Fried Green Tomatoes & Mozz #2

I was watering in the garden on sunday when this dude came by with a tomato plant in a wheelbarrow, muttering about how the plant didn't do good this year. Sketchy looking character, I thought he might be the infamous garden gnome, 'Rick.' I was thinking it probably had more to do with august gloom rather than the plant itself, but whatever. Anyway, I watched where he dumped the wheelbarrow and went over later. The plant had probably 15lbs of tomatoes on it -- I have no idea what the guy was thinking. Got some red tomatoes to add to sauce, but most of them were green. Also picked up the tomato cage it was in and some cool fencing. I swear, it seems like most of the people at the garden are in to growing plants, and every once in a while they decide to try and eat something they grow, but it's an afterthought.

Anywho, fried green tomatoes are one of those legendary american foods that I haven't tried, though they've been on the radar, so I immediately knew what was going to happen. Amy told me the best way to do them (dip in egg/milk, bread with cornmeal/polenta) and man were they good. Especially cause Traves did all of the work! I owe him. In my defense I had made a duck fat, okra, homegrown chilies, tomato stock rice thingy, and I'd like to think I was generally helpful, but I differ to him when it comes to hot oil.... Keely made 2 gallons of milk worth of mozzarella, Tammy brought a bitchin' sweet potato pie (made with acorn squash), Andrew a good potato salad, and Baguskas brought her sunny disposition. A great communal dinner.

fried green tomatoes draining on paper towels

mmmmmmm

Ball of mozz in salted water with a thing right out of the freezer to cool the water

I took some 'disaster area' pics after. This wasn't so bad.

This was

4 Strauss milk bottles, a gallon of whey, citric acid, plus my usual overstuffed kitchen mess

From L to R, collander for draining curds, pot we breaded tomatoes in, rice pot, cutting board for kneading the mozz, mozz pot 1, mozz pot 2, pot I drained whey into, cast iron dutch oven for frying food.

Draining whey from whey ricotta