In the heat of late summer, I am all about the ice box pie. No ovens, no stoves, minimal work. This margarita version is a riff on a Mexican Carlota cake, using sweetened condensed milk for sweetness and body, and a nice dose of tequila to rev things up. This really couldn’t be easier and the payoff if fantastic. I usually serve it just with a sprinkling of lime zest and maybe … [Read more...] about Margarita Ice Box Cake
summer
Seasoned Butter Beans and Smoked Sausage
I have probably said in every recipe I have ever written for summer field peas how much I love them. And though horticulturally butter beans (or lima beans if you must) are not field peas, I lump them together because they are such a part of the summer farmers market, in their little baggies next to the crowders, purple hulls, lady, creamers and zippers. I was asked recently … [Read more...] about Seasoned Butter Beans and Smoked Sausage
Curried Corn Salad
Fresh off the cob corn is one of my very favorite summer treats. Cobs boiled in water or milk, slathered in butter, kernels sliced from the cob sautéed in butter and cream, corn pudding, and of course a sprightly salad. I gorge myself on fresh corn in the summer months (and freeze some to savor in the winter). I tend to think of corn as a uniquely American vegetable and … [Read more...] about Curried Corn Salad
Chocolate Blackberry Cake with Red Wine
In summer, I tend to gravitate toward desserts that are fruit forward and maybe a little lighter. I am not going to try and claim Peach Bourbon Pound Cake or Blueberry Buttermilk Bread Pudding are diet food, they are just less intense. But I go all out here with a deep, decadent chocolate cake tinged with dusky blackberries and rich red wine. The I top it off with a thick, … [Read more...] about Chocolate Blackberry Cake with Red Wine
Tagliata Italian Summer Grilled Steak
Talgiata is not a complicated or fancy recipe. It is just a really great guide for a lovely grilled steak meal, perfect for a relaxed long weekend. It’s neither complicated to prepare, so you are not wasting valuable time in the kitchen, nor difficult to cook so you can still gather around the grill for a beer and a good chat. Whip up the marinade and tuck in the steak before … [Read more...] about Tagliata Italian Summer Grilled Steak