Menu 17: Fried Chicken and the Fixins

My inspiration for dinner came from my farmers market basket. This week we received yellow squash, zucchini, and a red onion. I decided to make my version of calabacitas, a Mexican squash dish. (Leftover calabacitas is great in quesadillas.) In addition, we had Fried Green Tomatoes as well as leftover Cordova Tomato Bread. Our entrée was Fried Chicken Tenders. Very Southern, very summer—Enjoy!

Calabacitas
4 yellow squash, cut into chunks
4 zucchini, cut into chunks
1 red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
Kernels from 2 corn ears
1 garlic clove, chopped
Olive oil
2 tsp. cumin
Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
Juice from 1 lime

1. Sauté squash and next 5 ingredients in hot oil until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Cook 3 more minutes. Stir in cilantro and lime juice.

Menu 16: Supper Club

It’s been awhile, but I’m picking up with my menu blogging. We hosted supper club this month and it was great timing for me! Our local farmers market just reopened for the summer. The menu—tomato-feta crostini, grilled Conecuh sausage, Grilled Ribeye Steaks, grits, Cordova Tomato Bread,  Peach-Blackberry Crostata, and Brownie Pudding—featured fresh produce from the market and was so easy.

Cordova Tomato Bread is a dish Grace’s Kitchen began serving during the tornado disaster relief. Usually the tomato mixture includes Parmesan cheese, but goat cheese seemed a worthy substitute. Instead of making breadcrumbs in the food processor, I cut French bread into large chunks, kind of like homemade croutons. It was delicious!

Cordova Tomato Bread
6 tomatoes or 12 plum tomatoes, cut into big chunks
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
Chopped fresh basil (optional)
1 small log goat cheese, crumbled
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
1 baguette, cut into big chunks

1. Place tomatoes in a baking dish; drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and minced garlic. Add basil, if desired; goat cheese; and bacon. Stir to combine. Place bread chunks over top of
tomato mixture. Drizzle with additional olive oil; sprinkle with additional salt and pepper.
2. Bake at 350° for 30 to 40 minutes or until tomato mixture is bubbly and bread is golden.

Chicken-Fried Steak

I’ve never made this dish before, but at the store I noticed how inexpensive cube steak is and decided it was time to try it. The dredge is very simple; rosemary makes a nice addition. Loaded mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli were tasty accompaniments. Enjoy!


Chicken-Fried Steak

1 lb. cube steak

Montreal steak seasoning
All-purpose flour
Salt
Pepper
1 tsp. dried rosemary
Vegetable oil

1. Sprinkle both sides of steaks with seasoning. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients. Dredge steak in flour mixture. Cook steak, turning after 3 minutes, in hot oil for about 6 minutes or until done. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Corn-Tomato Sauté

I needed a quick and easy side dish to take to a cookout. Summer produce is abundant now and I wanted a fresh, colorful side. Tomatoes and corn pair beautifully, and feta adds a salty tang. For a bit of richness, I added some chopped avocado. Fresh lime juice is the perfect accent. Enjoy!

Corn-Tomato Sauté
2 ears corn, kernels cut from cob
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 avocado, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
Juice from 2 limes
Salt and pepper

1. Sauté corn, tomatoes, and garlic in hot oil for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in avocado and next 3 ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste.