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!

This is Philippe’s creation – a practically instant, comfort food recipe:

Cook the noodles of your choice. We usually use matchstick-thin Asian-style wheat noodles or Udon noodles for this recipe.

Drain and toss back into cooking pan with butter, curry powder, salt, and chili sauce (Sriracha is a favorite) to taste.

Serve hot with chopsticks!

Bon appétit!

Wine pairing: Riesling is a great go-to wine for spicy dishes. It’s balance of sweetness and acidity compliments the spice nicely. A crisp Sauvignon blanc would be lovely as well, or a just off-dry Rose. It’s always a good idea to pair regional wine with foods inspired by the region; so definitely try a wine from Asia (India and China are both producing wines that are becoming more readily available to Western consumers). 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.

As the weather warms up, I tend to spend less time “cooking” and more time eating simply prepared, fresh ingredients. Orzo pasta is ridiculously easy and quick to prepare, cooking in less than 5 minutes. This is a great quick lunch or dinner, or paired with chicken grilled under a brick, a delicious accompaniment.

Cook orzo in boiling salted water until al dente, usually about 3-4 minutes. Drain.

Toss with 1-2 Tbsp each olive oil and fresh lemon juice.

Add chopped fresh herbs – parsley and oregano are my favorites for this.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over salade greens.

Bon appétit!

Wine pairing: A white or rose with good acidity pair well with the lemon component in this dish. Think Pinot grigio, Albarino, Greek whites, crisp Chardonnay. Reisling would work as well, as long as any sweetness is balanced by its acidity. Avoid malolactic or oaky wines, unless you like your wines flabby and lifeless! Cheers!

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!

We recently returned from Puerto Rico where we indulged in some winter sun and delicious cuisine. Tostones are frequently served as a side and they are so easy to make:

Peel green plantains by cutting off the ends and slicing down and removing the skin – the fruit will be waxy. Slice into about 2-inch pieces.

Fry in about 1″ vegetable oil over medium to medium high heat, cut ends down, about 5 minutes per side – the plantains should turn light golden brown.

Remove from oil and let cool for 5 minutes.

Using a flat-bottomed implement (a large glass, plate, or a tortilla press works perfectly), press the plantains (oriented vertically) so that the insides squish out until they are about 1/2 the original width (1/2-1-inch after cooking). You should have a pancake with a circle of plantain end visible on each side. You can flatten multiple pieces together for larger tostones.

Return the flattened plantains to the hot oil and fry for 1-4 minutes more on each side, watching closely for browning. Depending on how long the second frying time is, the tostones will range from just slightly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside to nearing crunchy (leave them in too long and you will have made plantain chips!).

Remove from oil when golden brown and salt generously while still hot.

Bon appétit!

Wine pairing: I would pair these fried plantains with a crisp Spanish white such as Albarino. A sparkling wine, like a Cava from Spain, would also be a great contrast to the fat in the tostones. Of course, I wouldn’t hestitate to serve these with Medalla, the beer that almost always accompanied them in Puerto Rico! Cheers!

This recipe is from Ruth Van Waerebeek’s Everybody Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook. Philippe bought this book – his maternal family is Belgian, both Flemish and Walloon. I like the story that goes along with the recipe; the author tells how cooking vegetables in cheese was her mother’s trick to get the children to eat them!

Cook the florets of 1 large or 2 small heads of cauliflower in rapidly boiling, salted water for 7 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Drain, “refresh” under cool water, and set aside.

Make a roux of 1.5 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp flour over medium heat. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Slowly add 1 cup of milk and the reserved 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Whisk until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add 2/3 cup grated Gruyere cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper and some freshly-grated nutmeg.

Pour about 1/3 of the cheese sauce into the bottom of a casserole, top with the cauliflower. [Variation: add 1 cup of frozen peas, rinsed and drained.] Pour the remainder of the cheese sauce on top.

Top with with 1/3 cup of grated gruyere.

Bake in a 400F oven for 15-20 minutes until bubbly and starting to brown.

Serve as a side (great with lamb or beef) or with crusty bread and a green salade as a meal. Any leftovers are great reheated in the oven and spread over crusty bread.

Bon appétit!

Wine pairing: This gratin pairs well with cool-climate white wines. I like it with Sauvignon blanc. It would also be great with Riesling, Chardonnay from Bourgogne, Alsacian or Oregonian Pinot gris, or Grüner Veltliner. Cheers!

Cauliflower is one of my favorite winter vegetables, and one of the most under-appreciated. This soup comes together in minutes:

Sautee one small or 1/2 large chopped onion and 1-2 chopped celery ribs in about one Tbsp each olive oil and butter over medium to med-high heat until the onion is translucent. Season with salt and pepper.

Reduce heat to medium and add 2 finely chopped cloves of garlic and 1-2 chopped dried or fresh chilis (We used 2 dried Thai chilis from our garden, the fat in this soup cuts the heat significantly). Sautee for 1-2 minutes more.

Add 6-8 cups of water (use chicken or vegetable stock for a richer soup), enough to cover the cauliflower florets. Bring to a boil.

Add the florets of one large cauliflower. Cover and boil for 7-10 minutes, until the florets are tender.

Drain the liquid into a separate container. Add the vegetables to a blender (this may take more than one batch) and bring to 3/4 volume with liquid. Blend and repeat with subsequent batches. This should use most or all of the liquid. Taste and correct seasoning.

In the same pot the vegetables were boiled in, make a roux by melting 1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter then adding 2 Tbsp flour and mixing to form a paste. Cook for 2 minutes over medium heat. I also add some freshly-cracked pepper to the roux.

Add one cup of milk (we used whole) and whick until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Add one cup of grated cheese (we used Druck’s cheddar, gruyere or Ementaler would be excellent) and stir until melted.

Add the cauliflower puree, 1/2 tsp ground coriander, and some freshly-grated nutmeg and whisk to thoroughly combine. Heat through.

Serve with fresh chopped parsely and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

Bon appétit!

Wine pairing: Cool-climate white wines come to mind, like Riesling, Chardonnay from Bourgogne, Alsacian or Oregonian Pinot gris, or Grüner Veltliner. Cheers!