GRILLED GREEN TOMATOES WITH CAJUN DRESSING

3 to 4 large green tomatoes (6 to 8 ounces each)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon Cajun Blackening Rub (recipe follows)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup mild hot pepper sauce, such as Durkee Red Hot sauce
Oil for coating grill screen

GAS:
Direct heat, medium-high (400 to 450 degrees); clean, oiled grate,

CHARCOAL:
Direct heat, light ash; 12-by-12-inch charcoal bed (about 3 dozen coals); clean, oiled grate on lowest setting.

WOOD:
Direct heat, light ash; 12-by-12-inch bed, 3 to 4 inches deep; Clean, oiled grate set 2 inches above the fire.

Heat the grill as directed above. Put the grill screen on the grill to heat
up.

Cut the tomatoes into slices. Coat the slices with canola oil and sprinkle with the Cajun rub and salt; set aside.

Mix the sour cream, mayonnaise, and hot sauce in a bowl until blended; set aside.

Coat the grill screen with oil. Put the tomato slices on the grill screen and cook, uncovered, until browned, about 6 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Serve the grilled tomato slices topped with dollops of the dressing.

Note: Green tomatoes are not just unripe red fruit. They are lemony tart and slightly crunchy, and when it comes to grilling they are the tomato of choice. Unlike ripe red tomatoes, which have a tendency to collapse on the grill, green tomatoes brown and crisp on the edges as their interior softens and swells with juice. In this recipe they are coated with a spicy rub and topped with a creamy dressing. If you don't have a garden, your biggest challenge could be finding green tomatoes to grill. They are most plentiful at the beginning and end of tomato season (summer), and are more common at farmer's markets than supermarkets. Most farmers are happy to find customers for unripened tomatoes.

Makes 4 servings.

CAJUN BLACKENING RUB
Makes about 1/4 cup

The Cajun technique of blackening food in a super-heated iron skillet shares the same flavor challenges as grilling over a roaring flame. The bitterness of charring has to be met with assertive seasoning. This rub is built for fire. It is not hot, but it is aggressively aromatic, able to hold its own against the highest flame.

1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
3/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Combine all of the ingredients. Use as directed in a recipe; can be stored in a tightly closed container.

Good with: shrimp, scallops, salmon, any white-fleshed fish, chicken, turkey, game hen, lamb, pork and veal.

Source: Mastering the Grill: The Owner's Manual for Outdoor Cooking by Andrew Schloss and David Joachim