My love of field peas has been declared far and wide. I generally grab bags from the farmers market, put some up in the freezer for a mid-winter summer meal. Then I throw some in my field pea pot with whatever pork product I have around. Salt pork, bacon, country ham, fatback. My summer Saturday dinner. But not so with lady peas. Lady peas are delicate and dainty – I am … [Read more...] about Butter Braised Lady Peas and Buttermilk Hoe Cakes
Vegetables
Southern Baked Shelly Beans
My go to baked bean dish for many years has been my Brilliant Baked Beans made with a variety of canned beans. And I love those beans. But eventually, I started fiddling around with dried beans to recreate memories of New England style baked beans I’d enjoyed when I lived in the area. I like those too. Then I started to find fresh shelly beans and October beans at … [Read more...] about Southern Baked Shelly Beans
Blistered Tomato Sauce
Quick, simple and delicious. What more could you want in a summer meal? The trick here is that blistering the tomatoes gives them a rich, almost slow-roasted taste. I love this with the Italianate taste of oregano, but basil or thyme work wonderfully well too. I generally serve this over pasta, but it makes a great topping for bruschetta or a pizza. Blistered Tomato … [Read more...] about Blistered Tomato Sauce
Squash Blossom Quesadillas with Summer Squash Salsa
I love squash blossoms, as I have said before. So imagine my delight on my recent trip to Tepotzlan in the central mountains of Mexico, to find squash blossoms used in a huge variety of dishes. I had freshly made quesadillas with Oaxaca cheese for breakfast each morning, and stalls in the market offered sautéed squash blossoms as an add-in for tacos. The … [Read more...] about Squash Blossom Quesadillas with Summer Squash Salsa
Panzanella Bake
Panzanella a genius example of creative leftover usage. It’s a classic Tuscan salad of stale bread and over-ripe tomatoes, tossed with basil and moistened with olive oil and vinegar. But the beautiful colors and bright fresh flavors make it elegantly simple, the kind of food you imagine yourself throwing together if you lived in a stone house in the Italian hills. This is … [Read more...] about Panzanella Bake
