I love a dish that looks elegant and skillful, but in actual fact is a breeze to knock together. And this tart fits the bill. It plays into that fantasy of one those supposedly last minute dinner parties pictured in glossy magazines, where a pair of perfectly matched hosts and a group of soigné guests, none of whom appear to have eaten a dessert their entire life, … [Read more...] about Blueberry Country Tart with Buttermilk Whipped Cream
Squash Blossom Bisque
After last summer’s successful experiment with Squash Blossom Pesto, I have been thinking all winter of other ways to use the lovely summer blooms, and soup is the perfect choice. This lovely, bright, sunny soup is very simple – I experimented with more complicated versions, using garlic and herbs and other ingredients, but I find too many elements mask the fresh, lightly … [Read more...] about Squash Blossom Bisque
Coronation Chicken Salad
This weekend, Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her Diamond Jubilee – sixty years on the throne. When she was crowned (she became Queen when her father died in 1952, but the coronation was June 5, 1953), Britain was still recovering from the wartime devastation, and rationing was still in effect for many foods. But it was, of course, necessary to create and elegant meal to serve … [Read more...] about Coronation Chicken Salad
Summertime Mint Dressing
If I could create my own personal fragrance, or have some sort of mechanism that made everywhere I go have a certain happy, peaceful scent, the primary element would be fresh garden mint. It smells like summer to me. And sweet tea. And the South. And all good things. I suppose the variety is technically spearmint, but I think of it as Southern mint. I have always grown … [Read more...] about Summertime Mint Dressing
Buttermilk Pecan Chicken with Herb Cream Gravy
I am a devotee of the transformative powers of buttermilk. It makes chicken tender and biscuits light. Cakes have a fine crumb and dressings a nice tang. I use buttermilk whenever I can, and I go out of my way to buy the best, farm-fresh buttermilk available. I make biscuits of all sorts, marinate chicken for frying and whip up desserts galore, from Buttermilk Pie to … [Read more...] about Buttermilk Pecan Chicken with Herb Cream Gravy
