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FDL Tomato Pie Triumphs In Bama’s Best Tomato Dish Contest
By Marlee Moore
trio of judges sampled savory A tomato pie June 14 — just steps from the Montgomery Curb Market
stand where FDL Gourmet To Go chef Preston Williams purchased the dish’s star Better Boy tomatoes hours earlier. The tomato pie’s simple, salty flavor earned it the title of Bama’s Best Tomato Dish, a contest sponsored by Sweet Grown Alabama. As the winner, Montgomery-based FDL earns bragging rights, a cash prize, a plaque and a feature on “Simply Southern TV.”
“It was love at first sight!” said judge Kathleen Phillips. “The beautiful presentation of the ripe red tomatoes arranged on top told me tomatoes were going to take center stage of that tasty show. Sure enough, as I cut into the warm pie, another layer of salted tomatoes was found between layers of creamy, cheesy goodness. At that point, I knew I would be a fan girl of the FDL tomato pie.” Phillips, a recipe developer and author of the Grits and Gouda food blog, was joined on the two-day judging journey June 13-14 by “Simply Southern
From left are Sweet Grown Alabama Director Ellie Watson; recipe developer Kathleen Phillips; FDL Gourmet To Go owners Phillip Carter and Preston Williams, whose tomato pie was named Bama’s Best Tomato Dish; “Simply Southern TV” co-host Mary Wilson; and tomato connoisseur Kyle Hayes. 10
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August 2022
TV” co-host Mary Wilson and tomato connoisseur Kyle Hayes. Sweet Grown Alabama Director Ellie Watson accompanied the crew, which visited the Flavorful Four finalists across the state to taste their takes on Bama’s Best Tomato Dish. Finalists were chosen by fans in head-to-head matchups between Edible Eight entrants on the Sweet Grown Alabama Facebook and Instagram pages. Watson praised FDL Gourmet To Go owners Williams and Phillip Carter for cooking with fresh, local ingredients. “Preston and Phillip understand the Sweet Grown Alabama mission,” Watson said. “FDL has built relationships with local farmers to highlight fresh produce. Their tomato pie shows off what Alabama farmers do best — grow safe, affordable, tasty food for families.” Williams is a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef who specializes in Southern food with a Mediterranean flair. He and Carter broke into the gourmet food-to-go business during the COVID-19 pandemic, starting with pop-up events in neighborhoods. FDL (which stands for fleur-de-lis, a nod to Williams’ French ancestry) has a catering kitchen and takes custom delivery orders weekly. alfafarmers.org
