Southern Cuisine - August

Learning to cook different countries' style of meals expands your palate and exposes you to new flavors and ingredients. Cooking authentic dishes of various countries can teach you about their culture, traditions, and lifestyle. It also allows you to explore new, healthier ingredients and cooking methods, save money, and create a fun, sociable environment for friends and family. Additionally, it can open doors for career opportunities in the culinary field.

Summer is here, and that means it’s time to enjoy the bounty of fresh and delicious food that the season has to offer. Whether you are hosting a backyard barbecue, picnicking in the park, just looking for some easy and healthy weeknight dinners, I have you covered with some of the most popular food for summertime meals. They are just some of the most popular food for a summer time blog that you can try this season. They are all easy to make, delicious to eat, and perfect for sharing with your friends and family. Have a happy summer!

CUMCUMBER BOATS

Combine all ingredients desired in a bowl and chill.

4 cucumbers peeled if desired.

3 cans tuna drained

¾ cup chopped celery

¾ cup Dukes mayonnaise

½ teaspoon celery salt

1 tsp. onion salt

1 handful basil. Finely chopped

2 hard boiled eggs, chopped

3 Tbsp. whole grain mustard

Juice from one lemon.

Any other items such as small chopped apples, chopped grapes.

Cut the cucumbers lengthwise and scoop out the seeds

Fill each cucumber with desired mixture and serve chilled as a cold side dish.

Top with chopped parsley.

CLASSIC POTATO SALAD

No picture is needed for this because no summer picnic is complete without potato salad. This classic recipe is easy to make and is always a crowd pleasure. It has hard-boiled eggs, celery, onion, dill relish and mustard. It goes with any sandwich or grilled meat. You can make it ahead of time and keep it cold until ready to serve.

TOMATO PIE

A rich and savory pie that is best made with summer tomatoes at the height of ripeness.

INGREDIENTS:

For pie dough: 21/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

½ cup ice water

Filling: 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, about 10 ounces

1 cup Dukes mayonnaise

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

2 green onions, white and green parts, chopped

1tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

1 ½ pounds firm fresh tomatoes, sliced ½ inch thick

Corn meal as needed. About 1 tablespoon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make pie crust. Combine flour, salt and sugar in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about ten seconds.

2. Slowly add ice water, pulsing the mixture for no longer than 30 seconds, just until it begins to form a ball.

3. Divide the dough ball into 2 pieces and place each piece in a piece of saran wrap. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

4. Remove dough from refrigerator. Let the dough rest for several minutes at room temperature and then roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it fits a nine inch pie plate. Transfer pie crust to pie plate. This is easy to do if you roll the dough on a piece of parchment paper and then just flip the pan and peel the paper off.

5. Place the tomato slices on paper towels to remove most of the excess moisture.

6. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

7. In a medium bowl mix together the cheese, mayo, parsley, green onions, parmesan and bread crumbs.

8. Layer ½ of the tomato slices with the cornmeal in the pie pan. Cover with half of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers.

9. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the top of the pie is browned and bubbly. Serve warm.

Notes: Makes about two pies. You can try using pre-made pie crusts. Use very ripe tomatoes. Use pepper-jack cheese to spice it up a little bit. Add a bit of tarragon or Italian seasoning. Recipe adapted from the Tupelo Honey Café Cookbook

If there is any better time to use items that you picked last year, open up your freezer and find your stored frozen peaches. Peaches were not a good crop this year. Without a freezer and if you have a desire for a peach dessert, you have two choices! Canned or paying an arm and a leg for peaches in the store. I happen to have a freezer and had a good crop of peaches last year. This recipe is one reason to have a freezer pantry.

PEACHES AND CREAM CAKE.

I don’t remember where this recipe came from but it is the best way of having peaches and cream.

Serves about 12

INGREDIENTS

1 18 ¼ ounce box of yellow cake mix. It is best if you can find and use a box of cake mix that says it is a butter flavored yellow cake mix.

½ cup butter, melted

1 egg

4 cups chopped peaches( from your freezer)

(If you do not have four cups of peaches in your freezer,

Use 2 cans of 29 ounce cans of peaches.)

SAVE 3 tablespoons of juice from either source for the topping.

2 8 ounce packages of cream cheese

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine cake mix, melted butter, and egg in a medium bowl, by hand or with a mixer. This will form soft dough.

2. Press dough onto the bottom and halfway up he sides of a 9x13 inch pan.

3. Cover dough with the drained peaches.

4. Make the topping by mixing the cream cheese, sugar, and reserved juice with an electric mixer until creamy and spread over peaches.

Sprinkle with cinnamon

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Finish it off by serving with a dollop of whipped cream!