More Southern Cooking From Elena: Roasted Brussels Sprouts/ Salmon Creme Fraiche Spaghetti/ Fried Green Tomatoes 🌞

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Jam

SERVES 4 /
PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES /
COOK TIME: 1 HOUR, 45 MINUTES /
CAST IRON: 10-INCH SKILLET


I first had bacon jam at a local restaurant that spearheaded the
“farm-totable” movement in our area. It was served on a big stack
of fried green tomatoes and pimento cheese. As I walked home,
all I could think about was bacon jam, and I was determined to
make a batch of my own. My favorite way to serve it is with
Brussels sprouts, especially for people who say, “I hate Brussels
sprouts,” and I have a pretty high conversion rate. Something
about the combination of crisp edges, smoky bacon, and tender
sprouts brings out the best of all the flavors, and makes this a dish
I come back to time and again.

1 tablespoon salted butter
1 white onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound thick-cut bacon, roughly chopped
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
Pinch red pepper flakes
24 Brussels sprouts, stems trimmed and sprouts halved

1. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, melt the butter.

2. Add the onion, garlic, and bacon. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring
frequently, or until the onion browns.

3. Stir in the brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, and red pepper flakes.
Simmer for 40 minutes. Remove from the heat.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

5. Add the Brussels sprouts to the skillet, and toss to coat in the bacon jam.

6. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes, or until tender.

SERVING TIP: The bacon jam is delicious on its own. Try it drizzled on
top of a batch of Fried Green Tomatoes.

From "The Southern Cast Iron Cook Book"
by Elena Rosemond-Hoerr
https://goodreads.com/book/show/35152249-the-southern-cast-iron-cookbook

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SMOKED SALMON AND CREME FRAICHE SPAGHETTI

A simple yet stylish way to pull together a fabulous dinner with
just a few ingredients, this straightforward spaghetti is packed
with flavor—dill and salmon are a match made in heaven!

SERVES 4
READY IN 15 mins


INGREDIENTS

10 oz (300g) dried spaghetti
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup low-fat créme fraiche
4oz (120g) smoked salmon, finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped capers, rinsed, or more to taste
* finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp finely chopped dill
finely grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

COOK THE PASTA

Cook the pasta in a large pan of
boiling salted water according to
the package instructions.

MIX THE CREME FRAICHE AND SALMON

Meanwhile, beat the créme fraiche
in a bowl until smooth. Add the
smoked salmon, capers, lemon
zest, and dill, and season to taste.

HEAT, AND SERVE

Drain the pasta (reserving a ladleful of the cooking
water) and return it to the pan with the reserved water.
Toss the sauce through the pasta and return it to the
heat, stirring just long enough both for the pasta to
soak up some of the sauce and for the sauce to heat
through. Loosen the sauce with the reserved cooking
water if necessary. Serve with the Parmesan cheese.


From "The No Time to Cook Book"
by Elena Rosemond-Hoerr
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25443272-the-no-time-to-cook-book

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Fried Green tomatoes

SERVES 1 TO 2
PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES /
COOK TIME: 15 MINUTES /
CAST IRON: 12-INCH SKILLET

When I worked as a museum educator at the Jewish Museum of
Maryland, we created an exhibit about Jewish food culture that took an
in-depth look at how food has evolved, changed, and adapted. I learned
through our research that fried green tomatoes, while popularized in the
1990s by the movie of the same name, have origins far outside the
South. Recipes for the dish were first seen in late nineteenth-century
Jewish cookbooks in the Northeast and Midwest. Since Fried Green
Tomatoes made them a dish synonymous with Southern food culture,
they have taken on a new life, and can be found everywhere from hole
in-the-wall meat-and-threes to gourmet farm-to-table restaurants. No
matter their origins, fried green tomatoes are one of my favorite late
summer dishes.

Peanut oil or safflower oil, for frying
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
3 teaspoons paprika, divided
3 teaspoons cayenne pepper, divided
1½ teaspoons ground chipotle chile pepper, divided
1½ teaspoons red pepper flakes, divided
2 eggs
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup cornmeal
1 large green tomato, halved, and sliced into ½-inch-thick slices

1. In the skillet over high heat, heat 1 inch of peanut oil to 375°F.

2. On a clean work surface, line up 3 small bowls. In the first bowl, whisk 1
cup of flour, 1½ teaspoons of paprika, 1½ teaspoons of cayenne, ¾
teaspoon of chipotle pepper, and ¾ teaspoon of red pepper flakes. In the
second bowl, whisk the eggs and apple cider vinegar. In the third bowl,
mix the cornmeal and the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour, and 1½
teaspoons of paprika, 1½ teaspoons of cayenne pepper, ¾ teaspoon ofchipotle chile pepper, and ¾ teaspoon of red pepper flakes.

3.Dredge the tomato slices in the flour mixture, dip into the egg mixture, and
then dredge in the cornmeal mixture.

4. Add them to the hot oil and fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a
wire rack to cool slightly. Repeat with the remaining tomato slices.

5. Serve hot.

VARIATION TIP: Make a batch of hot fried green tomatoes with
cinnamon, ginger, and cloves instead of paprika, cayenne pepper,
chipotle chile pepper, and red pepper flakes, and try them with vanilla
ice cream and caramel sauce

From "The Southern Cast Iron Cook Book"
by Elena Rosemond-Hoerr
https://goodreads.com/book/show/35152249-the-southern-cast-iron-cookbook


Yumyum! Enjoy!