If You Give A Belle An Eggplant
If you give a Belle an eggplant
She’ll probably look at you funny.
But she’ll take it just the same because a Belle hates to be rude.
She’ll turn it around and admire it’s color and shape…until you tell her it is a vegetable.
Once she realizes it is a vegetable..she’ll ooh and ahh…
Then, she’s gonna want to fry it.
SO
She’ll ask you for some oil and a skillet
You’ll get vegetable oil and your best cast iron…Seeing the cast iron will remind her of fried green tomatoes.
Thinking of fried green tomatoes will make her want to bread the eggplant just like them
She’s gonna need some corn meal
And a little salt and pepper.
Once she has those, she’ll put them in a bowl and give them a good stir. Stirring them up will remind her of cooking with her grandmother when she was a girl and how her grandmother used to love a glass of cold buttermilk….
She’ll probably ask you for some.
Once you get her the buttermilk, she’ll pour some in a bowl
And carefully slice the eggplant…now it doesn’t look so strange to her anymore.
Slicing the eggplant will make her think of eating, thinking of eating will make her think of being thirsty.
She’s gonna want some sweet tea. ….
You’ll go to look for tea bags but discover that you’re out. You’ll have to go to the store. She’ll wanna to go with you.
At the store, She’ll smile and wave at everyone who glances your way. Being this sociable will make her lots of friends. She’ll start to worry that her new friends are hungry and invite them to eat with you.
One of the new friends will be from up north – that will make the Belle think of all they are missing out on. You’ll have to buy some Moon Pies, Pioneer Brand, Milo’s Tea, and pork skins so she can make them welcome baskets.
Once you get home, She’ll ask you to put the tea on while she gets back to cooking for everyone…
She’ll need to pour some oil in the skillet to heat.
Heating the skillet will make her think of summers in Alabama and fields full of blooming cotton.
She’ll get homesick and want you to sing Dixie.
Singing Dixie will take too long because she knows all the verses…the oil will start to smoke.
You’ll have to rush back to the kitchen. Rushing will make you hungrier and tummies will start to growl.
The Belle will remember her eggplant and go back to cooking.
She’ll dip each slice in buttermilk
and then in the cornmeal mixture.
And place them in the oil.
While they are browning, she’ll remember that she hasn’t shown you the Alabama state flag.
She’ll ask for a red marker and a piece of white paper.
- Alabama State Flag, it’s just that easy
She’ll take the paper and draw a big red x on it and hand it to you with a little smile,
being done in time to turn the eggplant slices before they burn.
One they are browned on both sides, she’ll remove them to a paper towel lined plate.
Seeing the paper towels will remind the belle of how far we have all come and how fortunate we are to have such modern luxuries. She’ll want to sit down and give thanks before eating.
Once you are done eating, she’ll want to take the scraps outside to feed the critters, you’ll have to take her to the back yard.
While walking outside, she’ll pass your garden bursting forth with vegetables. Her eyes will get big as dollars and she’ll want to pick them.
SO
you’ll get her a basket and tell her to help herself.
She’ll pick tomatoes first, then cucumbers, working her way down to zucchini…eventually, she’ll get to eggplants.
You’ll pick the biggest one and hand it to her with pride.
And chances are, if you give a Belle an eggplant,…
She’s gonna want to fry it.
Fried Eggplant
- 1 C Cornmeal
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 C buttermilk
- 2 or 3 medium eggplants
Pour oil to 1/4″ depth in skillet. Place on medium heat while you prepare eggplant.
Place dry ingredients in bowl, stir to combine (Can add a little cayenne if you like). In separate bowl, pour buttermilk. Slice eggplant. Dip each slice in buttermilk and then in meal. Place in hot oil and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides. Remove to paper towel lined plate. Serve hot, with Ranch dressing to dip in, if desired.
“People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.“
~Dale Carnegie To submit your quote, click here.
Special thanks to If You Give a Pig a Pancake
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This is a cute post!
I love your hair, you look wonderful! 
Thankyou so much, Emily!! I have my hair guru Daniel to thank for doing it. I just said “Make me look human”
.
Bless his heart, then he had to teach me how to fix it! Lol
I’m just destined to be frumpy, but I’m pretty cool with that!
Gratefully,
Christy
I agree with Emily…very cute post and you do look wonderful.
~blushes deeply~ Yall are too good to me! Thank you so much!
Gratefully,
Christy
Very cute! I enjoyed reading your post, and now I want to try some eggplant!
Thank you! It’s always fun to just play every now and then
the eggplant tastes a lot like fried green tomatoes, just without the twang
gratefully,
Christy
Cute post Christy. Now if only I liked eggplant. It is one of my favorite shades of purple though.
hehe
I had never had eggplant until a couple of years ago. Had never had squash until about ten years ago!
I found that I like my eggplant fried. I’m not big on eggplant Parmesan, Every time I do something different with marinara sauce it just feels like I should be eating it on top of ground beef and noodles! lol
But hey, at least the like the color, right?
Gratefully,
Christy
This was cute!
Just like a Belle!
I saw you not TV last week and you were just like your tutorials! I like the little stories.
Have a wonderful day!
Hey Teri!!!
Thank you SO MUCH for watching! I’ve been wondering how I come across on TV and hoping it would be close to the same way I come across in writing so I really appreciate your feedback (and sure am glad it was positive! lol).
I hope you have a fabulous week, Teri in Hartselle!!!
Gratefully,
Christy
Oh Christy I do love eggplants. Took me almost 24 years to realize that! I never ate it as a child. I don’t think I even tried it once when my mum cooked it because I assumed it would taste terrible and now i’m all over it!
First time I ever ate it was a time that I went out to dinner with my mum and brother they ordered an eggplant dish. Since then I can’t get enough.
Have you ever heard it called an eggfruit though? Lol
I saw it written on the sign when I went shopping and thought it was the funniest thing. An eggfruit! At least aubergine is acceptable but eggfruit. Lol
Hey!
I’ve never heard it called that, either! That is kind of a cute name though!
I dont know if any restaurants around my parts serve eggplant, I’ll have to look into that!!!
I’m SO EXCITED to get to meet you and your Mom!!! or…wait…mum! lol
Look at me, speakin’ that thar Awstralian and everythin’!
~giggles~
I’m so excited too!!!!!! Just over 2 weeks to go!
I am laughing so hard right now, because that is the way I first made it too, without having looked at any recipes. Although, I used an egg wash. Later on, I used these little fried slices. and made little stacks with marinara and italian cheese, put them in a baking dish, and melted the cheese. Great recipe!
Oooh like eggplant parmigiana!Yum!!
That does sound good!
I just gotta get past my old hangup of marinara belonging on ground beef and noodles! lol
ooey gooey, cheesey eggplant sounds divine though!
Thank you!
christy
Eggplant is one of the few things that has done well in my garden this year and, yes, I’ve breaded and fried most of it! I’ve thought a few times that I wish I knew another way to cook it, but the only other way I’ve had it that I like is baba ganoush and that is way too much work!
Nice makeup, BTW! Makes you resemble Renee Zellweger! You could be sisters!
Renee Zellweger! OH WOW!! ~gives Sonya a back popping hug~
Thank you!!!
I’m working to get my makeup to looking right on tv. It’s a trial and error thing but since I’m soooooooooooooo incredibly white, when the lights come on I have to have a little extra to come across as human. The first time we ever did anything I said “I look like the creature from the white lagoon, bathed in white light!”.
You are so sweet, I really appreciate it!!!!!
Gratefully,
Christy
My grandma fries eggplant just like you do. I prefer it sliced thin since that makes it crunchier! Hrm, now I want some.
I’m with you on the crunchy part!!! A lot of folks put flour in with their meal as well but I just do straight corn meal so it is extra crunchy! oh yum… now I want more! lol
After you fry this eggplant, layer it with some mozzerella cheese, a little Parmesan, fresh basil leaves and cover with sauce, throw it in the oven for about 45 minutes until set and you have Eggplant Parmesan to die for.
Here is the simple sauce I use. 1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced, Freshly ground black pepper-whizz in the blender (no cooking necessary).
Another way to eat the fried eggplant is to make a “hamburger” replacing the meat with the eggplant slice, build the burger as you would your regular burger–with all the trimmings.
You have made this librarian very proud! Now, the librarian will want to read the book…..
I like the Eggplant fried up that way, or saute’ with onions and squash.
Try a Mohichan or Casper Eggplant. They are white eggplant that to me are sweeter than the traditional purple eggplant. The Mohichan and Casper does well in containers on the patio and is a pretty plant.
Good post and a good read.
Kenny and I just had eggplant today…but a different version. I made Eggplant stackers which is sliced eggplant, pesto, tomato, drizzled with olive oil and feta cheese baked in the over. Yummy and very filling..
I am not at all surprised to see this post Christy, because guess what?
I made eggplant today too LOL!!!
We keep doing this – I would be freaked out but it’s just happened too much so that now I’m quite used to it. Well, mine wasn’t fried, and I haven’t posted it yet, but I do definitely truly love fried eggplant for sure.
Cute post! Your sense of humor has really been showing here lately.
Have a great rest of the long holiday weekend my friend.
Cutest post ever. My whole family loves those books. I read this post to my chef hubby and he had a good chuckle over it and said “great!”
Enjoyed the post immensely…but see, now you’ve had me thinking of when I was younger and how my own Dad used to fry eggplants for me to eat (I couldn’t get enough of the vegetable as a kid…) so now I’m craving some.
And if only I could look half as lovely as you do!
This post inspired me this evening. I don’t have any eggplant, but I did have a zucchini that needed to be used. So I sliced it, dipped it in milk and seasoned flour (I prefer that over cornmeal for frying), and fried it up! It was so good I ate the whole thing all by myself (guilty face). Well, I let my 2-yr-old have one slice. But I ate the rest.
What a cute post. Too bad I don’t like eggplant.
But, I loved your story. I had not seen “If You Give a Pig a Pancake” but I used to read “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” which was similar. Oh, I need grandchildren to read to.
Hello! I found your site while blog hopping and just at the right time. I have eggplant in my garden ready to cut and I was just saying to the hubs, that I don’t know what I am going to do with all this eggplant! I will be trying this recipe for supper tomorrow.
Let’s not forget If You Take a Mouse to the Movies, If You Take a Mouse to School, If You Give A Moose A Muffin, and If You Give A Cat A Cupcake.
Guess who’s mother was a first grade teacher?
I’m one of the dreaded “Northerners” temporarily transplanted in Southeast Georgia, and I like sweet tea and potato salad made by true Southerners. I’ve heard that Southerners will fry anything and I guess that’s true! I’ve never eaten eggplant, and I must admit that your post makes me want to try it. I just love your posts and stories, they are so honest, funny and refreshing! I am trying to learn how to “cook southern” and I printed many of your recipes. I don’t cook often (too busy….and ok I can barely boil an egg) but I look forward to trying them out sometime soon. I have about 5 entrees and two or three veggie dishes that I cook and that I am proud of. And pumpkin pie and brownies. I did make your banana pudding recipe and it was a hit. I was so proud!! It was my first time making banana pudding too! Not sure I can cross over into fried eggplant, but I’ll give it some serious consideration!!
Oh Christy my little southern cutie, me thinks you need a good eye-talian dose of eggplant parmigiana northern style. lol….
I just made eggplant like this last night for my client, I used regular flour though and regular milk because that’s all she had in her fridge. This sounds so much tastier though, I will try it at home.
LYBunches, xoxoxo
This is the cutest recipe ever… very imaginative. I love those little kids books and this was a great spin on it as well as being a delicious looking recipe!
Wonderful recipe. we do something very similar in the caribbean but without the use of the cornmeal. instead we use a seasoned flour mixture.
Happy Cooking.