A Love Affair With Southern Cooking_ Recipes and Recollections - Jean Anderson [25]
3. Using a freshly sharpened knife, halve each tomato sandwich on the diagonal so that you have two fairly small triangles. Then, if you’re going for bite-size sandwiches, halve each triangle; I don’t recommend this unless the sandwiches are cold because the tomato filling will ooze out.
4. Arrange the tomato sandwiches on a colorful plate and serve with cocktails. Or set out on a tea or coffee buffet.
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TIME LINE: the people and events that shaped Southern Cuisine
1634
Twenty-eight-year-old Lord Baltimore founds the Maryland colony, bringing with him several hundred English men and women. En route, they pause in the Virginia colony long enough to provision themselves with hogs, cows, and poultry.
1672
King Charles II sends a group of wealthy British citizens to establish a colony in South Carolina. They call it Charles Towne.
1684–85
Captain John Thurber arrives in the port of Charles Towne from Madagascar, bringing with him a bag of rice. He gives it to Dr. Henry Woodward, who plants it and gets a good crop.
1691
Given permission to pay taxes with rice instead of money, South Carolina colonists plant vast fields of it and within a few decades, rice has become a major Lowcountry crop.
1698
Under Louis XIV, the French colonize Louisiana near the mouth of the Mississippi. Their presence helped to shape Louisiana cuisine.
1700
South Carolina rice planters harvest more rice than there are ships to export it. Still, 300 tons of Lowcountry rice is shipped to England and 30 more to the West Indies.
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Variation
Herbed Tomato Triangles: Prepare the tomato mixture as directed through Step 1, then mix in 1 tablespoon moderately finely chopped fresh basil or tarragon or 1 tablespoon finely snipped fresh dill or chives. Tip: Don’t make these herbed sandwiches ahead of time. The acid in the tomatoes will “brown” the fresh herbs.
ARTICHOKE SQUARES
MAKES ABOUT 5 DOZEN
I have no idea where this recipe originated, but I do know that it began surfacing in community cookbooks all over the South some thirty years ago and became a cocktail party staple faster than you can whistle Dixie. Artichoke squares are easy to make, they’re cheap, and they feed a crowd. But that’s not the only reason they caught the public fancy. Southerners have always been fond of artichokes—both the Jerusalem (see Jerusalem Artichoke Pickle Relish, Chapter 9) and the globe or French artichokes used here. Note: Oil-marinated artichokes (or hearts) are what you need because you’ll use some of the oil to cook the scallions, garlic, and herbs. This recipe needs no salt because of the saltiness of the artichokes and the cheese.
Three 4-ounce jars oil-marinated artichoke hearts, drained and 2 tablespoons oil reserved
4 large scallions, trimmed and finely chopped (include some green tops)
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
½ teaspoon crumbled dried leaf marjoram
¼ teaspoon crumbled dried leaf thyme
4 large eggs, beaten until frothy with ¼ teaspoon hot red pepper sauce
¼ cup unseasoned fine dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped parsley
2 cups coarsely shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)
1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spritz an 8 × 8 × 2-inch baking dish or nonreactive pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Chop the drained artichokes fine and place in a large mixing bowl. Heat the 2 tablespoons reserved artichoke oil in a small, heavy skillet over moderate heat for 1 minute; add the scallions and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until beginning to color. Add the garlic, marjoram, and thyme and cook, stirring often, for 3 to 4 minutes or until the scallions are limp and golden. Set off the heat and cool for 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, mix the beaten eggs, bread crumbs, and parsley into the chopped artichokes. Fold in the shredded cheese, then the cooled scallion mixture. Pour into the baking dish, spreading to the corners.
4. Slide