

 

Another sign of the coming season is the appearance of fresh spring onions at Harvest Market, our local natural foods and specialty grocery store.  I spotted them a week or two ago, hiding behind the beets on the top shelf of the large produce cooler, their crisp green tops still attached.  Choosing the golden-hued Walla Walla types, I was able to capture four bunches and add them to the menu for the Memorial Day family gathering.  These delightful onions are grown by Comanche Creek Farms in the Chico/Durham area by Jim Miller, an organic grower who brings his warm weather produce across the state two time a week and services the many stores and restaurants of the Mendocino coast.  Originally drawn here by his love of salmon fishing, he has developed a captive market for the very items that cannot be successfully grown in our cooler climate on the coast.  The onions are the over-wintered remnants of his summer onion beds, and are picked just before they send up a flower spike and go to seed.  There are three varieties in all, the Walla Walla’s, a red torpedo, and a white; but the Walla Walla’s seem to be the sweetest, and perfectly suited to roasting.

After removing and chopping the green tops for salads or stir fry, I cut a cross about an inch deep in the top of each onion.  Carefully trimming the root end flat, I stand the onion on top of a square of aluminum foil and douse the cut surface with bright green new olive oil.  After sprinkling with kosher salt, the onions are tightly sealed in their foil pouches and buried in the coals of the BBQ to roast. 

When the packets are opened at the table, the aroma is enticing.  The outside layers are lightly caramelized and you can cut the entire onion with a fork.  It is said that the onion contains more natural sugars than any other vegetable, and when you take a bite of these, you know it must be true.  Simple yet robust, the flavor is a perfect foil to the pork ribs grilled with a crisp coating of hoisin sauce and a dusting of Chinese five-spice powder.

Leftovers, if any, are saved and sliced thin to toss with a midweek pasta dinner.  Their slightly smoky sweetness adds a depth of flavor that makes even this quick and easy supper a special spring treat.

Post by Julia Conway on May 28th, 2008