Fried Green Tomatoes and Fried Pickles

These are two easy-to-make side dishes, though I know people who can make a full meal out of fried green tomatoes.

For fried green tomatoes you need the green tomatoes, one or two cups of cornmeal, one or two cups of all-purpose flour, one-half of a cup of milk, some vegetable oil, two eggs, some salt and pepper, and a skillet. It helps to use a cast iron skillet for fried green tomatoes and fried pickles. I don't think you can do it without that cast iron skillet and still be legal in West Virginia, Southwestern Virginia, and Southeastern Kentucky. Some people use Ritz cracker crumbs instead of cornmeal.

Slice the tomatoes about 1/2 of an inch thick. Don't bother peeling or coring them. Put your flour on a plate. Mix your eggs and milk together in a bowl. Mix your cornmeal, bread crumbs, and pepper on another plate. Start by dipping the tomatoes into the flour and coating them. Then dip them into your milk and egg mixture. Completely coat them.

Some people blot the tomatoes with pepper towels to absorb the moisture and make a batter with eggs, cornmeal, minced chives, and water and dip the tomatoes in the batter. That doesn't work for me, but it might work for you.

Fry them up in your hot skillet. "Hot" means hot---375 degrees makes them crispy and right. Serve them with a sauce you like or with mayonnaise or vinegar or some ketchup.

Fried pickles are just about as easy as fried tomatoes.

Use pickle chips or slice up dill pickles no thicker than you would the tomatoes or a bit thinner. Make your breading out of cornmeal, buttermilk, eggs, and flour mixed up with cornstarch. You can eyeball how to do this, but if you're concerned about the flour and cornstarch just use two cups of flour with one-quarter cup of cornstarch. You can add garlic powder, onion powder, pepper or any powder spice that you like to the flour-cornstarch mix.

Mix the buttermilk and eggs. May one cup of buttermilk and one egg will work best, not more.

Dip your pickle slices in the buttermilk-egg mixture or let them soak just a bit and use a slotted spoon. Then take them to the flour-cornstarch mix and make sure they're coated. Put them in a hot skillet. "Hot" here means hot here just like it does above. Give them two minutes to fry crisp and serve them hot.