Deconstruction

It's not often that I like deconstructed meals. They can sometimes be pretentious and off putting, although I must confess that I have enjoyed a few, especially several years ago when every chef on the planet seemed to be deconstructing everything. I generally don't cook that way myself, but the other day I finally decided to apply some pretentious behavior to my own cooking. I'd excitedly purchased several green tomatoes at the greenmarket hoping to make classic fried green tomatoes. After a few days of mulling over the dish I came to the conclusion that I probably wouldn't want to eat an entire plate of just fried green tomatoes for dinner. So, after a few more days of putting off using the tomatoes because I had no idea what else to do with them, I started coming up with ideas.

I started by thinking about what I like to do with regular tomatoes. Other than salads, soups, and sauces I don't actually do much with them, and I don't even really like them on my sandwiches. The one exception is of course the BLT. And then it came to me: replace the tomato in a BLT with a fried green tomato. But, that would mean that the fried green tomato wouldn't be front and center, so from there I decided that they would act as the "bread" of the sandwich, enclosing the bacon and lettuce between the two fried tomatoes. After giving it some more thought I realized I probably couldn't pick up the BLT that way, so finally I decided on what you see pictured above. In lieu of making a full main course or sandwich, I decided on a somewhat deconstructed BLT inspired appetizer.

It just so happened that the mozzarella I had was exactly the same size sliced as the tomatoes, so I decided to fry up the green tomatoes in a crispy and spicy coating, then top it with a thick slice of mozzarella, crispy applewood smoked bacon and crispy lettuce. Fried green tomatoes are more tart and a bit more firm than ripe red tomatoes, so the crispy coating and some sweetness from the cheese and bacon were perfect matches for the green little guys. I ended up absolutely loving the dish, and it was actually quite pretty as well. It would also be lovely with a mesclun salad on top drizzled with olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt. Perhaps I'll try that next time with the tomatoes I had left over. In the meantime, here's what I actually made:

Fried Green Tomato BLT

2 green tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
2 tsp spicy smoked paprika (or 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika and 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper)
2 eggs, beaten
vegetable, canola or corn oil
5 strips crispy bacon, cut in half
10 1/2 inch slices of mozzarella
1/2 a head of crunchy lettuce
salt
pepper

1. Combine cornmeal and paprika in a plate or shallow bowl.

2. Season each tomato slice with salt and pepper. Coat tomatoes on all sides with egg, then cornmeal.

3. Fry each slice in 1/4 inch of oil until golden brown on each side. Remove to a paper towel covered plate to drain and cool slightly.

4. Top each fried green tomato with a slice of mozzarella, two halves of bacon and crispy lettuce. Enjoy!

-Laura

Melonhead

As I've moved from one part of the the city to another throughout the years, I've learned that with each borough and neighborhood you cross, you experience the city in a different way. In the the Village, everyday was a party, the streets lined with tourists, natives and noisy party goers alike, at all hours at all hours of the day or night. Chinatown was a carnival of color and a festival for the senses; the smell of fried dumplings at lunchtime, the incessant ramble of haggling tourists in the afternoon, and sidewalks lined with neon green radiator fluid in the mornings, were all daily reminders that I was close to home.

These days I've been learning to appreciate Hell's Kitchen. Having originally moved here just after a major snowstorm in the dead of winter, I must say that it took some time for me to begin experiencing the nuances of my new neighborhood. As springtime rolled by I learned that once I passed that creepy block behind the Port Authority and elbowed my way past several awestruck midwesterners, Hell's Kitchen had it's own distinct feel. The diversity of the neighborhood is still staggering to me. Just during my 15 minute walk to and from work I hear at least 6 languages and spot a new type of restaurant every day. During my summer walks home I get to breath in the warm summer air, thick with the scent of melting asphalt. As I walk further west towards home and closer to the water I can feel a warm breeze cut through the sticky July air. Nearing 10th Avenue, I can see the sun shining off the Hudson and I'm thankful to be just a few seconds from waking into a blissfully air-conditioned apartment.

It's on days like this that it's hard to muster the strength to stand over a hot stove or stick my face in front of a burning oven. So, I make sure and have a few no-cooking-necessary dinners ready to help me out. Cooking seasonally is a great way to avoid a lot of stove time, since the fresher the ingredients, the less you have to do to make them taste great. This week I made a wonderfully delicious and ridiculously easy salad of melon, mozzarella and prosciutto. You don't even have to bother scooping the ingredients into balls if you don't want to, they can be squares, or you can even buy the pre-done bocatini (but the salad is a lot cheaper if you do it for yourself). It's a classic Mediterranean pairing of ham and melon with the added bonus of salty cheese, fruity olive oil and bright lime zest. There isn't really a recipe today, just the general method of how to construct the salad.

Melon, Mozzarella and Prosciutto Salad

Toss equal quantities of melon, mozzarella and prosciutto (the idea is to have one of each in every bite) with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and black pepper. Top with lime zest. Enjoy!

-Laura