August 2011 - OutreachNC Magazine

12 OutreachNC • August 2011
Cooking Simple
Rhett Morris
Nothing says summertime
quite like a ripe and juicy
tomato. I can remember
as a child having them all day
long. At breakfast, we would
have grits, eggs, bacon and sliced
tomatoes. Then for lunch, it
was a tomato sandwich, and
dinnertime brought stewed
tomatoes with squash and
onions. I did not particularly
like tomatoes as a child, but if they were growing in
the garden, we were eating them. As I got older my
taste for them developed, and now I look forward to
them each year.
Tomatoes are really a simple food. You can eat
them raw, grilled, broiled, boiled, canned, sautéed
or fried. They also happen to be healthy and have
many nutritional qualities. They actually are better
for you than apples. They are low in calories and fat,
but are a rich source of dietary fiber, minerals and
vitamins. Tomatoes help control cholesterol, aide in
weight reduction, supply great antioxidants, contain
lycopene which helps protect your skin and are very
high in potassium and vitamins A and C.
There are over 1,000 varieties of tomatoes grown
by local farmers as well as home gardeners. Tomatoes
are one of the easiest and most common things you
can grow at home. All you need is a small bed or
flower pot, and a little attention. At the restaurant,
local growers provide us with a range of tomatoes
How ‘bout them tomatoes
including: Heirloom, Early Girl, Primo Red, Goliath, Trust,
Geronimo, Sun Sugar, Plum, Better Boy and my favorites,
German Johnson or Cherokee Purple. Another popular
Southern dish is fried green tomatoes. These are simply
any variety of tomato picked before they turn red, then
sliced, battered and fried.
This month we will highlight a very simple, but
delicious Southern recipe. It is my version
of the perfect tomato sandwich.
Rhett’s
Tomato
Sandwich
2 pieces of your
favorite white bread
(very lightly toasted)
2 slices vine ripened
tomatoes, peeled
Salt and Pepper to taste
Dukes Mayonnaise
Lay tomato slices on a paper towel,
lightly salt and pepper, and let rest. Lightly toast bread
and spread mayonnaise on both slices. Place sliced
tomatoes in the middle and enjoy! Or for an upscale
taste, add fresh mozzarella cheese and basil.
Do you have your own version of the perfect tomato
sandwich? Share your special recipe by e-mailing
rhett@rhettsinc.com.
Morris, owner of Rhett’s Restaurant, Personal
Chef & Catering in Southern
Pines, can be reached
at (910) 695-3663.
Fresh grown
tomatoes
provided by
David’s Produce
in Ellerbe and
Millstone Farm in
Cameron.
www.OutreachNC.com