Buttermilk Biscuits with Pimento Cheese and Pickle Green Tomatoes
Flaky and fluffy salt and pepper biscuits are filled with pimento cheese and crisp pickled green tomato. These savory biscuit sandwiches are a perfect meal for breakfast, brunch or appetizer for your next party. Maybe even add some country ham or bacon to push things really over the top!
“delicious pickles without the canning headache”
I am lucky enough to have tattered cookbooks that belonged to my Grandmother and Great Aunts. These treasured pages are full of handwritten notes, penciled in recipes, and magazine or newspaper clippings. I enjoy flipping through them every now and again. Looking through one of these well-loved cookbooks, I couldn't tell you which one because it is missing the first 15 pages and most of the index, I came across a recipe for pickled green tomatoes. The recipe was circled and marked with "this one". So, of course, I had to try it. It called for 7 pounds of green tomatoes and 5 pounds of sugar and would take 3 days to prepare before the pickling even started. With all my good intentions, I settled on a scaled-down refrigerator pickle version of the recipe that takes less than 10 minutes to prepare. I also spiced it up a bit by adding coriander, red pepper flakes, and mustard seeds to the brine. After hanging out in the fridge for 3 days, you have delicious pickles without the canning headache.
Homemade biscuits are 100% worth the effort. They can be messy to make but once you do you will never buy the can again. The key for me is using your hands to blend the butter into the flour and then continue to mix with your hands when adding in the buttermilk. Being able to feel the dough help determine the need for more flour or more mixing. Biscuit dough should be delicate dough but also shouldn’t stick to a lightly floured counter or rolling pin. After you have your dough together, its all about the “rise”. For optimal lift, use a sharp cutter to cut out your biscuits. Even, wipe the cutter between cuts to keep a sharp edge. Also, placing the biscuit almost touching on your backing sheet and they will help each other rise and will have soft tall sides.
Buttermilk Biscuits with Pimento Cheese and Pickle Green Tomatoes
salt and pepper buttermilk biscuits
2 cup all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons chilled butter, cubed
1 cup butter milk, chilled
*flaked sea salt and freshly ground pepper for sprinkling
pickled green tomatoes
1 lb green tomatoes, sliced 1/4 of and inch thick
1 clove garlic, sliced
2 sprigs fresh dill
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Pimento Cheese
8 ounce block extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup Dukes mayonnaise
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon diced pimentos
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
* arugula for garnish
pickles:
In a quart jar, place dill sprig along the sides. Then, layer tightly tomato slices and garlic.
In a small sauce pan, mix together the remaining ingredients and heat on medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Then, pour the mixture over the the tomatoes slices until completely covered.
Place the jar in the refrigerator for 3 days to pickled. Then, they will keep for 2 weeks.
biscuits:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
In a large bowl, stir together the first five ingredients. Break up any lumps and then add the cubed butter. Using your hands work the butter into the flour mixture. Gently press the butter between your thumbs and forefingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Don't go overboard on this however, incorporating the butter too much can result in a crumbly biscuit. Then, gradually add the buttermilk while mixing. I like to continue to use my hands but feel free to use a spatula. Mix just until the dough begins to come together .
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Turn the dough on itself 5-6 times until until it fully comes together. Gently pat the dough into a round about one inch thick. Using a 3 inch round cutter, cut out biscuits. Bring the scraps together and cut out the remaining biscuits.
Place the biscuits almost touching on the prepared baking sheet.
Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. With about 5 minute left in the oven, remove the dough from the refrigerator and brush the tops with a little buttermilk. Then, sprinkle them generously with freshly ground pepper and course salt.
pimento cheese:
Add all ingredient to a mixing bowl and mix together with a rubber spatula until the mixture becomes spreadable. Check if the mixture needs more salt, then refrigerate until use.
Assembly:
Let the biscuit cool slightly then slice lengthwise. Spread the bottom half with pimento cheese then top with one or two pickled green tomatoes. Top with arugula and then with the remaining biscuit half. Serve immediately.
