fried green tomatoes with garlic scape pesto

i couldn't walk by green tomatoes at the market without taking them home. and of course, the first thing i think of when i see them is fried green tomatoes! hence the necessary call to friend number 2 to consult about how a real southern would handle them. and then i threw all of her instructions out the window. dredge and then batter. buttermilk. bacon grease. nah, maybe not, and nope. i went with the approach that if you fry anything in cornmeal, it will automatically taste good. and i think i did just fine. granted, my version used a little sprinkling of spelt flour (any sort of flour would have done), a dip in egg (i was so excited that i forgot about the milk), and a pressing into a seasoned bowl of cornmeal. then i fried in olive oil until they were golden brown on both sides and served with garlic scape pesto.

garlic scape "pesto"

• garlic scapes
  
• olive oil
• parmesean cheese
• pine nuts, almonds, or walnuts (optional)
  

• this is one of those taste as you go and adjust things...i started with 3 garlic scapes, a generous drizzle of olive oil and about a tablespoon of parm. then blend, chop, or scrape together until somewhat combined. you may need to add additional oil to make the pesto smoother. add salt and pepper and taste again.
  

fried green tomatoes (non-southern style)

• green tomatoes, sliced about 1/2 inch thick
• flour (optional; use spelt or a gluten-free blend)
• cornmeal
• egg
• milk (optional)

• sprinkle tomatoes with a little flour
• dip in egg bath (just eggs or eggs and milk) then coat with cornmeal
• heat oil in skillet over medium high heat. once the oil is hot, fry on both sides until golden brown
• top with pesto