Menu 23: Fried Chicken and Veggies

Inspiration for dinner came from my farmers market basket. We had Fried Chicken Tenders, Green Beans With Bacon, Fried Okra, Fried Eggplant (recipe follows), and cornbread. I know, I know, that's a lot of fried food, but it's really good! I love eggplant, but Andy doesn't. My father-in-law was here tonight and he likes it too. It's important to salt the eggplant and let it sit for about 30 minutes before you cook it. This draws out the bitterness from the fruit. The batter is pretty simple and doesn't overpower the eggplant. Enjoy!

Fried Eggplant
1 eggplant, sliced and then cut into thick strips
Salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup panko
Pepper
Buttermilk

1. Salt eggplant, and let stand 30 minutes. Rinse eggplant, and pat dry. Combine flour, panko, salt, pepper, and enough buttermilk to make a thick batter. Dip eggplant into batter.
2. Fry eggplant in about 1 inch of hot oil in Dutch oven for 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Sprinkle with additional salt and pepper to taste.