Deep South Dining

Elizabeth Heiskell rejoins Deep South Dining to talk about her latest cookbook, Come On Over!: Southern Delicious for Every Day & Every Occasion. Always ready to chat it up with her good friends Malcolm and Carol, this conversation is a celebration of all the things Elizabeth has done to stay at the top of the culinary ladder from her home in Oxford. Retelling how she and Carol first started together and what it took to put together book number four, Elizabeth also gifted us her delicious tomato pie recipe from the book before running to a book signing in Alabama. Later in the show Malcolm and Carol share what has been happening in their kitchens and the news that barbecue entrepreneur, Eddie Wright is the recipient of a Kingsford’s Preserve the Pit grant.

Show Links:

Virtual Discussion with Lemuria Books - Hosted by Malcolm White and Carol Puckett

Preserve The Pit - Eddie Wright

SERVES 6

I can’t talk tomato pie without telling you the mother of all tomato stories. When my husband, Luke, and I started our vegetable farm, we had a very clear plan: He would grow the vegetables and I would sell them. So Luke planted 10,000 tomato plants, and a few months later I got in our used prison van and headed to Memphis to sell those tomatoes. When I wasn’t out trying to sell the tomatoes, I was cooking up everything I could think of with tomatoes. When I wasn’t dreaming up tomato recipes, I was canning tomatoes. When I wasn’t canning tomatoes, I was drinking vodka . . . straight! (If you have never been faced with 4,000 pounds of tomatoes and no place to take them, then you don’t know real terror.) I was on my porch with a glass of vodka in my hand when Luke walked by and said, “Some people like to add ice and Bloody Mary mix to their vodka, Elizabeth.” And that, good people, is how my company Debutante Farmer Bloody Mary Mix was born.

In addition to Bloody Mary mix, during tomato season I make this pie almost daily. It comes together in a snap and is perfectly portable, and your guests and friends will always leave asking for the recipe.

• 4 heirloom tomatoes, sliced (or any good ripe tomatoes will work; about 4 pounds)
• Salt and pepper
• 10 basil leaves, cut in chiffonade (see Chef Tip, page 79)
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (1/2 cup)
• 1 (9-inch) pie crust, fully baked

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Place the tomatoes in a colander in the sink and generously salt them. Let them drain for 15 minutes. Remove from the colander and pat dry with paper towels.

3. In a medium bowl, mix the mayonnaise, mozzarella, and parmesan.

4. Layer half the tomatoes and all the basil and goat cheese in the pie crust. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and then finish layering with the rest of the tomatoes. Top with the mayonnaise mixture and spread it evenly, completely covering the tomatoes.

5. Bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.