Thursday, August 16, 2007

Wine And Garden...


Well my time in Oxford, Ohio is about to come to an end. Time to head back home to Key West where the hurricane season is starting to kick in. I have had such a wonderful extended stay here in Oxford and will miss my little garden here, the birds, squirrels, deer, raccoons, my wonderful neighbors and most of all the Oxford Farmers Market. So today and tomorrow it is time to get really creative and use up all the veggies I have collected this week. Also the daisy's accompanying my wine today were picked fresh at dawn this morning. We have little bouquets of daisy's all over the house today which makes it so summery. And, if you step outside today, you definitely know it is the "dog days" of summer, as temps are going to hit the mid 90's this afternoon. Time to pop another bottle of white wine in the frig to chill for this evenings summer sippers.

Last nights sipper was an enjoyable 2006 Arca Nova Vinho Verde. This wine is produced in the Northwest corner of Portugal and the region is Vinho Verde. This Branco Seco, which means dry white wine, was terrific. I do not know the exact grapes that went into this wine but their grapes do not reach the point of ripening where there is great doses of sugar. Low sugar means lower alcohol and the Arca Nova had only 10.5% alcohol volume. Nice flavors of crisp apple with soft hints of lime found their way to my palate. The acidity of this wine put a nice little sparkle on my tongue which made this wine really refreshing on the warm evening that we had last night. I highly recommend this little gem from Portugal especially with a price tag of under $10.00!

My Mike loves Fried Green Tomatoes. In fact, when we grow our own tomatoes I have to keep on eye on him or he will pick the tomatoes while green so they can hit the skillet. But with our Farmers Market still in full swing with a bounty of tomatoes, it is not hard to find Mike some Green Tomatoes. So he is a "happy camper"!


Fried Green Tomatoes

A couple of green tomatoes that are really hard to the touch. If they are already starting to ripen, they just do not have the same tart acidity as the very unripe ones.
1 egg mixed with a little water or milk
A plate full of flour with salt and pepper
Olive Oil for frying

Heat skillet to medium with a good slug of olive oil.
I slice the tomatoes fairly thick so they still have some body to them after cooking.
Add slices into egg wash, add them to the flour, shake off excess flour and put into skillet.
At this time I sometimes sprinkle on a Cajun seasoning, like Emerils that I make myself or one like the brand Konriko produces called Creole Seasoning. This is optional but it really adds a nice kick to the tomatoes.
Fry tomatoes until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towel and serve HOT!

Last night we had these with BBQ chicken and corn on the cob from the grill. I made an apple pie for dessert from local apples. The Tastes of Summer Bounty !!!

Cheers!

9 comments:

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I love fried green tomatoes. That is one thing I miss about not having a garden of my own. I wonder if one of the local farmers at the market will bring me in some if I ask nicely????

winedeb said...

Valli I am sure they would be more than happy to bring you some green tomatoes. Our farmers love the attention and requests. Makes for good conversations!

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I don't collect as many cookbooks as I once did. I am finding the internet to be a valuable tool...plus wonderful blogs as well... to keep my creative juices flowing. I love the Food Network!!!

winedeb said...

Valli, I know what you mean. I do spend more time on the food blogs instead of cookbooks, but there is something comforting about going to sleep at night reading a cookbook. I figure, whatever recipe I fall asleep with, that is the next one to make!

Wendy said...

Hurricane season sounds terrifyingly exciting! The reality is probably just terrifying though.
Love those green wines.

Jacqueline Meldrum said...

Hi Deb,

I have never tried fried green tomatoes before, the only thing I have to relate to is the film and that gives me little to go on! Are they really great?

I too love to take a cookbook to bed! I never liked to admit to that until I started blogging. It seems less of a sad thing to do, among foodie friends!

winedeb said...

Wendy, yep the reality is pretty terrifying. But, whenever we do have one, I always need to sneek outside just for a moment to feel mother nature at her best or you may call it worst. The sky, the wind, the blowing rain...you know who is in charge!

Hey Holler, the thing with the fried tomatoes is that you either love them or hate them. I was trying to think of something to compare them, but nothing comes to mind right now. I do think you should try them. They are very easy and fast to make!

Sonadora said...

Vinho Verde, huh? I had a disappointing experience a while ago and haven't ventured back to the variety. Maybe I'll have to give it a second chance....

winedeb said...

Sonadora, this one kind of surprised me, especially for the price! It was nice.