It's not very often that I get to check out my food while it's still on the vine. Being able to do so was pretty cool. Of course, I imagine there could be better ways to appreciate a sexy tomato still on the vine than deciding to batter it and pan fry it in bacon grease - but why bother?

When TA and I went up to MD for Labor Day weekend, we cleverly decided to not let his grandparents in on the news. It's been over 6 years since he was geographically able to visit MD without a couple of airports involved.

In cahoots with the MiL and sFiL, we snuck up to the back door while they were least suspecting it. The look on his grandmothers face was priceless - easily my favorite part of our weekend.

One of the other benefits of visiting TA's grandparents in the summer is finally being able to see his grandfather's garden in person. Sadly we were too late in the season to witness its full bounty, but it was beautiful nonetheless. There was also prime picture taking opportunities, and a chance to glean some interesting information about my new camera (TA's grandfather is a hugely gifted photographer, he does amazing work).

I was able to finagle a few ripe tomatoes, peppers, and carrots - which I've begun to devour with relish - but my favorite treat was the fresh green tomatoes. I've wanted to try fried green tomatoes ever since watching the movie for the first time with my sister. Now, I couldn't tell you for the life of me what the movie was about - but I still wanted to try those tomatoes. As those of us without our own gardens know, it is nearly impossible to find a green tomato.

TA's grandfather had them in spades.

Lucky me.

Fried Green Tomatoes

4 slices bacon

2 large green tomatoes, cut into 1/4 in thick slices

1 egg, beaten

flour, for dredging

cornmeal/breadcrumbs for coating

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium size skillet, cook the bacon until done. Remove to a separate plate. Leave bacon fat in the skillet, adding additional vegetable oil if the fat doesn't completely cover the bottom of the skillet.

In separate bowls place the beaten egg, the flour and the breadcrumbs. Season the flour and breadcrumbs to taste with salt and pepper. First dredge a slice of tomato in the flour, then dip in the egg, then coat with the breadcrumbs. Repeat until all slices are coated. Pan fry in the skillet over med-high heat about two minutes each side. Let drain on a cooling rack over a baking sheet to drain excess grease.

Spicy Bacon Dip

1/4 cup fat free plain yogurt

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 teaspoon sriracha hot sauce

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Serve with fried green tomatoes.

Nutritional Estimate for Spicy Bacon Dip

This is a nutritional estimate, regard it as such.

1 serving = 1 tablespoon (approx. 17 grams)

38 calories

2 g carbohydrates

3 g fat

1 g protein