Vegan Lemongrass + Lime Butternut Soup
Here in the South, autumn means that one day feels like summer and the next is crisp and cool. As such, I love versatile recipes like this that can be served hot or cold, depending on the weather.
“Upside Down” Butternut + Bacon Quiche
Whether we have family in town for a holiday or we have friends here to visit, I always try to serve a hearty breakfast in the morning. It’s a moment to pause, sit together, and fuel up before the busyness of the day gets going… This year, I’m making an “upside down” butternut squash and bacon quiche with rosemary, gruyere cheese, and holiday pie crust shapes on top.
Pumpkin Risotto with Bacon + Sage
I thought I should come up with a creative and new spin on pumpkin risotto, but some flavor combos stick around for a reason. Take pumpkin and sage, for example. I didn’t see any need to mess around with that other than to add bacon (duh!).
Dinner Party Hosting Hack: Balsamic Reduction
A balsamic reduction is one of my favorite things to teach in my art of entertaining classes because it’s a simple way to dress up many different dishes. You can drizzle it over a plain piece of meat (think steak, pork chops, or pan seared chicken). You can stir it into mashed potatoes, grits, or risotto. You can toss greens with it for an easy salad dressing. You could even add it to dessert!
Salad of the Month: Burrata with Peaches + Prosciutto
Late summer markets are filled with sun-loving fruits and veggies, like stone fruit and nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, etc.). So August’s salad of the month celebrates two of my favorite late summer gems: peaches and tomatoes. But the real star of the show is burrata, one of the best cheeses ever.
Mini Corn + Tomato Quiche with Bacon
I made these quiches with some of my favorite flavors of summer: tomatoes, corn, and basil, none of which require any pre-cooking. Bacon has to get cooked first, but it’s totally worth it. Gorgonzola rounds out the group with a big punch of flavor.
3 Summer Aguas Frescas
Aguas frescas are basically just fruit pureed with water, sweetener, and perhaps another flavor or two. They’re sweet, refreshing, and exactly what you want on a summer day.
Salad of the Month: Grilled Vegetable Salad
Grill all the things. Put them on salad greens. Call it a grilled veggie salad and enjoy!
How to Cut a Pineapple
If you’ve never tackled a whole pineapple, it can be intimidating. Oh, and choosing the perfect pineapple from a sea of prickly fruit? That’s scary. But fear no more! Here are some easy tips for selecting a pineapple and step-by-step instructions for cutting it up:
Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Truth be told, chicken tortilla soup was not something in my typical rotation. So I did what I usually do: I googled it. I was confronted with the typical (broad!) spectrum of recipes. I realized that most of the recipes were full of summer harvests: sweet and hot peppers, tomatoes, corn, and onions. I set out to make it as “from scratch” as possible, which meant roasting my own tomatoes and toasting my own tortilla strips.
Berry Galette with Whole Wheat Pecan Crust
I have a confession to make: I don’t really like pie crust. Perhaps because I’ve had a few too many soggy-bottomed, storebought crusts. I hate wasting food, but luckily there is usually a willing recipient nearby who will take my crust after I’ve scraped out my pie filling. More recently, I’ve learned that I like a good, homemade, all-butter pie crust just fine. Better yet, I love a good tart crust or shortbread crust. And perhaps best of all, I love a crisp, nutty galette crust baked with a crunchy layer of sugar on top.
A Southern Cheese + Charcuterie Board for Summer
This week, I wrote about cheese, meat, and peanut pairings for the National Peanut Board. You can see the full post here, but I wanted to share one of my favorite combos, this Southern-inspired cheese and charcuterie board. It’s perfect for summer gatherings and is best served with ice cold drinks (a peach daiquiri or frosé for me!).