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
farmers market
Saucy Peach and Blueberry Cobbler
Peaches and blueberries are the perfect example of the old saw “what grows together, goes together.” Fuzzy, rose-tinted peaches and dusky hued blueberries make their appearance at the farmers market at the same time, trumpeting the height of summer fruit season. I love fruit cobbler, the traditional peach being a favorite, and I have basically used the same recipe since I … [Read more...] about Saucy Peach and Blueberry Cobbler
Strawberry Mint Vinaigrette
It’s always nice to whip up a simple, homemade dressing for a salad, and this one is really special. A little sweet from the berries with the nice summery hit of mint. And it’s a great way to use up some berries lingering in the fridge. I love it on a salad of fresh butter lettuce tossed with slice strawberries, salty feta or goat cheese and crunchy pecans. It also goes … [Read more...] about Strawberry Mint Vinaigrette
Hot Milk Cake and Strawberry Caramel Sauce
Leaf through the pages of any old Southern community cookbook, and you are likely to come across a version of this cake. And it might not draw your eye, being so plain and simple. I am sure I flipped past many times before I actually stopped to read one. But once I get intrigued, I search these recipes out and combine, refine and test them until I have an updated version … [Read more...] about Hot Milk Cake and Strawberry Caramel Sauce
Creamy Fennel Gratin
Fennel is a new addition to my local farmers market. That’s the great thing about the rise of these local markets. Customers ask, farmers grow. Last year, it was a few experimental bulbs, this year it’s big bins of them. When I saw them last year, I was quick to pick up as many as I could and start experimenting. I love adding fennel to the vegetables that start a soup or … [Read more...] about Creamy Fennel Gratin
