Vichysquash, or Squashyssoise? Yep, this all started because of the name. I saw a recipe for Vichysquash years ago, and loved the silly name, but it called for canned creamed soup, which has never appealed to me. The idea stuck though, and when I see the glut of yellow crookneck squash piling up at the farmers market, I always think of this soup. I’ve tinkered … [Read more...] about Vichysquash: Cold Crookneck and Buttermilk Soup
Southern specialties
Freshly Minted Lemonade
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
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
Southern Pecan Salad Dressing
The main attraction in these early days of the farmers markets here is the wide variety of lettuces and salad greens. But I skip right past those stalls, because this year I have a big beautiful, bed of lettuces in my own backyard, with a little help from Bennett-Burk Farm. I have eaten lettuce every day, and passed on large amounts to family and friends. With all this … [Read more...] about Southern Pecan Salad Dressing
