A Basic Quick Bread Recipe is used to make a sweet, moist bread featuring fresh nectarine puree and dried Mandarin oranges. People often comment on how unusual my life has been: the many places I have lived and how different that is from their lives. It is true I have lived and traveled all over the world. But what I noticed is, that while the setting was different, the things we were doing, wherever we were, were the same things our families were doing back home. Thus it was that I sat on a beachside terrace in Bali and listened to my brother-in-law explain chemical equations ...
AUTUMN FIGS AND PORK TENDERLOIN
Summer's end is approaching and the arrival of fresh figs in the market is the inspiration for this dish of Roasted Figs and Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary. Have you ever noticed how the light changes two or three hours before sunset? The shadows have not yet begun to length but the sun has passed the meridian and its position lower in the sky alters the way the light hits objects in the distance. A golden glow, softer than the harsh rays of midday, is imparted to the world around us. It is my favorite time of day. A brief hour of peace before the activity of the evening. I often ...
JUMBLED UP FRUIT BREAD: PEACH, BLACKBERRY AND WATERMELON
I’ll admit it. I am a sucker for the fruits of summer. Don’t ever leave me alone in a Farmer’s Market or I will return with half bushels of peaches, tomatoes and plums, a dozen (or more) ears of corn and at least one large watermelon. Not to mention berries of all sorts. As if I don’t have enough in my own garden! There comes a time when it is necessary to use these wonderful products or watch them go bad. Sometimes it calls for a touch of ingenuity, sometimes it just needs luck. A go-to of mine has always been quick bread. Quick breads are made with baking powder or baking soda ...
WATERMELON CHICKEN AND SPICED GRILLED WATERMELON
A visit to Glen Falls in Highlands, NC is the inspiration for this Watermelon Glazed Chicken with Spiced Grilled Watermelon Slices I went to Highlands in the mountains of North Carolina this weekend where, due a fortunate accident (a tree fell across the road about a mile from the parking area), we were able to see Glen Falls in relative seclusion. It’s a spectacular three-tiered waterfall which drops about 700 feet in total and is, understandably, very popular. The tree had fallen the night before after a torrential rainfall. We were there early, before it was cleared, and few people ...
SUMMER IN THE SOUTH: PIMENTO CHEESE TOMATO PIE
When I think of summer in the South, I think of my childhood days at the beach where the food seemed to center around fresh ripe red tomatoes, slightly spicy pimento cheese, and fresh fruit pies. The days were filled with salt air and ocean and the evenings meant family around the table. This summer I am up in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Other than that little has changed. I make a mean pimento cheese; my tomato plants are laden with deep red orbs of deliciousness; and pies are my thing. So I put them all together and created a Pimento Cheese Tomato ...
SOS! SAVE OUR SHAKESPEARE! LEMON-LIME POSSET AND SHREWSBURY CAKES
What do you love about your neighborhood? What is it that makes it home? And what would you do if something threatened that? My neighborhood consists of wide quiet streets, lined with gardens and flowers. The houses reflect both the history of our town and the personalities of the owners. Children play in the backyards of large, restored Victorian homes, next to small bungalows aching for a little care. Poetry pops up on the sidewalks, porches are festooned with art. Dogs are walked, exercise is undertaken, and rocking chairs are occupied. But my favorite thing of all is ...
TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE: RASPBERRY JAM AND CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Peanut butter and Jelly, Bacon and Eggs, Biscuits and Gravy, Salted Caramel, Pizza and Beer, Ham and Cheese. What do all of these things have in common? Each of them starts with one perfect ingredient and adds another perfect ingredient to come together in a more perfect union! Add to that list Raspberry Jam and Chocolate Chip Cookies. Honestly, I can’t take credit for this idea. We were hiking and stopped at our local Whole Foods to pick up some food for lunch. I was in charge of snacks, so when I saw the small packet of Raspberry Jam and Chocolate Chip Cookies from a local baker, I ...
ROCK CORNISH GAME HENS WITH GRILLED PEACHES
IT'S GRILLING SEASON! ROCK CORNISH GAME HENS PAIRED WITH GRILLED FRESH PEACHES MAKE AN EASY AND LIGHT DINNER. PAIR THEM WITH A GARDEN SALAD AND FINISH WITH ICE CREAM OR S'MORES FOR A DELICIOUS BACKYARD BARBECUE ON A HOT SUMMER DAY! Rock Cornish Game Hens—you know what they are. They are small chickens which are almost always found in the freezer section. As a matter of fact, I have never seen a fresh Rock Cornish Game Hen. We used to make jokes that they were “Rock” game hens because that’s how they came, frozen like a rock. The breed is a cross between the Cornish Chicken and the ...
PISTACHIO AND DRIED CHERRY KALE SALAD
A quick and easy recipe for Kale Salad with Dried Cherries and Pistachio Nuts I have never been a huge fan of Kale. I’ll eat it. Sometimes I will even choose a Kale salad off the menu. But I don’t usually buy it. It always seems like a lot of work: stripping off the leaves and massaging them to a squishy mess. It never felt compelling enough to me. Then my daughter asked if she could have one of my raised beds in which to plant some seeds. Of course I said yes. Now, thanks to her, I have mustard greens and kale (and even watermelon!). Lately I have been harvesting the Kale every ...
A GARDEN DINNER: ZUCCHINI FRITTERS WITH BURRATA, BASIL AND TOMATOES, AND SQUASH BLOSSOM QUESADILLAS
I bet you all are just waiting for tomatoes to come in so you can stop hearing about zucchini. But zucchini doesn’t care. Zucchini is the gift that keeps on giving. Last week I decided to really go after my plant and make a dinner based on zucchini. I started with Zucchini Fritters with Burrata, Basil and Tomatoes followed by some Squash Blossom Quesadillas and a Kale Salad. Zucchini Fritters Using the coarse shred side of a grater, shred the zucchini and toss it in a little salt. Then place it in a sieve to drain for ten minutes. You want the zucchini to be as dry as possible so ...
