Every once in awhile, you absolutely stumble over an idea that makes you feel like a real culinary wizard. This is one of those for me. I was having some friends over to grill burgers. I made a few dishes and I’d picked up some amazing produce at the farmers market, including some beautiful butter lettuces. I had a master plan, but at the last minute, I realized I needed a … [Read more...] about Mint Julep Vinaigrette
Soup and Salads
Sweet Potato Vichyssoise
I adore chilled soups during the hot summer months and often wonder why restaurants don’t serve more of them, or people make them more often. Nothing could be more refreshing, and filling. Make a big batch of cold soup and keep it in the fridge for quick lunches, cooling snack or part of a simple salad or sandwich supper. I often make a big pot of classic white potato and … [Read more...] about Sweet Potato Vichyssoise
Old Fashioned Chicken Salad with Cooked Dressing
I am a late in life lover of chicken salad. As a child, I had an aversion to this type of mixed up dish coated in dressing – I felt they were primarily tools my mom used to hide things I didn’t want to eat. I was always concerned that chicken salad or casseroles were stealthy ways to get me to eat my vegetables. But I got over that as an adult, in part because I reached a stage … [Read more...] about Old Fashioned Chicken Salad with Cooked Dressing
Sweet Citrus Sauce for Fruit
Serving fruit to a group of guests can present a challenge. We’ve all seen that desultory grocery store platter of chunked fruit languishing away at the lonely end of the buffet table. There’s always the carved watermelon basket with balls of melon, but that is way to much work for me. I have never been a fan of savory dressing for fruit salads – those mustard and poppy seed … [Read more...] about Sweet Citrus Sauce for Fruit
Roasted Asparagus Mimosa
The true culinary harbinger of Spring – asparagus. When the tender stems push their way up through the dirt and out to the market, I really feel like we can start celebrating spring. Asparagus on the plate and buttercups in a vase mean soft days and gentle nights before the heat of summer truly starts. Color comes back, and the gray days of winter are behind us. Asparagus … [Read more...] about Roasted Asparagus Mimosa
