Blueberries are in season. Are you hungry for cake, pie or bars? This Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars recipe has all those wishes covered. Crust and filling like a pie, tangy lemony cream cheese middle like cheesecake. Equally important, this spring dessert is crafted as bars to cut whatever size serving your heart desires. Continue reading
Zucchini is one of the last local summer vegetables at the roadside stands. Slick green squash batons keep company on the racks with many-hued fall squashes, smooth and warty, solid and spotted and striped. Continue reading
Until I tested this recipe, I had never had tomato pie. It’s apparently a southern thing, but I missed class that day. Countless versions exist in the vast online recipe wilderness. At last, I decided to fly bind and create something I would like to enjoy and serve guests. My goal was a marriage between pimento cheese and a savory tart with shortbread crust, using the last of the local tomatoes. Here is my version. Continue reading
Simple is best. A nice piece of fish, prepared well, with summer’s bounty of local vegetables : that’s a perfect meal. Today’s recipe honors the last of fresh corn season. Virginia sweet corn is starting to peter out, but fortunately colorful autumn fruits and vegetables are taking its place at the stands. Continue reading
Eating light and cooking minimally go together well. This recipe for shrimp and summer vegetable lettuce cups is colorful, light, easy and versatile as appetizer or entree. You can also customize for spicy heat, types of vegetables and different proteins. Use this as your summer template. Continue reading
A summer cocktail with the subtle, yet distinctive, flavors of cucumber and rosewater requires a special spirit. Sugarcane-based rum is too sweet and tequila from the agave plant is too strong. Continue reading
Hot soups are for cold weather comfort. Chilled soups, like this Fresh Corn Vichyssoise, are for days when it’s too hot to even consider dining alfresco. So sit under your ceiling fan in your air-conditioned home and enjoy a simple make ahead soup featuring summer corn. Continue reading
Morning on a hot and sultry weekend. Hanging around the house for late breakfast appeals more than dressing for brunch at a cafe. You have all the fixings for a light breakfast, except muffins. If you have an ear of fresh corn and some summer berries, you will likely also have the basics for baking. Prep these Raspberry Fresh Corn Muffins the night before. After a quick stir and bake, you will enjoy warm fluffy fruit filled treats in the comfort of your home. Any left may be frozen to enjoy later. Continue reading
Spring salads lead to lighter eating for the upcoming summer season. It’s time to step away from heavy foods and crunch into bright, crispy seasonal fruits and vegetables. This Strawberry Sugar Snap Salad has plenty of color and crunch. Moreover, the heady Thai basil dressing and peanuts take this pretty salad in a more exotic direction. Continue reading
Basil tastes lively right up until that first chilly night, when wilted leaves the next morning means revival is futile. Likewise, the time for stone fruits is over until next year. Basil Plum Cocktail, with fruit infused vodka and basil simple syrup, is our goodbye to autumn warmth . Continue reading