White Asparagus with a Brown Butter Vinaigrette - plus 6 more favorite asparagus recipes

Everyone knows green asparagus, but it’s not often you find white asparagus. We’ve found it each time we visit France in early spring, but it’s a specialty here in the States. Luckily I just happen to find a nice bundle at our local Publix the other and promptly put it in my cart. Of course the color white makes it unique, but it is also milder and more delicate than the green variety. To me it has very faint hint of fresh artichoke flavor.

White asparagus is intentionally white because it’s kept from turning green. We’ve been told (in Provence) that the farmers cover the asparagus in the early spring before it sprouts to keep out the light and thus it is white instead of green. Cooking it is not any different that cooking the green variety. If the stalks are tough, you’ll want to peel them of course; otherwise just trim off the tough ends and poach them in softly boiling water for about 5 to 6 minutes.

When we were in Provence last year, I found this recipe on line at Gastronomer’s Guide for white asparagus served in a brown butter vinaigrette. Of course you could also make a Hollandaise sauce for the asparagus, but the savory brown butter vinaigrette with fresh lemons and sherry vinegar lends an air of freshness that a heavy Hollandaise would not. You’ll notice that I’ve used the bright red Aleppo pepper flakes, which I thought gave it a punch of color.

This is a sophisticated sounding dish, but not at all difficult to make. The bonus with this dish is that it can be served at room temperature, making it a candidate for a buffet. It’s a perfect side dish for any spring menu and would make a lovely accompaniment to a baked ham or roasted lamb for Easter.

White Asparagus with a Brown Vinaigrette
Adapted from Gastronomer’s Guide, serves 4
Printable Recipe

1 bunch white asparagus (or green if you can’t find white)
Fine sea salt such as Maldon
Low sodium, low fat beef broth
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
Aleppo chili flakes (or freshly ground black or white pepper)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Trim about 1” from the tough ends of the asparagus spears using a sharp knife. If desired, peel about 2/3 of each spear below the floret using a vegetable peeler, taking care not to break the asparagus.

Bring a skillet filled with about 2” of beef broth to a boil. Season with salt. Add asparagus and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Check for doneness, then remove to a serving platter & discard liquid from pan.

Meanwhile add the butter to a small saucepan and set over medium heat. Let butter turn a nutty brown, about 5 minutes, while swirling the pan to keep butter from foaming too much. Pour browned butter into a small bowl and whisk in lemon juice and vinegar. Season to taste with sea salt, then stir in parsley. Pour vinaigrette over the asparagus, sprinkle with Aleppo pepper flakes, and serve immediately.

Here are 6 more of our favorite asparagus dishes that have previously appeared on the blog that are perfect for Easter.

Asparagus spears drizzled with a lemon vinaigrette and garnished with sliced lemons. Grilled asparagus lovers take note - this recipe will work for you as well. Just grill the asparagus instead of poaching it, drizzle with the lemon vinaigrette, garnish with the lemon slices and you’re good to go.

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Asparagus Mimosa, also known as Asparagus Goldenrod is a classic dish that will never go out of style. It is an elegant, easy to prepare dish that can be made ahead of time. It’s poached asparagus, served cold with a light vinaigrette and garnished with grated hard-boiled eggs and capers shown above or with chopped radishes shown below. Dishes such as this were a mainstay on the menus of the grand hotels in a bygone era. If you wish to grill the asparagus, toss the grilled asparagus with the vinaigrette and garnishes either with the grated eggs and capers or radishes.

Printable recipe with eggs & capers 
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Printable recipe with radishes 
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Grilled Asparagus with Melon & Fresh Mozzarella Cheese shown above is a very versatile recipe in that the asparagus can be cooked outside on a gas or charcoal grill or in your kitchen on a stove top grill, which is what we did. The melon and cheese make a great fresh topping full of flavor and have real eye appeal, plus it tastes great. What more can you ask for from a recipe?

Printable recipe 
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Asparagus with fig vinaigrette uses fig balsamic vinegar to make rich, dark vinaigrette, tossed in some chopped shallots, and served it over crispy poached asparagus at room temperature. Chopped Mission figs can be added to the garnish if you wish for even more fig flavor. Feel free to grill the asparagus rather than poach it, then top the asparagus with the fig vinaigrette and the garnishes.

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Asparagus served on a Bed of Arugula with Roasted Red Peppers & Kalamata Olives is super easy to prepare and very impressive on the plate.
Again, you could grill the asparagus if you wish, then toss in the vinaigrette, serve on the arugula and garnish with the roasted peppers and olives.

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For better viewing, click photos to enlarge.

This will be shared with Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farms and Miz Helen’s Country Kitchen Full Plate Thursday. 

We hope everyone has a nice Easter  

and thank you for visiting My Carolina Kitchen. 

Orange Salad with a Smoky Spanish-inspired Vinaigrette

This is by far THE best orange salad we have ever made. The first time we served it we devoured it, then craved it afterwards for days. Martha Holmberg, author and creator of this Spanish-inspired vinaigrette, writes in her book Modern Sauces, “I’m addicted to this flavor combination. It tastes like the exotic vacation I never quite manage to take.” This salad tastes like an exotic vacation – what more can I say?

I first discovered this orange salad via Pinterest on the blog Pure Wow. Long time readers will remember in the past that I’ve made other oranges salads. In fact my original orange salad, a French Orange & Onion Salad shown here, was our introduction to several bloggers that are now good friends of ours. So never underestimate the power of an orange salad.

There are several things that make this recipe so special. First is smoky Spanish paprika, also known as pimentón de la Vera. It is rust red in color with a unique smoky flavor. It’s used in countless Spanish recipes and the key ingredient in an authentic paella. It comes in 3 types – sweet (dulce), medium-hot (agriduce), & hot (picante). Smoky paprika can be found in specialty stores or on line at La Tienda. 

The second thing that makes this recipe special is sherry vinegar. I am constantly reaching for my sherry vinegar when I make vinaigrettes and it’s easy to find in supermarkets and specially stores such as Fresh Market or on line here. To quote the site Serious Eats, who wrote why sherry vinegar should be your number one choice in vinegars here, “Sherry vinegar is loaded with complex, nutty flavors you won't find in other vinegars. And its 80 distinct aromatic compounds translate into more interesting salad dressings and crazy-good accents in soups and pan sauces that apple cider or rice vinegar could never hope to imitate.” 

The third thing is Aleppo pepper flakes, which I use on just about everything now and I cannot live without it. The Aleppo flakes are the bright red dots you see on the oranges. More and more we reach for the Apello pepper flakes instead of crushed red pepper. They are milder than crushed red pepper flakes and have a slightly raisin-like flavor. Aleppo pepper flakes comes from southern Turkey, near the Syrian town of Aleppo, which is considered one of the culinary meccas of the Mediterranean. I have yet to find them anywhere local, but Amazon & Penzey’s both carry them.

This orange salad is an elegant dish that I will serve over and over again. Recently for guests we paired it with Chicken Marbella, an old favorite of ours, found here. I can also see serving this orange salad with grilled steaks, roasted chicken, and of course it would pair beautifully with a baked ham for Easter. I hope you’ll find this exotic orange salad as delightfully addicting as we have.

Orange Salad dressed with Smoky Spanish-inspired Vinaigrette
Adapted from Modern Sauces by Martha Holmberg via Pure Wow, serves 4 to 6 (plus about ¾ cup vinaigrette)
Printable Recipe

Salad:
1/8th of a small red onion, sliced paper-thin
3 juicy oranges (such as Navel or Blood)
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped, plus a sprig or 2 for garnish

Vinaigrette:
½ teaspoon lightly packed finely grated orange zest
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons good sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon Spanish sweet smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 drops hot-pepper sauce such as Sriracha (or to taste)
Maldon sea salt or kosher salt
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Aleppo chili flakes

Fill a small bowl with ice water and soak the onion slices for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. Add the orange zest, orange juice, sherry vinegar, smoked paprika, sugar, hot sauce, and about ¼ teaspoon of sea salt that you’ve crushed with your fingers to a small jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake well to combine, then let sit for a minute or two for salt to dissolve. Add olive oil and shake well to combine and set aside.

Working with one orange at a time, cut a slice off of each end to reveal the flesh. Stand the orange on a flat end on a work surface. Using a sharp knife, slice away the peel, including all of the white pith, cutting from the top to the bottom of the orange, following the contour of the fruit. Turn the peeled orange on its side and cut crosswise into ¼”rounds. Repeat with the remaining oranges.  Arrange the oranges on a serving platter, overlapping them slightly.

Shake the vinaigrette well and pour a little vinaigrette over the oranges. Pour the remaining vinaigrette into a small pitcher for passing on the table.

Place the platter of oranges in the refrigerator. The salad can be prepared as much as 4 hours ahead and kept refrigerated.

20 minutes prior to serving, remove the oranges from the refrigerator and sprinkle with the Aleppo chili flakes. Drain the onion slices and pat thoroughly dry with paper towels. Scatter the onion over the oranges, then sprinkle with the cilantro before serving. Stir the extra vinaigrette well and pass in a pitcher at the table.

Cook's note. You may have some left-over vinaigrette. It can be stored in it's jar in the refrigerator for several days to use if you want to repeat the orange salad later in the week.

For better viewing, click photos to enlarge.

This will be shared with Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farms and Miz Helen’s Country Kitchen Full Plate Thursday. 

Have a nice weekend everyone

 and thank you for visiting My Carolina Kitchen. 

6 Easy Asparagus Recipes for Easter or any time of the year

Asparagus is one of our favorite dishes to serve at Easter. It spells springtime for me and besides, most everyone loves asparagus. I usually poach the asparagus because it holds up well at room temperature or it can be served chilled. Foods that can be served at room temperature are a real plus. They can sit on a buffet while the main meal is being put together or they are perfect to take to someone else’s house.

I’ve chosen a very simple asparagus dish to feature this year – poached asparagus spears drizzled with a lemon vinaigrette and garnished with sliced lemons.

Grilled asparagus lovers take note - this recipe will work for you as well.  Just grill the asparagus instead of poaching it, drizzle with the lemon vinaigrette, garnish with the lemon slices and you’re good to go.

If you prefer to steam your asparagus, then steam them rather than poaching them and proceed with the remainder of the recipes calling for the poaching method.

You’ll also find a medley of 5 of our other favorite asparagus recipes shown below. They are also perfect for your Easter table or for that matter, any time of the year. Any of these recipes can be doubled or tripled to feed a crowd.

Asparagus with a Lemon Vinaigrette
My Carolina Kitchen by Sam Hoffer – serves 6 - easily doubled or tripled
Printable Recipe

For poached asparagus, My Carolina Kitchen’s Basic Recipe for Poached Asparagus is shown below. If you prefer to GRILL or STEAM your asparagus, just dress the grilled or steamed asparagus with the lemon vinaigrette, garnish with sliced lemons and serve right away.

Garnish
2 lemons, sliced thinly and seeds removed

Lemon Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ to 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
Dash of hot sauce such as Tabasco
Maldon sea salt, or other good sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place all of the ingredients into a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well.  Easily doubled or tripled. Set aside while you cook the asparagus. This vinaigrette saves well in the refrigerator for a day or two. The mustard is used to emulsify the vinaigrette and keeps it from separating and the shallot and hot sauce bring added flavor and are highly recommended.

My Carolina Kitchen’s Basic Recipe for Poached Asparagus
From My Carolina Kitchen – Sam Hoffer

1 lb fresh asparagus, tough lower ends snapped off
2 teaspoons salt
Water flavored with low sodium, low fat beef broth* to taste

After tough ends of asparagus have been removed, peel the remaining ends unless the asparagus is thin; if thin, leave as is. Bring water flavored with beef broth and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil in a shallow pan. Add asparagus, turn heat to low and cook for about 4 minutes until asparagus is crisp tender, taking care not to overcook. Immediately plunge the asparagus in an ice water bath to stop the cooking and retain the green color.

After a minute or two, remove the asparagus and dry well with a towel. Dress with a vinaigrette. Then you may either chill it for about an hour or serve it at room temperature.

Cook’s notes: I like to flavor my asparagus water with beef broth. It isn’t necessary, but it does bring a very nice flavor to the cooking broth.

Asparagus with Fig Vinaigrette & Shallots uses fig balsamic vinegar to make rich, dark vinaigrette, tossed in some chopped shallots, and served it over crispy poached asparagus at room temperature. Chopped Mission figs can be added to the garnish if you wish for even more fig flavor. My basic vinaigrettes are always three parts oil to one part vinegar or acid.

Feel free to grill or steam the asparagus rather than poach it, then top the asparagus with the fig vinaigrette and the garnishes.

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Grilled Asparagus with Melon & Fresh Mozzarella Cheese shown above is a very versatile recipe in that the asparagus can be cooked outside on a gas or charcoal grill or in your kitchen on a stove top grill, which is what I did. The melon and cheese make a great fresh topping full of flavor and have real eye appeal, plus it tastes great. What more can you ask for from a recipe?

Printable recipe 
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Asparagus Mimosa, also known as Asparagus Goldenrod is an elegant, easy to prepare dish that can be made ahead of time. It’s perfect for an Easter buffet and is an ideal companion to baked ham. Basically it is poached asparagus, served cold with a light vinaigrette and garnished with grated hard-boiled eggs and capers shown above or with chopped radishes shown below. It’s known as Asparagus Mimosa because the grated hard-boiled eggs resemble mimosa blossoms. The name Goldenrod comes from the bright green asparagus garnished with yellow egg yolks. Classic dishes such as this were a mainstay on the menus of the grand hotels in a bygone era.

If you wish to grill or steam the asparagus, toss the grilled or steamed asparagus with the vinaigrette and garnishes either with the grated eggs and capers or radishes.

Printable recipe with capers
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Printable recipe with radishes
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Asparagus served on a Bed of Arugula with Roasted Red Peppers & Kalamata Olives is super easy to prepare and very impressive on the plate. It’s broken down into three recipes, two of which are very basic recipes that are nice to know how to make without needing a recipe - poached asparagus and a basic balsamic vinaigrette. The last is the gussied up part – the arugula and the toppings of roasted red peppers, red onions, and kalamata olives.

Again, you could grill or steam the asparagus if you wish, then toss in the vinaigrette, serve on the arugula and garnish with the roasted peppers and olives.

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Asparagus with Hearts of Palm, Grape Tomatoes & Silvers of Red Onion tossed in a Lemony Olive Oil Vinaigrette is easily put together in 15 minutes or less and is very colorful on the plate. The hearts of palm give it a tropical twist.

This recipe would work equally well with grilled asparagus. Toss the asparagus in the vinaigrette and garnish with the hearts of palm, grape tomatoes & slivers of red onion.

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We hope each of you have a blessed Easter.

Blood Orange Salad

Take advantage of the blood oranges while they’re available to create this spectacular salad using a variety of different oranges in a rainbow of gorgeous colors. Here I’ve paired dark colored blood oranges with red-fleshed, sweet cara cara navel oranges and bright orange-fleshed Florida navel oranges, resulting in a not only a beautiful but a very flavorful and refreshing salad.

If you can’t find blood oranges, this French Orange Salad shown below using all navel oranges is just as pretty and tasty. Long time readers may remember this Salad d’Oranges et Olives Noires navel orange salad with the slivers of red onions and kalamata olives here. I’ve taken that particular salad to parties and it’s always a big hit. People are a bit surprised when they first see it, but one taste convinces them that it is a delightful and refreshing combination that plays off of each other’s flavors beautifully.

French Orange Salad with Red Onions & Kalamata Olives - recipe here

This hastily made, colorful salad is adapted from one of Pierre Franey’s 60-Minute Gourmet series cookbooks many years ago.  At our house, we call this “Pierre’s salad.” Pierre Franey was a French chef who ran the kitchen at Le Pavillon restaurant in New York City for years. Pierre went on to write newspaper columns for the New York Times, penned some of my favorite cookbooks and also worked alongside his dear friend Craig Claiborne. It was Craig and Pierre along with Julia Child that taught my generation how to cook.

Citrus salads are a great substitute for tomato salads when tomatoes are tasteless and not in season. They are very refreshing as well as quite versatile. Thinly sliced radishes take the place of the feta cheese for a nice peppery crunch in the blood orange salad shown below. I’ve also substituted peppery flavored radishes for the red onions with great success in the French orange salad shown above with the kalamata olives.  

The possibilities of different combinations of this salad are endless. Try a pink grapefruit in place of the red-fleshed cara cara oranges to add a sharper note to the salad. Garnish with slivered red onions and black olive slices as I did originally. I’ve even seen toasted coconut with chopped pistachios. Use any kind of nuts you like or no nuts at all. My friend Bonnie of From a Writers Kitchen composed a gorgeous still life salad with blood oranges, strawberries and kiwis here. How about grilled asparagus with blood oranges slices? Or use an orange salad as a dessert as I did here that is very palate refreshing after a heavy meal such as a French Beef Daube. Take a look at my Pinterest Salad Board here and you’ll see a great range of different flavor combinations and garnishes for blood oranges.

Blood Orange Salad 
Adapted from Salad d’Oranges et Olives Noires in 60 Minute Gourmet by Pierre Franey– serves 4 or 5
Printable Recipe

2 each blood oranges, cara cara, and Florida navel oranges

Trim off the ends of the oranges with a sharp knife. With the same knife remove the peel, then cut the oranges into thin slices and arrange in an attractive manner on a platter. Drizzle with the vinaigrette below and garnish with the pistachios, feta cheese, and mint leaves.

Vinaigrette:
1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
A couple of pinches of sea salt and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper

To make the vinaigrette, place the paprika, vinegar and oil, salt and pepper in a small jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well.

Garnishes:
Chopped pistachios
Feta cheese
Fresh mint leaves

Garnish the oranges with pistachios, finely crumbled feta cheese and mint leaves. The salad is best served within 30 minutes, or if you wish to hold it longer, add the mint leaves at the last minute to prevent them from wilting. Salad is easily doubled.

For better viewing, click photos to enlarge

This will be shared with Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm and Miz Helen’s Country Kitchen Full Plate Thursday.

Have a great week everyone.

Tuscan White Bean Salad with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

In theory this is a salad, but it’s more of what I think of as comfort food. It’s the kind of food I crave when the weather starts to cool. Even though the recipe looks long, it’s very simple to make and doesn’t require a lot of attention while is cooks.

Most likely you already know out of your head how to cook dried beans and to roast tomatoes and if you do, there’s nothing much left to do other than to assemble the salad. It’s perfect for serve yourself buffets or double or triple it for a covered dish party.

If you’re in a pinch for time, you could substitute canned beans. But I think beans cooked from scratch always taste superior in flavor as well as have a nicer texture. In truth, they beans practically cook themselves and require very little attention from you.

Tuscan White Bean Salad with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes  
Adapted from Williams Sonoma’s Cooking for Friends – serves 4 – 6
Printable Recipe

Slow roasted tomatoes – recipe below
Slow cooked Tuscan white beans – recipe below
¼ cup fresh oregano leaves + a few for garnish
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup champagne vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place roasted tomatoes in a bowl. Add cooked white beans, oregano, olive oil, and vinegar and toss to combine. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve in bowl or transfer to a platter. Garnish with fresh oregano leaves.

Cook’s notes: This salad is excellent served either warm or at room temperature. It’s perfect for a serve yourself buffet or to double it for a covered dish party.

Slow Roasted Tomatoes
Adapted from Williams Sonoma’s Cooking for Friends – serves 4 – 6

8 to 10 plum tomatoes or 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
About ¼ cup good extra-virgin olive oil
About 1 teaspoon sugar
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange tomatoes, cut side up, on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle evenly with sugar, garlic, and generous amounts of salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes until deep red and wrinkled, 2 – 2 ½ hours for medium or plum tomatoes and 1 hour for cherry tomatoes. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet. Taste for seasonings and serve warm or at room temperature.

Cook’s notes: If you can find them, yellow tomatoes added to red tomatoes make a pretty combination.

Slow-cooked Tuscan White Beans
Adapted from Williams Sonoma’s Cooking for Friends – serves 6

2 cups dried white beans such as cannellini or great northern
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 springs of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
4 cloves of garlic, lightly crushed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a large Dutch oven, combine beans, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, garlic and 8 cups of water. Cover and slowly bring to a simmer over low heat. Simmer uncovered, until beans are tender but not mushy. About half-way through the cooking process, add 1 tablespoon sea salt. Remove from heat and let cool, covered for 15 minutes.

Drain beans and discard their cooking liquid. If desired, discard rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, and garlic. Sprinkle the beans with pepper and more sea salt if needed, drizzle with olive oil, and serve.

Cook’s notes: Be careful not to let the beans cook at too high of a simmer or their skins will separate and the beans will be mushy.  I usually check beans about 10 minutes before they are supposed to be done to avoid over-cooking.

For better viewing, click on photos to enlarge.

This will be shared with Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm, Miz Helen’s Country Kitchen Full Plate Thursday, and Weekend Bites at Simple Recipes.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Frozen Fruit Salad, a classic dessert – updated and all dressed up

It's been very warm here the last several weeks so I'm taking advantage of the last days of summer with a frozen fruit salad. Summer is my favorite season and I never seem to want to let it go.

Frozen fruit salad is a classic frozen dessert, quite refreshing for a hot day, and a favorite of busy moms as an alternative to ice cream without the churning. As a child, during the summer there was always a tray of frozen fruit salad in my mother’s freezer. Old- fashion frozen fruit salads from the fifties were a mixture of cream cheese, whipped heavy cream or Cool Whip, mayonnaise, and miniature marshmallows combined with drained fruit cocktail, chopped canned pineapple, grapes, and sometimes maraschino cherries, frozen in metal ice trays and sliced while still frozen. It was either served as simple dessert to cool the palate, or for fancy occasions and ladies luncheons, as a salad on a big curly leaf of lettuce.

Enter the Lee brothers, Matt and Ted, two classy southern gentlemen from Charleston, South Carolina, known for their culinary Low Country lore and numerous cookbooks for southerners and would-be southerners. The brothers updated this frozen treat and turned it into a very glamorous dessert that they’ve named Strawberry Delight. The Lee’s version of frozen fruit salad is a cream and buttermilk mixture, swirled with fresh strawberry sauce, tiny marshmallows with an added crunch of crispy vanilla wafers and toasted pecans. Frozen fruit salad is very easy to make, but it does require a bit of stirring on your part to keep the ingredients evenly distributed and for the dish to set up properly. It’s as easy as opening the freezer, stirring, and returning the loaf pan back to the freezer a couple of times until it’s ready to serve. The recipe makes a lot, so we divided in half and used one small loaf.

The only things I might add is that it’s nice to chill the serving platter and plates in the freezer, but never chill the forks. Instead, place the forks in the refrigerator for a few minutes before serving. Look to your garden for flowers and greenery and choose whatever is fresh. If you want to make the dish your own, simply use the recipe as an outline for other fruit choices. I always enjoy sliced grapes in frozen fruit salad.

The Lee brothers suggest you serve this elegant but simple dessert by “turning the entire frozen loaf upside down onto a platter, surround with flowers and greenery, and slice off individual portions with a knife – a silver one of course, the blade warmed first in hot water. After all, in Charleston, it’s all about the ceremony.” 

Strawberry Delight
From Chefs Matt & Ted Lee & Garden & Gun magazine, - serves 8

1 lb. fresh strawberries, trimmed and halved
⅔ cup sugar, divided
1  pint heavy cream
2  pinches kosher salt
1  cup half-and-half
1  cup buttermilk, preferably whole
24  vanilla wafer cookies (about 3 oz.), crumbled to oyster-cracker-size pieces
1  cup chopped pecans, toasted
3  oz. mini-marshmallows (about 2 cups)

Here’s a link to the full recipe itself with pictures and instructions and another link to a printable copy. The recipe takes 1 hour, plus 4 to 6 hours to set. For the Lee brother’s charming story behind their development of the recipe and their quest to wrangle the recipe from a plantation owner and her cook, follow this link to the article in Garden and Gun magazine.

For better viewing, click on photos to enlarge.

This will be shared with Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm, Miz Helen’s Country Kitchen Full Plate Thursday, and Foodie Friday at Simple Recipes.  

Have a great weekend everyone.

Orzo Salad – makes enough to feed a crowd

This orzo salad makes enough to feed a crowd and is perfect for entertaining because it can be made ahead and served at room temperature. For a more substantial meal, add some chopped grilled chicken breasts. I’ve come to love orzo because it cooks so much faster than rice and has a softer, creamier texture.

I don’t know about you, but I’m always a bit stymied when asked to bring a dish to a party. My criteria when choosing a party recipe is that 1) it must be pretty and 2) it must taste as good as it looks. This is especially essential if it’s going to sit on a buffet table with other dishes.

This salad fits the bill on both. There is a lot of color and flavors going on in this dish – smoky grilled red, orange and yellow roasted bell peppers with a little char, green English peas, crunchy grilled red onion, bright green fresh herbs from the garden and juicy ripe red tomatoes combined with al dente orzo and dressed with a lively mustard vinaigrette.

If you like dishes that can be made ahead, this salad is even more delicious the next day after the flavors have had time to blend together. I would advise that if you do make it ahead, add the fresh herbs at the last minute to retain their color and freshness.

We took this salad to a get-together over the 4th of July weekend and it was a real hit. It tastes as good as it looks and is also very pretty on a buffet table. I recommend taking a copy or two of the recipe with you because you’re bound to be asked for the recipe.

Orzo Salad
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma On the Grill, by Willie Cooper, serves 8 to 10
Printable Recipe

16 ounces (1 lb) dried orzo pasta
Kosher salt, to taste
1 cup fresh or frozen English peas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 each red and white onion, cut into slices 1/2 inch thick
1 each red, orange and yellow bell pepper
1 cup of fresh basil, cut into a chiffonade, or minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, or a combination of both
12 small heirloom tomatoes, about 3 lb. total, cored and quartered or 15 or so grape tomatoes cut in half
Vinaigrette recipe below
Fresh basil leaves for garnish

Bring a large pot three-fourths full of salted water to a boil over high heat. Have a bowl of ice water ready. Add the orzo to the boiling water, stirring with a large spoon to prevent sticking. Return the water to a boil and cook the orzo until al dente (tender but firm to the bite), 10 to 12 minutes, adding the green peas during the last minute of cooking. You don’t want to overcook the peas. Drain in a colander. Pour the orzo and peas into the ice water and drain again. Transfer to a salad bowl. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate.

In the meantime, make the vinaigrette, recipe below. Combine the olive oil and grapeseed oil in a glass measuring cup. Whisk together the vinegar and mustard in a non-aluminum bowl. Add the oils in a slow steady stream, whisking constantly. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Prepare a hot fire in a grill. Brush and oil the grill grate and a vegetable-grilling basket. Brush the onions and bell peppers with olive oil. Arrange the onions in the grilling basket and place directly over high heat. Grill, turning once, until the onions are nicely charred on both sides, 8 to 10 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Grill the bell peppers directly over high heat, turning occasionally, until nicely charred on all sides. Transfer to a bowl, cover and let steam for 10 minutes. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, using your fingers, a paring knife or a fork, peel them and discard the skins. Seed and dice the peppers.

Remove the orzo and peas from the refrigerator and add the vinaigrette, peppers, onions, basil or parsley and chopped grilled chicken (if using) to the bowl and toss to coat. Add the tomatoes, then taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. (I also added a couple of tablespoons of vinegar.) Can be served cold or at room temperature. Serves 8 to 10.

Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1/2 cup grapeseed oil or other neutral tasting oil
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon good Dijon mustard
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For a more substantial salad or with leftovers the next day, add some chopped grilled chicken breasts. As long as you have the grill on, throw some boneless chicken breasts on to add now or later.

For better viewing, click photos to enlarge. 

This will be shared with Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm, Miz Helen’s Country Kitchen Full Plate Thursday, and Foodie Friday at Simple Recipes.    

Have a great weekend everyone.

Tomatoes and Peaches – a taste of summer

I enjoy dishes such as this that introduce a new flavor combination along with garden freshness. It’s interesting to see how a single ingredient that tastes amazing all on its own can be put together with another equally amazing ingredient to create a totally different flavor. The wonderful sweetness of ripe peaches and the rich, tangy flavors of local tomatoes are out-of-this-world fabulous together.

I have two elegant and easy recipes today that taste every bit as good as they look. Not only are they eye-catching, they are full of flavors we all associate with summer. Both of these salads are the star of the show and a very nice change from your normal salads. Think of each bite as “a mouthful of summer.”

The idea of tomatoes and peaches together is interesting. Back in 2011 when I wrote a post, link here, for homegrown tomatoes stuffed with local peaches, photo below, some questioned the combination. I admit that it was a bit unusual. Fast forward to 2014 and google “tomato and peach salads” and you’ll find a plethora of them. After all, tomatoes are considered a fruit.

The first recipe is a stacked tomato salad. I’ve used heirloom tomatoes, this time Cherokee Purples, and inserted slices of black pepper-coated goat cheese, stacked upright and topped with peaches, crunchy cucumber, grilled local corn, chopped red onion, fresh basil, and drizzled the tomato stacks with savory vinaigrette.

Stacked Tomatoes
Idea for stacked tomatoes inspired by Cooking Light – serves 4
Printable Recipe

4 medium sized tomatoes (preferably heirlooms, I used a Cherokee Purple)
Kosher salt
4 ounces goat cheese (I used one coated with black pepper)
1 cup chopped European seedless cucumber, or garden cucumber, seeds removed
1 cup fresh corn kernels, grilled or blanched
½ cup chopped red onion
2 fresh peaches, peeled, pit discarded, cut into cubes
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, julienned
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon or lime
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Several dashes of hot sauce such as Tabasco, optional

Wash the tomatoes, then slice them into ½ inch slices and sprinkle with salt. Stack each tomato with slices of goat cheese between the layers and place on individual plates. You can use a couple of toothpicks to keep them upright.

Combine the cucumber, corn, and red onion in a bowl and gently toss with a rubber spatula. Combine the vinaigrette ingredients together in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well.

Just before serving, prepare the peaches and fresh basil and add them to the vegetable mixture. Toss very gently with a rubber spatula, then add the vinaigrette and sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss again, gently. Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly. Top each tomato stack with the vegetables and serve at once. Be sure to remove toothpicks, or ask your guests to do so, before eating.

The second recipe is basically the same ingredients minus the goat cheese, but put together differently. This time, instead of slicing the tomatoes and stacking them, I hollowed them out and stuffed them with the peaches, cucumber, corn, red onion, and basil mixture.

Think of this as two recipes for the price of one.

Summer Stuffed Tomatoes
My Carolina Kitchen – Sam Hoffer – serves 4
Printable Recipe

4 medium sized tomatoes
Kosher salt
1 cup chopped European seedless cucumber, or garden cucumber, seeds removed
1 cup fresh corn kernels, blanched or grilled
½ cup chopped red onion
2 fresh peaches, peeled, pit discarded, cut into cubes
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, julienned
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon or line
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Several dashes of hot sauce such as Tabasco, optional

Wash the tomatoes, then cut the tops off and carefully scoop out the flesh and seeds with a spoon. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and turn them upside down on a paper towel so the excess water will drain out.

Combine the cucumber, corn, and red onion in a bowl and gently toss with a rubber spatula. Combine the vinaigrette ingredients together in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well.

Just before serving, prepare the peaches and fresh basil and add them to the vegetable mixture. Toss very gently with a rubber spatula, then add the vinaigrette and sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss again, gently. Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly. Stuff vegetables into the prepared tomatoes and serve at once.

I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the tomato peach combination and begin to understand why they say, “What grows together, goes together.”

This will be shared with Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm, Miz Helen’s Country Kitchen Full Plate Thursday, and Foodie Friday at Simple Recipes.    

Have a great weekend everyone.

Baby Greens with Fresh Cherries, Gorgonzola Cheese, & Chicken with Raspberry Vinaigrette to celebrate Fresh Cherries

It’s cherry time and I have a new recipe to add to my repertoire of cherry dishes – a main course salad of baby greens with fresh cherries, crumbled creamy gorgonzola cheese and grilled chicken, dressed with a raspberry walnut vinaigrette. Of course you could always exclude the chicken and make this a side salad to Ina’s roasted lemon chicken with homemade croutons, link to post & recipe here, which is what we are serving tonight for dinner guests.

The inspiration for this salad came from Better Homes and Garden’s Skinny One Dishes. They suggested bottled raspberry vinaigrette, which you know isn’t going to happen in this kitchen. I always make my own vinaigrettes and why not - it’s so easy to make your own and they come together in a matter of minutes. I’ve had luck finding raspberry vinegar at Italian markets and Amazon has a nice selection on line, link here.

The most daunting task with cherries is pitting them and I have a solution there too. A cherry pitter is one of my favorite kitchen gadgets and it also does a great job of pitting olives too. For years I had an old handheld pitter and after a while, my hand would start to hurt. Enter a gift from my brother-in-law – a brand new pitter that pits four cherries at a time with a swift one hand motion. It’s available at Sur la Table and happens to be on sale, link here. If you pit olives or cherries often, you owe it to yourself to have a pitter and I’m not a gadget person.

One quick tip about pitting and slicing cherries, especially light colored ones such as Rainier – don’t do it too far in advance or the edges of the cherries turn dark. I learned this from experience and I won’t make that mistake again.

Baby Greens with Fresh Cherries, Gorgonzola Cheese, & Chicken with Raspberry Vinaigrette
My Carolina Kitchen, Sam Hoffer – serves 4
Printable Recipe

4 cups baby greens
¾ cup fresh pitted and halved dark sweet fresh cherries
1 pound grilled or roasted chicken breasts, cut in half-strips, optional if you wish to make this a side salad
Maldon sea salt or other good quality sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup crumbled gorgonzola or blue cheese, or more to taste
Raspberry vinaigrette, recipe below

Combine baby greens, cherries, and chicken in a large salad bowl and toss well. Drizzle with the raspberry vinaigrette, then season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste the salad and correct seasonings if necessary. Serve on individual plates or in shallow bowls, garnish with the crumbled cheese, and serve right away.

Cook’s note: If you are working with light colored cherries such as Rainier, pit and slice them at the last minute, otherwise they may darken around the edges.

Raspberry Vinaigrette
My Carolina Kitchen, Sam Hoffer – serves 4
Printable Recipe

4 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
4 tablespoons walnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons crème fraîche or good quality sour cream

Combine ingredients in a small jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well. Use right away or make ahead and store in the refrigerator for several days.

From the archives, here are three more of my favorite cherry recipes, just in time for cherry season.

Spicy fresh cherry salsa with peaches, served with sliced pork tenderloin, link to post and recipe here.

Boozy cherries with lavender, an easy version of Cherries Jubilee, served over toast or vanilla ice cream, link to post and recipe here.

And another salad, this time with Rainier cherries, creamy goat cheese and crunchy pistachios over greens, link to post and recipe here.

This will be shared with Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm, Miz Helen’s Country Kitchen Full Plate Thursday, and Foodie Friday at Simple Recipes.  

Have a great weekend everyone.