Lee Brothers’ Pimento Cheese

My friend served delicious pimento cheese sandwiches recently- reminding me how much I enjoy them. 🙂 Eating them also reminded me that I wanted to try this version from Charleston, South Carolina.

The recipe is from The New York Times, contributed by the Lee Brothers. I used Cabot 3-year sharp cheddar cheese. I served it on the Fourth of July as a dip with crackers and pita chips. Alternatively, it could be used to fill about 4 sandwiches. Easy and fabulous.

Yield: about 1 1/2 cups

• 8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated with a food processor or hand grater (not pre-grated)
• 1/4 cup softened cream cheese (2 ounces), pulled into several pieces
• scant 1/2 cup jarred pimento or other roasted red peppers (from a 7-ounce jar), finely diced
• 3 tablespoons Duke’s, Hellmann’s or other high-quality store-bought mayonnaise (I used Trader Joe’s)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried red chile flakes
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. In a large mixing bowl, place the cheddar cheese in an even layer.
2. Scatter the cream cheese, pimentos, mayonnaise and chile flakes over the cheddar cheese.
3. Using a spatula, mix the pimento cheese until it is smooth and spreadable, about 1 1/2 minutes.
4. Transfer the pimento cheese to a plastic container or bowl, cover tightly, and store in the refrigerator.
5. Serve as a sandwich spread or as a dip.

Note: Pimento cheese keeps in the refrigerator for 1 week.

Rigatoni with Eggplant Caponata

We ate most of this tangy relish over pasta and plan to eat the leftovers as a crostini topping (with basil) or as a sandwich spread (with mozzarella) – YUM! Pasta water can be added to the caponata to make a thinner sauce for pasta, but I prefer a chunky and thick sauce. This recipe was adapted from Everyday Food.

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 large sweet onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
• 6 oz tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar, plus more if needed, to taste
• 2 large eggplants (2 1/4 pounds total), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2/3 cup red-wine vinegar
• Coarse salt
• 1 pound rigatoni
• freshly grated Parmesan, for serving, if desired
• fresh basil, for garnish, if desired

1. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion, raisins, pine nuts, garlic, and red-pepper flakes; cook stirring occasionally, until onion has softened, 4 to 6 minutes.
2. Add tomato paste, cocoa powder, and sugar; cook, stirring, until tomato paste is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggplant, vinegar, and 2/3 cup water.
3. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is tender and mixture is thick, 7 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and more sugar (up to 2 tablespoons), as desired.
4. Cook the rigatoni according to the package directions in salted, boiling water. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
5. Combine cooked pasta with approximately 3 cups of the sauce, or as desired. Gradually add reserved pasta water until desired consistency is achieved.
6. Serve garnished with freshly grated Parmesan and fresh basil, if desired.

One Year Ago:

• Grilled Eggplant Parmesan
• Lighter Three-Cheese Mac