One of my favorite things about summer is fresh tomatoes. As soon as they arrive at the farmers market, I am headed to purchase them. I love a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. Every summertime meal has a plate of sliced summer tomatoes as a great addition to whatever is being served.
As a child, I was fortunate to have known both sets of my grandparents. I was the only grandchild on both sides for 10 years and spent a great deal of time with each of them. My maternal grandmother, Mamaw, was a wonderful cook. My paternal grandmother, Mae Mae, well, not so much. In her defense, Mae Mae could prepare what was one of my favorite meals. Every Saturday, she had roast, rice, gravy and green salad. It was all delicious, but the taste of that salad is one of my best culinary childhood memories.
I have tried to reproduce that salad in all of its simplicity, but to know avail. It was simply a bowl of torn iceberg lettuce, chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper and a dollop of her homemade mayonnaise. She mixed this and refrigerated it prior to the meal. After the flavors all meshed together, it had a beautiful pink tint to it. I even have the bowl she always served the salad in.
There are over 10,000 varieties of tomatoes. They are labeled as a vegetable because of how we eat them. In reality, a tomato is a fruit because it has seeds. Tomatoes are consumed by Americans more than any other fruit or vegetable. Ninety-five percent of all gardens include some variety of tomatoes. Tomatoes are the stars of the show at all roadside fruit and vegetable stands and farmers markets.
Here are some recipes that will feature the stars of summer produce — tomatoes. Thanks for reading.
LAYERED BLT DIP
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup finely chopped lettuce
8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1½ cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
Toasted French baguette sliced
In a bowl, mix cream cheese, mayonnaise and Parmesan until well blended. Spread into a shallow dish. Layer with lettuce, bacon, tomatoes, onions and cheddar. Refrigerate until serving. Serve with toasted French baguette bread slices.
TOMATO BASIL PIE
1 frozen unbaked 9-inch deep dish pie shell
4 medium tomatoes
Salt and pepper
8 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, or 1 tablespoon crushed dried basil
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¾ cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup crushed Ritz crackers
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Thaw the frozen pie shell at room temperature for 10 minutes. Slice the tomatoes, drain and pat dry. Arrange a single layer of the tomato slices in the pie shell, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with half of the bacon and basil. Repeat the layers. Mix the cheese and the mayonnaise in a bowl and spread over the top layer of tomatoes. Sprinkle with the cracker crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes or until light brown. Slice and serve.
TOMATOES ROCKEFELLER
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup grated Romano cheese
½ teaspoon seasoned salt
½ teaspoon red pepper
2 (10-ounce) boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
6 medium tomatoes, halved
¼ cup Mozzarella cheese
½ cup breadcrumbs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat cream cheese until creamy. Add mayonnaise and combine. Stir in Parmesan and Romano cheeses. Add salt and pepper. Add spinach and artichokes, and mix well. Mound 2 tablespoonfuls on top of each tomato half. Sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese and breadcrumbs. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, covered loosely with foil. Remove foil, and bake for 10 additional minutes.
- Contact Lee Ann Flemming at lafkitchen@hughes.net.
