An admission of influence: today’s sandwich was inspired by the very first meal I had at Hot Suppa last summer. I was instantly smitten with the south-of-the-north homestyle aesthetic which includes sumptuous sides like macaroni & cheese, apple sauce, and dill pickle-y Bloody Marys with string beans and okra. Then it was winter and I forgot everything. Then it was summer again, a cause for celebration! And I went to the farm stand. I’ve gone every day this week. I am determined to make the wan farm stand lady like me. I’m getting close. Of course, now she might read this and see I have called her wan (“sickly, fatigued, half-hearted”) and like me even less. Can’t win. So. There are tomatoes in half the color spectrum, quirky in shape and bursting with flavor. The green tomatoes are very firm, as I guess I should have expected. I bit into one raw and it tasted like a mild pepper. But coating and frying is how you make them magic. Timing is a bit tricky with this sandwich, since for some reason in thirty-two years I have yet to remember how long toast takes to, well, toast. It always either startles me or burns. Still want my cooking advice? Of course, everything can be kept warm in the oven until you are ready to slap it all together. This is how I made our awesome Friday lunch.
Fried Green Tomato BLT
(Serves 2)
Ingredients:
- 4 slices of toasted rustic boule (or sourdough)
- 2 leaves Boston Bibb lettuce
- 5 strips thick-cut applewood smoked bacon, cut in half
- 6 1/4 inch slices green tomato
- 6 tablespoons cornmeal
- 1 tablespoons chipotle powder
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 3 glugs vegetable oil
- mayonnaise ( I shudder to calculate the amount I actually deployed)
Method for Frying the Green Tomatoes:
Salt and pepper tomato slices and set aside, while an inch of vegetable oil heats in a deep skillet. Combine the cornmeal and chipotle (or paprika or cayenne) in one bowl and beat the eggs in another. Dip the tomato in egg, coat in cornmeal, then slide into the hot oil, three or four at a time. Cook for two minutes per side and drain on paper towels.
As for the sandwich, because we were famished, I slathered both sides of the toasted bread with mayo. Then stacked lettuce, bacon and tomatoes from the bottom up, and viola! A tangy, tart, crispy, salty, fatty, bursting, decadent lunch. Happy weekend!
About the Author: Jillian Bedell
Jillian grew up in Connecticut, went to university in Boston, college in New Haven, did some post-grad soul searching in New York, exiled herself to Mexico, married her longtime sweetheart, and lived in a house on the ocean. She suspected Maine might be the perfect place to raise a family, so she came back home to New England two years ago. Now a mom to Violet Maeve and living in Rockland, where she hopes to settle for a good, long while, Jillian reads, writes, walks, and practices Nia, when not watching Malcolm photograph sandwiches.
fromawaymaine
fromawaymaine
We're Jillian and Malcolm. We cook comfort food from around the world, designed to make you feel right at home, wherever you are. Join us as we explore Maine's vibrant food culture and cook New England's classic dishes, as well as our favorite recipes From Away. 
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The sandwich looks great. Was the bacon also bought at the farm stand? It’s funny that you called the lady “wan”–until you elaborated, I assumed you misspelled “warm”.