I admit that these days Virginia is considered mid-Atlantic, but we were the capital of the Confederacy from 1861 to 1865, so that's Southern enough for me. And, if there's one thing we Southerners love, it's flavorful food.

My family from Richmond, for instance, loves tomatoes. To this day, my mom grows different varieties of tomatoes in her garden, and we often eat them like apples. This is one of my mom's favorite tomato recipes. It is based on the dish served at Michie Tavern, and although she prepared it more times than I can remember while I was growing up, I still love it.

1. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add tomatoes and corn; cook until tender, stirring often.
3. Crumble the biscuits and stir into the tomato mixture.
4. Add sugar, pepper, and salt.
5. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes.
6. Serve while hot and enjoy! Makes 6 servings.
   

• The tomato is technically a fruit; however, it cooks like a vegetable, so I chose the vegetable side dish category for this Southern cooking hub.
  
• For a more traditional version of stewed tomatoes, simply omit the corn and the biscuits. When preparing this variation, I like to increase the sugar to around 1/2 cup to account for the loss of the natural sweetness in the corn. Some people don't like that much added sweetness, so you can always adjust the sugar to taste.
• Another great Southern recipe I enjoy is Baked Stuffed Squash.