Category Archives: summer

Spring Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

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june 13, 2018

spring quinoa breakfast bowl

A friend recently consulted a nutritionist who advised her to eat like a king at breakfast, a prince at lunch and a pauper at dinner. I get it—we really should start our day with a hearty meal and end the day lightly to promote restful sleep and sensible habits. Can’t say I always eat a light dinner unless I’m dining at home because evenings out are my favorite type of entertainment and I want a little of everything! Small plates rule, I say. But let’s not examine my habits too closely unless we’re talking about breakfast. Big breakfasts are my thing, whether we’re serving breakfast tostadas or a breakfast salad or a loaded smoothie bowl. No sweet pastry for me. Continue reading →

Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette

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may 30, 2018

vidalia onion vinaigrette

 

Sweet Vidalia onions are back in season and I’m putting them to good use. Know how they say you can eat them raw? Ever tried that? Me neither, but their mild flavor allows them to take up residence in salads, salsas and sandwiches without imparting a strong oniony aftertaste. You have nothing to fear from this seasonal salad dressing in the way of offending others!

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Strawberry Tarragon Lime Cocktail

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may 17, 2018

strawberry tarragon lime cocktail

And just like that, it’s summer. We may have a month to go by the calendar, but when the temperature climbs and air conditioners kick on ( with more than a little grumbling that it’s May, dangit, and why can’t we wait until June?), we long for great outdoor dining adventures. Pretty lights strung up between trees, the first fireflies of the season and a light breeze rustling the leafy trees. Yep, it’s time to dine and entertain on the deck, in the yard and on the screen porch.

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Strawberry Banana Walnut Ice Cream

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may 9, 2018

strawberry walnut ice cream

 

 

An early summer memory of growing up in the South involved banana ice cream. My mom and I would sit under a fragrant magnolia tree on the side porch, watching heat lightning, in floral cotton nightgowns, enjoying what we deemed homemade banana ice cream. In actuality, we simply smashed a ripe banana and mixed it with soft vanilla ice cream so the term “homemade” is relative. Continue reading →

Sausage Cheese Vegetable Bake

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september 29, 2017

sausage cheese vegetable bake

For several years, my client menus have included something I like to call Summer’s Bounty Vegetable Bake with Italian Sausage Tomato Sauce and Cheeses. That’s a mouthful, both literally and figuratively. It’s my homage to farmer’s market and roadside stand vegetables, roasted and nestled between layers of meaty tomato sauce and gooey cheese. For my vegetarian clients, the dish is made without sausage and substituted with nuts. For a vegan version, there are some tasty soy based products that perform like sliced mozzarella and various vegan parmesan-like sprinkles found at local natural markets. Continue reading →

Zucchini Walnut Spice Cake

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september 15, 2017

zucchini walnut spice cake

You know who you are. You’re that coworker, that neighbor, that friend who pokes around in your late summer garden and notices that the zucchini are big like kiddie baseball bats, and also numerous. What to do? You give them away. Your recipients scratch their heads and murmur thanks, wondering what will become of this summer squash on steroids and how they can possibly transform it into something edible. Knock on my door and I’ll be your best buddy! And if I’m feeling particularly magnanimous I’ll give you a slice of this cake.

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Green Tea Chia Parfaits

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september 1, 2017

green tea chia parfaits

 

Brain food is anything that delivers mental clarity, won’t cause you to crash after eating and is a better overall choice. Notice I avoid categorizing brain food as healthy or “good for you”. Nothing preachy here. Guilt associated with eating is not my thing. All things in moderation. For powering up the old Thinker, picture lentils, beans, grilled fish and anything under the banner of Mediterranean cuisine. For breakfast, I’m loving chia seed pudding made with coconut milk and the anti-oxidant power of green tea. Add local stone fruits and  you have an entire meal of brain-boosting tastiness.

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Grilled Chicken and Nectarine Salad

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august 18, 2017

grilled chicken and nectarine salad

 

My favorite event in culinary training was market basket day, when we were asked to craft a multi-course meal from items in the basket. A similar concept shows up on cooking competition shows these days, only the time crunch is more exaggerated. We had most of a morning to come up with creative turns on, for example, red peppers/whole chicken/shallots/apples.I was always astounded at the level of creativity of my classmates and the dozens of different ways simple items could be transformed into dishes with complex flavors and showstopping presentation. When I make a new monthly menu for The Good Eats Company clients, I may look around and see what surplus items might be made into savory and sweet entries on the menu. Lots of walnuts? Time for walnut chocolate caramel tart, and perhaps a walnut crusted roasted fish.  Continue reading →

Tomato Eggplant Stacks

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august 4, 2017

tomato eggplant stacks

 

Remember the vertical food craze — towering foods precariously perched on plates and daring you to topple them with puny knives and forks? Pretty to behold, but not always practical to eat without messing up tablecloths and clothing. Intimidating and not always user friendly. These stacks are not like that. Continue reading →

Ginger Peach Sherbet

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july 21, 2017

ginger peach sherbet

When I was a little kid, barely able to see over the ice cream counter, my dad gave me a few coins on a Saturday morning and I would leisurely walk to the neighborhood High’s Ice Cream to buy a sherbet cone. I loved the tanginess of orange and lime, and the pretty pastels of rainbow sherbet.What really shows my age is that back then you could buy a frozen treat with coins and that my parents let me walk to a store half a mile away! I’m taking a trip down memory lane by sharing this recipe for summer peach sherbet, with the added flavor of ginger for my grown up tastes. Continue reading →