Fried Green Tomatoes

Fall produce in the midwest is starting to arrive in our Farmer's Markets and local farm stands. I have a personal favorite in Crown Point...just a small, local produce stand with kind, happy farmers running the stand. No frills, produce separated nicely, in little baskets, with hand written signs. Telltale signs of barn kitties, tiny little bowls of food sitting atop the hay bales. I soon saw the mama kitty, I was then told she had two little kittens to feed as well. It's everything I love...homemade goodness, fresh beautiful produce. I stopped by there yesterday and with no plan or recipe in mind, decided I was going to purchase whatever caught my eye and just go from there. I settled on green tomatoes, acorn squash, mild peppers, and plums. The plums were gone by last night, the kids thought they were fabulous. I decided to make Vegetable Fried Rice for lunch today and incorporated the mild peppers into it, simply the best Vegetable Fried Rice I have ever made. Even though it is unseasonably warm today, the acorn squash is now roasting in the oven, washed with butter and syrup, and will be waiting when the kids get home for their after school snack. Lastly, I will make friend green tomatoes tonight, sliced very thin, lightly dusted in flour, salt & pepper and fried a golden brown. Can't forget the ranch dipping sauce either...tonight will be a vegetarian dinner night, all of the produce fresh from the local produce stand. Now that is a great way to start our weekend!