Published: July 11, 2008 01:21 pm            

Don't let tomato season pass by without summer's favorite sandwich

Local tomatoes, safely grown, are here for the gathering. Wash fresh produce well before eating it raw or cooked. Some local farmers do use pesticides, but you need not worry about these folks irrigating with contaminated water. Nor do you need worry about who picks the harvest. Sadly, tomato season seems short. Scarf 'em up now.

Remember not to store tomatoes below 40 F. Best place to keep a vine ripened tomato is upside down (on the stem scar side) on paper towels in your kitchen, wooden (not metal), window sill. Tomatoes loose taste in cold storage and will last longer stored upside down. Go figure.

To prepare peeled and seedless tomatoes (not necessary unless seeds are off your diet) rinse tomatoes under cold tap water. Fill a bowl with ice water, meanwhile bring a saucepan of water to boil. Make a small X cut in bloom end of tomato. Cut stem scar from other end.

Dip tomato in boiling water for about 30 seconds, rolling to cover whole tomato.

Remove tomato from boiling water and plunge into ice water immediately. Pull skin from tomato beginning at X cut.

To remove seeds, slice tomato in half. Hold cut side down over disposal and squeeze gently. Seeds and gel will come right out.



Begin the season with Tomato Sandwiches. My favorite follows:

2 slices good brand white bread (Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse or soft Sarah Lee recommended. A gigantic homegrown Big Boy or Beefsteak tomato deserves sinful white bread.)

1 large, luscious, vine ripened red tomato, peeled, seeded, sliced thick

Hellmann's mayonnaise, lots of it

You know what to do. Slather mayonnaise over both slices of bread. Arrange tomato slice, or two, or more, on one piece of bread. Top with other slice. Slice sandwich in two.

Head for the sink. Eating a proper tomato sandwich anywhere but over the kitchen sink is hazardous. The juice will run right down your arm to your elbow.

Add fresh basal leaves if you wish. The Italians knew what they were doing when they combined tomatoes and basil. A match made in heaven.

Add thin slices of ham, roast beef, assorted cold cuts, crisp bacon, basil or lettuce should you be bored with only tomato.



For attractive open-faced Caprese Sandwiches to serve with tea try these:

whole wheat bread cut with a round cookie cutter as large as a red tomato slice

Tomatoes sliced thick and blotted with paper towels

Basil leaves cut in a *chiffonade

Mozzarella cheese sliced thinly and cut to fit bread round

Extra virgin olive oil

Drizzle bread round with generous amount of olive oil. Top with cheese. Top with tomato slice. Garnish with basil strips. Season with coarse salt and pepper.



Tomato-Sweet-Onion Salad with Feta Cheese

Large tomatoes, such as beefsteak (plan on 1/2 tomato per person)

2 sweet white medium sized home grown onions

Ranch dressing

Salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Basil leaves sliced in a *chiffonade

1 cup crumbled Feta cheese

Rinse, peel and seed tomatoes. Slice 1/2 inch thick. Place on layers of paper toweling to absorb excess liquid.

Peel and slice onions crosswise about 1/4 inch wide. Place round onion slices in ice water for about 30 minutes to crisp them and mellow the flavor.

Drain. Separate into rings and blot with paper towels.

On a large platter, arrange tomatoes and onions alternately. Or arrange on individual salad plates. Dollop with ranch dressing.

Sprinkle with salt, pepper, basil strips and Feta Cheese right before serving.



Tomato Pie is a southern treat. There are many variations for tomato pie but, this recipe from niece Holley Holroyd Price tops the list. Here it is, repeated by popular demand.



Use Pillsbury Pie crusts from the diary counter if you wish. Take crust from package and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Roll crust to fit deep dish pie plate. Place in plate. Crimp edges. Prick bottom. Fill with wax or parchment paper. Pour on dried beans for weight. Bake at 350 until brown and crisp. Remove paper and beans. Cool.



Tomato Pie

Preheat oven to 350 F.

1 baked, deep dish pie shell

Red tomatoes

3/4 to 1 cup (Hellmann's preferred) mayonnaise (not lowered-fat or no-fat)

Pinch salt (optional)

Fresh ground black pepper

1 clove minced or finely diced fresh garlic (optional)

1 1/2 cups (or more) shredded, sharp cheddar cheese

Fresh basil *chiffonade (optional)

Rinse tomatoes, peel and seed if desired.

Slice tomatoes cross-wise into thick uniform rounds, about 1/3-1/2 inch thick.

Arrange tomatoes in single layer on paper towels. Blot with more paper towels. Drain for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt if desired to help remove excess moisture. Pat dry.

Arrange tomato slices in a single layer in bottom of pie shell.

Spread 1/2 mayonnaise over tomato slices. Sprinkle with pepper, half of garlic and pinch of salt.

Repeat layer with tomatoes, mayonnaise and seasonings.

Cover pie crust edges with foil to prevent burning.

Bake until hot and bubbly, about 30 minutes, give or take 5 minutes.

Turn off oven. Scatter cheese on pie top. Allow cheese to melt in oven for 5 minutes. Remove pie. Scatter with basil. Wait 15 minutes before serving.



*Note: To make a chiffonade of basil leaves: roll them like a cigar. Slice crosswise to make thin strips.

        

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