Summer Roasted Peach Lemonade with Roasted Peach Puree + Honey Simple Syrup

Summer Roasted Peach Lemonade with Roasted Peach Puree +
Honey Simple Syrup

Summer is officially back... and it's back with a bang. It is so damn hot down here in Atlanta, I can barely even step outside before passing out. I'm literally counting down the days until Autumn returns. Until then, it's time to embrace the heat and enjoy signature cocktails, using the grill, and having cookouts with friends and family. And when I think summer days in Georgia, the first thing that comes to all of our minds are peaches. Peaches, peaches, peaches. Peaches on everything. Since they are just coming into season, I bought two bags of them at the farmer's market yesterday. I knew I wanted to make something refreshing, so I ended up deciding to make homemade peach lemonade. I put my own little twist on it by roasting the peaches with honey and turbinado sugar. I absolutely love roasting fruit, it concentrates their sweetness and gives off the most luxurious syrup. After you roast them, let them cool a bit and try to peel off as much of the skin as you can. If you can't get some that's fine because we will end up straining out the big flecks and pieces before serving. Then, all you have to do is puree the roasted peaches until as smooth as possible. I used meyer lemons for my lemonade because I love their sweetness, but any lemon will do to be honest. To sweeten the mix, I made a honey simple syrup. Whenever I make lemonade, I always make honey simple syrup. It enhances the lemon and gives it the most unbelievable balance with just a hint of floral notes. The thing about lemonade is that it is about as Southern as you can get.... uh, besides sweet tea of course. But then you add in roasted peach puree, and well, you've hit the maximum of southern-ness (if you know what I mean). This is great for a picnic, a lemonade stand, or even boozy (hey hey!). We spiked ours with vodka, cointreau, and fresh muddled peaches -- lemme tell you, it was awesome. So go on y'all... make it while the weather is still scorchin' hawt. It will quench your thirst indeed!!

a view from the top 

ready to gulp down...

how cute are these mason jars?!

For the Honey Simple Syrup:

1 ½C Water

1C Honey

¼C Sugar

For the Roasted Peaches:

5-6 Large Peaches, Seed Removed & Split in Half

Honey, For drizzling

Sugar, For Sprinkling

For the Summer Peach Lemonade:

Roasted Peaches, Cooled & Pureed (make sure to remove the skins)

Prepared Honey Simple Syrup, Chilled

2C Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice (I prefer Meyer Lemons, but regular lemons are fine)

4C Cold Water (or more if you want it less strong)

Directions:

1. For the Honey Simple Syrup: Place the honey, water, and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil, and simmer until the honey is completely dissolved. Pour in the syrup into a container and let it cool completely in the refrigerator until chilled, for about an hour.
2. For the Roasted Peaches: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare the peaches by cutting them in half and removing their center seed. Toss the peaches with the honey and place them cut-side down in a roasting pan. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, and then flip them over, sprinkle heavily with sugar, and continue roasting them for another 15-20 minutes. For the last 5 minutes of roasting, turn the oven up to broil and let the fruit flesh caramelize and brown. Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely. After cooling, remove the peach peels and puree them in a food processor until smooth.
3. For the Summer Peach Lemonade: In a large pitcher, combine the peach puree, honey simple syrup, lemon juice, and cold water. Stir to incorporate, and then strain to remove any solids. Chill the peach lemonade overnight or until cold. Enjoy on a hot summer day.

Salted Margarita Pie (in jars) with Pretzel Cookie Crust, Boozy White Chocolate-Key Lime Pie Filling, & Whipped Cream

Salted Margarita Pie (in jars) with Pretzel Cookie Crust, Boozy
White Chocolate-Key Lime Pie Filling, & Whipped Cream

Holy crap y'all, when did it get so hot outside? It's seriously hot as the dickens. But, you know what that means, SUMMER FOOD. Grilled burgers, fresh seafood, homemade ice cream + sorbet, fruity drinks, and key lime pie. I'm partial to my Deep Dish Key Lime Meringue Pie because it never disappoints. Well, here's an upgraded recipe of this summer dessert classic. Salted Margarita Pie is just the boozy sister of key lime pie with a couple unique twists. Instead of a boring 'ole graham crackers, a pretzel cookie crust is made and it certainly shines throughout the dish. I love its crumbly + crunchy texture and its' lightly salted flavor. It's so good that it makes you wonder why this crust isn't used for every pie you make. What makes this pie extra special is the filling... how can you go wrong with ingredients like white chocolate, freshly squeezed margarita mix, citrus zest, and booze? You can't. And guess what, it's made with not just one kind of booze, but TWO. Tequila and Cointreau spike this luscious custard and give it a margarita flair. I know that some of you are thinking that white chocolate sounds like an odd addition in a tart pie, but I think it balanced the strong taste of alcohol and citrus with its' sweetness and creamy finish. For a while now, I have been wanting to make a dessert in a mason jar because I love the retro vibe and easy portability. We actually made it for the Jimmy Buffet concert that we went to in February and it was the perfect treat to snack on, and it's actually quite simple! All you have to do is pack in the pretzel cookie crust and pour in an even layer of margarita pie filling and bake until it has just set. The jars of pie are finished with homemade whipped cream and a sprinkle of mixed citrus sea salt, which perfectly mimics the effortlessly wonderful salted rim of a margarita. So, you can't miss that step! This dessert would be awesome for a picnic or a day at the beach, that's for sure. All that's left for y'all to do is grab a spoon and start diggin' at it. Trust me, your mouth will be watering in anticipation, trying to get at the bottom layer of salty-pretzel-cookie-goodness!! Enjoy :)

Perfect Layering.

Homemade whipped cream with mixed citrus sea salt & fresh lime rounds...

The best part: Salty Pretzel Cookie Crust

Go on and get in there!

For the Pretzel Cookie Crust:

8T + 4T Unsalted Butter, 8T at Room Temperature & 4T Melted

1/3C + 1T Light Brown Sugar, Packed

3T Sugar

1 Egg Yolk

½C AP Flour

1½C Pretzels (crushed into the size of small peas or old-fashioned rolled oats)

1/8t Baking Powder

Pinch of Baking Soda

½t + ¼t Salt

For the White Chocolate Key Lime Pie Filling Spiked with Tequila & Cointreau:

2 14oz Cans of Sweetened, Condensed Milk

11oz Melted White Chocolate

6 Egg Yolks (you can save the egg whites and make a meringue topping if you like)

1C Homemade Margarita Mix (but freshly squeezed citrus juice would be fine)

3 Limes, Zested

4T High Quality Clear Tequila

2T Cointreau

Green Food Coloring (to your liking)

Homemade Mixed Citrus Sea Salt, small lemon pieces

For the Whipped Cream:

1C Heavy Whipping Cream

1T Sugar

1t Vanilla Extract

Freshly Grated Lime Zest & Mixed Citrus Sea Salt, For Garnishing

Directions:

1. For the Pretzel Cookie Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with Pam. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine 8T room temperature butter, 1/3C light brown sugar, and sugar in medium bowl. Beat the mixture until light and fluffy, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolk; beat until pale and fluffy. Add in the pretzel pieces, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and beat until well blended, about 1 minute. Turn the pretzel cookie mixture out onto prepared baking sheet; press out evenly to almost the edges of pan. Bake until light golden on top, 15-18 minutes. Transfer baking pan to rack and cool cookie completely. Using hands, crumble oat cookie into a food processor and process until it becomes wet sand, and then add melted butter, salt, and brown sugar. Pulse until mixture is moist enough to stick together. Transfer cookie crust mixture into mason jars. Using fingers, press mixture evenly into the bottom of the jars. Place pie dishes with crust on rimmed baking sheet.

2. For the Key Lime Pie Filling: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the condensed milk, melted white chocolate, egg yolks, key lime juice (or homemade margarita mix), tequila, and triple sec until well blended. And then add in the fresh lime zest (or lemon zest may substituted) & green food coloring (to you liking). Pour the margarita pie filling into the pretzel crust filled mason jars. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes (depending on your oven), or until the pie filling is set, but still jiggles slightly. Remove the pie from the oven and let the filling cool & set slightly. Cover with the lids and bands and refrigerate for at least two hours or until chilled & set.

3. For the Whipped Cream: Just before serving, whip cream until soft peaks form. Fold in sugar and vanilla, whipping until stiff peaks form. Garnish pie jars with whipped cream, freshly grated lime zest, and a sprinkle of homemade mixed citrus sea salt, if using. Serve immediately. This makes roughly six 12oz Salted Margarita Pie in Jars.

Italian Sub Sandwiches

Italian Sub Sandwiches

These are the perfect picnic sandwich y'all. I'm tellin' you. Although I am partial to hot, toasty, melty, cheesy panini-style sandwiches, this cold Italian Sub Sandwich just hit the spot for us on our anniversary. I mean, it's not class italian sub, but it has similar flavors, just kicked up a bit. First of all, it has a spicy & sweet component with a spread of fig preserves and spicy pepper relish. Then, it's perfectly salty with the different combination of deli meats. There are two cheeses... smoked provolone and goat cheese, both of which you need, trust me. Some peppery arugula and marinated onions finish it all off, and well, you have an awesome sub. This is my Mountain Man's favorite type of sandwich, so I'm surprised I haven't made it before. But, guess what, I liked it just as much as him. We probably will make it this weekend, yummy!! P.S. does everyone realize that college football starts tomorrow? We did, which means a weekly installment of tailgatin' food will be back. YAY. Enjoy :)

Layers of Prosciutto, Salami, & Chorizo.

Those are fully stacked my friends...

For the Sandwiches:

4 Slices of Bread, Toasted or Fried in Olive Oil

Fig Preserves or Apricot Preserves

Italian Hot Pepper Spread (we love the brand, Wickles Hoagie & Sub Sandwich Relish)

2 Slices of Smoked Provolone

6oz of Assorted Deli Meats (we did a combination of Prosciutto, Salami, & Chorizo)

Goat Cheese, Room Temperature

Baby Arugula

Sweet Onion, Shaved Thinly & Tossed in Olive Oil, Vinegar, & Dried Oregano

Directions:

1. Toast or fry the bread in olive oil until golden brown.   

2. Spread some preserves on one slice of bread and some hot pepper spread on another slice. Start layering the sandwiches with smoked provolone, shaved deli meat, baby arugula, marinated onions, and a good amount of softened goat cheese.   

3. Stack the sandwich together and enjoy immediately.

Rainier Cherry-Vanilla Bean Lemonade

Rainier Cherry-Vanilla Bean Lemonade

I'm finally back with a recipe. Sorry I've been lazy, I just have so much school work, so I haven't felt like posting. But, I've got a semi-new recipe for you today because it's a take on my Vanilla Bean Lemonade that I made back in June. It's slightly different since it includes one of my favorite fruits, Rainier Cherries. I don't get to buy these very often, but when I see them at the grocery store, I immediately grab for them. I just love 'em. So I thought, why not make some cherry lemonade? It would be just perfect for our anniversary picnic. But, we just adored that Vanilla Bean Lemonade, so why not combine them together. I still made a vanilla bean infused simple syrup like before, but I also steeped some fresh rainier cherries into it as well. It's the perfect balance of sweet and tart. And since we were taking this lemonade on a picnic, I decided to freeze some more rainier cherries to act as ice cubes in our drink because nothin' is worse that a watered down drink, y'all. I also think it would be delicious to muddle some cherries into the bottom of the glass and maybe add some booze. But of course, I always want to add booze. Such the alcoholic I am. Serve it in a big ole' mason jar or a wine glass for all I care, it's all good. It's the perfect Summer beverage and just hits the spot when it's hot outside!! Enjoy :)

Our Picnic: Rainier Cherry-Vanilla Bean Lemonade, Brussel Sprout Slaw,
& Italian Sub Sandwiches

For the Rainier Cherry-Vanilla Bean Infused Simple Syrup:

1C Water

1C Honey

1-2 Vanilla Beans, Split & Scraped for Beans (depending on how strong you want it)

1lb Fresh Rainier Cherries, Pitted

For the Vanilla Bean Lemonade:

Prepared Rainier Cherry-Vanilla Bean Infused Simple Syrup, Chilled

1C Fresh Lemon Juice

3-4C Cold Water (or to your preferred strength)

1lb Fresh Rainier Cherries, Pitted & Frozen (to act as ice cubes for serving)

Directions:

1. For the Rainier Cherry-Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup: In a pot, heat the honey and water, whisking until the honey is dissolved completely. Add in the vanilla beans, their pods, and rainier cherries into the syrup and let them steep in the boiling syrup. Once it comes to a boil, turn off the heat and let the flavors meld for 3 hours. Once the syrup is thick and room temperature, strain the syrup (in order to remove the pods and softened cherries) and then pour the syrup into a container and chill overnight.   

2. For the Rainier Cherry-Vanilla Bean Lemonade: Add the fresh lemon juice, chilled rainier cherry-vanilla bean infused simple syrup, and cold water (about 3-4C depending on the desired strength). Refrigerate the vanilla bean lemonade for an hour.   

3. When serving, fill mason jars with frozen rainier cherries (to act as ice cubes) and pour in the lemonade and garnish with lemon slices or fresh rainier cherries & a straw. I find that using frozen rainier cherries as ice cubes are especially helpful when taking this lemonade on a picnic because the lemonade will not be watered down by the time you get to enjoy them.

Watermelon-Feta-Arugula Salad with Serrano Chile Vinaigrette

Here's another recipe that I love from my beloved Hugh Acheson. While reading about it in his cookbook, he said this was the perfect combination of sweet-salty-spicy-bitter that he had ever tried. He also liked mango, chile, and country ham, which I'm definitely going to try next. I sure do like my stuff spicy, so I doubled the amount of Serrano chiles in the salad recipe. Feel free to just use a total of two when making it for yourself. At first, we were both weary of this great combination, but eventually, it somehow all worked together. I did add some thinly sliced red onions, just for a little bite. We marinated the salad with some of the vinaigrette, added in some arugula right at the end so it wouldn't wilt, and packed them into containers for our picnic to go along side some yummy Tarragon-Lobster Rolls. We dug right into the salad first, and bam, so much flavor in such a small salad. And we loved it!! The salad was summery-fresh and the perfect side in the hot weather of Savannah. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who's looking for a unique combination of flavors!! Enjoy :)

Watermelon-Feta-Arugula Salad with Serrano Chile Vinaigrette 

the view from the top

For the Serrano Chile Vinaigrette:

½C Olive Oil

1 Lime, Zested & Juiced

2T Champagne Vinegar

3T Honey

1 Shallot, Minced

1 Large Garlic Clove, Minced

1-2 Serrano Chiles, Thinly Sliced

½t Fresh Rosemary, Minced

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Salad:

Prepared Serrano Chile Vinaigrette

1 Medium Seedless Watermelon, Skin & Rind Removed & Cut into Squares

1-2 Serrano Chiles, Thinly Sliced

Baby Arugula Leaves

Red Onion, Thinly Sliced (optional)

½lb Feta, Cut into Cubes

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Directions:

1. For the Serrano Chile Vinaigrette: Combine the olive, limejuice, vinegar, shallot, chile, rosemary, and seasonings in a mason jar, tighten the lid, and shake vigorously. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.
2. For the Salad: Place the watermelon squares, feta cubes, Serrano slices, red onion, and arugula in large bowl, and dress with half of the vinaigrette. Season lightly with salt & pepper. Add a small amount of dressed arugula on each plate, then the watermelon-feta mixture on top. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Garnish with the dressed Serrano slices and then drizzle with a touch of the vinaigrette around each plate. Serve immediately.

Tarragon Lobster Rolls with Butter Poached Lobster Tails, Tarragon Mayo, Fresh Chives, & Crispy Shallots on a Hot Buttered Roll

Tarragon Lobster Rolls with Butter Poached Lobster Tails, Tarragon Mayo, Fresh Chives,
& Crispy Shallots on a Hot Buttered Roll 

Okay, so I raved about these lobster rolls on Saturday. I couldn't put it up that day because I hadn't written the recipe and the pictures weren't ready. Fun Fact... I usually don't like lobster. I'm kinda not a seafood person. I'm definitely growing into it more, but fish is on my hell-naw list, and lobster used to be too. But, after this lobster roll, all bets are off. I loved it, my mountain man... he would die for it. Literally. I looked at a few recipes to get some inspiration about how to make them. I had always heard of boiling lobster, but I came across the brilliant idea about butter-poaching the lobster tails. This made the meat luscious, tender, and buttery-good. I made the mayo with some dijon mustard, fresh celery and onion, chives, fresh tarragon, and some lemon zest. It had a great strong flavor, but didn't detract from the natural sweetness from the lobster. But the best parts my friends are the hot buttered rolls and crispy shallots. The rolls are heaven-on-earth. Just whip up some of these for dinner... and then probably die immediately afterwards. Totally worth it. And if I had my say, everything would be topped with crispy shallots, like crispy shallots garnished with crispy shallots sounds amazing to me. I'm over-indulgent though. Anyway, we took these lobster rolls out to the park for picnic, along with some potato salad that is our absolute-go-to-picnic-side recipe. One of our best picnic meals ever!! Enjoy :)

Look at all those chunks of butter poached lobster

before the crispy shallot topping

CRISPY SHALLOTS (mah lyfe)

our favorite potato salad.

For the Butter Poached Lobster Tails

2 Lobster Tails

Unsalted Butter

For the Tarragon Mayo:

2T Mayo

¼t Dijon Mustard

¼C Fresh Celery, Finely Diced

¼C Sweet Onion, Minced

1T Fresh Tarragon, Minced

¼t Fresh Lemon Zest

Pinch of Sugar

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

1T Fresh Chives, Minced (plus extra for sprinkling)

Butter Poached Lobster Tails, Roughly Chopped & Chilled

For the Crispy Shallots:

2 Large Shallots, Thinly Sliced

Vegetable Oil For Frying

For the Hot Buttered Rolls:

2 Top-Loading Hot Dog Buns

4T Unsalted Butter

For the Lobster Rolls:

Prepared Tarragon Mayo Tossed Lobster

Fresh Chives, For Garnishing

Crispy Shallots

Fresh Cracked Pepper, For Garnishing

Directions:

1. For the Butter Poached Lobster Tails: In a small pot, bring the butter (enough to cover the tails) to a slight boil, and then add in one tail. Cook on one side for about 6 minutes, flip the tail, and then cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the shell is pick and the meat is cooked through. Remove from the butter and place onto and cutting board to cool. Repeat this step with the other lobster tail. Once both tails are poached and room temperature, remove the meat from the shells and roughly chopped into cubes. Chill the cubed meat while you make the mayo.
2. For the Tarragon Mayo: Mix together all of the ingredients until smooth and incorporated. Add in the chilled lobster meat and toss to combine. Chill in the refrigerator.
3. For the Crispy Shallots: Fry the sliced shallots in some butter or oil, over medium heat, until slightly crispy & golden brown. It just takes a few minutes. Remove them from the butter, drain them on a paper towel, and sprinkle lightly with salt. Set them aside.
4. For the Buttered Rolls: In a small sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Place the rolls on their sides in the butter. Flip the buns a couple times so that all sides soak up an equal amount of butter and brown evenly. Remove the buns from the pan and place them onto a plate.
5. Assembling the Lobster Rolls: Open the buttered rolls and fill them generously with the tossed lobster mixture. Garnish with fresh chives, fresh cracked pepper, and crispy shallots. Enjoy immediately.

Southern Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Salty Bourbon Caramel Sauce

Things are finally starting to settle down around here, besides the fact that I have two tests today that I just can't get motivated for. But oh well, c'est la vie. Anyway, has it been raining non-stop where y'all are? I mean it's been raining/pouring for two straight weeks and it's driving me nuts. I can't remember the last time we went on a picnic, which is normally a weekly thing for us. And this was one of the desserts I made for our last picnic together. I had never had panna cotta before, but I had always wanted to try it. And then I came across this recipe for a buttermilk version, so I just knew I had to make it. I added a bunch of vanilla beans, and then I topped it with a delicious Salty Bourbon Caramel Sauce & a sprinkling of fleur de sel. You could really present this any way you want, especially for a fancy dinner party, but I love the look of this panna cotta in mason jars for an easy picnic dessert. The caramel and tangy panna cotta are the perfect combination and a great summertime treat!! Enjoy :)

Southern Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Salty Bourbon Caramel Sauce

For the Southern Buttermilk Panna Cotta:

1 ½t Unflavored Gelatin

1 ¼C Heavy Cream

7T Sugar

1 Vanilla Bean Pod, Split Lengthwise & Scraped for Seeds

1 ¾C Buttermilk

For the Salty Bourbon Caramel Sauce:

½C Sugar

1 ½T Bourbon, Divided

½t Corn Syrup

¼C Heavy Cream

3T Unsalted Butter, Cut into ½inch Cubes

¼t Sea Salt

¾t Vanilla

Directions:

1. Soften gelatin in 1 tbsp. cold water in a medium bowl for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, put cream and sugar into a small saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla pod into pan, then add pod. Heat cream over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves, 3–5 minutes, and then stir into bowl with gelatin. Stir in buttermilk, and then strain into another bowl.
2. Divide custard between six 8-oz. ramekins or mason jars, and refrigerate until set, about 3 hours. To unmold, dip ramekins into a dish of hot water, then invert custards onto plates. (Note: I don’t invert — I prefer serving the panna cotta in their ramekins with a spoon.) Garnish with raspberries or other fruit, if you like.
3. For the Salty Bourbon Caramel Sauce: Stir together the sugar, 1T of bourbon, corn syrup, and 1T water in a deep saucepan over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat, bring to a boil without stirring, and cook, occasionally swirling the pan and brushing down the sides with a wet pastry brush, until sugar is a deep amber color, about 6-8 minutes. Remove the caramel from the heat and whisk in the heavy cream, butter, and sea salt (the mixture will bubble vigorously). Let it cool for 5 minutes, and then whisk in the remaining ½T of bourbon and vanilla. Let the bourbon caramel cool slightly on your kitchen counter. The caramel can be made 2 hours ahead of time, but continue to let the caramel stand at room temperature until you are ready to use it.
4. Once the panna cotta ramekins or jars have chilled and set, generously pour the salty bourbon caramel sauce over the tops of the panna cotta. However, if you would like to remove the panna cotta onto a plate, dip the ramekin into a dish of hot water, and invert onto your serving dish. Drizzle the tops with the salty bourbon caramel sauce.

Vanilla Bean Lemonade

The last couple days have been super busy for me, sorry for my lack of posting. My Mountain Man's family is in town visiting us in Savannah. So we're busy entertaining for the weekend. But, here's a quick recipe for a Vanilla Bean Lemonade that is just so perfect for a picnic. I would never think that I would like something so sweet in a tangy drink, but somehow vanilla bean + lemon really work. I'll be back to posting a revamped recipe on Sunday morning. Anyway, we loved this lemonade... it was practically a dessert!! Enjoy :)

Vanilla Bean Lemonade

Look for the specks of vanilla bean :)

For the Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup:

1C Water

1C Honey

2 Vanilla Beans, Split & Scraped for Beans

For the Vanilla Bean Lemonade:

Prepared Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup, Chilled

1C Fresh Lemon Juice

3-4C Cold Water

Directions:

1. For the Vanilla Bean Simple Syrup: In a pot, heat the sugar and water, whisking until the sugar is dissolved completely. Add in the vanilla beans and their pods into the syrup and let them steep in the boiling syrup. Once it comes to a boil, turn off the heat and let the flavors meld for 3 hours. Once the syrup is thick and room temperature, remove the pods and then pour the syrup into a container and chill overnight.
2. For the Vanilla Bean Lemonade: Add the fresh lemon juice, chilled vanilla bean simple syrup, and cold water (about 3-4C depending on the desired strength). Refrigerate the vanilla bean lemonade for an hour.
3. Pour into mason jars that are filled with ice and garnish with lemon slices & a straw.  Enjoy this beverage while laying in the hot sun.