Between thick slices of local bread from the Fervere Bakery are tofu bacon, made with local Central Soy tofu, fried green tomatoes from my mom's garden, sauteed garlicky local greens, avocado, and creamy creole sauce (recipe here). Holy moly, this was amaaazing!!! If you have some great local ingredients around you, I urge you to try this out! I served mine with an all-local slaw I made.....mmmmm.....divine!
Southern-Style BLT (serves 4)8 slices thick, whole grain bread
1 pkg tofu or tempeh, thinly sliced into bacon-like strips
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs liquid smoke
1 Tbs maple syrup
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs canola or vegetable oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
4 green tomatoes, sliced
1 cup soymilk
1/4 cup cornstarch
a few dashes of hot sauce
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning or other seasoning mix
1 Tbs baking powder
Oil for frying
1 bunch greens (such as spinach or kale), stemmed and roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbs olive oil
1 recipe creamy creole sauce or vegan mayonnaise
To prepare the tempeh/tofu bacon: Whisk together all the ingredients except for the tofu or tempeh. Heat skillet over medium heat. Add sliced tofu and cook on each side for 3 minutes until lightly browned. Add the seasoning mixture and reduce to a simmer. Let cook for about 5-8 minutes, until the marinade has cooked almost completely away. Remove from heat and set aside.
To prepare the fried green tomatoes: In one bowl, whisk together the soymilk, cornstarch, and hot sauce. In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the tomato breading. In a large skillet or deep pot, heat 2 inches of canola or vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Oil is hot enough when you drop in a little bit of the breading and it sizzles. Dip slices of tomato in liquid then dry mixture and repeat. Shake of excess breading and place tomato slices in the heated oil. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side, over medium heat, until golden brown on both sides. Remove from oil and let drain on a paper towel.
In a separate skillet or wok, heat olive oil and garlic together over medium-high heat. When garlic starts to sizzle and becomes "blond," add the chopped greens and saute for about 5-8 minutes, until wilted and a little crispy on the edges.
To assemble a sandwich: On one slice of bread, spread Creamy Creole Sauce to taste. On the other slice, place slices of avocado. On top of the avocado, place the tofu bacon. Then layer the fried green tomatoes and sauteed greens. Top with other slice of sauced bread and serve!!
This kind of looks longish and complicated, but it really does come together quickly!! Great for a lunch or dinner outside on a late-summer day!
