Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes -- From the Side Yard Garden, With Love

Mother's Day, baby. The children called. CJ from Huntsville. Destiny from Center Point. They told me happy Mother's Day and I told them I love them and they told me they would see me Sunday. The Sunday dinner held. I stood at the kitchen window and talked to Mama. I told her the mac was right. I told her the kitchen was holding. I told her I love her. She did not answer in words. She does not need to. I cooked the menu Bernice taught me. I am her daughter. I will be her daughter until the day I see her again.

Calvin preached Sunday on the mustard seed. The church said amen. Destiny came for Sunday dinner. She talked about her work. The work is hard. She is good at hard work.

Fried chicken Saturday. Buttermilk overnight with hot sauce. Seasoned flour. The cast iron at three-fifty. Skin crisp. Meat juicy. Bernice's recipe. The chain holds.

Calvin in the recliner. Me at the stove. The week held.

I drove to the grocery Saturday morning. Greens, three pounds. Onions, two big ones. Buttermilk, half gallon. Cornmeal, the good kind. Salt, because I always run out of salt.

The garden in the side yard, sugar. The tomatoes are coming on. The okra is up. The collards are getting big. I will be canning by August. I always say I am not going to can. I always end up canning.

Sister Beulah came by Tuesday afternoon to drop off the bulletins. She stayed for coffee. We talked about the church, about her grandbaby, about the heat. The visit was the visit.

My knees were bad this week. I sat between rounds at the stove. The volunteers tried to take the spoon. I would not let them. The spoon is not negotiable, sugar.

Calvin Jr. called Tuesday night. He was tired. He had been at work twelve hours. I told him, baby, eat something. He said, Mama, I will. I said, what did you eat last. He said, a granola bar. I said, baby, that is not eating. He laughed.

Bernice's Table Tuesday. The team was sharp. The food held. The room held.

Sister Patrice's husband had heart surgery this week. I drove a meal over Tuesday — chicken and rice, cornbread, peach cobbler. She cried at the door. I told her, baby, eat the food. The food was the saying.

Calvin and I watched the news Wednesday evening. He fell asleep in the recliner. I covered him with the afghan that Bernice crocheted before she died. The afghan is holding.

A young woman from the new members class came to me Sunday. She was nervous. She said, Mother Simms, my husband and I are expecting our first and I do not know how to cook. I said, baby, come to the Saturday class. She said, I'm coming. The chain extends.

I read for an hour Sunday night before bed. The Bible, then a book Doris sent me about the civil rights movement in Birmingham. The book made me think about Bernice in the church kitchen during the bombings.

Doris called Thursday. Three times a week, the standard. We talked about Calvin's health. We talked about Harold's health. We talked about the family. We talked about what I was cooking.

The kitchen smelled like garlic and onion all afternoon Wednesday. Calvin came home from his Bible study and stood in the doorway and said, Loretta, what are we eating. I said, baby, you will see. He said, that is a yes from me. He has been saying that for fifty years.

Mr. Henderson across the street brought me a bag of pecans Friday from his tree. I made a pecan pie with them. I took half of it back to him. He said, Loretta, this is wrong, you took my pecans and gave me back a pie. I said, that is exactly right. That is how it works.

The tomatoes are coming on in the side yard, and I have been watching them all week — checking them the way Bernice used to check hers, patient and grateful. When the first ones get ripe enough to pick, I don’t want to do anything complicated with them. I want to let them be what they are: something the Lord grew, something the season gave us. These stuffed cherry tomatoes are exactly that — simple, pretty, and honest, the kind of thing you set out on the table and people reach for before they even sit down.

Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 20 min | Servings: 8 (about 24 pieces)

Ingredients

• 24 cherry tomatoes
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped, plus more for garnish
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• Optional: crumbled bacon or smoked paprika for topping

Instructions

1. Prep the tomatoes. Slice a thin sliver off the bottom of each cherry tomato so it sits flat without rolling. Cut off the top 1/4 of each tomato and use a small spoon or melon baller to gently scoop out the seeds and pulp. Set the hollowed tomatoes upside down on a paper towel to drain for about 5 minutes.
2. Make the filling. In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and sour cream together until smooth and creamy. Stir in the chives, minced garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
3. Fill the tomatoes. Transfer the cream cheese mixture to a small zip-top bag and snip off one corner, or use a small spoon. Pipe or spoon the filling into each hollowed cherry tomato, mounding it slightly above the rim.
4. Garnish and serve. Top each stuffed tomato with a pinch of fresh chives and, if using, a small crumble of bacon or a dusting of smoked paprika. Arrange on a platter and serve immediately, or refrigerate uncovered for up to 2 hours before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 65 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Carbs: 3g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 105mg