The Tomato Sandwich…. A True Southern Tradition

The Tomato Sandwich….

 

Yes I am a southerner. Born and raised in Virginia growing up in Richmond, the Chesapeake Bay as well as Lawrenceville VA, I grew up with certain Virginia table fare traditions. Lets see, at my grandparents’ house in South Side every dinner table had a side of salted smoked and cured ham sitting on a plate. Alongside the ham was a bowl of fresh cut cucumbers, sliced tomatoes and onions all from the garden. The vegetables were douched in apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper. The vinegar veggies and ham were a side at every dinner, regardless of what the main course was. Main course in the south for us meant fresh shot Doves from the corn field, venison, or the infamous Brunswick stew. (I never took to Brunswick stew, everyone else in my family loved it.)

 

For desert, was usually fresh churned vanilla (always vanilla) ice cream topped with fresh black berries we had picked earlier in the day. After desert, my brother and I would go out and catch lighting bugs, put them in a jar and place bed side for our night light.

This may sound like a sepia tone moment, but the rustic throwback image would not be complete without the king of southern traditions, the tomato sandwich.

I grew up with fresh grown super big beefsteak tomatoes and they are the BEST for making tomato sandwiches. Some folks I hear spur up the standard tomato sandwich with bacon, lettuce, and other delights that are wonderful. However the authentic beginning of all sandwiches in the south start with the tomato.

Yes, this is a simple recipe. The complication is only fresh ripened summer tomatoes will work. The biggest beefsteak you can grow or purchase in late June or July is what you need. It takes one whole beefsteak to make a tomato sandwich. It’s a biggie, but nothing else will do. It is just delicious.

I look forward each year to tomato season and the time has come. Here is the incredibly simple recipe.

 ·         Use whole wheat bread rather thin sliced. Homemade is best, if not than just get a hearty whole wheat brand from the store.

·         Real mayo! Homemade or get the good stuff from the store. Spread liberally on the bread. ( Do NOT toast the bread)

·         Cut you tomato and salt and pepper each slice, and also pepper the sliced bread.

·         Load up the tomatoes on the bread, slice and serve.

Well, it can’t get any easier than that. The fact is that the simple tomato sandwich has a flavor profile all its own. Once you add bacon, etc., it takes on another form, a delicious form, but it does go in another delicious direction.

 

Chow!

Jim Baugh

JBOTV

Author of Hooked & AFTERMATH

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tag Pic Pac (from Carrabba's)

Tag Pic Pac Italian Home-style

Picchi Pacchiu Sauce with your favorite pasta is about as good as it gets. A dish made popular here in America by Carrabba’s Italian Restaurant and Grill is based on an authentic Italian recipe. I use to go quite often and get this dish and could not believe how good it was. I always ordered Tag Pic Pac (short for Tagliarini with Picchi Pacchiu Sauce) with grilled chicken.

On evening I had the opportunity to talk with the owner who was a super nice fellow, he even let me purchase one of his imported dishes that was on display hanging in the restaurant. It was a super cool large serving dish that had a octopus on it. I just had to have that thing, and to my surprise he did sell it to me! Funny thing the lady I was dating at the time was with me and she insisted she pay for half of the plate. I let her, however made the stipulation that should we stop dating, I keep the dish. Well in the end, the dish I kept was the one on the wall, the other dish I never saw again. 

This is the plate I bought off the wall in Carrabba's Restaurant. We still use it
to serve on special occasions.

That night while chatting with the owner I ask him about the main secret in making Tag Pic Pac, because mostly I could not figure out how to do the sauce. He said,

“Jim, you will not believe it is as simple as it is. You first hand crush fresh tomatoes; add fresh sliced garlic, basil, oregano, dash of salt and pepper. Then put in a pan with EVVO and cook for only about a minute, then serve.”

Well, that sounded a little too easy for me. So anyway I decided I would give it a try and sure enough it really is that simple and truly delicious. The fresh herbs are a must and for us the more basil the better.

Here is how we prepared this simple and delicious meal.

·         In a bowl slice then hand crush fresh tomatoes and add basil, oregano, Italian parsley, salt and pepper and set aside.

·         Precook your pasta, drain, and set aside

·         Precook you chicken stripes either grilled outside or seared in cast iron. Season with garlic, pepper and salt. Then set chicken aside and keep warm.

·         Lastly, add the bowl of tomatoes to a hot pan with EVVO and stir only for a minute. Take off heat.

 

NOTE: We had the best results by not precooking the garlic. We simply add them when we add the tomatoes. Also we added a little fresh Motz and grated Romano Cheese on top.

 

To serve place pasta on a plate, then add chicken and top off with the fresh Picchi Pacchiu, and add your favorite garnish, basil of course.

You can substitute the chicken with veal, pork or seafood if you like. It is all great!

Chow,

Jim Baugh
JBOTV
Author of Hooked and AFTERATH
Husband to "Ms11"

(Check out my Calamari recipe below-fantastic!) CLICK HERE

 

 

A recipe for laughter on Dad's Day!

Crawfish Boil-Sometimes it's really nice to be a guest for dinner!

 

Well folks, this post is a bit different. My wife Donna and I were invited for a dinner party that will forever go down in history as one of our all-time favorites. This is just going to be hard to beat. Living in Virginia Crawfish are a real treat because they have to be shipped from New Orleans. We on the Chesapeake Bay have our own version of this boil, basically steamed crabs which are delicious as well.

The chef fixing up this boil seemed to do everything exactly as it should be. Pre boil the potatoes and sausage with boil seasoning, etc. (Also several sticks of butter are in the boil mix.) I loved the fact there were also a variety of mushrooms boiled up as well)

Our friends that put on this dinner really put on quite an impressive spread. To my surprise after somewhere between 30 -50 pounds of Crawfish boiled, then out came….. THE SHRIMP BOIL! I could not believe it. We were stuffed!!

I cook so much for the show, at home, that it is not all that often that we are able to go out as guest for dinner. This was a SUPER treat!! Donna and I just loved it and can’t thank our friends enough for inviting us. Here are a few pics of what is one of my favorite all time dinners-out.

Thanks again!

 

 

Shrimp tocos with corn tortillas and Jim’s feliz salsa

Well, I got lucky on this one. No doubt one of the best things I have ever made! An inexpensive easy dish to make that will make any dinner party a REAL FUN FEAST. Summer is the perfect time for this amazing delicious and healthy dish. You can also substitute the Shrimp with spicy grilled chicken or flank steak. A variety of seafood including Tuna, Red fish, and Flounder or even Scallops would work perfect as well. For the most part, folks can easily find good shrimp so that is what we did here today. Here is what you will need.

 



"What, no lime?"

Food processor

Tortilla press and cast iron skillet well seasoned.

Maseca corn flour

Large peeled and de veined shrimp

Fresh Queso Fresco Cheese

Fresh table cream (Mexican soft sour cream)

1\2 tablespoon of cumin

1\2 tablespoon of garlic powder

10 crushed garlic cloves

Two scallions

1 diced shallot

1\2 teaspoon of pepper

1\2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 seeded jalapeno (fresh)

1 teaspoon of course ground sea salt

1\2 tablespoon of chili powder

4 limes

1 bunch of cilantro

1 bunch of Italian parsley

Fresh lettuce

4 ripe tomatoes

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Four avocado’s



Feliz Salsa

First up, make  my Feliz salsa or “Happy” salsa. In the food processor add the cumin, garlic powder and cloves, spring onion, shallots, pepper (black and cayenne), jalapeno, one cup cilantro and Italian parsley, vinegar, salt, juice of two limes, and chili powder then blend. Once blended well it will look like a green pasty mush I call “delicioso”, and that is what you want.

Next in a LARGE bowl place two diced tomatoes, four avocados diced, coarsely chopped cilantro (1\2 cup) then add your “delicioso” into the bowl and stir all ingredients. Next, cover tightly with saran wrap and put in the refrigerator. You have now made my Feliz Salsa! (and it is to die for, put it on a brick and it would taste good)

Next, peel and devein your shrimp and either grill or sear in cast iron skillet. Season with just a little garlic and chili powder to your liking. Set shrimp aside on warm.

Shrimp

 Make FRESH tortillas, don’t skip this step! Use your favorite corn flour (I use Maseca, I have found a lot of Mexican restaurants use this, at least the ones I frequent and it is simple and very good) Once tortillas are made sear them off in the skillet and place in a tortilla warming tray.

Press then immediately place in hot cast iron.

 

SIMPLE! Just add water and pinch of sea salt.

 "Es Facil!"

 

To serve!

 

Simply place three to four shrimp in a tortilla, then add as much feliz salsa as you like, then garnish with a little fresh lettuce, some Queso Fresco cheese, then topped with a few diced tomatoes and table cream. Slice two limes and serve on the side.(table cream is a soft Mexican sour cream you can find at most Mexican grocers)

TIP: Put Crema in squirt container then garnish

 

Actual Cheese Purchase

Defiantly try this recipe, in my 45 years of cooking, it is at the very top of the list. This dinner was made for my wife Donna “Ms 11” birthday. I served it with a side of her favorite, Eastern Shore Steamed Clams.

 

My wife, "Ms.11" Happy birthday dahlin

 

 "Yo quiero uno de esos womaen beatutiful"



Many thanks to my favorite Mexican grocer in Cheriton Virginia on the Eastern Shore. Ever in the area, check out their taco truck for lunch, Best homemade $2 taco you will ever have!

 

 

 

Godspeed,

Jim Baugh,

JBOTV
Author of Hooked and "AFTERMATH"

PYO Benefit Concert Jim Baugh Piano