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 ...
WITH THE BEST OF INTENTIONS: OLIVE OIL, LEMON AND GINGER ZUCCHINI BREAD
I started this week with the best of intentions. I thought that everyone must certainly be tired of Quarantine Baking so I planned to write a blog about something meaty, maybe something on the grill, something far removed from bowls and ovens and flour. Then I went out the garden and found the zucchini had decided this was the time to begin. Even then, my intention was not to start with zucchini bread just yet. I thought I would collect a number of recipes and then do baker’s choice for you all. But that was before I tasted this zucchini bread. This zucchini bread is moist, super ...
PASTA WITH FRESH PEA SAUCE
Garden peas and fresh herbs are quickly combined to make a fresh and versatile sauce for pasta or fish. Many years ago we lived outside of London in a lovely house with a large walled garden. It was a rental and in order to ensure the garden was well maintained the owners required us to use their gardener, the eponymously named Mr. Green. Much of what I do now I learned from him. The quarter acre was lush with fruit trees, wild flowers and a small rose garden which he lovingly tended. In addition to this, Mr. Green kept us well supplied with home grown vegetables. An early lesson for ...
AN ENGLISH CREAM TEA
When you think of tea and the English do you think of a large Manor House with immaculately groomed lawns, ladies in long dresses and hats and gentlemen standing behind them? The High Tea of Downton Abbey! I think of a roadside sign on a back road leading to a charming cottage with a few tables set out on a rose flanked patio. The sign simply reads “Cream Tea”. Cream Tea is a summer institution in the United Kingdom. Cream Teas can be found at the best restaurants and in small tea shops. They are available in cities and in the countryside. They are most common in Devonshire and ...
