~~ the arrival of fall ~~

September 20th - the first day of fall (according to the calendar), which brings the changing of a season....and perhaps my most favorite season of all. 

As fall turns the corner, so does the harvest of tomatoes and other vegetable crops.  I mourn the passing of tomatoes - it is such a brief time in which they are so bountiful.  Large, fresh, sliced and juicy... there is nothing better, whether it is in a salad, in a sauce or just plain sliced with a bit of sea salt.

My "Daddy", was fond of a thick slice of tomato, with mayo spread on thick slices of rye bread... and I have to confess, I agree (better yet with homemade mayo). BUT!! I am also VERY  partial to fried green tomatoes!  The thing about green tomatoes is that they have a very small window of time in which to enjoy them.  Tonight, we had them, grilled/fried on the BBQ and I decided it was time to share my recipe:

One large green tomato (I prefer a Yakima) sliced thick
Olive oil
Marsala wine

1 egg
1/4 cup buttermilk
fresh garlic
sea salt /fresh ground pepper to season
whip egg well and add buttermilk and seasoning
set aside

1/2 cup of cornmeal
1/2 cup of spelt flour
mix together and set aside
Place foil on the barbecue grill and pour 1/4 cup of olive oil on top
Dredge tomatoe slices in egg/buttermilk mixture and then in the flour/cornmeal mixture

Place dredged tomatoes onto the foil when oil is heated (about 350)

Cook tomatoes for approximately 5 minutes or until golden brown; flip tomatoes and repeat process

When tomatoes are grilled and golden brown on both sides - drizzle with Marsala wine

When the Marsala wine sizzles and coats the tomatoes with a glaze (2 minutes), flip the tomatoes over, coat in the wine until a glaze forms on both sides

Serve when heated through / coated and glazed with Marsala on both sides

Note - this can be done in a large (12 inch) saute pan - using the same premise.

I served this on the side of a bed of spinach, topped with fresh mozzarella slices, roasted beets with a creamy vinegarette. And as Julia would say - Bon Appetit!