Culinary Dinner

As we inch closer to the holidays and the end of the year, it seems natural to reflect on the past. I think of my favorite holiday meals and who was the best in our family at making certain dishes. I also think about my own first adventures in the kitchen that ended up being…

Homegrown Dinner

VOLUNTEER GARDENER’S HOMEGROWN DINNER Get your tickets to Volunteer Gardener’s Homegrown Dinner celebrating the tomato, Nashville’s favorite fruit. Created by Bacon & Caviar, the prix-fixe menu highlights farm-fresh tomatoes in each of the courses, including dessert. Thursday, Aug. 8 6:30 – 9 pm The Old School 5022 Old Hydes Ferry Pike Nashville, TN 37218 Reservations…

Sweet Potato Pie

Everyone’s Favorite Sweet Potato Pie Perhaps you routinely reach for pecan or chocolate pie for something to end a meal. Both are great, but I prefer a not-so-sugary but equally satisfying slice of sweet potato pie. Produce bins are loaded with supplies of this freshly harvested tuber and you more than likely have a stash…

Pickles

Pickles As cucumber plants go crazy, I do too … in the kitchen making pickles. Lately it’s been Bread and Butter, which are sweet and seasoned with mustard seeds, turmeric and celery seeds. Later I will be making dills, which are the standard for placing beside a sandwich. The tartness is pucker-worthy but just right…

Cucumber Salad

Cucumbers The first cucumbers that I harvest are always reserved for salad and I picked my first ones this week. While I certainly chop them up for green salads, my favorite is a truly green salad that I serve over mixed baby lettuce. I have been making it for years and am not even sure…

Cauliflower and Cheese

Cauliflower and Cheese I have been harvesting fresh cauliflower from my garden for weeks. It is a wonderful reminder of how much I love this versatile vegetable. Most of the time, I sprinkle it with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and pop it into the oven to roast. It’s super easy and the…

English Pea Salad

English Pea Salad Although it feels like summer, it is still spring and my garden is yielding the rewards of early planting. Green onions, leaf lettuce, herbs and English peas have given the inside of my refrigerator every shade of green. So I decided to combine all of them into a cold salad to help…

Macaroni & Cheese

I have loved macaroni and cheese my whole life. It is much more than comfort food … it holds memories of my Grandmother’s house and the particular dish she always used to prepare it. I have made it literally dozens of ways, but the old-fashioned way of making a sauce with butter, flour, milk, salt…

Pimento Cheese

Pimento Cheese I believe I have been a fan of Pimento Cheese since birth. The heavenly mixture of shredded cheese, mayonnaise and bright pimento peppers is a Southern classic and one of my favorite comfort foods. For years, I only enjoyed it slathered on fresh white bread. Then I began grilling the sandwich and later…

Fast Pesto Dip

Fast Pesto Dip We are in the countdown to Christmas and you don’t have oodles of extra time to spare. To the rescue is this super simple, incredibly fast and delicious dip that you can throw together in a snap with ingredients you probably have on hand. Serve it with some peppered Carr’s crackers and…