Farmhouse Kitchen, June 2024
Boy, does a year fly by fast! This time last year, I was competing in the Father’s Day episode of Guy’s Grocery Games on Food Network. I had such a great time filming the show and spending time with the other dads that coming in second to one of the nicest people ever still felt like a win.
This month, as I’m looking back, I thought it would be fun to take you with me down memory lane and share the recipes I made on the show.
As a father, I love to make dishes that bring back the warmest memories of my childhood. One of those cherished dishes Mom made growing up was porcupine meatballs. So when the Guy’s Grocery Games first challenge called for me to make a family favorite, I knew this was the perfect recipe. Where some recipes use plain old tomato sauce, my mom mixes V8 vegetable juice with tomato paste for a burst of flavor. These richly sauced, rice-studded meatballs are at the top of my list of favorite comfort foods to this day. I served these over my mom’s Secret Ingredient Mashed Potatoes. You can find that recipe at SouthernBite.com.
Next, let’s talk about fried green tomatoes. As part of the TV show’s second challenge, the recipe has a few surprising ingredients. Before you get skeptical, you need to know this made Guy Fieri declare it one of the best fried green tomatoes he’s ever tasted. That was high praise.
Whenever you see something that feels a little weird in the ingredients list of a Southern recipe, chances are it will turn out more delicious than you ever imagined. I guarantee that is the case here. And if this twist on fried green tomatoes isn’t your cup of tea, you can find a classic recipe with my delicious remoulade at SouthernBite.com.
The Guy’s Grocery Games judges enjoyed my fried green tomatoes on top of an open-faced sandwich of toasted bread and melty pimento cheese. For the show, I made a fun variation of my classic Southern Pimento Cheese recipe using a few whammy ingredients. I know you can buy decent prepared pimento cheese in most stores, but when you see how easy it is to make and experience the unmatched flavor of homemade, well, let’s just say I’ll save you a glass of tea because I know you’ll be joining me in Flavortown.
As quickly as this past year flew by, I know time isn’t slowing down for any of us. Consider this your reminder to put down your phone, power off your computer and get living!
Stacey Little