Just like Mama used to make, no joke—Breaded Tomatoes

After carting in another basketful of what must be our best-ever tomato crop, I knew what would make Hubby happiest—a big bowl of Breaded Tomatoes, just like Mama used to make.

Breaded tomatoes represented a new dining experience for me after I became affiliated with my hubby’s family. Growing up I can’t remember ever dining on them, even though the ladies in my family were quintessential Southern cooks and this dish is a quintessential Southern icon.

After early-marriage visits to Hubby’s Mother’s home and enjoying Breaded Tomatoes with breakfast, lunch, and dinner, this experience was seconded when Hubby and I used to dine at the Claudia Sanders Inn when we lived in Kentucky. This memorable restaurant, named for the wife of The Colonel, was said to be the precursor of the KFC. Alongside the chicken entree prepared with the mysterious 11 herbs and spices was served Breaded Tomatoes, the kiss of the South. In both cases—those of Grandmother Moore and Mrs. Colonel—the “dash” of sugar added was more like a handful. Grandmother was known for adding a surplus of sugar to most any recipe. (In using sugar substitute, as I mention in my recipe, the sugar doesn’t have to be harmful and sweetens without the accompanying guilt.)

When I ultimately obtained from her the recipe (featured in my cookbook, Way Back in the Country Garden), I wasn’t surprised to see that the last four ingredients consisted of “a dash of this and a pinch of that”. A lot of guesswork was involved at first, but now I’m an old hand at them—almost like Mama’s, but a good attempt and a wonderful way to use tomatoes.

Breaded Tomatoes

4 whole tomatoes

1/2 cup water

3 slices whole-wheat day-old bread

salt (or salt substitute) to taste

dash sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 pinch baking soda

In saucepan add 4 diced tomatoes that have been mashed up so that the juice emerges in pan. Cover with 1/2 cup water. Allow this mixture to boil. Break up the bread slices into small pieces and stir into the tomato mixture. Add salt, pepper, sugar, and baking soda. Allow to boil until mixture is thick; simmer for 10 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

Yummy grape tomatoes star with asparagus in this speedy summer side dish

If we have one of ’em, we have a million. From my back porch they look like miniature red balls decorating a tiny forest of Christmas trees. We can’t even remember planting grape tomatoes; they’re probably some relic of a planting effort of previous years, but they are everywhere in our garden.

When Hubby goes out with the gathering basket and brings in the most recent harvest, the two of us stand at the kitchen sink and eat them as though they were grapes—such a fresh, delicious little snack. But we can’t snack on all of them, so I’ve been hunting recipes to use them up.

When we were in their home recently, our daughter-in-law served Asparagus with Balsamic Tomatoes as an intriguing side with burgers our son had grilled. Remembering my grape tomato crop that would be awaiting me when I returned home, I asked for a copy of the recipe, which had appeared on cookinglight.com at its Side Dish of the Month in April 2011.

SuperFast it was, with asparagus steamed in a skillet and then drained and removed. Into the skillet go the tomatoes and garlic cooked in olive oil, with balsamic vinegar and salt added. With the steamed asparagus arrayed on a platter, the tomato mixture tops it, followed by crumbled goat cheese and pepper. With a whopping 69 calories a serving no side could hold a candle to this in terms of flavor and color.

No dent in the grape tomato crop to be sure, but we really, enjoyed this unusual side dish and hope to enjoy it a few more times this season as long as those miniature red Christmas balls hang within our view—if we don’t snack them all up first!

Asparagus with Balsamic Tomatoes

1 pound asparagus, trimmed

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups halved grape (or cherry) tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

3 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese (I substituted feta cheese)

black pepper

Cook asparagus in boiling water 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain. Over medium-high heat, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add tomatoes and garlic; cook 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar; cook 3 minutes. Stir in salt. Arrange asparagus on a platter; top with tomato mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and pepper. Makes 4 servings.