JAMIE’S KITCHEN

We have a guest chef for this issue. Instead of Jamie Roubinek, Christi Webb Mahon is providing her recipes.

Tomato Suprises

Tomato Season is upon us, lovely red juicy tomatoes are coming in and they are delicious. My dear friend Shirley introduced me to Tomato Surprises a few years ago. They’re easy, great for snacking and taste so fresh.

INGREDIENTS: • 11 loaf of French baguette, cut into ½ inch slices • 1 container of spreadable Philadelphia cream cheese • Chive flavored • Tomatoes, sliced into little slices or chunks • Seeds removed • Garlic Salt

DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange slices of baguette on a cookie sheet and toast for six minutes, turning over half-way through. The idea is to get them a little toasty, but not hard or browned. 2. Let cool, spread cream cheese, not too thin, on one side of each piece of bread. 3. Place a few tomato pieces on the cream cheese, sprinkle with garlic salt and enjoy! So simple and so good.

Miditerranean Feta Salsa

In the 90’s I shopped at Whole Foods on Coit Road in Dallas. They made several delicious dips at that store, my favorite was Neal’s Mediterranean Feta Salsa. When they stopped carrying it, I was determined to duplicate it. If you like Feta Cheese or Kalamata Olives, I think you’ll love it. Several friends describe it as a Greek Salad on bread.

INGREDIENTS: • 1- 6 to 8 oz. container crumbled plain feta cheese • ¼ to 1/3 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil • 2 to 3 green onions, chopped include green • 1/3 cup Kalamata Olives, chopped • 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh Italian Parsley, chopped • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice • 1 small clove fresh, garlic finely chopped • Optional: ¼ to 1/3 cup chopped tomato, seeds removed

DIRECTIONS: 1. Pour feta cheese in a mixing bowl and break up the big chunks with a fork. 2. Pour the olive oil over feta and stir. Let sit to absorb the oil while chopping the other ingredients. You may like to add a little more olive oil if the spread is too dry. 3. Add all the other ingredients and stir, but don’t overwork it. 4. Spread on fresh sliced baguette and enjoy. It works well on a charcuterie board.

Everyday Salsa

My brother grows the most beautiful organic tomatoes. A few years ago he said he was bringing me a few containers full. He brought me 10 gallons of tomatoes. I made several batches of salsa and any recipe I found with fresh tomatoes. I call this recipe Everyday Salsa because it’s good on many things; try topping your favorite baked fish with it. Adjust to your palate and let us know what you think.

INGREDIENTS: • 12 to 2 ½ cups coarsely chopped ripe tomatoes • ¾ cup chopped onion • ½ fresh lime juice • 1/3 cup coarsely chopped cilantro, stems removed • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder • ¼ teaspoon sugar • 1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno, fresh or canned, to taste • ½ teaspoon tamari or soy sauce, or you can salt it instead • ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground cumin • 1 small can chopped green chilies, optional

DIRECTIONS: 1. Combine all ingredients and gently stir. Refrigerate 30 minutes to give flavors time to mix. Enjoy with your favorite tortilla chips.

CHRISTI WEBB MAHON Christi Webb Mahon began helping in the kitchen at an early age. She learned to cook by watching her mom and grandmothers. Their dishes were not fancy but, were always tasty and made with love. Grandmother Pebble told Christi she loved watching people enjoy their food, and Christi says she feels the same. Christi may be reached at christi. easyrecipes@yahoo.com.

I’m JAMIE ROUBINEK and I’m the girl behind this little corner of kitchen inspiration. I find great pleasure in always learning something new. I was never confident in the kitchen but I love learning new things and trying them out. Doing that experimenting has led to a lot of happiness around the kitchen table at my house. Fortunately, the key to my husband of 13 year’s heart is through his stomach and he is easy to please. With our five kids, on the other hand, that hasn’t always been the case. I love fine-tuning recipes and making adjustments to make everyone smile. I hope that I can help you see how easy it can be to bring that same happiness to your kitchen table! Submissions and suggestions from readers are welcome. Send to jroubinek@yahoo.com.