Monday, July 4, 2016

03 July 2016









Summer has arrived with a vengeance, and it has almost been too hot to cook. However, I couldn't let all of the great produce I found at this week's farmers market go to waste. The past week has been challenging after returning from the GMA conference in Savannah with the crud. The heat was so extreme, it triggered an acute asthma flair up and a sinus infection as an added bonus. After finally visiting urgent care on Saturday followed by a Six Feet Under marathon, I decided some time in the kitchen would be good medicine.

Most of tonight's Sunday Supper consisted of locally sourced ingredients. I used the rustic garlic and rosemary bread and tomatoes from Whim-Wham Art Farm to make some delicious bruschetta, complete with fresh basil, oregano and parsley from our herb garden. Since it was Fourth of July weekend, I felt obligated to grill something, so I found some boneless heritage pork chops and brined them in sweet tea to keep them moist while cooking. I topped the pork with a scratch ancho chili BBQ sauce, and Jeff served as the grill master. He did a nice job, and they were amazing. The most exciting part of the meal, however, was the season's first fried okra! I breaded it and placed it in the refrigerator for a while. This allowed the breading to chill, and I double breaded it before frying. It was like popcorn, and everyone enjoyed it. I also sauteed some squash and zucchini and cooked some local Cranberry beans with ham hock. For dessert, I made homemade peach ice cream from the Pearson Farms peaches I purchased on Saturday. I served the ice cream over some cast iron grilled corn muffins topped with macerated peaches. Needless to say, it was a divine way to end the meal.

Since I felt slightly guilty for possibly sharing my crud with my Savannah travel companion, Sandy McGrew, I invited her and Gary Mullet to Sunday Supper. Along with Cory Wilson and John Clark, we had a wonderful time in between some mild coughing spasms amongst the council members. I hope to feel well enough to enjoy the 4th of July parade in downtown Canton today at 6 PM, followed by the awesome fireworks display sponsored by Canton Tourism. Hopefully, we will have some pop up showers along the way. I know our local farmers, especially, would welcome the much-needed rain. So wherever you are and however you celebrate independence day, let freedom ring, and be kind to others.




The Menu:

- Grilled Sweet Tea Brined Pork Chops with Ancho BBQ Sauce

- Rustic Rosemary Garlic Bruschetta with Tomatoes and Herbs

- Fried Okra

- Cranberry Beans with Ham Hock

- Sauteed Yellow Squash and Round Zucchini

- Quick Pickles from Local Cucumbers

- Pearson Farm Peach Ice Cream with Grilled Corn Muffins


The Recipe – Homemade Peach Ice Cream

Ingredients:

4 cups peeled fresh peaches, diced
1 cup sugar
1 -12 ounce can evaporated milk
1 - 4-ounce package Junkets ice cream mix or pudding mix
1 - 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
4 cups half-and-half



Directions:


Combine peaches and sugar, and let stand one hour.

Process peach mixture in a blender until smooth.

Stir together evaporated milk and ice cream or pudding mix in a large bowl.  Stir in peach puree, condensed milk, and half-and-half.

Pour mixture into a 4-quart hand-turned or electric ice cream freezer, and freeze according to instructions. Spoon into an airtight container, and place in freezer until firm.