Innholdsfortegnelse for July - August 2012 i Taste of the South

Celebrating summer iI’VE OFTEN HEARD THAT THE SEASON you’re born in tends to be your favorite, and I’m definitely a summer girl. Many my August birthdays have been celebrated with a shrimp boil. There’s something magical—and just fun—about gathering family and friends around a table covered with newspaper and piled high with justcaught Gulf shrimp, Conecuh sausage, Silver Queen corn, and new potatoes. Find our recipes and tips for an easy shrimp boil on page 60. Summer is also the season for burgers on the grill and fruit-filled desserts. For our Fourth of July story (page 20), we followed our friend and Southern food writer Virginia Willis to White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, Georgia, for a true all-American feast. At White Oak Pastures, fourth-generation cattleman Will Harris has turned his…

sweet-tea ice cream Yield: approximately 2 quarts 4 cups half-and-half 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1⁄4 cup fresh lemon juice 2 family-size tea bags 1⁄2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 12 egg yolks Garnish: blackberries, fresh mint, fresh lavender 1. In a medium saucepan, combine half-and-half, brown sugar, lemon juice, tea bags, reserved vanilla seeds, and vanilla. Heat over medium-high heat until mixture just begins to boil; remove from heat. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks until smooth. Using a ladle, pour 1 cup hot cream mixture in a slow steady stream into yolks, whisking constantly. Add another 1 cup cream mixture, whisking to combine. Transfer mixture back to saucepan. 3. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until thick…

THE NAME PAUL VIRANT IS SYNONYMOUS WITH LOCAL, seasonal eating in the Chicago area, a distinction that has brought the chef-owner honors and accolades from national publications and the James Beard Foundation. Paul may not be from the South, but he embraces canning as any true Southerner does. At his two restaurants, Vie and Perennial Virant, he creates menus that feature food from his pantry of preserved produce. In The Preservation Kitchen, his first book, he puts a new spin on traditional canning recipes. The first line of your book begins, ‘The soul of my kitchen isn’t in my kitchen at all.’ It’s your pantry shelves that inspire you, right? Yes, the pantry is a huge inspiration. Especially in the off-season, in the wintertime, we’re pretty limited in the produce…

Letters from our readers A Dream Pie I made the Peanut Butter Pie in the May/June issue [page 40]. I took it to a ladies luncheon, and that pie was a hit. I topped it with whipped cream, drizzled it with chocolate sauce, and sprinkled it with the graham-cracker crust. Thanks for the great recipe and for making me a hit! —Barbara Glenn Houston, Texas Grill Temperatures I am a new subscriber to your magazine. I just received the May/June issue and would love to try some of your barbecue recipes, but we only have a Weber charcoal grill. I don’t know how to translate heating to a specified temperature as per your instructions, such as 250° to 300°. —Marcy Rieser We’re glad to have you as a reader. The…

Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt–Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker Retail: $59.95 Why we love it: Makes 1½ quarts ice cream in 20 minutes or less; no need for ice or rock salt. Where to buy: cuisinart.com Fred Ice Kabobs Retail: $8.95 Why we love it: These ice swizzle sticks are the coolest garnish for summer drinks. Where to buy: cgets.com Tovolo Tilt Up Ice Cream Scoop Retail: $10.59 each Why we love it: A scoop with feet so it won’t tip over Where to buy: distinctivedecor.com Cuisipro Mini Ice Cream Sandwich Maker Retail: $15 Why we love it: Just cut, scoop, cut, and press to make bite-size ice-cream sandwiches in three fun shapes. Where to buy: amazon.com Zoku Single Quick Pop Maker Retail: $24.95 Why we love it: Make your own healthy ice pops in less…

summer ratatouille Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1⁄2 cup olive oil, divided 2 cups chopped Vidalia onion 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup chopped red bell pepper 1 cup chopped green bell pepper 1⁄4 cup sliced pepperoncini pepper (approximately 2 peppers) 4 cups chopped eggplant 1 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt 3⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper 3⁄4 cup white wine 3 cups chopped zucchini 3 cups chopped yellow squash 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes 1⁄4 cup capers, drained, rinsed, and coarsely chopped 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme Garnish: fresh thyme 1. In a large saucepan, heat 1⁄4 cup olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and peppers, and cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add…

THEY SAY YOU CAN TELL WHAT SECTION OF THE South a Southerner hails from by his or her preference in field peas, the humble legume that has fed the region in good times and bad. In the Lowcountry, folks make their New Year’s Day Hoppin’ John with Sea Island red peas. Across the Black Belt region in Alabama and Mississippi, tiny lady peas cooked with okra are a delectable treat throughout the summer. And to the west in Emerson, Arkansas, purple-hull peas are celebrated at their own festival each June. But I may be the exception that proves the rule. When it comes to field peas, I have no particular favorite. I love them all. My fascination with field peas began more than 50 years ago, growing up in the…

1. Nothing says summer like honeysuckle straight from the vine or, in this case, honeysuckle vodka. Made in Mississippi, this smooth vodka supports its roots by giving a portion of its proceeds to music foundations in the South. Cathead Vodka is all Southern, all summer. $19.45; catheadvodka.com 2. Grill it in your skillet! Now you can grill burgers right on your stove top. $24.99; pangrillit.com 3. These pickling spices and fry seasonings from Fire & Flavor are just what you need to enjoy summer with ease. They’ll have your family (and you!) begging for more. $3.99 each; fireandflavor.com 4. Breakfast can include a lot of things, but one essential in the South is grits. Old School Brand grits are just like the ones your grandmama made—stone ground to give them that rich corn…

peaches Forget dates on a calendar. The arrival of fresh peaches at roadside stands and farmers’ markets signals the beginning of summer throughout the South. Enjoy them in a salad, bake them in a cobbler, or just bite into a fresh peach, and let the juice run down your chin. Eating a peach is a sensory experience. foodfact The peach, Prunus persica, the favored fruit of kings and emperors, was first cultivated in China more than 4,000 years ago. But peaches did not find their way to North America until the 17th century. HOW TO PICK A PEACH At a U-pick orchard: Choose fruit that grows on the periphery of the tree. It will be larger and more mature with better color and a higher sugar content. At a farmers’…

EVERY SUMMER, HORDES OF VISITORS TREK TO THE OUTER BANKS, the long chain of barrier islands off the North Carolina coast. Many attractions draw them here: the natural beauty of miles of beaches and wetlands, lapped by the sparkling sea and inland sounds; a colorful history peppered with pirates, shipwrecks, and the gravity-defying Wright Brothers; and, not least, a thriving food scene fueled by talented chefs and first-rate ingredients, starting with fresh seafood. REFINED COMFORT When high school friends Sam McGann and John Power opened The Blue Point in Duck in 1989, upscale eateries were rare on the banks, especially at the sleepy northern end. Their “waterfront diner”—complete with checkerboard floor, roomy red booths, and counter stools overlooking an open kitchen (also rare at the time)—was a hit from the…

CLIFF BEACH OF PELHAM, ALAbama, is fortunate to belong to a very large, close-knit family. In 1875, his great-grandfather George Spencer Beach bought 240 acres in Taylor County, Iowa, where he and his wife, Eula, raised 10 children. Today more than 150 of their descendants are spread across the country. Every two years they return to Lenox, Iowa, for a family reunion “The generations before us started the reunion,” says Cliff, who is fourth generation. “When we come together, we really get a sense of who our family is.” When he and his cousins (all 58 of them) began posting on Facebook photos of the dishes they had cooked, they quickly decided it was time for a Beach family cookbook. As with any good project, the cousins organized a committee.…

On the Cover Farmers’ market basket, linens, and mini latte bowls available at Anthropologie, 800-543-1039, anthropologie.com. Just a Taste Page 8: Location courtesy Edgewood Creamery, 205-874-1999, 936 Oxmoor Road, Homewood, AL 35209. All-American Fourth at White Oak Pastures Pages 20-29: White and blue enamel dish courtesy of Attic Antiques, 205-991-6887, 5620 Cahaba Valley Road, Birmingham, AL 35242. Look for the White Oak Pastures label at Publix and Whole Foods, whiteoakpastures.com. The Big Chill (Out) Pages 52-59: Color pop juice glasses in blue available at Anthropologie, 800-543-1039, anthropologie.com; white cake stand and white pie crust dessert plates by Martha Stewart for Macy’s, macys.com; icecream spoons available at Sur La Table, 800-243-0852, surlatable.com. Summer Shrimp Boil Pages 60-67: Galvanized tin pedestal available at Farmhouse Wares, 866-567-7958, farmhousewares.com; location courtesy Judy Goodson. Taste…