Monday, November 12, 2007

TOMATO RECIPES by Dot

Vicksburg Tomato sandwiches—perfect hor d’oeuvres for that summer wedding

Combine the following:
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese
1 package dry ranch-style buttermilk dressing mix
horseradish sauce to taste
dash of dill
Creole seasoning to taste

Spread on rounds of bread (flatten white bread with rolling pin; cut out with biscuit or doughnut cutter).
Lemon pepper
Basil
Sliced tomatoes.
Sandwich bread
Top dressed bread with tomato slice. Sprinkle with lemon pepper and basil.

TIP: To peel tomatoes, float in boiling water until the skin puckers. Plunge into cold water; remove blossom and stem ends. Slice.


CHUNKY SALSA
Combine the following:
1 4 oz. can drained, chopped ripe olives
1 4 oz. can chopped green chilies, drained
1 large tomato, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped

Mix these ingredients:
2/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 T. sugar
½ t, garlic powder
½ t. coarsely ground black pepper

Pour over other mixture. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Eat with tortilla chips.

CORN BREAD SALAD

Combine the following:
1 8-inch pan of corn bread, crumbled
1 large onion, chopped
1 large bell pepper
3 boiled eggs, chopped
2 large tomatoes, cut into large chunks

Add one cup of mayonnaise.
Why would a farmer with one heart attack on his track record need 1,000 tomato plants?

My father determined a few years ago to plant 999-plus-one tomato plants. The neighbors marveled at his plan; my mother groaned, anticipating a heavy canning season.

At first the plan worked well; but, by the end of the summer, we couldn’t give the tomatoes away, and my exhausted mother refused to fill another jar.

Maybe Daddy needed to plant 1,000 tomato plants. I couldn’t have stopped at 999, either.

Tomato juice runs in our veins. tam

Stuffed Tomatoes
One horizontally-sliced tomato per person
cottage cheese, mayonnaise, salt, black pepper, diced green or yellow pepper

Stir together all ingredients, except the tomato. Re-stack the tomato with the filling between slices. Enjoy!

Monday, November 5, 2007

PICKLE JAR

What do you do with empty dill pickle jars? I mean the big heavy ones. Do you throw them away? Do you save them for a special treat, like fall festival candy? Maybe you fill them with jelly beans for a Vacation Bible game. How do you get rid of the strong smell without introducing an even stronger smell?



Some people remind me of old pickle jars. They are empty of laughter...empty of ideas...empty of energy. And these people give off a smell that soon affects the quart of dills, the pint of gherkins--even the relish gets annoyed.



I would rather be a 12 ounce of zesty relish than a large, empty dill pickle jar dreading the inevitable day when I become a victim of a BB gun.