One of my favorite Southern summer sides:

Combine chopped tomatoes and cucumbers (peeled if you prefer) in a bowl.

Optional: add a little diced sweet onion.

Toss with a generous amount of fresh chopped parsley, red or white wine vinegar, olive oil (about 2:1 vinegar to oil), salt and pepper. (Also delicious with fresh cilantro or basil.)

Marinate at room temperature or chilled for an hour or so before serving.

Bon appétit!

Wine pairing: A refreshing white or dry rose with crisp acidity to stand up to the vinegar. Pinot grigio and Albarino come to mind. Cheers!

Peaches are one of my favorite summer fruits, and we bought South Carolina peaches today at Oasis, our local global market. The spinach and arugula were picked from our garden.

Start with grilled pizza dough, and a charcoal fire on one side of the grill only (for indirect heat), cook dough over the coals until bottom is lightly browned and crisp, rotating as necessary for even browning. The dough will form bubbles as the yeast produce carbon dioxide. Flip dough over (the cooked side is now the top of the pizza), flatten the air bubbles, move off the coals, and coat dough with olive oil. Add crumbled chevre.

Move the dough back over the coals and rotate to cook the bottom evenly. Once the bottom is browned, move dough over to indirect heat and add spinach, arugula, and 1-2 chopped peaches that have been tossed with extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and salt and pepper.

Close the grill and let greens wilt and peaches warm through, 2-5 minutes. If you’re feeling inspired, grill the peaches while the dough is cooking before adding them to the greens mixture.

Serve with balsalmic vinegar and fruity hot sauces as condiments.

Bon appétit!

Wine pairing: Viognier, with its varietal descriptors of peach and apricot, and its floral aromas, would be perfect with the peaches in this recipe. Virginia wineries are producing some fabulous Viogniers. Rose or Albarino would also pair well with this pizza. Cheers!

Lunch today. One of my favorites – especially in winter just before, after, or if I’m really needing a tropical vacation. I’ve had similar salades in San juan, St. Barth, and Hawaii.

Chop several different tropical fruits (mango, papaya, pineapple, avocado, kiwi, banana, etc.) and serve over a bed of greens. Pomegranate is a lovely addition in winter. Hearts of palm are frequently served in the versions I’ve had closer to the equator.

Sprinkle with grated coconut. Maybe throw some chopped cashews, macadamia nuts, or sliced almonds on there.

Dress with fresh lime or lemon juice and olive oil. Chopped fresh cilantro adds a nice herbal contrast.

Bon appétit!

Wine pairing: Something with rum – mai tai, painkiller, pina colada, rum punch. A fruity white wine such as a New Zealand Sauvignon blanc or a Viognier from Virginia or France would be lovely.

We finally (!) have some greens in our garden ready for picking. One of my favorite ways to serve them is tossed with pasta:

Cook whole wheat pasta until al dente. (We use about 5.5 ounces for 2 servings; rotini is a good choice for catching the bits of feta and oregano.)

Meanwhile, sweat 1-2 cloves of minced garlic over medium-low heat in 3-4 Tbsp olive oil until tender and fragrant, but not browned.

In a separate bowl combine 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice and 1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano. Add the garlic and olive oil, freshly cracked pepper and a big pinch of salt, Whisk to blend.

Add the pasta. Toss in some greens – baby spinach, arugula, fresh basil, tsatoi, etc.

Crumble 2-3 ounces of feta cheese and stir to combine.

Finish with a drizzle of really good olive oil.

Bon appétit!

Wine pairing: There are some fabulous whites from Greece that would compliment the Greek flavors in this dish. I am most familiar with the grape Assyrtiko, but there are several others worth trying (Roditis, Savatiano). This dish would also pair well with Pinot grigio from Italy, Albarino from Spain, most any crisp white wine with little malolactic fermentation or oak influence. Cheers!

I saw several variations of this recipe last Spring – it is the perfect brunch with in-season asparagus, or paired with a green salade for a light lunch or dinner:

Season and roast several asparagus spears in a 450F oven for about 10 minutes.

When the asparagus are almost done cooking, prepare an egg over easy: crack one egg into a frying pan with a little butter or oil that has heated over medium heat. When the outer white has set, and the inner white starts to set, but is still slightly transparent, gently flip the egg in the pan and cook for another 30 seconds for a very runny yolk, or to your liking.

Flip the egg over in the frying pan one more time, then gently slide it onto the asparagus that have been fanned onto a warm plate.

Season with salt and pepper and enjoy immediately.

Bon appétit!

Wine pairing: Sauvignon blanc would be a perfect pairing. Sparkling wine such as Prosecco would also be lovely, with or without fresh-squeezed orange juice! Cheers!