There are some recipes that I’ve made hundreds of times without ever writing them down. That’s partly because I’m too lazy to take notes when I’m cooking, and partly because I change things up a little every time until I get exactly the dish I want. It seems I enjoy experimenting with food. There’s a saying in my family not to like any new dish I make too much because you’ll never get it the same way again. Hmmm. The experiments aren’t always a success; shrimp in sangria comes to mind – it sounded good, well, at least interesting, but the word hideous didn’t quite do justice to the final result. Sometimes an experiment gone awry can be saved with a pinch of this or that, which in our house is frequently a hit of Sherry and some garlic. Unless of course it’s dessert, which in my opinion can never be really bad.
One recipe I make all the time without even thinking about it is Pimento Cheese. I served open-faced Pimento Cheese sandwiches topped with oven-dried tomatoes to some friends this week, and everyone wanted the recipe. I was sort of embarrassed to admit that I didn’t really have one so I just said I would blog it. Then I had to make Pimento Cheese again to get proportions right, instead of relying on eyeballing ingredients and multiple tastings.. Maybe it would be easier to take notes when I cook after all!
Once I heard Pimento Cheese referred to as The Pate of the South and was inordinately delighted by that. In fact, probably every Southern cook has a favorite recipe for Pimento Cheese, with their own little secret to make it special. What seems so straight- forward can have a ton of variations. Mine is a little different too, but it’s what we love. First it has chopped olives instead of just pimentos, olives are too delicious to be overlooked for their filling! Also I like to mix two cheeses, Cheddar and Monterey Pepper Jack and I would never make Pimento Cheese with pre-grated cheese. I have to grate it right before I make it. Then, should I even admit this, there is a drop or two of Sherry in the mix. I like pimento cheese straight out of the refrigerator on crackers, bread, or celery sticks. Here’s the recipe, including the tomatoes! Enjoy.
PS – It’s great on hamburgers too! Give it a shot.
Sallie’s Sort of Pimento Cheese
Ingredients
1½ cups freshly grated sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 ½ cups freshly grated Monterey Jack Pepper Cheese (You can sub regular for hot pepper for a milder taste)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced or put through a garlic press
1/4 cup chopped olives (or just pimentos if you’re being traditional)
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp Sherry
Directions
Mix everything together and taste for seasonings.
Oven-dried Tomatoes
4 Roma tomatoes, ends removed, each sliced into 4 even slices
2 cloves garlic, minced or put through a garlic press
1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp each, salt and pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with foil.
Lay tomato slices on foil and top each with a little garlic.
Drizzle with the vinegar and olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake in the oven until dried and browning, 3 to 4 hours. (Check in case the ones around the outside get done more quickly, so you can remove them before they get to brown.)
Cool and remove from baking sheet.
Use immediately or store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
