Fried Green Tomatoes and Union Station

Last night I finally made fried green tomatoes! I've horded this box of Whistle Stop batter mix for three weeks (at least), watched three batches of green tomatoes ripen to red, and am just now writing about it.

Fried green tomatoes are one of those iconic Southern foods. How could they not be? Thanks to Fannie Flagg, there is a book and a movie named after them! Fannie Flag is a brilliant Southern author, actress and comedienne. I can remember being thirteen years old and reading Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man on a family road trip to South Carolina. I read the entire book in 12 hours - very uncommon for my reading pace. Ms. Flagg is a brilliant storyteller and perhaps best known for "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe". The book became the screenplay for Fried Green Tomatoes, starring Kathy Bates and Mary-Louise Parker.  This movie is a close second behind Steel Magnolias for all-time favorite movies. Add them both to your Netflix list if you haven't already. 

A majority of Fried Green Tomatoes takes place around Whistle Stop Cafe. So you can imagine how elated I was to spot Whistle Stop batter mix on display in the produce section of my local grocery store. You might as well have put a sign on my forehead that said "SUCKER!" Food marketers must love people like me. Put an ounce of nostalgia around a box of cornmeal, and I'm sold! 

Not only was this my first time to fry a green tomato, but it was also the first time I've eaten friend green tomatoes. The taste is quite intriguing. So much so that I ate four of them. It's tart and salty with a little bit of sweetness from the batter. I feel like a better Southerner having tried them.

For the beat to my eats, Allison Kraus and Union Station are a great fit. Blue grass music captures the essence of small southern towns and good home cookin'.


Ya'll come back now ya hear!
Julia