FRUGAL GREEN RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat.
• Place cornmeal in a bowl; dip and coat each tomato slice until thoroughly coated.
• Place coated tomato slices side by side in the hot oil; fry until coating is browned and crusty, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Season with salt and black pepper. Repeat with remaining tomato slices.

Steps:

• Put on a big pot of water to boil.
• Pick out your pasta, cook it al dente and keep it hot You can use spaghetti, capellini, vermicelli, or linguini, whatever you prefer.
• After you've made this once, and you know how long it takes for you to make the sauce, you make everything come up ready at the same time.
• Get some green olives.
• Any kind you want, really.
• I just get a bottle of cheap salad olives.
• There are usually a lot of pimento pieces floating around in there.
• We like the color, but I'm afraid the ol' Frugal Gourmet would NOT approve.
• You can get a bit fancier if you want.
• Chop up the olives a bit, not tiny.
• Next the garlic.
• OK, you HAVE to use fresh for this, no powder, not even the jar of pre-chopped.
• Those are okay for some things, and I do use them often.
• However, if you use anything other than fresh garlic in this recipe, you will not be impressed, and you will never make this again.
• I will weep.
• Don't do that to me.
• Take your fresh garlic clove, wrap it in that flat rubber disc you use to open jars.
• Just roll it up in there, then roll it back and forth on the countertop a few times.
• Unwrap it, and the peel should be off or mostly off.
• Do this with lots of garlic cloves.
• LOTS.
• At least a couple per person you're feeding.
• Slice the garlic, but not too thinly.
• In a hot non-stick sauté pan, put a little olive oil, the fresh sliced garlic and a lot of chopped green olives.
• Be generous.
• A handful per person is a good start.
• Sauté the garlic and olives just a bit, being careful not to let the garlic brown, or it may become bitter.
• Add some light cream, and bring to a simmer.
• Cook over low heat until the liquid has been reduced by almost half, and it is thick, stirring very often.
• Pour this over the hot pasta, sprinkle generously with parmesan, chopped parsley (fresh is best, but I usually only have dried) and black pepper, preferably fresh from the pepper mill.
• Toss.
• Serve immediately.
• Bow.
• But be humble.