Southern Tomato & Cracker Salad

 

Tomato & Cracker Salad is a simple southern dish that is a must for summer if you love fresh tomatoes. I know it sounds strange, but if you like tomato sandwiches, you’ll like this. Ripe summer tomatoes are combined with mayonnaise and broken saltine crackers. This is a recipe that’s been made throughout the south for many years. There are slight variations on the recipe. The basic recipe includes chopped ripe summer tomatoes with seeds & pulp removed, mayonnaise, salt and pepper, and broken crackers. I like it best while the crackers are still crunchy, so serve it immediately. After about an hour, the crackers soften to the consistency of mashed potatoes. Some people like me add minced fresh basil, chopped green onions, and garlic. Another group add a chopped egg. With the egg addition, it gives you protein for your lunch. If you haven’t tried Tomato & Cracker Salad, remember it when you have loads of fresh tomatoes and want to eat them fast. 

 

Southern Tomato & Crackers Salad

Use organic when available. Serves 6

Ingredients

• 4 ripe fresh medium tomatoes of choice – heritage, Campari, cherry
• 1 sleeve saltine crackers broken into bite-sized pieces
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 oz chopped fresh basil
• 1 green onion sliced
• pinch of garlic powder
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• optional chopped hard-boiled egg

Instructions

• Seed and chop tomatoes
• Place tomatoes on a paper towel for 5 or 10 minutes
• Combine mayonnaise, salt, pepper, garlic, and basil in large bowl
• Whisk to blend
• Fold in tomatoes
• Fold in broken crackers
• Optional add chopped hard-boiled egg
• Serve immediately    

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Fresh Succotash

 

Succotash originated from Narragansett Native Americans living in the area now known as Rhode Island. The name is derived from a Narragansett word meaning “broken or boiled corn kernels.” Native Americans introduced succotash to struggling colonists in the 1600s.

  

In a few weeks, it will be 4th of July. Today is the perfect time to introduce a historic fresh vegetable side dish originally shared by Native Americans in the 1600s. Succotash is a highly underrated dish made with fresh sweet corn kernels, squash, onion, tomatoes, and lima or other beans. I remember enjoying it as a child with summer meals. Many Americans consider it a southern dish, but there are variations of the dish across the country. Now in modern times you can personalize the seasoning blend to be Greek, Latin, or Cajun. For example, you could use a green bell pepper or a red one. Today I am adding green beans, red bell pepper, cumin, and a jalapeño pepper. You can add whatever beans you have. Nearly every version has lima beans included but sometimes with the addition of other beans. I recommend using fresh vegetables in the summer if available, except for the lima beans. You may use frozen lima beans defrosted.

Fresh Succotash

Use organic when available. Serves 6

Ingredients

• 6 ears of corn kernels cut off the cob (abt 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 onion diced
• 1/2 red bell pepper diced
• 1 Jalapeño pepper seeded and sliced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup diced fresh tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 zucchini cubed
• 1/4 cup fresh green beans cut to 1/2" pieces
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup baby lima beans (can use frozen and thawed)

Instructions

• Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat
• Add onion and cook stirring often for about 6 minutes until onion is soft and slightly golden
• Add red pepper, jalapeño, and garlic; stir and cook for 3 or 4 minutes until red pepper is softened
• Stir tomatoes, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne pepper into onion mixture
• Cook and stir for 1 to 3 minutes until heated
• Add zucchini, green beans, water, and a pinch of salt
• Cook until zucchini is tender about 5 minutes
• Add corn and lima beans to mix and heat about 3 to 5 minutes
• Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve  

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Tomato Tulips Spring Appetizers

 

 

 I love cute food art.  For the last few years, I’ve been trying some of my favorite pins of Food Art. One of the spring appetizers I love is Tulip Tomatoes. It is shown in a bouquet of tulip tomatoes on chive greenery.  It is so cute.  Below is the photo found all around the internet.

 

I like that tulip tomatoes are a healthy side dish perfect for any spring or summer occasion. Everyone says this food art can be created in less than 30 minutes. It took a little longer for me.  This post is a little different from most of my food posts.  Have you ever tried to replicate a pin and wondered what happened?

 

 

Above are more of the original photos on making tulip tomatoes.  They must have originally been on a blog or social media that no longer exists.  I’ve found over 12 blogs with the same photos and instructions on this food art.  My recommendation is to first decide if you just want a decoration for your table, or if you want appetizers to eat.  If you just want a decoration, go with the idea of a tied bouquet. If, like me, you want pretty finger food, I’ll try to give you easy ideas.

 

 

The tulip tomatoes are made with mostly fresh ingredients like cucumber, cream cheese, tomatoes, and green onions or chives.

 

 

 

 The original instructions say to make a cross on top of large cherry tomatoes, going 3/4 way deep. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon; a grapefruit spoon is suggested.  First, DO NOT GO 3/4 DEEP!   The little tomato becomes too flimsy and you will have cream cheese everywhere. I know as I did it.  I suggest 1/2 deep. Then you use a toothpick or skewer to make a hole where the stem was on the bottom. Push a green chive through the hole to make a stem.  

 

 The original recipe uses a filling of cream cheese, cucumber, and dried parsley.  It really sounds a little bland to me, and I added lemon juice too. It was still too bland.  I think the dried parsley would add more flavor if it is added to the cream cheese and put back in the refrigerator for a day.  The original recipe says to use a teaspoon full of cream cheese mix in each tomato.  I bought large cherry tomatoes, and they are still small for 1 teaspoon.  I saw another blogger piped the filling in which probably makes it easier to fill the tomato.  It is a messy procedure filling the top with a spoon and keeping the chive in the bottom hole. I had lots of leaks from both ends. Use a clean paper towel to clean the outside of each tomato.

 

 

I believe a better filling would perk up the taste of the  little appetizer.  I was tempted to just buy garlic and onion cream cheese when I went shopping for the ingredients.  I think that or the herb flavored cream cheese would be tasty and so easy to use.  I think that adding minced or processed cucumber makes the cream cheese too watery. Cucumbers are pretty much water in composition.

You could try your favorite dip as long as it is firm enough. Over on One Little Project, Debbie makes a whipped Feta/cream cheese filling. It sounds interesting.  Then I made my tomato flowers on a plate. Originally, the recipe said to tie the green stems with a chive like a bouquet.   If you want appetizers, don’t tie the bouquet and make a single layer of flowers. If you want a decoration, then tie the bouquet.

 

 

 

I know that trying to pick up the little flower tomato will make the eater’s hands messy.  I think serving them with toothpicks is a better idea. Below you’ll notice that the green stems do not go into the bottom of the tomato.  I tried both ways (above and below) and believe not all the guests would want to eat the green chive.  Placing the tomato on the top of the chive gives the same look, but the tomato can be lifted from the plate with a toothpick without chives.

 

 

 

I started thinking about serving them at the dinner table.  I like Roma tomatoes for a good size to make tulips.  I again cut a cross on the top and scooped out the seeds.  If the tomato does not have a flat bottom, cut the bottom to level it.  This time I used hummus as the filler; there are so many flavors I can try.  I served the tulip tomato on a saucer with romaine lettuce for leaves.  I think it’s a great first course or snack. I ate two of them with whole grain crackers for lunch. I cut the tomato into pieces with a knife and fork and ate it with my fork. It was yummy, and my hands were clean.

 

Whether you want small tomato tulips on an appetizer plate or larger Roma sized tulips, choose your filling of choice, make the tulips and arrange with chosen greenery.

Tomato Tulip Appetizers

Use organic when available. Makes 16 tomato tulips.

Ingredients

Cherry Tomato Tulips

• 16 large cherry tomatoes
• 16 stalks of chives
• 8 oz flavored cream cheese or favorite dip

Roma Tulip Appetizers

• 1 or 2 Roma tomatoes per person
• romaine leaves or other green vegetable for each Roma
• 8 ox flavored cream cheese or favorite dip

Instructions

Cherry Tomato Tulips

• With stem side down, cut a cross in the top of each cherry tomato (about 1/2 down the tomato).
• Using a spoon (grapefruit spoon works very well) to gently scrape out the tomato seeds.
• Option 1: Take a grilling skewer or toothpick and make a hole where the stem currently is. You may need to twist the skewer in a circle a few times to make room for the chive to fit through.
• Option 2: Do not make a hole in the bottom of tomato.
• Starting with 1/2 tsp of filling, fill tomato top. Adjust amount according to size of tomato.
• Option 1: Insert a chive into the hole at the bottom of each tomato.
• Use a damp paper towel to clean any excess filling from outside of tomatoes.
• Option 1: Make a bouquet of chive flowers and wrap last chive around the green chive stems and tie.
• Option 2: Place green chives on plate or platter like stems of flowers.
• Option 2: Place tomato flowers on top of green chives. Add tooth picks.
• Cover and refrigerate for several hours.
• Serve on plate or platter chilled.

Roma Tomato Tulips

• With stem side down, cut a cross in the top of each tomato (about 1/2 down the tomato).
• Using a spoon (grapefruit spoon works very well) to gently scrape out the tomato seeds.
• Starting with 1 tsp of filling, fill tomato top. Adjust amount according to size of tomato.
• Clean outside of tomatoes with damp paper towel.
• Shape romaine leaves to look like flower leaves and place on saucer.
• Add 1 or tulip flowers on green leaves.
• Add whole grain crackers to saucers.
• Cover and refrigerate for several hours.
• Serve as first course of dinner, snack, or lunch.  

I hope you enjoy the tulip spring appetizers.

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