Tomato Pie
Posted: August 2, 2010 Filed under: produce, recipe, summer 1 Comment »
This is not the “tomato pie” you know in the northeast. It’s not some pizza derivation. This is a southern-style summertime staple. For the past month I’ve been experimenting with tomato pie recipes. It all started with my friend’s recipe, which she “wasn’t permitted” to share. Apparently it’s a family tradition that she wasn’t willing to break. Note that I still haven’t actually tried her recipe, but the idea of a recipe worth keeping secret fired me up enough to make one of these babies every weekend in July.
I’m still experimenting with the cheese and flavor combinations, but I couldn’t withhold it from this blog any longer. It’s the PERFECT use for super ripe summer tomatoes. When I first moved here, I was floored by the quality of local Grainger County tomatoes. And now I have them overflowing from my CSA box and my own garden. This is a wonderful use for tomatoes of any size, shape, or color. And since you drain them, and bake them down, I would speculate that you can even make it delicious with sub-par winter tomatoes.
This is a family style dish in the south, popular at cookouts and potlucks since it’s best served at room temperature. There are many variations with two crusts, or a heck of a lot more cheese, but I think I’ve settled on the formula I like best. If anyone is interested in making this, I would urge you to experiment with different combinations of cheeses or other add-ins (some gruyere would kick ass). And if you’re a better homemaker than I, you could make your own crust and it would be a knockout.
Whatever you do, just try it. If you love tomatoes, you will love this savory pie.
Summer Tomato Pie (makes 6 servings)
Basically adapted from Simply Recipes
- 1 unbaked pie crust (preferably Pillsbury refrigerated roll)
- 2 slices thick-cut bacon
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 5 large ripe tomatoes, or any combination of smaller ones
- 4 oz. grated sharp cheddar cheese (a generous 1 cup, grated)
- 4 tbs. mayonnaise
- 1 tsp. hot sauce
- 1/4 cup packed, chopped basil leaves
- Salt and pepper
- 1 egg white
- 1 tbs. dijon mustard
Preheat the oven to 350° and par-bake the pie crust. I roll mine into a glass pie plate, poke small holes all over with a fork, cover the top and sides with a piece of foil, and weigh it down with metal spoons (or pie weights if you have them). Bake for about 30 minutes or until the crust is firm. Remove from oven and cool slightly.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove the slices to a paper towel to drain, then crumble them up. Pour off all but one tablespoon of the fat and cook the onion until soft and just turning brown (stirring frequently, about 10 minutes). When the onions are done, remove them to a bowl and cool.
Cut the tomatoes across the equator and poke the insides to remove the seeds and their juice. Discard the juice and seeds, or save for another use. Rough chop the tomatoes into about 1 inch pieces. Put the copped tomatoes into a colander and squeeze the remaining juice. You could also wrap them in cheesecloth and really wring them out. (I know it seems like a waste, but the more juice you get out, the less soupy your pie will be.) Mix the drained tomatoes in a large bowl with the basil, cooked onions, and crumbled bacon. Add a good amount of salt and pepper to taste.
Make the topping. Mix the cheese, mayo, hot sauce, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl.
Brush the partially cooled crust with the egg white, then spread the bottom with the dijon mustard. Next, dump the chopped tomato mixture into the crust, and even it to a flat surface on top. Drop the topping by spoonful on top of the tomatoes. Spread it around with your fingers to create an even layer.
Bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and the topping is turning golden brown. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into it.
NOTE: if you cut into this pie when it is still warm, it WILL fall apart. The way I see it, this is completely unavoidable. Don’t worry though, it will taste freakin’ good anyway. The picture at the top of this post was taken the next day, after the pie was refrigerated overnight. This works well served warm, room temp, or cold from the fridge.
Un-Fried Okra
Posted: July 12, 2010 Filed under: garden, recipe, summer 4 Comments »I wasn’t 100% familiar with okra before I moved to the south. I knew of its existence, and I knew you could fry it. But that’s about where my expertise ended. It’s in every supermarket down here (even in winter), and my Georgia-born boyfriend has memories of his granny frying them up when he was little. So I had to wise up to this strange veggie.
They look a little intimidating. And when you cut into them, you get a strange viscous, sticky juice. But once you get past all that, they’re versatile and delicious. A classic application is in gumbo or shrimp and grits (both of which are to die for). And I made a very successful chickpea/okra indian curry this Saturday, which makes me want to try okra in just about everything.
Our CSA is offering okra as a “swap out” vegetable right now, and it’s alleviating my red beet overload from the past two months. Plus, the two little okra plants we put in the garden are just beginning to produce. We learned from our friend’s gardening adventures last season that it’s crucial to harvest the okra pods when they’re still young and tender (less than 5 inches long). Otherwise they grow tough, inedible spines up the sides and lose most of their flavor.
Over the past two years I’ve perfected my absolute favorite okra recipe. Everyone around here loves fried okra, but realistically it’s kind of a mess to fry them at home. And mostly due to my nutritionist mother, I feel a little guilty every time I fry something at home. So this is a delicious, everyday substitute for fried okra that makes a perfect side dish for just about anything.
This recipe calls for breading the okra pieces and baking them in a pretty hot oven. The result is a crispy, tender little bite that’s good by itself and GREAT dipped into any kind of flavored mayo, if you’re into that kind of thing. I’m into the siracha mayo kind of thing. This application also works beautifully with thin slices of summer squash, zucchini, or green tomatoes. (Green tomatoes should be salted and set in a colander for a few minutes before breading.)
Oven Fried Okra (makes enough for 2-4 people as a side dish)
(probably adapted from somewhere, but I can’t remember the original source)
- 1 lb. young okra pods (approximately 20 pods)
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup water or milk (or buttermilk!)
- 1.5 cups breadcrumbs
- Salt & pepper
- Olive oil or cooking spray
Preheat the oven to 400°. Trim the ends off each okra pod and cut them into approximately half inch chunks. Line a baking sheet with foil, and grease it with olive oil or cooking spray.
Arrange your breading station in three medium bowls. To bowl #1, add the flour, cornmeal, a big pinch of salt and about 15 grinds of black pepper. In bowl #2, whisk 2 eggs and the water or milk. To bowl #3, add the breadcrumbs, another big pinch of salt and another 15 grinds or so of black pepper (don’t be shy).
Take the cut okra pieces, one handful at a time, and dredge them in the flour mix, egg mix, then breadcrumb mix. Make sure each piece is well coated in each step. Arrange them evenly on the prepared baking sheet as you go.
Spray/drizzle some oil on the breaded okra and bake for 12 minutes. At this point, flip/toss them around to make sure nothing is sticking. If you’re doing slices of squash or tomato, flip each slice neatly. Bake for an additional 12 minutes, or until they’re crisped to your liking.
Summer Porch Sittin’
Posted: June 2, 2010 Filed under: recipe, summer 2 Comments »There’s something to be said for a hot summer day with nothing to do. I’ve learned that on days like this in the South, it’s only appropriate to spend them relaxing outside in the shade. Our screened-in porch is official now that we’ve actually got a door on it. So with the bugs safely outside and the ceiling fan humming, porch-sitting has become one of my favorite pastimes. Any combination of friends, beer, grilling, or sunshine can enhance the experience. But these two items certainly help too:
1. Sun Tea
Sun tea is brewed slowly by the gentle heat of the sun. It’s nice to have it out on the porch while you’re sitting, because it makes you feel kind of like you’re in the process of doing something productive. Plus it’s really satisfying and delicious to drink after you’ve been staring at it for a few hours.
It helps to start out with one of these glass containers with a cute little spigot built right in. I got this one at Kroger for $4 last year. They may not be so plentiful up north, though. It would work fine with any kind of glass pitcher, but I would hesitate to use anything plastic out there in the sun.
In our house, sun tea has to be sweet. By adding the sugar upfront, you get to skip the boiling step you usually have with sweet tea. And god forbid you serve a southerner cold, un-sweet tea with a sugar packet. I suppose you could make some unsweetened sun tea if you really wanted to. (But maybe you ought to call it something else.)
2. Pimento Cheese
Pimento cheese is most definitely a southern thing too. I didn’t know what it was until I moved down to Knoxville and started seeing pimento cheese sandwiches and burgers on restaurant menus. Essentially, it’s just a sharp cheese spread. They sell versions of it in every grocery store. But when you make it yourself and add a bit of real flavor, it can truly be delicious. It’s perfect on crackers and pretzels. You’d have to be crazy not to like this stuff (like someone I know… 
).
I had previously tried a Paula Deen recipe. Usually she’s a pretty reliable source for southern classics, and the first version I made last year was pretty good. But those dang Lee brothers gave me a better one. I’ve been somewhat obsessed with The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook lately. Although they’re a little dweeby and high-brow, it’s a great resource for southern classics. Their pimento cheese recipe has you roasting your own red pepper. But peeling charred skin off roasted peppers is kitchen torture to me, so the recipe below is my more straightforward version.
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Sun Tea (makes one pitcher, about 3 quarts)
(Danny’s mom’s formula)
- 3 quarts water
- 3 family size tea bags (or 7 regular tea bags) (preferably Lipton)
- 1 cup sugar*
Fill glass pitcher with water. Add sugar and stir. Naturally, it will all sink to the bottom at first. This is okay. Tie the strings of the tea bags together and immerse in water. They will not sink down immediately. Screw the cap onto the pitcher or otherwise cover the top securely. Place the pitcher in the direct sunlight for 3-5 hours.
After a few hours, take the tea in from the sun, remove the tea bags and give it a good stir. All the sugar should be dissolved now and the tea should be a deep amber color. Serve in tall glasses with tons of ice.
*A whole cup of sugar makes some pretty sweet tea. It’s the way a lot of people drink it in the souf’. If you like your sweet tea a little milder, about 2/3 cup sugar added at the beginning would also be good.
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Pimento Cheese Spread (makes about 2.5 cups, enough for a crowd)
(Barely adapted from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook)
- 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese
- 4 oz. jar chopped pimentos
- 2.5 oz. cream cheese
- 3 tbs. mayonnaise
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
Grate sharp cheddar finely into a large bowl. The smaller the pieces, the smoother the spread will be. Drain the pimentos slightly. They do not need to be squeezed dry.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined, about 2 minutes. Chill for at least an hour before serving with crackers and sun tea (while sitting on the porch).
Ode to a Shamrock Shake
Posted: March 17, 2010 Filed under: cooking, recipe 2 Comments »
That’s Uncle O’Grimacey, and he’s the patron saint of the McDonald’s Shamrock Shake. Every March I become obsessed with the slightly minty green shake that used to be on the menu every year when I was growing up in Maryland. I remember having my very first Shamrock Shake courtesy of Grammy and Grampy Novitsky. I can’t remember anything else about the circumstances of that little outing, but I remember it distinctly. It was a large one. And my sister and parents weren’t there. I swear this happened.
Oh my god, they’re so good. And if one more person tells me that it’s just a vanilla shake with green food coloring, I’m going lose it. They’re the most delicious fast food dessert of all time. And for some fucking reason, the McDonald’s company likes to WITHHOLD them from the majority of the world. There’s a popular site for SS fans to post sightings around the country. Last year I made the mistake of asking a local McDonald’s employee if they were carrying them. Mass confusion ensued. Maybe they’ve never had them in East Tennessee?
But it’s not just East Tennessee, when I lived in NY I couldn’t find them either. Nowhere in Manhattan or Brooklyn at least. I heard a rumor about them being available on Long Island this year, but I won’t count it as fact until I see some documentation. So a few years ago, when I worked at a place in New York that didn’t mind mid-day alcoholism or other time-wasting activities, my co-workers and I set out to recreate the Shamrock Shake on our own. In fact, my blender is probably still in that office from the ordeal. It’s certainly not here.
Through trial and error, I’ve found that the best subtle minty flavor comes from the Torani syrup you find in coffee shops. The Creme de Menthe flavor is the best.
The only place in Knoxville that sells this crap is World Market. So I went there today and despite a selection that included blood orange syrup and sugar-free chocolate chip cookie dough syrup, no creme de menthe to be found.
So I had to go the route of the commoner. The internets are full of fake SS recipes. I found a sickening misunderstanding of one earlier today on a disney website that involved lime sherbet. But the basic consensus is vanilla ice cream, milk, green food dye, and mint extract (eggstrack if you’re Sandra Lee).
And as long as you’re real careful to stay light on the mint extract, it’s pretty darn close. Although it’s been so long since I’ve had a real one, I can’t really even remember. Also, I don’t have a real blender anymore, only an immersion blender, which seemed to work fine. It’s an issue with making milkshakes in any kind of blender that the milk kind of separates from the ice cream globs. But I find that you can get a more consistent texture by giving it a good stir, sticking it in the freezer for about five minutes, then stirring it again.
And while I’m on the topic…in the fall of 2002, when I lived in the College Park, MD area, I found a McDonald’s serving up a Pumpkin Spice shake. And it was amazing. And I’ve never met anyone else who has heard of this. Maybe it was just a lovely daydream?
Knock-Off Homemade Shamrock Shake (makes 1 shake)
- 2 scoops vanilla ice cream
- About 3/4 C. whole milk
- 3 drops green food color
- 1/8 tsp. mint extract
Scoop the ice cream into a blender, or some vessel to stick the immersion blender into. Pour in milk to cover about 3/4 of the way up the ice cream scoops. Add green dye and mint extract. Blend thoroughly.
Pour the mixture into a glass, and stir around a little. Place in freezer for 5 minutes. Stir again and enjoy with a straw and a Thin Mint (since it’s Girl Scout cookie time of year).
