West Virginias football program was probably due for a positive off-the-field development. Theyve come in doses lately.

A chaotic and confusing spring and summer finally came to a finish last Monday when the Mountaineers returned to the field with their first full-scale football practice since the pandemic split the team up and sent everyone in different directions on March 12. A day later, the highly anticipated locker room project was unveiled, and there can be no doubting the approval rating.

The Mountaineers upgraded from 5,625 square feet in the former locker room to 11,125 square feet in the new one, and the new features are impossibly impressive.

There hasnt been a whole lot for the players to be really excited about lately, and so much credit goes to the people that made it happen, head coach Neal Brown said.

The result is a spacious place and lavish lockers that feature wireless cell phone chargers, a lockable compartment with an internal charging port, a stainless steel shoe and glove display drawer, a stainless steel helmet shelf, a backlit individual upper nameplate that includes a picture of the player and a listing of his jersey number, position and hometown, a clothing rod for game day apparel, a hook for the uniform and additional storage in an upper cabinet and a lower drawer.

The area is highlighted by sharp visual features, including LED walls. The most prominent one is a 16-by-7 foot display, and there are four other 4-by-7 walls on the end cap of each locker pod. The walls are linked to a video server, and theyre able to showa variety offootage, sizes and effects. The locker rooms sound system includes 16 ceiling speakers and four woofers. Audio, video and lighting can work in concert to create dramatic presentations.

This is a big push by our administration to show that were all-in on building not only championship teams but a championship program, Brown said. Weve already got so much positive momentum in recruiting with the Big 12 deciding that we are going to move forward with playing football this fall and now the locker room reveal.

Six of the lockers are designated for former players to use when they return to campus, and when they do, theyll notice a completely different area. In addition to the aforementioned features, the constructionalso created a quiet room with anti-gravity chairs and sleep pods. The equipment room now has far more space to accommodate the various uniform combinations. The nutrition center was improved, and a recovery space how has light therapy beds, cryotherapy chambers and sensory deprivation tanks. The players will also be able to relax in a lounge with gaming stations and various arcade and table games.

The locker room theming was focused on enhancing the openness of the center meeting space, allowing coach Brown to address the entire team, or allow separate addressing of the offensive and defensive units, said locker room architect Mark Clear of S/L/A/M Collaborative explained. The dark exposed ceilings with suspended clouds and center Flying WV feature give the illusion of a much taller space than the existing structure allowed and enhanced focus of the room to open the center space with an infusion of technology.

The locker room size increase is significant in itself, but equally significant is the addition of a mud room and cold-plunge pool to the locker suite in order to reinforce and streamline the post-practice sequence. This ensures the players are following cold-plunge protocol for maximum recovery and keeps the locker room maintained and in pristine condition.

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WVU locker room and accessories show were all-in on building - 247Sports

As the 2019-20 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs continue, the Detroit Red Wings continue to sit on the sidelines from the outside looking in. The reality is that the organization has a plethora of cap room this offseason, and General Manager (GM) Steve Yzerman needs to do SOMETHING.

Look no further than homegrown Torey Krug, who has spent the entirety of his NHL career with the Boston Bruins who are squaring off with the Carolina Hurricanes. While Krug is looking for redemption after a 2018-19 Stanley Cup Championship loss to the St. Louis Blues, Yzerman should be putting in work.

The hope would be that in discussions with other members of the Red Wings front office, the idea of bringing Krug in or at least making a push to sign him is being brought up. Site Co-Expert Bob Heyrman and I have both tooted the concept of signing Torey Krug around over the past few months, and it should still be considered.

Krug has spent all nine years in the NHL in a Bruins sweater, and it has been rumored that this may be his last push for a Stanley Cup Championship organization as he may be suiting up elsewhere. Again, another reason for Yzerman to have an offer ready to go when the time comes.

The Bruins currently have 19 players under contract for the 2020-21 season with a projected cap space of just under $16.5 million.

This would most likely be a long term deal rather than a one to a two-year extension for Krug, but keep in mind he was previously on a four-year contract.

Krugs last deal with the Bruins was a four-year, $21 million contract where he carried an AAV of $5.25 million.

Over the previous four years, Krug has been a two-time all-star putting up 50 points every season, except this past one where he was at 49 (though the season was shortened due to COVID-19).

In his 61 games during the 2019-20 season, Krug put up nine goals and added 40 helpers for his 49 points, just missing that 50 point mark. The offensive upside of Krug is quite attractive for the Red Wings, who would benefit greatly from someone like Krug stepping into the organization.

Krug may not be the most defensively inclined player like that of Alex Pietrangelo from the St. Louis Blues, but anything is better than what the Red Wings have seen the past few seasons defensively. The defense was horrendous in 2019-20, and even a less defensive player like Krug would help.

If Yzerman wants to make a splash in free agency by adding a defenseman, Krug is defensively someone to consider bringing in for this organization. The Red Wings were horrific in 2019-20, and the 2020-21 season should show some strides within the organization.

The Detroit Red Wings can further these strides by adding key free agents, and Torey Krug is someone to consider.

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Red Wings: Torey Krug still seems like quite the offseason addition - Detroit Jock CIty

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --vybe urgent care, the leading independent operator of urgent care centers in the Philadelphia area, announces a rapid test for COVID-19 from Quidel that provides a result in 15 minutes. This antigen test is available by appointment at all vybe locations and is a perfect solution for asymptomatic patients who need clearance for work, school, or a medical procedure. At this time, the test is not covered by insurance, and is available in limited quantities on a self-pay basis.

With the addition of the rapid antigen test, vybe now offers 3 COVID testing options to patients:

"In the fight against COVID-19, we're hoping a rapid test enables more people to get tested more frequently, and to make decisions that help limit the spread of the virus," said Peter Hotz, vybe urgent care's President & CEO. "The potential use for this in the employer and academic settings represents an important step in more safely returning to work and restoring our society as we await a vaccine."

vybe is offering the Quidel rapid test to employers and academic institutions as a solution for return to work programs or for ongoing business continuity. The vybe program offers the choice of testing at any vybe urgent care centers or customized on-site COVID testing events in a safe environment, and includes:

"This test is designed to detect proteins from the virus, and delivers a highly accurate positive result," said Geoff Winkley, vybe's Medical Director. "A public health crisis demands a vigorous response from the healthcare community, including multiple options for testing. I'm pleased that recent studies are showing a high sensitivity rate for the Quidel rapid test, approaching that of lab-based PCR tests."

In addition to a wide range of urgent care services, including COVID-19 testing, vybe has carefully designed safety precautions to meet or exceed CDC and state guidelines:

vybe is fully accredited by the Urgent Care Association (UCA), which is the highest level of distinction for urgent care centers and ensures high levels of patient safety and quality.

About vybevybe urgent care is Philadelphia's leading independent urgent care provider delivering care to adults and children in Philadelphia, Delaware, and Bucks Counties. Open 7 days a week, vybe delivers an affordable and convenient alternative to long emergency room wait times and the limited hours of family physicians. In addition to welcoming walk-ins, vybe offers a telemedicine service for those who wish to see a clinician online. vybe accepts major insurance plans and provides a comprehensive range of urgent care services such as illness and injury treatment, digital x-rays, EKGs, lab testing, physicals, immunizations, and occupational medicine. Find the medical care you need with the convenience you want at vybe urgent care locations throughout the Philadelphia area.

For more information, visit http://www.vybe.care

Media contact:Peter Hotz484-753-3970

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vybe urgent care Offers Rapid COVID-19 Testing for Employers and Consumers - The Wellsboro Gazette

Most small communities have an old, often uninhabitable, building that served its community as a country store and much more.

The one in Carolina, Itawamba, Mississippi was much more. If you stand on the front porch and listen carefully you can hear the faint sounds of men playing Rook and talking politics and farming, joined by those of women corralling children and sharing recipes.

Small communities have an ambience, a feeling of familiarity like no other. That sentiment lingers in Carolina.

When the members of Carolina Church decided to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Conference, we needed a new building. We already had a pastor, an active youth ministry and a seniors outreach we fondly called The Gathering. The old store had been empty for several years. It still stood as a testament to a vibrant past and a small communitys need for sustenance.

However, church members believed it could be saved and flipped into a temporary place to gather for worship. As with all reconstruction projects this one had challenges, not the least of which was a snake that was not willing to give up his home, and a kitten that fell through the concrete blocks from the top floor to the bottom and somehow lived to meow about it.

As the renovation began, community members began to stop by and talk with the workers about fond memories of the old store.

Some believe it was built in the 1920s for a meeting place for the Masons. This has not been confirmed, but there is definite proof that Masons met upstairs for decades.

A lot of people remember the store being a polling place and people staying up all night to watch votes being counted during the county elections. Some folks wanted to talk of the coldest cokes in the world coming out of that old cooler and the excitement when the orange slices and creme drops came in for Christmas.

For many years there was a punch board, and for a small fee a punch could yield a prize!

A neighbors hogs escaped once and were found inside the store eating the loaves of white bread while the current owner kept his distance by standing on the counter. He was a man of small stature and the neighbor said they were extra large swine.

The most cherished recollections are of running into someone you hadnt seen in a while and being able to keep up with all the community news at the store. There are lots of colorful and rich stories about the past in these parts.

Neighbors agree, Carolina gets in your soul.

As church family worked together on the project, we began to fondly nickname the building The Store Church and it stuck.

The store was once the hub of the community and now, the officially-named Carolina Church is aiming for that to happen again, but with an added mission.

The current members want to be the church family and home for the spiritually hungry in the community and beyond. Even though the building is small, there are seventy seats in the worship area, more seating in the kitchen addition and plenty of Sunday School room upstairs. There are plans for a larger addition in the future to accommodate the growing youth program and to reinstate The Gathering for the senior adults as soon as possible. Although COVID-19 has canceled some in-church services for the present time, big plans are being made for a dedication day.

Carolina Church has the Bible as its doctrine and their Savior as its head. Theres a warm, comfortable feeling in our church. It has that small, country chapel feel, but the message is BIG.

Everyone is welcome. Come and be fed.

Margaret Mills is a retired school teacher and lifelong resident of the Carolina Community.

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Come and be fed | | djournal.com - Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

An early morning fire on Wednesday heavily damaged the kitchen and living room of a Forks Township home and destroyed the attached garage and a vehicle inside.

The township fire department responded just after 6 a.m. to the yellow, single story home at 803 Newlins Road East as a heavy plume of dark grey smoke reached into the sky.

No one was hurt and the two adult residents got out safely before firefighters arrived, department Capt. Jason Billiard said.

Billiard declined to name the residents. An older woman and a middle-aged man were seated just beyond the front yard and received care from Suburban EMS personnel and the chaplain for the Palmer Township Municipal Fire Department, which also responded to help fight the stubborn blaze. The residents declined to comment.

Northampton County records show the home is owned by Virginia Mitman.

It was not immediately clear if the home had smoke detectors, Billiard said.

Firefighters were still putting out hot spots at 8 a.m. in the garage. A vehicle parked outside the garage appeared to have fire damage.

A township fire marshal was just beginning the investigation into the cause and manner of the fire so Billiard couldnt say if anything was suspicious. Met-Ed pulled the electric service, which is common in such fires, so the home cant be lived in. Billiard said the fire marshal would make the determination if it is livable if power is restored.

In addition to Forks and Palmer firefighters and Suburban EMS, Forks fire police and upper Nazareth and Lower Mount Bethel firefighters assisted.

It wasnt immediately clear if the American Red Cross was assisting the residents.

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Tony Rhodin can be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com.

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Forks Township fire heavily damages house and garage but no one hurt - lehighvalleylive.com

Atlantic City Council recently decided to ask the state for a grant to create a statue on the Boardwalk honoring civil rights and womens rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer.

Hamers contribution to the mid-1960s push for voting rights and participation by Blacks and women in politics is enough to merit remembering and honoring her anywhere in America outside her Mississippi home. Doing so at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall would be especially appropriate in light of her effort there to advance those rights, in particular within the Democratic Party.

Hamer co-founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) to give African-Americans a voice in a region dominated by an all-white Democratic organization. She represented the MFDP at the 1964 Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City.

She and other activists urged the convention to accept them as the official delegation from Mississippi.

In nationally televised testimony urging that her group be declared the delegates, Hamer said, All of this is on account we want to register, to become first-class citizens, and if the Freedom Democratic Party is not seated now, I question America.

National Democratic leaders offered a compromise that would include two members of the Hamer group on the state delegation, but the MFDP rejected it and afterwards all of the white members from the Mississippi delegation walked out. Not until the following party convention in 1968 were the MFDP members seated, after the Democratic Party demanded more equal representation from state delegations.

Hamer also co-founded the National Womens Political Caucus, which seeks to recruit, train and support women of all races in their quest for elected office.

A statue of Hamer at the site of her memorable stand for civil and womens rights would help bring her story to the general public. Stockton Universitys nearby Fannie Lou Hamer Event Room advances that awareness too in a more limited way.

Too bad, though, that Atlantic City Council the very same day it sought the grant for the Hamer statue paid $19,000 to remove the statue of Christopher Columbus that had long stood at the Atlantic City Expressway entrance to the city. That gives the days proceedings the appearance of advancing a partisan ideology, as if they were seeking to suppress one remembrance of the past in favor of another.

Awareness of and understanding history is like free speech best served by unfettered and diverse efforts ever working toward mutual agreement about better ideas. The melding of more perspectives on the past is crucial to people knowing who they are, how they got here and where theyre going.

As Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis said in his famous opinion on the value of free speech, those who achieved the nations independence knew that the path of safety lies in the opportunity to discuss freely supposed grievances and proposed remedies, and that the fitting remedy for evil counsels is good ones. If there be time to expose through discussion the falsehood and fallacies, to avert the evil by the process of education, the remedy to be applied is more speech, not enforced silence.

In Atlantic City, South Jersey and across America, the effective response to regret about the past is to better understand the history and resolve to do better in the future.

Those who cannot remember and understand the past may not be condemned to repeat it exactly, but theyre at much greater risk of again succumbing to forces that prompt behavior theyll later regret.

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Our view: Hamer statue a welcome Boardwalk addition when theres money for it - Press of Atlantic City

Julie Falsetti, For The York Dispatch Published 6:27 p.m. ET Aug. 18, 2020

Lately Ive been on an eggplant kick. I bought a lot on my last visit to the market, and the two remaining eggplants in my vegetable bin were screaming to be cooked.

Aside from being too hot to put on the oven, eggplant Parmesan seemed like a dish more appropriate for the mid-winter than mid-summer. In addition to the eggplants, I had a large bunch of celery and a lot of tomatoes from my garden. Caponata seemed to be the answer.

Caponata is a Sicilian appetizer that could be a cousin of ratatouille. The origin of the name is hazy. One version says that it came about because caponata was traditionally paired with a fish called capone in an old Sicilian dialect. Another theory is that it came from the Greek word capto, meaning to cut.

Sicilian food reflects the cuisines of the islands invaders. The flavors of caponata bear this out. The agrodolce (sweet-sour) sauce is a contribution from the Romans. The vinegar, sugar and olive oil combination gives caponata a sweet, tangy flavor.

The Moors, who came from North Africa, introduced the addition of dried fruits and nuts in savory dishes. Tomatoes were a gift from the Spaniards, who brought them back from the Americas.

Caponata takes a bit of time to prepare, but the finished dish is well worth the effort. It is served chilled or at room temperature. It makes an excellent accompaniment to grilled meat or fish and is great topper for a light bruchetta. Like most dishes with a medley of ingredients, it tastes even better the next day.

Caponata takes a bit of effort, but the end result is worth it.(Photo: Julie Falsetti photo)

2 medium eggplants, cut into -inch cubes

Salt

6 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped

3 ripe tomatoes (about 1 pound), cored, peeled, and coarsely chopped

2 ribs celery, thinly sliced crosswise

cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons. sugar

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons golden raisins

2 tablespoons pine nuts

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed

12 pitted green olives, coarsely chopped

1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, cored, seeded and thinly sliced

Freshly ground black pepper

Chopped basil and parsley for garnish

Put the eggplant into a colander set over a large bowl; toss with 2 teaspoons salt. Top with a plate weighted down with several large cans; let drain for 1 hour.

Pat the eggplant dry with paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the eggplant and cook until golden brown, 78 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggplant to a bowl. Repeat with more oil and the remaining eggplant.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining oil and onions; cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and celery and cook until the tomatoes release their juices, 56 minutes. Add the vinegar, sugar and tomato paste and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Add the cooked eggplant, raisins, pine nuts, capers, olives, roasted peppers, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until heated through. Transfer to a plate; let cool slightly. Top with basil and parsley.

Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Julie Falsetti, a York native, comes from a long line of good cooks. Her column, From Scratch, runs twice monthly in The York Dispatch food section. Reach her with questions and comments at julietrulie11@gmail.com.

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Cuisines come together in caponata - York Dispatch

A rendering of the inside of Hive 435, a bar proposed inside the new City View development in downtown St. George. If granted all the proper permits, the upscale bar would be the city's third standalone drinking establishment.(Photo: Courtesy Cameron Payne)

A third bar in St. Georges historic downtown core is inching closer to reality.

The citys planning commission on Tuesday gave its nod of approval to a conditional use permit for a new upscale bar located just off Main Street and St. George Boulevard.

That bar, called Hive 435, would be located on the ground floor of the new City View development in the heart of downtown.

Owner Cameron Payne billed the proposed bar as an upscale drinking establishment, aimed at attracting a business professional local crowd and draw visitors staying at the luxury Advenire boutique hotel, just a short walk away.

We want to have a nightlife down here in St. George, Payne said in a phone call with The Spectrum. Basically (Hive 435) is a tap house; well have anywhere for 30 to 50 taps, a full liquor bar and well also do wine as well.

In addition to the drinks, Hive 435 would also have a small kitchen and a dart room that doubles as a multifunction room.Payne envisions that space holding events like yoga and mimosas on the weekends.

However, Hive 435 has more hurdles to cross before it becomes more than just a proposal.

The Advenire, a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel, and Wood Ash Rye prepare for their official opening in the heart of downtown St. George Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020.(Photo: Chris Caldwell / The Spectrum & Daily News)

The bars conditional use permit still must be approved by the city council its expected to be on their agenda in the near future and Payne will have to get a liquor license from the state.

Just four permits for stand-alone bars exist in St. Georges historic downtown, with two already spoken for. The existing permits belong to Wood Ash Rye, the bar inside The Advenire Hotel, and Zion Brewings Station II bar.

From dishwasher to serving senators: The story of Angelicas Mexican Grill and it's owner

While there are plenty of restaurants where you can order a drink with food, standalone bars are a relatively new addition to the city. Its been less than a year since Station II, St. Georges first full-fledged watering hole, opened its doors in late 2019.

The four bar permits aren't just the only permits available in the downtown arts district, they're the only standalone bar permits available city-wide. Other restaurants and establishments have city-issued alcohol licenses, but they are either limited to a certain type of beverage or must be served with food.

A rendering of the inside of Hive 435, a bar proposed inside the new City View development in downtown St. George. If granted all the proper permits, the upscale bar would be the city's third standalone drinking establishment.(Photo: Courtesy Cameron Payne)

Payne said thestandalone bar permits can be "super tough" to get approved for.

After the approval of Station II in early 2019, which passed through city council with little hesitation, the permit for Wood Ash Rye caused consternation among some city lawmakers less than two months later illustrating St. Georges conservative alcoholic history.

Brewing in the backyard: Buzzed on the creative, scientific world of home made beer

While were talking about this, I think its important that we realize where we live, Councilman Jimmy Hughes said in the April 4, 2019 meeting that granted Wood Ash Rye its bar permit. Its not just a Utah thing, other places in the United States have done and experimented with dry counties there are some valid concerns from the community, especially our community which has a long history of being somewhat dry.

Despite the concerns, the council voted unanimously to grant Wood Ash Rye its bar permit.

The Advenire, a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel, and Wood Ash Rye prepare for their official opening in the heart of downtown St. George Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020.(Photo: Chris Caldwell / The Spectrum & Daily News)

If granted its permits, Hive 435 aims to foster an upscale atmosphere reflective of St. Georges historic downtown district.

Local beers and mixed drinks will be served from behind a 37-foot bar and a kitchen will serve a small yet local menu, according to the bars permit application with the city.

Seating will be communal, which Im not sure is a good idea right now, Payne joked, referencing the COVID-19 pandemic, and there will be a banquet room that doubles as a dart room.

If all goes to plan, and Payne is granted permits from both the city and the state, he hopes to open Hive 435 by January or February 2021, just in time for southern Utahs tourist season to start ramping up.

Sam Gross covers the outdoors and development in Southern Utah for The St. George Spectrum & Daily News.Support his work by subscribing to TheSpectrum.com.

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A third standalone bar, called Hive 435, could be on its way to downtown St. George - The Spectrum

By Outer Banks Voice on August 18, 2020

As of the afternoon of Aug. 18, Dare County had reported no new cases of COVID-19 on that date. In addition, the update from the Dare County Department of Health and Human Services (DCDHHS), also released on Aug. 18, contained additional hopeful news about the trajectory of the virus here something DCDHHS Director Sheila Davis attributes to a lot of people doing the right things.

For the 4th week in a row we have seen a decrease in the number of new positive cases in Dare County, the DCDHHS update read. The week of July 20 there were 55 new cases, the week of July 27 there 42 new cases, the week of August 3rd there were 21 new cases and this past week there were 18 new cases.

Given those numbers, its not surprising that another key metric the percentage of positive tests out of all those administered has also been on the decline for the last month.

The countys Aug. 18 update reported that, This past week, there were 1,101COVID-19 diagnostic tests performed in Dare County 1,093 were performed by local healthcare providers and 108 were performed at the community testing event held on August 11. This brings the total number of tests performed since early March to 9,341.

There were 18 positive cases between August 10 and August 16, the update indicated. The percent of positive tests to overall tests in Dare County since we started testing in early March decreased again this week for the 4th week in a row, to 4.24%. The percent positive to total tests for the past week alone was 1.63%.

In an email to the Voice, Davies wrote that, I believe we are seeing the lower cases because the majority of people are doing the right things physical distancing, wearing masks and good hand hygiene, following the Exec Order by limiting numbers at mass gatherings. I also believe there are many businesses/establishments that are taking extra precautions to help reduce the spread i.e. hotels doing grab-back breakfast pick up instead of dine-in continental breakfast, hotel housekeepers following protocols to not clean a room when a guest is in the room, limiting occupancy and ensuring social/physical distancing, consistently enforcing mask requirements, etc.

Even so, local health officials are not ready to pop the champagne cork. While noting their satisfaction in seeing these numbers, Davies also emphasized the need to remain vigilant.

I believe the only way we will see these lower numbers continue is if we follow the 3Ws and stay vigilant, Davies added in her email to the Voice. It would be foolish to think our lower numbers are because the virus is not still prevalent in Dare County. Numbers could quickly [increase] if we dont do the right things.

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DCDHHS 'very pleased' with recent COVID numbers - The Outer Banks Voice

The hot temperatures and afternoon thundershowers of a Florida summer mean bumper crops of home-grown tomatoes. When your kitchen counter is overwhelmed with an abundance, turn on the oven for just a bit and serve up this killer Summery Southern Tomato Pie.

Tomato pie topped with tomatoes that are intensely red and flavorful is what summer tastes like in the South. Sitting elegantly on top of my cake stand, you can taste the intense flavors of this pie with one glance. And the aroma will knock you over. This pie deserves a place of honor on your table.

Tomato pie is easy to prepare you can use whatever cheese or herbs you like to flavor the custardy filling. You can buy ready-made pie crust and save yourself some time, but my Parmesan and buttermilk crust is the foundation that will make this pie memorable. Make sure you have the basics on hand: domestic or Italian Parmesan cheese, extra-sharp white cheddar cheese, sweet onions (Vidalia if you can find them), good-quality mayonnaise (Dukes is the classic), your favorite fresh herbs and plenty of rich red local tomatoes.

When it comes to your tomato pie, just about anything goes for the crust. Many cooks use slices of day-old bread, puff pastry, canned biscuit dough, refrigerated rolled pie dough or phyllo dough for their creations. My crust blends a mixture of butter and vegetable shortening for both stability and flavor. The addition of Parmesan cheese and buttermilk enhances the flavors. The addition of earthy turmeric gives the pastry a nice accent.

Youll want to thinly slice your tomatoes, arrange them between layers of paper towels, sprinkle with a little salt and leave them alone for a few minutes. This will help absorb excess liquid and prevent a watery, soggy pie. Sweet Vidalia onions, scallions or spring onions, as well as fresh oregano, basil and chives, will complement the tomatoes. Use a blend of cheeses for a flavor boost; sharp cheddar and Parmesan make good companions. Switch the cheeses to use provolone, mozzarella or Asiago.

Youll mix the grated cheese with mayonnaise. I like to use just a couple of teaspoons of Dijon mustard, too. To the tomato topping, some cooks add a little dill weed or cayenne pepper for a slight kick. Take a shortcut and use a store-bought tub of your favorite pimento cheese as the filling, then layer the sliced tomatoes in between and on top. Lets get busy making this pie before summer passes us by.

For the Parmesan buttermilk pie crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon ground turmeric, optional, for color

teaspoon fine sea salt

teaspoon black pepper

cup (1 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces

cup solid vegetable shortening, cold and cut into pieces

6 tablespoons whole buttermilk, cold

For the topping and filling:

2 pounds assorted medium red ripe tomatoes, about 3, for the filling and topping

1 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided

1 cups grated extra sharp white cheddar cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

cup mayonnaise

1 large egg, lightly beaten

cup finely sliced fresh basil leaves, divided

2 tablespoons finely minced fresh chives, divided

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup finely sliced and peeled sweet onion, sliced inch thin

Make the pie crust: To the bowl of a large food processor, pulse the flour, cheese, turmeric (if using), salt and pepper just until combined, about three pulses. Add the butter and shortening and pulse just until pea-sized, about five pulses. Drizzle in the buttermilk and process just until the dough begins to come together. Do not overprocess. Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and lightly knead into a ball and then flatten into a disc. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll the dough out on a large piece of parchment paper into a 14-inch circle about inch thick. Transfer to a 9-inch pie dish, pressing the dough into the bottom and up the sides. Trim the edges, leaving 1 inch overhanging. Fold the edges under and crimp with your fingers with any design you favor. Freeze the dough in the pan for 20 minutes. Line the pie crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights and further bake for another 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are golden and the bottom crust is set. Cool completely before filling.

Make the filing and bake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Slice the tomatoes inch thick, then cut each in half. Place on a paper towel-lined half sheet pan, sprinkle with teaspoon of salt and cover with another layer of paper towels. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Pat dry before using in the filling and topping.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the grated cheddar, Parmesan, mayonnaise, egg, cup basil, 1 tablespoon chives, mustard, pepper and remaining teaspoon salt.

Evenly arrange the sliced onions on the bottom of the partially baked pie crust. Gently and evenly spread with half the cheese mixture and layer with half of the sliced tomatoes overlapping. Repeat with the remaining cheese mixture and remaining tomatoes. Top with the remaining basil and chives. Bake on a half sheet pan on the center rack of the oven for 40 to 50 minutes, covering the crust with foil after 20 minutes to prevent excess browning. Let the pie cool completely before serving to firm up. Serve at room temperature.

Makes about 8 slices.

Source: Lorraine Fina Stevenski

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Put your tomatoes to use in Summery Southern Tomato Pie - Tampa Bay Times