Just a Pinch of South

For those of us who grew up in the South but have moved elsewhere, we love our roots and all they have provided. There's a lot that I've come to appreciate about the South. But let's be honest, most of us don't want to go back to "full Southern." We're happy with just a pinch here and there to add flavor to the life we live now. If you are not a Southerner, perhaps you'll come to better appreciate the little gifts the American South has given and continues to give our culture. This blog is written by Elizabeth Bloodworth. Photos are not mine unless specified. Email me at justapinchofsouth @ gmail dot com. I tweet at @apinchofsouth and my other tumblr is called "everythingthatdoesntfitelsewhere" which is just what it sounds like.

Posts tagged tomato

Mar2

You may not be familiar with the TV show 1600 Penn. But episode 7 (“To The Ranch”), which I watched today on demand, features a scene between Bill Pullman, who plays the US President, and his son Skip, acted with charming cluelessness by series co-creator, Josh Gad. As they watch the film Fried Green Tomatoes Skip says: Dad, have you ever eaten fried green tomatoes? I ate like a million of them after I watched the movie - just trying to immerse myself, and to be honest I did not love them. I liked them - did not love them. I wonder why the tomatoes have to be green? Why not just “fried tomatoes”? You literally never hear about those. Kinda weird, right? Kinda weird. Maybe it’s a flavor profile thing… I’ve had enough bad to mediocre fried green tomatoes myself to wonder the same thing. The green-ness is meant to give the tomatoes enough body to handle the frying and a tartness to balance the fried-ness. But more often than not, they are tough and flavorless. Thoroughly disappointing. FGT’s are sort of this emblem of Southern cuisine, but I’m not sure they really deserve it. Maybe I just haven’t had great ones, but I have to give Skip (or perhaps episode writer Bridget Bedard) credit for bringing up a valid point.

You may not be familiar with the TV show 1600 Penn. But episode 7 (“To The Ranch”), which I watched today on demand, features a scene between Bill Pullman, who plays the US President, and his son Skip, acted with charming cluelessness by series co-creator, Josh Gad. As they watch the film Fried Green Tomatoes Skip says:

Dad, have you ever eaten fried green tomatoes? I ate like a million of them after I watched the movie - just trying to immerse myself, and to be honest I did not love them. I liked them - did not love them. I wonder why the tomatoes have to be green? Why not just “fried tomatoes”? You literally never hear about those. Kinda weird, right? Kinda weird. Maybe it’s a flavor profile thing…

I’ve had enough bad to mediocre fried green tomatoes myself to wonder the same thing. The green-ness is meant to give the tomatoes enough body to handle the frying and a tartness to balance the fried-ness. But more often than not, they are tough and flavorless. Thoroughly disappointing. FGT’s are sort of this emblem of Southern cuisine, but I’m not sure they really deserve it. Maybe I just haven’t had great ones, but I have to give Skip (or perhaps episode writer Bridget Bedard) credit for bringing up a valid point.

6 notes #fried green tomatoes #tomatoes #1600 Penn #tomato #Southern #south #movie #television

Jul24

Jun20

I’m ready for summer tomatoes (pronounced “summah tuhMAYtuhs” where I come from.) There’s something fundamental that changes about a tomato if it is refrigerated. There’s an actual chemical change that changes the flavor. They are not “right.”  So the closer to the source the better the tomato, of course. And also, the uglier the tomato the tastier it is. Have you found that to be true, too? The weird purple-y ones, the strangely shaped heirlooms, the ones even with scaly skin mean that they weren’t mass grown. The perfect round red tomato isn’t usually the most  flavorful. I grew up not really liking raw tomatoes. I think because they were mostly from the supermarket and had been refrigerated and chosen for color, not flavor. How did we as a society say that those terrible tasting tomatoes were okay? It was only as I discovered heirlooms and farm grown tomatoes did I actually fall in love with the taste. I’d love a BLT right about now. With homemade mayonnaise, good bread, crispy bacon… mmm…

I’m ready for summer tomatoes (pronounced “summah tuhMAYtuhs” where I come from.)

There’s something fundamental that changes about a tomato if it is refrigerated. There’s an actual chemical change that changes the flavor. They are not “right.”  So the closer to the source the better the tomato, of course.

And also, the uglier the tomato the tastier it is. Have you found that to be true, too? The weird purple-y ones, the strangely shaped heirlooms, the ones even with scaly skin mean that they weren’t mass grown. The perfect round red tomato isn’t usually the most  flavorful.

I grew up not really liking raw tomatoes. I think because they were mostly from the supermarket and had been refrigerated and chosen for color, not flavor. How did we as a society say that those terrible tasting tomatoes were okay? It was only as I discovered heirlooms and farm grown tomatoes did I actually fall in love with the taste.

I’d love a BLT right about now. With homemade mayonnaise, good bread, crispy bacon… mmm…

(via thatkindofwoman)

279 notes #tomatoes #tomato #heirloom tomatoes #vegetables #food

Mar16