Hoppin’ John is a traditional southern dish of rice and black-eyed peas traditionally served on New Year’s Day to guarantee prosperity in the new year. That hearty, warming dish is in my New Year’s Day rotation, usually made with black-eyed peas I bought at the farmers market and put up in the freezer during the summer. Black-eyed peas are traditional on New Years, but they are … [Read more...] about Hoppin’ John Salad with Bourbon Sorghum Vinaigrette
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Mint Julep Vinaigrette
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
Slow Cooker Creamy Corn with Bacon, Green Onions and Bourbon
My family has a farm in Arkansas, rice and soybeans mostly, but a few other crops. One year, when I was maybe ten or twelve, my dad and a fellow farmer decided to experiment with corn. So on a little corner of the farm, they planted a couple of varieties. When it came in, he brought home paper grocery sacks of corn all summer. My mother spent that summer shucking corn and using … [Read more...] about Slow Cooker Creamy Corn with Bacon, Green Onions and Bourbon
Blackberry Cobbler with Bourbon Sauce
I call this dish a cobbler, but I know that description can be controversial. I served this dish to my family, and as the spoons scraped the plates, a discussion came up about what is a cobbler exactly. We each described different types of dishes, and went through all the other names for similar dishes – grunt, buckle, crumble, slump, betty…When the plates were clean and the … [Read more...] about Blackberry Cobbler with Bourbon Sauce
Bourbon Grilled Flat-Iron Steak with Southern Bacon Bourbon Butter
When I was a teenager, I loved to entertain (I still do). I thought I was a real gourmet, because I knew how to cook – no help from my mom. We used to have other families for dinner, and sometimes I’d have dinner parties for friends. My favorite meal was flank steak in teriyaki marinade. I probably served it 100 times, never thinking that the guests … [Read more...] about Bourbon Grilled Flat-Iron Steak with Southern Bacon Bourbon Butter
