Fried Green Tomatoes: 4 '15

 GF and Vegan Fried Green Tomatoes

Bruce's contribution to  tonight's dinner menu was a GF  fried green tomato appetizer. It was his first attempt at making this classic southern dish, and it was delicious. I am hoping he makes it more often.

Here's the recipe:

•3 - 4 unripened green tomatoes
•Sea salt
•½ cup brown rice flour
•¼ teaspoon garlic powder
•¼ teaspoon cajun seasoning
•Salt and pepper, sprinkle
•½ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
•½ cup cornmeal
•Oil for frying

Instructions
1.Slice tomatoes into ½" slices. Sprinkle sea salt liberally over slices and let sit 5 minutes.
2.Meanwhile combine brown rice flour, garlic powder, cajun seasoning, salt and pepper in a shallow dish.
3.Pour non-dairy milk in another shallow dish.
4.Place cornmeal in still another shallow dish.
5.Heat about ½" of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
6.Dredge tomato slices in the flour mixture, shaking off excess.
7.Dip in non-dairy milk, making sure to moisten both sides.
8.Dredge in cornmeal.
9.Place gently in the heated oil, making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Carefully turn each tomato slice and fry another 2 minutes until lightly browned on the other side.
10.Remove from pan to a paper towel-lined plate to remove any excess oil.
11.Serve hot.

Round II Cauliflower Pizza Crust Recipe; 4 '15

 Bruce went into Round II of his  Cauliflower Pizza Crust Cook off with a new recipe.  This one called  for  putting raw cauliflower  in the crust and using one more egg, and baking it on a pizza stone with marinara sauce. (http://www.thevintagemixer.com/2013/03/cauliflower-pizza-crust-recipe/)  The crust came out thinner and more pliable than last night's dish. While both recipes were good, we both preferred yesterday's version over this one.  I don't know if it was the stone vs metal pizza pan, or the raw vs the cooked cauliflower in the crust, or the addition of a sauce, but tonight's version was too moist for both our palates.

Cauliflower Crust Pizza 4 '15

Bruce made us the most mouthwatering pizza yesterday using cauliflower as the pizza crust. I (CC)  am not all that fond of pizza .... mostly because I don't like the crusts,  but I could eat once of these very day.

For  the recipe and directions see:

MyRecipes.com 's new video: Cauliflower Pizza Crust.

Visiting with the neighbors: 4 '15

18" snake skin hanging from our brick facing

Sometimes the upside of living in the South is all of the wildlife we get to see up close and personal on a daily basis ;  and sometimes the downside of living in the South  is all of the wildlife we get to see up close and personal on a daily basis.  A neighbor called me to tell me she saw a snake crawling out of the brick facing  of our building.  When I went to investigate, all that remained to be seen was the skin shed.  From her description the snake was probably a Black Racer ( harmless to humans and helpful in keeping the rodent population in check).  Just the same, its a bit creepy thinking about having snakes slithering around  between our walls.

Golf game at Wilbrook 4'15

Today was a near perfect Spring day..  Bruce and I decided to celebrate the fine weather with a round of golf at the Willbrook Plantation course..  So nice to be outside when it is warm, sunny with clear skies.

Best fresh and affordable seafood around, 4 '15

Independent Seafood, Georgetown SC

See the shrimp boat  moored at the end of the dock ? This and a half a dozen other such vessels bring in their catch daily to this local distributor. One can't buy seafood  any fresher than what you get here.  Even the local cats and pelicans love the place, so this is where we buy our shrimp and fresh fish.

Backyard Renovation 4 "15

Looking South East

I'm happy to report that all the rain we have been having has helped the St Augustine grass to settle in nicely into the soil.  It is so nice to look out the back door and see a lush green lawn instead of mud.  The shrubs that came with the unit had also given up the ghost last year when the guy doing the chemical power washing fell on them. Home Depot is having a huge sale on spring flowering shrubs so while we we were at it we also replaced all the dead shrubs behind our unit with azaleas.

Looking Northwest.

Backyard renovation 4 '15

One third of the sod is set, 2nd third of the area is being prepped. 

 At the end of March, the crew who maintains the landscaping for our HOA decided to spray a broad-leaf weedkiller on all of our lawns. The chemicals promptly started killing all the annual rye we had put in our back yard last winter.  We had put the rye in last November, when the HOA's contractors had killed all the grass in the back with  chlorine they used to wash the houses with before painting them.  It was too late in the year to purchase any sod, so we put down the annual rye to cover the mud and keep the soil from eroding away. ( see posts from November 10, and 27 for Annual rye grass project)

 Now with the rye grass is gone, we were faced with a big mud hole again.  The HOA steadfastly refused to do anything at all about it.  Fortunately the local nursery has just started to get sod in stock.  BJ and I took matter in our own hands  and turned over all the soil in the original grass area, leveled it off, and set out strips of St Augustine grass.  It took us three days and three trips to the nursery to get the area done,  but we are now looking at a lush lawn once again.

Two thirds of the sad is set and last third of the area prepped

Birthday dinner with Damores 4 '15

In celebration of Cheryl's birthday, we had dinner this evening at J Peters

 with our friends Mike and Cheryl Damore.
 

Easter Table 4 ' 15

Happy Easter, everybody.

The bunnies and chicks  are back on the table.

Saturday Night Passover Seder 4'15

This evening we celebrated the second night of Passover with a traditional Seder .

 We used Ashkenazic recipes one the first nigh, so this evening Cece prepared the meal using Sephardic Passover recipes.

Bruce's job was to read the Passover Haggadah for this evening.

Friday Night Passover Seder 4 "15

 Photos from this evening's Passover Seder

Bruce reading the Haggadah explanation for 

the three essential ingredients on a Seder plate.

BJ taking the glass( sip) of wine

Breaking and sharing of  the Matzah.

We wish you a A Happy Passover Festival from our home to yours.

Preparing for Passover: 4 '15

All of the Easter decorations in the kitchen and and dining room have been put away until after the Passover festival is complete.

The Seder table is set,

complete with a setting for Elijah.

All of the traditional elements of the feast, like kosher matzah and salt have been purchased.

Fresh horseradish and Romaine lettuce are the bitter herbs are waiting to be prepared.

Hard boiled eggs and a lamb shank 

  represent the sacrifices to be offered at the temple,

Parsley will be served as our vegetable  at the Friday Seder meal,

And  dates, an apple, homey and nuts which will be made into a fruit past call Charoset.

Bruce has even researched his script  in  the Haggadah to make sure he gets is right.

Now all there is to do is to wait for sunset.

And so our garden grows: 4 '15

Temporary Seed Beds

I set out all of the remaining young  herb plants today, and sowed six dozen vegetable starter pots with mustard, lots of different bush squash: both green and golden zucchini , crook neck, acorn, and white scallop .   Most of these will go to the community gardens projects.  Our upstairs patio table has been into a seed bed where I can hand water them. Once the seeds have germinated and have a couple of leaves (should be a week or two),  I will transplant one of each into larger pots for us to keep. The rest will be given to the community gardens projects and our deck will go back to normal.