This is hardly a recipe, more like a set of instructions, but I wanted to share it before this long weekend of picnics and cookouts and gatherings, because it is so good and so simple and so perfect for this last official weekend of summer. 

I first had this in South Africa several years ago, as part of a big beautiful lunch spread at a safari camp.  I was impressed by its simplicity, and I had never seen the combo of watermelon and feta before and thought it very exotic.  I have since seen many more dressed-up versions of this – drizzled with vinaigrette, tossed with olives, served with onions slivers.  But I love this simple, fresh, three ingredient original.  I was recently invited to dinner at a friend’s, and we all volunteered to bring something.  Before I expressed a preference, I was ordered to bring ”that watermelon salad” by another friend (not the hostess)!  It reminded me of just how good this salad is.  You can obviously make a larger or smaller batch for your gathering.

Watermelon and Feta Salad

I highly recommend using blocks of feta cut into chunks.  Don’t be tempted by the pre-crumbled variety here as it tends to break down and coat the watermelon with a sandy grit.

½ of a medium-sized watermelon

2 (8-ounce) blocks of feta cheese

A nice big handful of fresh mint leaves

Cut the pink flesh of the watermelon into small, bite-sized chunks and place in large bowl.  I like a pretty glass one to show off the gorgeous colors.  Cut the feta into chunks roughly the same size as the watermelon pieces and add to the bowl.  Finley chop the mint leaves and sprinkle half over the watermelon and feta.  Toss VERY gently to combine, adding the rest of the mint as you do so it is evenly distributed.

This salad does best made within an hour of serving, so the feta doesn’t break down.  To make it ahead, chop the watermelon and toss with the mint, cover and refrigerate.  Cut the feta into chunks and store separately in the fridge.  Toss together shortly before serving.

Serves 8

A good corn muffin is a thing of beauty. The perfect accompaniment to a bowl of soup or a supper salad, and so comforting passed around the table in a basket while still warm. Slather on a little butter, and you’ve got a bite of heaven, my friend.

These tender corn muffins have the added attraction of crispy bacon and intense, chewy fresh corn kernels. The tang of buttermilk and sour cream is balanced by the sweetness of honey. Try these with Tomato Soup Base or Roasted Carrot and Cumin Soup.

Toasted Corn and Bacon Muffins
Toasting the corn kernels gives them a more intense flavor and a great texture.

Kernels from one cob of fresh corn (about ½ cup)
4 strips of bacon
1 egg
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
1 ½ cups buttermilk
2 Tablespoons honey
1 ½ cups yellow corn meal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Place the corn kernels in a dry skillet and toast over medium heat, tossing and stirring frequently, until the kernels are beginning to brown and dry out. Keep the kernels moving. The color of the corn will intensify as well. This will take 7- 8 minutes. Transfer the toasted kernels to a bowl.

Rinse and dry the skillet, then cook the bacon strips until brown and very crispy. Drain the bacon on paper towels, and reserve the bacon grease. Crumble the bacon into small pieces.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, sour cream, buttermilk and honey. Mix the corn meal, flour, baking powder and salt in another small bowl, then add to the dry ingredients. Stir until just mixed. Stir in the corn kernels and bacon pieces.

Spoon about a teaspoon of bacon grease into each cup of a 12-hole muffin tin. Swirl it around a little, then place the tin in the oven. Heat for about 5 minutes, until the bacon grease is sizzling. Remove the time from the oven, and quickly divide the batter between the cups (I find an ice cream or ¼ cup cookie scoop a good tool for this). Return the pan to the oven, and bake for 10- 12 minutes, until the muffins are golden and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Loosen the muffin edges with a thin knife blade, leave to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 12 muffins

Ah, summer in the South. It is hot as a skillet here, with temperatures topping the 102 degree mark. So there really is no option but to make as much iced tea as possible. For the only real solution to a southern summer (okay, besides air conditioning) is endless glasses of tea.

This brew combines two favorite Southern summer refreshers – sweet tea and ice cold watermelon, with a hint of the mint that is slowly taking over your garden in this heat. Use as much mint as you can manage – big handfuls from your garden, or a couple of those packs you buy in the grocery.

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

3-4 nice leafy stems of mint

For the Tea:

1 family sized tea bag (I like Luzianne)

7 cups boiling water

A few more leafy mint stems

3 pound piece of fresh watermelon

For the mint simple syrup:

Place the water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves then bring to a boil. Boil 3 minutes, then remove from the heat. Drop in the mint leaves and push them down into the syrup. Leave to cool. When cool, pour into an airtight jar and refrigerate. You won’t use all the syrup for this tea.

For the tea:

Place the tea bag and mint stems in a large pitcher. Pour over the boiling water and leave to steep for 8 – 10 minutes, until the tea is a dark amber color. Remove and discard the tea bag and the mint. Leave to cool.

Meanwhile, cut the watermelon flesh into cubes and puree in a blender until smooth. You may need to add a little water to get things moving. Pour the puree into a strainer set over a bowl and gently push the pulp the release the juice. Don’t scrape and push too hard, or your tea will come out to pulpy. You should have about 3 cups of juice. Refrigerate the juice until the tea is cooled.

In a pitcher or jug big enough to handle all the tea, mix the tea and the watermelon juice and stir well. Stir in the mint simple syrup to taste – how much you need depends on how sweet that watermelon is, but you are unlikely to use it all. Remember though that you want it a little sweeter in the pitcher, because the ice will dilute it a bit. Save any extra in the airtight jar in the fridge to sweeten other drinks.. Serve over lots of ice with a sprig of mint.

My love for biscuits has been well and truly established.  And though I will never turn away from a classic Southern buttermilk biscuit, piping hot, slathered with butter, I do occasionally like to veer off the path a bit – but not too far! But with summer blueberry bounty in full swing, I decided to combine my love of biscuits and blueberries for a trip away from the standard muffin.

Blueberry Biscuits

I like a nice big biscuit, but feel free to cut them into smaller squares, just adjust the cooking time accordingly and watch carefully.

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup sugar

1/3 cup cold shortening

¾ cup buttermilk, well-shaken

1 egg

½ cup fresh blueberries

3 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons sugar

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a baking sheet.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.  Cut the shortening into pieces and drop in the mixer. Mix until the flour and shortening are blended together and look grainy.

Measure out the buttermilk and crack in the egg.  Beat lightly to blend.  With mixer running, add the buttermilk to the dry ingredients and mix until the dough comes together.  It will be a soft, floppy dough.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board and sprinkle a little flour over the top.  With well-floured hands, knead in the blueberries, doing your best to distribute them throughout the dough.  If the dough is too wet to work with, you can work in a little more flour, but this is meant to be a sticky dough.  With floured hands, gently pat the dough into a rectangle about 4 by 8 inches.  Flour a knife or bench scraper and cut the dough into eight squares.  Carefully transfer the biscuits to the greased baking sheet. 

Bake the biscuits until risen and golden on the edges, 8 – 12 minutes, watching closely.

While the biscuits are cooking, melt the butter in a small saucepan or the microwave.  Stir in the sugar and nutmeg until you have a thick paste.  The sugar will not dissolve completely.

When the biscuits are done, remove from the oven and immediately brush the tops with the butter and sugar mixture.  Coat the biscuits well, but you may not use all the topping.  Leave to cool on the pan.

Because of the sweet buttery, sugary topping, these biscuits do not keep well, so it’s best to make them the day you plan to serve.

Makes 8 biscuits

I happen to think that an icy gin and tonic is the most refreshing simple summer cocktail. Two ingredients, lots of ice, and a squeeze of lime and happy hour begins. Perhaps it reminds me of punting parties in the park when I was a student at Oxford, or makes me feel sophisticated because my elegant grandmother ordered them when we traveled.  It is my go to drink at parties or before restaurant dinners.

Cucumbers make a great underused garnish for cocktails, it’s fresh fragrance a real pleasure when you bring the glass to your lips.  I recently added a little drained cucumber juice leftover from another recipe to an evening gin and loved the bright combo.  That led to this – fresh, cold frozen cucumber ice cubes floating in a sparkling gin and tonic. Clearly, you could use these cubes in any drink – even a cold glass of water would benefit.  Obviously, the size of your ice cube tray will determine how many cubes you get from this, but it should be enough for several cocktails. If you are having a party, make a double or triple batch of cubes.  I recommend only three or four cubes per drink, as they do melt and add some texture to the cocktail.  Supplement with regular ice cubes if you prefer a really cold drink.  Starting with cold tonic can help as well.  And of course, how much gin you use is up to you!

Cucumber Mint Gin and Tonic

For the Ice Cubes:

1 seedless (English) cucumber

10 mint leaves

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

pinch of salt

For each drink:

1 ounce gin (I prefer Hendrick’s)

Tonic water to top

Mint sprigs for garnish

Cut the cucumber into small chunks and drop into a blender.  Top with the mint leaves, sugar and salt and add a little water to get things going.  Puree the cucumber and mint until smooth.  You may need to press down on the cucumbers to get them into the blades.  Add a little more water if needed.  Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and pour in the cucumber puree.  Leave the puree to sit and drain into the bowl for about half an hour.  You can shake the strainer, but don’t press down on the solids.  The mixture will become cloudy and pulpy – and you don’t want your drink to become too thick as the ice melts.  Pour the liquid into a 2-cup measuring cup (you should have about 1 cup of liquid).  Add enough water to make two cups.  Pour the cucumber juice into ice cube trays and freeze until solid.  Don’t throw away the pulp from the cucumbers, it’s great stirred into Greek yogurt to make a dip for fresh vegetables.

Place three to four cucumber cubes into a double old fashioned glass and add the gin, pour over the tonic and add a mint sprig.  Enjoy!

I have waxed poetic about my love for fresh blackberries before, with my Tennessee Blackberry Jam Cake, and at this time of year, when the big juicy berries are all over the farmers markets, I can hardly resist.  I find that I buy way more than I can consume on their own, sprinkled with a little sugar.  Luckily, they are amazing in baked goods like these tender muffins.  A generous grating of orange zest and a good dose of orange juice are a perfect foil for the sweet-tart berries, subtle but not overpowering.

Turbinado sugar is a large-grained raw light brown sugar that is perfect for spinkling over baked goods, as it gives a sweet, crackly finish.  You can find turbinado sugar in bulk at many stores, so buy just enough to keep on hand for baking.  You can use plain white granulated sugar here, but it won’t give the same crunchy, rich top.

Blackberry Orange Muffins

Paper liners are best with these muffins, as some berries will stick to the side of the pan.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Grated rind of one orange

1 egg

½ cup butter, melted and cooled

½ cup fresh orange juice (from 1 – 2 navel oranges)

2 cups fresh blackberries

Turbinado or granulated sugar for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, nutmeg and orange rind together with a fork to combine and aerate.  In another bowl, lightly beat the egg, then add the melted butter and orange juice.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, pour in the wet ingredients and gently fold until just mixed.  For a light muffin, don’t over mix.  A few streaks of dry ingredients is okay at this point.  Gently fold in the blackberries.

Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups.  Sprinkle the tops of each muffin generously with a nice topping of turbinado sugar.  Bake the muffins for 15- 20 minutes, until puffed and golden and a tested inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs clinging to it.  Cool the muffins in the pan for 3 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.

 Makes 12 muffins

The iconic S’more.  That memory-provoking piece of gooey, melty childhood – summer camp, the Fourth of July, beach bonfires.  I am not the first to re-imagine the s’more in a slightly less drippy, sticky and potentially hazardous form, but perhaps I am the laziest.  The portable, storable S’more cookies need only six ingredients, one bowl to mix and a few minutes to bake.  But they are a little bite of all that is good about summer.  Kids can absolutely help make these, and have no doubt they will help devouring them!

S’More Cookies

These cookies will keep in an airtight container for several days, but good luck keeping them that long.

12 ounces milk chocolate chips

5 Tablespoons butter

1 cup flour

½ cup light brown sugar, tightly packed

1 egg

3 graham cracker sheets

½ cup mini marshmallows

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with silicone liners or parchment paper.  The melty marshmallows make these sticky.

Place 6 ounces of the chocolate chips and the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave on high for 2 minutes, then remove and stir the chocolate until smooth and melted.  Add the flour and sugar and stir with a fork, then add the egg and continue stirring until smooth. The mixture will be very thick, but will loosen when the egg is added.

Place the graham cracker sheets in a bag and pop them with your fingers to break them into pieces.  You want small pieces here, not crumbs. Stir the remaining chocolate chips, the graham cracker pieces and the marshmallows into the batter, stirring to combine.

Using a tablespoon and your clean finger, scoop the dough onto cookie sheets, making sure the ingredients are evenly distributed.  Flatten the mounds slightly and bake for 7-9 minutes, until the edges have set but the centers are slightly undercooked.

Leave to cool completely on the baking sheets.  If the cookies have spread and lost their shape in some places, you can use the back of a flat knife to push in the overflow while still hot.

Makes 18 cookies

I remember a delicious quick bread popular when I was kid, sweet and cinnamony with nice pockets of gooey strawberry.  I think I even remember making it myself at some point.  So I went looking for recipes, and they all contained frozen berries in syrup – some even used cake mix or pudding mix.  But I thought surely I could do better than that.  Fresh, in-season, local strawberries are one of life’s great pleasures, so why muck them up with chemicals and additives and fake gunk.

So here is my new result – sweet, fresh, spiced bread perfect for breakfast, or tea, or even dessert. 

Fresh Strawberry Bread

10 ounces stemmed and sliced fresh strawberries

1 cup plus 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 eggs

½ cup vegetable oil

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Sliced the strawberries and place in a bowl.  Sprinkle over the 3 Tablespoons of sugar and toss to thoroughly coat the berries.  Leave to macerate for several hours, until there is plenty of juice at the bottom of the bowl. Drain the berries, reserving the juice.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8 ½ x 4 ½ x 3 inch loaf pan.

Mix the flour, remaining 1 cup sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Add the eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla and mix until just combined.  Fold in the drained strawberry slices, distributing evenly.  Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a tester inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean.

Remove the loaf from the oven and poke holes all over the top with a skewer or thin knife.  Drizzle about ¼ cup of reserved strawberry juice over the top of the bread, allowing it to soak in.  Loosen the cake from the sides of the pan with a thin knife and leave to cool in the pan.

Makes 1 loaf

This year, for the first time, I noticed vendors at the local farmers market selling garlic scapes. Garlic scapes are the greens that shoot off the top of a variety of garlic.  They have a milder, garlicky flavor.  They are long, green, and have a bulbous head at the top.  I had heard of scapes, but never used them and as I am intrigued by anything garlic related, I bought a bunch.  With my first purchase, I made a pesto – just puréed scapes with olive oil, lemon juice and parmesan cheese (I just Googled a recipe).  I used it on pasta, on a pizza and on some toasted bread with a fried egg on top and it was delicious.  I picked up the next round intending to do the same thing, put holding those scapes, feeling the woody ends and craving Asian food, I figured maybe I could whip up something special and unique.  And I must say I was inordinately pleased with myself.

Garlic Scape Beef Satay Skewers

You could easily use chicken with these skewers, but the cooking time will obviously be shorter.

1 bunch garlic scapes (about 6 scapes)

½ inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled

Juice of one lime

Handful of cilantro leaves

About 10 mint leaves

A few Thai basil leaves (optional)

¼ cup soy sauce

3 Tablespoons sesame oil

1 pound beef round, cut into equal-sized chunks

Make scape skewers by cutting the woody ends off of six scapes.  Cut the ends into sharp points. Set aside.

Cut three of the scape top pieces (about 8 inches) and the ginger into small pieces and drop in a blender. Add the lime juice, cilantro, mint and basil leaves and the soy sauce.  Blend until a paste forms – the scapes are woody, so this takes a little work and scraping down of the sides of the blender.  With the blender running, drizzle in the sesame oil and blend until smooth.  Pour the marinade into a ziptop bag and add the beef cubes.  Seal the bag and shake everything around to coat the beef.  Refrigerate for several hours, turning once or twice.

When ready to cook, heat the grill or a grill pan to high heat.  Thread the beef onto the scape skewers.  If needed, you can cut a small slit in each beef chunk to slide the skewer through.  Grill the skewers until the beef is cooked through, about 10 minutes

Garlic Scape Satay Sauce

3  (8-inch pieces) of garlic scape

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup coconut milk

3 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon hot sauce

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Cut the scapes into small pieces and add to the blender with all the ingredients.  Blend until smooth.  Serve with Garlic Scape Beef Satay Skewers.

 Makes 6 skewers

I love Southern field peas or of all kinds. Crowders, lady, purple hulls, cream peas, black-eyed, pink-eyed, you name it.  And at the beginning of summer, when they show up at the farmer’s market in abundance, I grab them up. I stand around with all the kids, watching them shoot out of the big shelling machine, ready to scoop into paper bags to carry home. 

This recipe, in some ways, goes against everything I believe in.  Peas in a pot with pork.  But I figured I should try something different – even vegetarian.  Peppers and field peas go well together – I frequently throw one in the pot with the pork.  But simmering the fresh peas in a flavorful, peppery broth and stirring through the piquant puree creates a complex dish with enough flavor that you won’t even miss the pork.  I’m a little silly with the alliteration, but you can use any field pea here.

Pink-Eyed Pea Pepper Pot

If you are the spicy type, feel free to add more chile peppers to the broth, though you may want to remove the extras before pureeing.

1 red chile pepper

1 red bell pepper

1 medium sweet yellow onion

4 cloves garlic

½ teaspoon black peppercorns

2 pounds fresh pink-eyed peas

Red pepper hot sauce (I like Crystal Louisiana Hot Sauce)

Place 6 cups of water in a heavy pot.  Remove the stem and seeds from both peppers, cut into chunks and drop into the water.  Add the quartered onion, garlic cloves and peppercorns.  Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for an hour.

Strain the broth, reserving the solids, and return the liquid to the pan.  Add the peas, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the peas are tender, about 30 – 45  minutes. While the peas are simmering, place the reserved solids from the broth in a blender.  Add about ½ cup of the liquid with the peas and puree until smooth.  Push the puree through the strainer to remove any whole peppercorns and tough pepper skin.

When the peas are tender, drain off the cooking liquid.  Return the peas to the pot and stir in the pepper puree.  Liberally salt the peas to taste, and add a dash or two of hot sauce.  Heat to warm through.  Serve hot.

Serves 4- 6

Want some peas with pork? Check out Black-Eyed Peas for Luck and Southern Girl Butter Beans