Orange Jello Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 (32 oz) large container cottage cheese
• 1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 (15 oz) can mandarin orange segments, drained and cut in half
• 2 small boxes orange flavored jello
• 1 small jar maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
• 1 large container cool whip

Directions:

1. Combine cottage cheese, pineapple, oranges, jello, and cherries together in a large bowl.
2. Fold in cool whip until completely combined. Cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. Best served the day it’s made.

Source:  laurassweetspot.com

Old-fashioned Tomato Pie

Old-fashioned Tomato Pie is summer perfection thanks to garden fresh tomatoes and herbs. When you serve Old-fashioned Tomato Pie, this plate of goodness is always a home run.

Ingredients:

Pie Crust:
 

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into pieces

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

3 to 4 Tbsp. ice-cold water 

 

Filling:

 

2 1/4 pounds assorted heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 sweet onion, chopped 

1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground pepper, divided

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 cup assorted chopped fresh herbs (such as chives, parsley, and basil)

1/2 cup freshly grated Gruyère cheese

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1/4 cup mayonnaise 

 
Directions:

1. Prepare Pie crust: Process first 4 ingredients in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. With processor running, gradually add 3 Tbsp. ice-cold water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, and process until dough forms a ball and leaves sides of bowl, adding up to 1 Tbsp. more water, if necessary. Shape dough into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill 30 minutes.
2. Unwrap dough, and place on a lightly floured surface; sprinkle lightly with flour. Roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness.
3. Preheat oven to 425°. Press dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim dough 1 inch larger than diameter of pie plate; fold overhanging dough under itself along rim of pie plate. Chill 30 minutes or until firm.
4. Line pie crust with aluminum foil; fill with pie weights or dried beans. (This will keep the crust from bubbling up.) Place on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.
5. Bake at 425° for 20 minutes. Remove weights and foil. Bake 5 minutes or until browned. Cool completely on baking sheet on a wire rack (about 30 minutes). Reduce oven temperature to 350°.
6. Prepare Filling: Place tomatoes in a single layer on paper towels; sprinkle with 1 tsp. salt. Let stand 10 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, sauté onion and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper in hot oil in a skillet over medium heat 3 minutes or until onion is tender.
8. Pat tomatoes dry with a paper towel. Layer tomatoes, onion, and herbs in prepared crust, seasoning each layer with pepper (1 tsp. total). Stir together cheeses and mayonnaise; spread over pie.
9. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until lightly browned, shielding edges with foil to prevent excessive browning. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Source:  southernliving.com

Savory Tomato Pie

Make the most of summertime tomatoes with this savory tomato pie featuring fresh tomatoes, basil, and a homemade sour cream crust.

Ingredients:

Sour Cream Pastry:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup sour cream 


Pie Filling:
 

4 medium tomatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices (about 1 1/2 lb.) 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

3 green onions, chopped 

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions:

Sour Cream Pastry:
 
Stir together first 3 ingredients in a bowl. Cut shortening into flour mixture with a pastry blender until mixture resembles small peas. Add sour cream; stir with a fork until combined. Gently gather dough into a flat disk; wrap in plastic wrap, and chill 1 to 24 hours.

Pie Filling:

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Prepare Sour Cream Pastry.
2. Meanwhile, place tomatoes in a single layer on paper towels; sprinkle with salt. Let stand 30 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels. Stir together next 3 ingredients and 3/4 cup of cheese.
3. Roll Sour Cream Pastry into a 13-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate; fold edges under, and crimp.
4. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly brown. Remove from oven, and sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup cheese over bottom of crust. Arrange tomato slices over cheese in crust; spread mayonnaise mixture over tomatoes.
5. Bake at 350º for 34 to 37 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Source: southernliving.com

Corn Pudding

• Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 3 servings

Ingredients:

• 8 ears of corn, husked
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Salt
• Cayenne pepper
• Half a lime

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place a box grater on a medium cast-iron pan, and finely grate each ear of corn directly into the pan. Discard the cobs.
3. Spread the milky corn evenly across the pan, and bake until the edges and top are golden brown and the corn milk has thickened, 20 to 30 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, and transfer corn and any liquid to a bowl. Add butter, and season to taste with salt, cayenne pepper, and a squeeze of lime juice. Mix well.

Source: cooking.nytimes.com

All-Purpose Biscuits

Biscuits are what take us into the kitchen today to cook: fat, flaky mounds of quick bread, golden brown, with a significant crumb. Composed of flour, baking powder, fat and a liquid, then baked in a hot oven, they are an excellent sop for sorghum syrup, molasses or honey. They are marvelous layered with country ham or smothered in white sausage gravy, with eggs, with grits. Biscuits are easy to make.

• Time:15 minutes
• Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 scant tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, preferably European style
• 1 cup whole milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425. Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Transfer to a food processor. Cut butter into pats and add to flour, then pulse 5 or 6 times until the mixture resembles rough crumbs. (Alternatively, cut butter into flour in the mixing bowl using a fork or a pastry cutter.) Return dough to bowl, add milk and stir with a fork until it forms a rough ball.
2. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and pat it down into a rough rectangle, about an inch thick. Fold it over and gently pat it down again. Repeat. Cover the dough loosely with a kitchen towel and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
3. Gently pat out the dough some more, so that the rectangle is roughly 10 inches by 6 inches. Cut dough into biscuits using a floured glass or biscuit cutter. Do not twist cutter when cutting; this crimps the edges of the biscuit and impedes its rise.
4. Place biscuits on a cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

Source:  cooking.nytimes.com

Corn Salad With Tomatoes, Feta And Mint

Fresh raw corn shucked from the cob is ideal here. The juice from the tomatoes delivers just the right amount of acidity, so there’s no need for vinegar. Eat this by the bowl as is or toss it with cooked rice or beans for a more filling salad (add oil and vinegar accordingly). In midsummer, with a couple of thick tomato slices, there is nothing better.

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 cups raw or cooked corn kernels (from 4 to 6 ears)
• 1 large or 2 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into fairly small pieces
• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Put the corn, tomatoes, and cheese in a medium salad bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss.
2. Add the mint leaves and toss again. Taste and add salt and pepper. Serve.

Source: cooking.nytimes.com

Tomato, Cheddar, And Bacon Pie

We raised the ante on classic tomato pie with a sour cream crust studded with bacon, layers of colorful tomatoes, and plenty of cheese and herbs to tie it all together. For best results, seed the tomatoes and drain the slices before baking.

Ingredients:

Crust:
 

2 1/4 cups self-rising soft-wheat flour (such as White Lily)

1 cup cold butter, cut up 

8 cooked bacon slices, chopped 

3/4 cup sour cream 

 

Filling:

 

2 3/4 pounds assorted large tomatoes, divided 

2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 1/2 cups (6 oz.) freshly shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese 

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

1 large egg, lightly beaten 

2 tablespoons fresh dill sprigs

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 green onion, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons sugar 

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons plain yellow cornmeal

 

Directions:

1. Prepare Crust: Place flour in bowl of a heavy-duty electric stand mixer; cut in cold butter with a pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles small peas. Chill 10 minutes.
2. Add bacon to flour mixture; beat at low speed just until combined. Gradually add sour cream, 1/4 cup at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
3. Spoon mixture onto a heavily floured surface; sprinkle lightly with flour, and knead 3 or 4 times, adding more flour as needed. Roll to a 13-inch round. Gently place dough in a 9-inch fluted tart pan with 2-inch sides and a removable bottom. Press dough into pan; trim off excess dough along edges. Chill 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare Filling: Cut 2 lb. tomatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and remove seeds. Place tomatoes in a single layer on paper towels; sprinkle with 1 tsp. salt. Let stand 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 425°. Stir together Cheddar cheese, next 10 ingredients, and remaining 1 tsp. salt in a large bowl until combined.
6. Pat tomato slices dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle cornmeal over bottom of crust. Lightly spread 1/2 cup cheese mixture onto crust; layer with half of tomato slices in slightly overlapping rows. Spread with 1/2 cup cheese mixture. Repeat layers, using remaining tomato slices and cheese mixture. Cut remaining 3/4 lb. tomatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and arrange on top of pie.
7. Bake at 425° for 40 to 45 minutes, shielding edges with foil during last 20 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Let stand 1 to 2 hours before serving.

Source: Southernliving.com