This weekend marks the unofficial beginning of summer. That means vacations and swimming and long, lazy days and all sorts of good things. But, for my part of the world at least, it also means heat and humidity. So a tall, cool drink is always in order. There is just something so refreshing about tangy lemonade, and at this time of year, with the mint plants beginning to … [Read more...] about Freshly Minted Lemonade
Chilled Pea Soup with Tendrils and Pods
I was a latecomer to the joy of peas. And I think that may be because, like many people, my first introduction to peas was the canned variety. Mushy, salty, gray-green and generally unappetizing. And so time consuming to pick out of a casserole or pot pie, segregating them on one side of the plate, trying to keep them from rolling back into the good stuff. Frozen peas came … [Read more...] about Chilled Pea Soup with Tendrils and Pods
Honeysuckle Cordial
I have an unruly privet hedge. I know it can look a little shaggy and overgrown. I know my neighbor doesn’t like it. Landscapers have tried to clean out my hedge, make it neat and groomed. But at the end of April every year, and again, briefly, in September, that privet is wildly overrun with honeysuckle. And I adore honeysuckle. I stand in the driveway in the … [Read more...] about Honeysuckle Cordial
Pickled Asparagus
The spring brunch season starts with Easter, then moves onto graduation parties, wedding parties and long vacation weekends. That’s where this recipe comes from. It was a request for Easter brunch – pickled asparagus to garnish Bloody Marys. I of course complied. Because quick pickles like these are so easy, but add a very special touch. I happened to find the baby … [Read more...] about Pickled Asparagus
Strawberry Buttermilk Cupcakes with Buttermilk Vanilla Frosting
I love strawberry season. Not only do I finally get my hands on delicious berries, but it really means the start of delicious farmers market produce. I only buy strawberries in season. I know you can get them all year round now, but I don’t like the watery, hothouse types, or ones flown in from far away under ripe, then left to over-ripen and become sodden in plastic … [Read more...] about Strawberry Buttermilk Cupcakes with Buttermilk Vanilla Frosting
