Market Farming

["Marie Kamphefner" <kampy AT grm.net>]

Fried Green Tomato Hornworms
Yield: 4 servings

What does a tomato hornworm taste like? Well, what would you taste like
if you'd been stuffing yourself solely with tomato leaves for the better
part of a month? Hornworms are ridiculously chlorophyll-rich. They taste
great with just about any summer vegetable, but my favorite recipe draws
inspiration from the cuisine of the Whistle Stop Cafe, that fictitious
Alabama diner made famous by novelist Fanny Flagg.

"You'll think you died and gone to heaven," boasts Flagg of her recipe.
To which I add, "If you do go to heaven, ask the Powers That Be to keep
the tomato hornworms out of my vegetable patch." 

3 tablespoons olive oil 
16 tomato hornworms 
4 medium green tomatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds 
Salt and pepper to taste 
White cornmeal 
In a large skillet or wok, heat the oil. Then lightly fry the hornworms,
about 4 minutes, taking care not to rupture the cuticles of each insect
under high heat. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. 

Season tomato rounds with salt and pepper, then coat with cornmeal on
both sides.

In a large skillet, fry tomatoes until lightly browned on both sides 

Top each round with 2 fried tomato hornworms. 

Garnish the paired hornworms with a single basil leaf.