Mess of Greens

full bellies | warm welcomes

summer

How Sweet Eats Blueberry, Peach & Basil Crisp

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I’ve told y’all about Cook Book Club, right? Getting together with the coolest, funnest gals in the Delta to cook and eat is really one of the most fun nights of my month. I was responsible for our dessert last time, and decided to take advantage of summer’s bounty. First of all, crumbles with fruit are my favorite, secondly the addition of basil was genius and clever and wonderful. Plus, I had a TON of frozen blueberries from my aunt’s farm last summer, and grabbed some fresh juicy peaches from the farmstand and went to town on this year’s cookbook, Seriously Delish from the blogger over at How Sweet Eats. She has some pretty fun, (seriously, truly, not very health) recipes and I’ve enjoyed it. This time, though, I cheated and used her blog for my recipe. This one isn’t really original, and y’all, rather than just re-write her directions, I’m sending you over there to see what she’s about. 😉 If you decide to make it, though, a few notes:

1) It needs at least 2x more crumble on top. AT LEAST.
2) Definitely double the basil. Otherwise it’s not quite noticeable.
3) Actually, also consider using this recipe instead for the topping.
4) DO NOT EVEN CONSIDER serving crumble without ice cream. DO NOT.

But also, um, check out how mine turned out because it hit my sweetspot for sure.

 

 

A little ice cream adventure: Sweet Corn Ice Cream

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Let me tell you about something wonderful and a little crazy. Last summer (i know…but i had a 6 month old baby. and a full-time job!) our friend John Mark– who is btw, literally the nicest, most wonderful, most thoughtful guy in the whole Delta– brought us a giant paper sack of sweet corn from his farm. He’s also the friend who supplied us with a raised garden bed full of the best soil for growing things ON EARTH, but I digress.

After we’d eaten enough corn on the cobb to turn us yellow on the outside, I decided I should try something a little adventurous. I mean, I love making ice creams, and I had Jeni’s ice cream at home cookbook full of savory flavors and creams mixed with alcohol and herbs, so why not attempt a sweet-corn version? Luckily, there were some recipes out there that I could draw on to get the sweet-corn flavor while I used my favorite custard base. Also, I made an AMAZING blueberry sauce for this (I mean, seriously, blueberries and sweet corn…what’s MORE summer than that?) The recipe’s not on this blog but if you want it, leave a comment. But back to the ice cream…

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Tupelo Honey (upside down) Tomato Pie

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We’d had a summer vacation planned to Holland and Belgium for several months (one of my bestest college friends was tying the knot!) but some family things got in the way of our trip. Instead, we took our little man to see his grandparents in NC and took a two-night trip to Asheville. We ended up brunching at Asheville’s pretty amazing spot, Tupelo Honey (people say it put Asheville on the southern food map) and I pretty much wanted to inhale everything on the menu. When we got home, I thought I’d try to make one of the things I didn’t get to eat while there…and it was worth it. so worth it, especially with my bumper crop of summer tomatoes. It’s august, which means the tomatoes will be running dry soon, so if I were you I’d make it before it’s too late and you have to wait until NEXT summer….

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Your New Summer Staple: Bourbon-Peach Ice Cream

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There’s one thing every good southerner knows… know matter how you take your bourbon, it’s going to be so good.

Some people like it in a pecan pie, others on the rocks… my friend Shelton introduced me to a Bourbon and Ginger cocktail a few years ago and something about that combination is dynamite. In fact, it’s my winter go-to cocktail. But then, there’s this other summertime combination that really knocks my socks off… bourbon and peaches. The sweet juiciness of the peaches is just complimented so beautifully by smooth, warm bourbon and this is definitely true when they come together in a silky, simple custard-based ice cream .

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Peaches, Berries, Mint: Summer in a Bowl

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Aside from homegrown tomatoes, fresh corn,  and swimming pools, I think homemade ice cream is the best part of summer, hands-down. Which is why I’m sharing 3 ice cream recipes this week… get churning!

I was taking dinner to a friend with a new baby, and figured that dessert was the best part of any meal. I had a ton of peaches and Louisiana strawberries, and had a huge mint patch in the backyard, so i figured I’d see what happened if I made a mint-fruit combo. I didn’t want to risk making it too wild and crazy since it was for someone else, so I made a mint base, then made two separate combinations… and it was one-thousand percent worth it. Something about the mint ice-cream base brings out the summery-ness and freshness in the fruit. After tasting this, I’m not sure that I’ll ever make strawberry ice cream again without it. Or peach.

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Tradition to Adopt: Stewed Okra and Tomatoes as a Thanksgiving side

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Its about time for me to share this recipe… although I made it back in early September with a HUGE, gigantic sack of okra a friend brought to us and the last of our garden’s tomatoes, it really would be a DELICIOUS Thanksgiving side dish. Also, most recipes I found call for frozen okra and canned tomatoes, so you really can make this year-round.

I’ve always thought of Thanksgiving as an important holiday for Americans to celebrate our “meltingpot” cultural heritage, and okra is an amazing food that does just that. Originating in modern-day Ethiopia, okra was most likely brought to our country by enslaved Africans (like most delicious southern food). It’s also called “gumbo” although it’s more likely that you’ve heard this word in context of soups thickened with okra rather than references to the vegetable itself. Aggie Horticulture writes of the name, “Both of these names are of African origin. ‘Gumbo’ is believed to be a corruption of a Portuguese corruption, quingombo, of the word quillobo, native name for the plant in the Congo and Angola area of Africa.” This dish definitely has its roots in the Cajun and Creole traditions of the south… plus, a version of stewed okra and tomatoes recipe found in Indian cuisine as well. What’s more meltingpot than a vegetable and recipe that immigrated to the US from multiple parts of the world? Definitely a contender for a new Thanksgiving side dish tradition.
Confession: Okra’s hairy-sliminess isn’t always palatable to me… but this recipe breaks down the okra and makes it a smooth texture, plus the flavor of it and the tomatoes comes out beautifully. My grandmother used to make this and for a long time it was the ONLY way I’d eat this vegetable.

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Grilled Peach and Balsamic Swirl Ice Cream

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The weather’s been crazy-cold all over the south this week… people stranded on highways in Atlanta, Birmingham travelers having to sleep in hotel lobbies… but here in the Delta it’s been grey and just SUPER cold. There’s ice on Deer Creek and the poor ducks have had to make a little swimming hole for themselves.

And all this cold made me wish for a recipe I made over Labor Day weekend that oozed summer…I can’t say it’d be particularly fun to make right now since it depends on grilling-weather, but just remembering it’s flavor makes me think of warmer days and green grass.

So, for your own warmer-weather memories…the recipe for Grilled Peach Ice Cream with Balsamic Swirl. (let’s be clear… we’re talking grilled peace ice cream NOT grilled peaches WITH ice cream. there’s a difference and it’s important.)

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Summer Squash Souffle’ from the OK Cafe

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One of my all time favorite (and diet-busting) things to do with summer squash is to make a souffle’. The OK Cafe in Atlanta (and I’ve learned, so does Connie’s Kitchen in Leland, MS) both make to-die for versions. The first one I ever had was in Atlanta, so I’d searched around for the OK Cafe’s recipe for awhile, and came across the one they actually use every day for their customers. I mean, 66 pounds of squash and 2 quarts of green onions is a little bit more than I usually buy at the farmer’s market, so I (I mean, boone) did a little math and worked out the proportions for our family. I’ve made this so many times now and I’ve tested it out with a little less mayo or a little more cheese and this is the version that tastes THE MOST like what I remember from the ATL. It’s best served with creamed corn, speckled lima beans, fresh tomatoes, or turnip greens… or really, whatever your favorite combination for your vegetable plate!

Summer Squash Souffle’ from the OK Cafe
Serves 4-6

What you need:
2-3 lbs of squash, cut into half rounds about 1/2″ thick
1 1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese
1 cup hellman’s mayonnaise (y’all  know I don’t mess around with other kinds of mayo. also, the recipe actually calls for 2 cups, but I think this is WAY too much)
1/4 cup green onions
1 stick of butter
salt and pepper
1 egg
1 cup Crushed ritz crackers or bread crumbs for topping

What to do: 
First, steam the squash until it’s soft and then mash with a potato masher so that you don’t have chunks of squash. Cut the onions and made your breadcrumbs or crush the ritz crackers while you wait to maximize your time.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Melt the butter and sautee’ the green onions in the butter until limp. use a fork or whisk to whip up the raw egg. Once the squash is steamed and mashed and has cooled entirely (the fridge speeds up the process!), mix in the onions with the butter, the egg, the mayonnaise, the cheese and then salt and pepper it to taste.

Pour into a 9″x11″ pyrex dish, top with the bread crumbs or ritz crackers, and bake for about 30-45 minutes or until bubbly. Serve it with your favorite other vegetable sides and savor!

I may or may not have eaten this for 3 meals in the span of 5 days… so, so, so good…but better eaten as a special summer treat once or twice a year for staying on my swimsuit diet!

Blackened Catfish and Spicy Pinapple Salsa

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 It’s spring time, which means that Boone and I try to eat as much fish and fruit as possible…also, on springtime Sunday afternoons, all I want is a homemade frozen margarita for some reason, and spicy food goes just great with that.Plus, when we went down to the Fla Keys last fall I think every single meal I had something blackened, so it was time to try our hand at that. On top of that, since I’m back on the weight watchers wagon (whooo!!! or booo! depending on who you ask…) and since we may or may not have eaten chinese food on Saturday night, we wanted something light.You may have seen the catfish tacos that I posted last year, and this is a similar idea with different flavors. If you liked those, read on for your own spring time blackened catfish feast.
 
What you need for the catfish
a cast iron skillet
4 catfish fillets
4 sprays cooking spray
For the Rub
 2 1/2 Tablespoons Paprika
2 Tbs Salt
2 T garlic powder
1 T black pepper
1 T cayenne pepper
1 T dried oregano
1 T french poultry seasoning (in place of thyme)
What you need for the salsa
1 can of pinapple rounds (or one fresh pinapple, peeled and cored), diced
1 medium fresh tomato, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 jalepeno chile (diced fine)
Juice of 2 fresh limes
salt to taste
we didn’t have any, but I’d also recommend cilantro.

Serve with Greek Yogurt and cilantro!

What to do: 
Start by dicing all of the fruit and the onion and jalepeno and combining in the large bowl.
 
once everything is diced in about the same size pieces, juice the lime and pour it over the fruit. Salt to taste. Let this stand and marinate for at least 30 minutes, if not longer so the flavors meld together and it gets spicy and sweet.
Once that’s ready, start preparing the fish by mixing the spices together to make the rub. Once that’s taken care of, set aside and heat the cast iron skillet on high for  6 minutes. it may smoke, but you need it to be hot enough to blacken…but not hot so hot that it cracks (because you can do that to a skillet, btw).
pat the fillets dry, and then cover them in about 1 tablespoon of rub per fillet. You can use more, but 1 tablespoon does the trick. Once you’re ready to blacken, spray the skillet with cooking spray.

place the catfish in the pan making sure that the fillets don’t touch. If they touch, the meat steams rather than crisps…which just isn’t the same as blackened. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until the fish is firm and flakey… you’ll know it’s ready because there’ll be a nice black crust on the top.

 

VOILA! serve with tortilla chips  or saffron rice and black beans and a dollop of plain greek yogurt on the top for a tropical-ish treat using my favorite southern fish!

 

BLT salad

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this morning we got up early-ish and went in search of the nearest farmer’s market. we’ve been out of town a bunch so we thought we could get to know our new corner of the delta a little better.
we went the wrong directions and then made it back to greenville for their market just in time to buy some beautiful cherry and pear tomatoes, some speckled butter beans, and lady peas.
the tomatoes were too small for a BLT sandwich, so tonight for dinner we made the next best thing… a BLT salad. 😉 something about the lemon juice, garlic, and mayonnaise in the dressing was the perfect combination… boone had thirds. if you find yourself wanting something easy and summery, this adaptation of a southern living recipe might be just the ticket.

What you Need:
1.5 quarts cherry, pear, or other tiny tomatoes
1/4 Cup hellman’s mayonnaise (don’t you dare substitute with ANYTHING but homemade)
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper
1 garlic clove
1/2 yellow onion
1/2 head of green leaf lettuce
What to Do:
first, slice your the tomatoes in half, lengthwise using a serrated knife. if you don’t have a tomato knife, you should seriously consider investing in one since it makes things in summertime so. much. better. truly…how did i live without this thing?

 

crush the garlic into a paste, and slice the onions into thin ribbons. cook the bacon in a skillet until it’s crispy and brown. Once the bacon is ready, drain it using paper towels. Now comes the healthiest part…cook the onions in the bacon drippings until they’re translucent. i know… my weight watchers’ commitment isn’t looking so good right now. don’t judge me. 😉

mash the garlic clove into a paste using the flat side of a knife or a garlic press. combine with the mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and lemon juice to make the tangy dressing.

 

combine the bacon, lettuce, onions, and tomatoes, then mix in the dressing. voila! a light, delishy summer salad.