Blackberry Sage Refrigerator Jam

I love preserving, but when it comes to jam, I tend to make refrigerator jam for a variety of reasons. This week, my Blackberry Sage Refrigerator Jam was made with a very specific recipe in mind. Having a specific recipe in mind is a huge part of why I make refrigerator jam instead of true […]

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Fresh Strawberry Pie with Rhubarb Curd

My Fresh Strawberry Pie with Rhubarb Curd all started with two quarts of gorgeous little local fresh strawberries. You know the ones. They’re really small. And sometimes oddly shaped. And deep dark red. They were at the market, and it was time for a fresh strawberry pie. But I didn’t have the heart to make […]

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Spicy Polenta Tarts with Okra and Sweet Corn

These Spicy Polenta Tarts with Okra and Sweet Corn were inspired by a recipe I saw online. It’s funny how some of these pinterest recipes work (p.s. Are you following me on pinterest? You should be), you keep tracing them back and tracing them back to their original incarnation, only to find that they were […]

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Smoky, Spicy Buttermilk Dressing

When I know I’m going to serve my guests something like the Seriously Good Extra Crispy Fried Chicken I’m about to unleash on my Updated Southern Supper Menu, I do more than start them off with a really light appetizer like my Spicy Mint and Dill Quick Pickled Beans and Carrots. I also make a […]

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Spicy Mint and Dill Quick Pickled Beans and Carrots

Summer calls for lots of quick and light snacks like my Spicy Mint and Dill Quick Pickled Beans and Carrots. And a Big Southern Supper especially needs hors d’oeuvres that won’t overwhelm your guests, but rather whet their appetites. These unexpected Spicy Mint and Dill Quick Pickled Beans and Carrots accomplish just that. After all, […]

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Fig and Prosciutto Pizza with Arugula

There were figs in the market this week, and that’s all the reason I needed to make this Fig Prosciutto Pizza with Arugula. Whenever I find fresh figs, I can be relied upon to buy them up and dream of all the wonderful things to do with them, all the while eating them straight out […]

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Father’s Day Rosemary Rhubarb Upsidedown Cake

It’s tradition in my family to make a rhubarb pie for Father’s Day but this year I’m changing things up with my Father’s Day Rosemary Rhubarb Upsidedown Cake. Usually the timing of Father’s Day is perfect for the first rhubarb harvest (in Door Country, Wisconsin), which is probably how the tradition started. It doesn’t hurt […]

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Leftover Crab Dip Crêpes

Here’s one more nice and easy leftover crab dip idea: make savory Leftover Crab Dip Crêpes and serve with the leftover Snappy Green Salad. They work really well with any salad. But I definitely recommend something simple with a citrus dressing. Lemon or lime complements the citrus in the crab dip perfectly. Added bonus, these Leftover […]

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Leftover Crab Dip Melts

If decided to try out my Chesapeake Bay Crab Party menu and you have some leftover crab dip, then you’re going to be really happy the day after the party, because using up the leftovers with these Leftover Crab Dip Melts might be even better than the dip itself. But I’m not really sure, so […]

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Key Lime Pie, two ways

I blame my friend Erica, for this post: Key Lime Pie, two ways. Or I’m grateful to her, but I hold her personally responsible for the many hours that went into it? It’s been years in the making. It started in Key West with a quest for the best pie key lime pie. See, Erica […]

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Crab Boil Chesapeake Style

If you’re doing a mini-break on the Chesapeake Bay, like we did, or spending some time down the shore this Summer, at least one of your dinners needs to focus on Maryland crabs à la this Crab Boil Chesapeake Style. Since our house included a very cool outdoor range as part of our gas grill […]

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Snappy Green Salad: beyond leafy greens

My Snappy Green Salad: beyond leafy greens was perfect for our Summer Kick-Off, Chesapeake Bay Adventure. The old-fashioned fun of board and yard games made me nostalgic for all things Summer, and the Snappy Green Salad fit the theme perfectly by requiring a little bean snapping. Both bean snapping and corn husking are romantically nostalgic […]

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