Y'all in Mississippi Now!

Don't even ask about the title of this post- you had to be there! Anyway, this is a tribute to my southern relatives- a true southern down-home meal that even Paula Deen would be proud of. It consisted of Buttermilk Baked Chicken (a recipe I got off another foodie blog, I can't remember which one), Fried Okra (awesome, if you've never tried it you just have to. Incidentally it's the only way to properly eat okra in my opinion. We grew some in our garden a few years back and tried alternate recipes, and trust me, don't bother- it's slimy and disgusting prepared any other way), Super-sweet Cornbread, and some fabulous heirloom tomatoes we got at the farmer's market (ummm- ok, I made this in the summer, obviously there are no tomatoes now. Sorry I'm a little slow on the posting!). YUMMY!

Buttermilk Baked Chicken

8 slices bread, processed into coarse crumbs

1 c. buttermilk (I use milk + 1 tb. lemon juice, let it sit a minute)

1 tsp. Tabasco

salt and pepper

3/4 c. Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. dried thyme

4 lbs. dark chicken parts (I used 2 lbs. boneless skinless breasts instead)

In 1 bowl, mix buttermilk, tabasco, salt and pepper. Place chicken parts in bowl, turning to coat (I let it sit in the fridge for a few hours to marinate, but you don't have to). In 2nd bowl, mix breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and thyme. Remove each piece of chicken from the buttermilk mixture and dredge in the breadcrumb mixture. Place on a well-greased baking sheet or large pan, making sure they don't touch. Bake at 400 degrees until chicken is golden brown and done in the center, about 35 minutes.

Fried Okra

1 bag frozen sliced okra (or fresh if you can find it)

flour

salt and pepper

egg

milk

vegetable or canola oil, for frying

Heat about 2 inches of oil in a large pan to 350. Mix an egg or two with a little milk in one bowl, and the flour with a little salt and pepper in another. Dip okra slices first in egg, then in flour. Fry until golden brown, drain on paper towels. Mmm, delish!

Super-sweet Cornbread

I'm not a fan of the really grainy cornbread, so this recipe really suits me- it has equal parts flour and cornmeal, and lots of sugar. Really more like a cupcake than a corn muffin! Delish!

1/2 c. butter

2/3 c. sugar

1 c. cornmeal

1 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 c. buttermilk (I use 1 c. milk + 1 tb. lemon juice)

2 eggs

Melt butter. Beat in sugar and eggs. Combine buttermilk and baking soda, stir in. Add cornmeal, flour, and salt. Pour into greased 8 x 8 " pan or 12 muffin cups. Bake at 375 degrees about 30 minutes (20-25 for muffins), or until done in center. You can double the recipe to make a 9 x 13 " pan full.