Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Confessions of a lapsed southerner...

Forgive me Father for I have sinned.....

Okay, so the Presbyterian Grandmother would not approve of the confessional humor but she'd definitely understand the motivation.

My Grandmother often made a sandwich spread that includes cheddar cheese, pickle relish, and some mayonnaise and mustard. I just couldn't think what to call it - if it were tuna or chicken it would be a salad, right? But cheese salad just sounds weird. So Trish (she's one of the new faces) speaks up and says, "I grew up eating something like that. At home we call it pimento cheese". Well, duh! The Grand Dames are going to take away my hoop skirt privileges; I've clearly been away from home for too long.

Pimento cheese is a southern staple. It's tasty, relatively inexpensive, easy to prepare and very satisfying. And almost unheard of outside the southern United States (unless your a golf efficiando - the pimento cheese sandwiches are very popular at Augusta).

Granted, most pimento cheese these days comes in a plastic tub and has a tahitian sunset orange/pink color, but what I've got for you is the real deal. Pimento Cheese Salad Sandwich served in a hollowed ciabatta sub roll with tomatoes and lettuce. And to celebrate the cool breeze, Joe and I are making Creamy Tomato Basil Soup. We also have Gazpacho.

I've got tomorrow off and the plan is to come up with something special for the CSA veggies to share with you on Thursday. Someone asked why I pick-up from Kennilworth in Towson instead of the farmers market. The Kennilworth market is on Tuesdays - early in the week so the Cafe can use the produce at its freshist and I can give you a "heads up" on what will be coming to the Waverly Market on Saturday.

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