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
mint
Sweet Tea Jelly
Canning is my summer time obsession. From the first strawberries of spring to the last pears of fall, I spend my weekends putting up my famers market bounty. Then the market closes for the season, I put the canner back in the pantry and shelf the jars for the next year. But at some point, in the dark days of winter, I get the slight canning bug. I don’t particularly see the … [Read more...] about Sweet Tea Jelly
Sweet Tea Cookies
The flavor of sweet tea is the flavor of the South. With the wafting aroma of mint and the tang of lemon, with that tooth-achingly sweet depth. I love to transform those flavors into many forms, from bourbon punches to sorbet to these cookies. They are redolent with those iconic flavors. The texture of these cookies is really that of a classic Southern tea cake, but I just … [Read more...] about Sweet Tea Cookies
Zucchini Lemon Muffin Gems
Classic zucchini bread is a summer staple for anyone who has a garden or frequents the farmers market. I always seem to have one extra zucchini lying around. But I find the typical spiced zucchini bread recipe, though delicious, a little heavy in summer, so I adapted a classic English lemon drizzle bread recipe to include zucchini in cute little mini-bite form. These little … [Read more...] about Zucchini Lemon Muffin Gems
Watermelon, Cucumber and Mint Sorbet
I generally think a cold slice of watermelon is the most refreshing treat on a hot summer’s day. I also cool myself off with a tall glass of water infused with cucumber. Blend these two together, add the summer taste of fresh mint and freeze them and consider yourself refreshed. This is just plain good, but also makes an elegant simple dessert for a dinner party. And you can … [Read more...] about Watermelon, Cucumber and Mint Sorbet