Summer Spoonfuls: Savory Southern Staples

Below you’ll find a quintessential Lowcountry summer recipe, tomato pie. It comes direct from the legendary cookbook “Catering to Charleston: Cherished Recipes from a Premier Southern Caterer,” penned by Hamby Catering & Events Founder Frances Ellison Hamby.

Tomato Pie

Makes 8 servings
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (9-inch) deep dish pie crust, baked
• 3 large tomatoes, peeled, thickly sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ cup sliced green onions
• ½ cup chopped bell pepper
• ½ cup chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Fresh basil leaves

INSTRUCTIONS:
Place sliced tomatoes on bottom of baked pie crust. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté onions, peppers and celery in oil. Layer over tomatoes. Combine mayonnaise and cheese. Spread over vegetables. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with basil leaves.

FRAN’S NOTE
Kitchen shears are a handy tool to have in the kitchen. Use them to snip fresh parsley, basil and other fresh herbs. They can also be used to trim pie crust and to cut up candied fruit for fruit cake. Remember to dip shears in hot water occasionally when cutting sticky food.

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The following recipe was provided courtesy of Cachita’s Kitchen.

Mexican Cuban Sandwich

A) STIR-FRY

1. 13 pieces chileanchos
2. 4 pieces chileanchos of mulattos
3. 4 pieces chileanchos de pasilla
4. 3 pieces guajillo

B) PUT IN WATER TO SOFTEN AND BROWN WITHOUT ANYTHING

1. 20 laurel eye
2. 2 thyme branches
3. 1/2 cup of sesame
4. 7 pepitoria seeds
5. 5 cinnamon sticks
6. 15 pieces black pepper
7. 10 pieces cloves

C) FRYING

1. 3 ripe bananas
2. 3 onions
3. 15 garlic cloves (since it’s fried put it in water)
4. 3 chocolate Abuelita

D) SECRET OF THE CHEF MEXICAN CUBAN

1. Bread
2. Mustard
3. Pepper jack cheese
4. Ham
5. Avocado
6. Jalapeño
7. Pickles
8. Pork carnitas

By Cari Lawson