A platter salad meal is just the thing for these in between times. Not the full heat of summer, but not the cool kiss of fall either. The bulk of the summer fresh produce is fading but the winter squashes and apples aren’t quite here. Not quite time for soups and stews. And it tends to be the best time of year for eating outside, as the days get a little bit fresher. A big, … [Read more...] about Barbecue Chicken Platter Salad
Fruit and Vegetables
Street Corn Salad with Fresh Corn Mayonnaise
I posted a street corn salad recipe in 2011, and frankly it was a pretty new idea at the time (though I am sure not in Mexico). Since then, the idea of street corn, or elotes – corn slathered in mayonnaise with lime juice, chili seasoning and rolled in crumbled cotija cheese – has really taken off. It’s everywhere. All over the internet, in dips you buy at the grocery store, a … [Read more...] about Street Corn Salad with Fresh Corn Mayonnaise
Blackberry Swirl Brownies
Blackberries and chocolate are not a combination that pops into mind readily. I think we tend to think summer and fruit and light and bright. But they make a wonderful pair, rich deep chocolate with the dusky purple winey-ness of the berries. Last summer, I pulled together this Chocolate Blackberry Cake with Red Wine, all majestic, lush flavors and the idea has kind of stuck … [Read more...] about Blackberry Swirl Brownies
Fresh Peach Bars
Fresh summer peaches are the best sweet I know. And I am always testing out new ways to make the most of them. And I think this is a pretty novel one. A bouncy layer of peach-rich curd baked on a sugar cookie crust. Not quite like a lemon bar, but in the general vicinity. But the real bonus right in the middle of a hot and busy summer is how easy these are to make. Spin up the … [Read more...] about Fresh Peach Bars
Sweet Corn Cheesecake with a Popcorn Crust
One of the great joys of summer is truly fresh corn, right from the field to the market. Those fresh kernels, so soon after being picked, are sweet and juicy and bursting. I gorge myself in July and August, from corn puddings to salads, but of course right of the cob smothered in butter and salt. But I think the sweet side is too often overlooked in favor of … [Read more...] about Sweet Corn Cheesecake with a Popcorn Crust
