Our summer days have turned long and lazy... Each day the relentless sun beats down, hour upon hour, searing everything in its path. The air hums with the droning sounds of crickets, of frogs, of cicadas. A low growl of thunder rumbles in the distance. The heat is oppressive, the air is heavy and still...Now we long for a cooling breeze, and we welcome a stray thunderstorm like a long-lost friend, grateful for the small measure of relief it gives. For a short while.
Days such as these are not spent in the kitchen. Nor are they spent by an open fire. We long for foods that cool our senses, foods that temper the heat of summer. Idly I drift to and fro in my weathered porch rocker, a glass of sweet tea in my hand, and dream of such soul-quenching sustenance...
I find myself daydreaming about pimento cheese...Seriously. Not that tasteless, plastic-looking Donald Trump Orange crap that they sell in the grocery store-- REAL pimento cheese. Home-made pimento cheese. Pimento cheese made the old-fashioned way--with sharp cheddar cheese, real pimentos, and Duke's Mayonnaise. ( not Kraft, not Hellman's, not Miracle Whip--It HAS to be Duke's. It says so in the Bible. AND the Constitution.)
Folks, I'm talking a Southern Pimento Cheese Sandwich...Pimento cheese slathered lovingly between two slices of fresh White Wheat bread. Pimento cheese, gently blanketed by a juicy slice of vine-ripened garden tomato, lightly salted and peppered. Heaven on a plate! And the perfect sandwich on a hot summer day...
Grainne's Truly Southern Easy Cheesy Pimento Cheese Spread Recipe
3 cups freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 (4 oz.) jar of diced pimentos, drained
1/2 cup Duke's Mayo (more may be added if a creamier texture is desired)
salt and pepper to taste
Grate cheddar cheese into large bowl; add drained pimentos, salt and pepper, and stir; add Duke's mayo and stir well.
Spread between two slices of fresh white bread (home-made or store-bought), along with a hefty slice of red, ripe tomato, salt and pepper. Savor the Southern Flavor.
--------------------------------------------------------------
*Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate. Will keep in refrigerator for up to two weeks.
**P.S. Note to Paula Deen--I saw your recipe--Real Southern Women use Real Cheddar Cheese and Real Duke's Mayo--NOT Philadelphia Cream Cheese! Pah!
