31 July 2011

It has been a fun and interesting weekend. Last week, I officially announced my candidacy for Canton City Council – www.grantforcanton.org. I'm sure it will be an interesting experience, so wish me luck! For tonight's Sunday Supper, I made a quiche from local farm eggs I bought at the Canton Farmers Market yesterday. The eggs are beautiful, and I buy them from the same farmer every week. I added heirloom tomatoes and basil fresh from the garden. I am trying to find a way to use all of the tomatoes, and I have also been giving a lot of them away. Also, I used the first figs of the year in a salad and a rustic fig tart. It was a simple, but delicious, garden to table supper.

Please visit and "like" my campaign's Facebook page – Grant for Canton. I'll be cooking up some fund raising events in the weeks ahead, so sign up to receive email alerts on grantforcanton.org.

Hope your Sunday Supper was equally enjoyable and a lot less political!

The Menu:

- Heirloom Tomato and Basil Quiche

- Baby Spring Lettuce with Figs and Virginia Sweet Tomoatoes

- Rustic Fig Tart

10 July 2011

Yes, as my dear friend, Helen Spears, reminded me on Facebook, my last Sunday Supper post was on Memorial Day weekend. I was out of town on business most of June, and Jeff and I took a cruise at the end of the month through July 4th. So, it was nice to be home for the weekend to enjoy a true summer supper. I went to the Canton Farmers Market on Saturday, and found some great local, organic produce. I bought peaches, lady peas, patty pan squash, and watermelon. In addition, our heirloom tomatoes have ripened, and we have a ton of four different varieties. The basil is also prolific, and that is a good combination. So for tonight's long awaited Sunday Supper, I focused on the local produce and items from the garden. It tasted just like Summer! I actually found a recipe for Tomato Lemonade and used some of the heirlooms and Virginia Sweets to make a signature cocktail to accompany tonight's supper. It was delicious! In addition, I pan roasted some chicken breasts with a tomato and basil relish. I used the local Georgia peaches to make a cobbler, and Jeff made homemade vanilla ice cream to accompany. I did not get a photo of the ice cream, but it was divine! Cory joined us for dinner on the side porch, and now we are preparing to watch True Blood. All in all, a great weekend!

I have a very busy week ahead at work, and I wish you all a great one!

Summertime, and the living is easy...

The Menu:

- Pan Roasted Free Range Chicken with Tomato, Basil and Ginger Relish

- Organic Heirloom Caprese Salad from the Garden at One Britt

- Local Lady Peas

- Baked Patty Pan Squash

- Cornbread

- Georgia Peach Cobbler with Homemade Dominican Vanilla Ice Cream

- Tomato Lemonade Cocktail

30 May 2011 – Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day! Summer has unofficially begun, and the temperature in the ATL concurs – 93 degrees today. While most of us enjoy summer activities on this long weekend, it is also a time to give pause and thanks to all of those men and women who have served our country – past, present and future. That would include my late father, Manuel Eugene Grant who served in three branches: Army, Navy and Air Force. He also served in two wars: World War II and the Korean War. He was a chef in the Army and an amazing cook. So for Memorial Day, I cooked in his honor. A couple of weeks ago, I made a large batch of his barbecue sauce. For today's supper, I prepared smoked chicken and pork sliders. Jeff's parents and the Cory joined us for supper on the side porch. We also had a simple salad of baby lettuces from the garden. It was so fresh and tender and set the right tone for dinner. I served the salad and slaw in beautiful ceramic bowls that we purchased from Eddie Smith of Salacoa Valley Studio last weekend at the Canton Festival of the Arts. It was a great meal but back to work tomorrow. I fly to Chicago on Wednesday to do a final site check on a showroom we are designing for NeoCon, the world's largest commercial furnishings trade show. I am exited to see the space and will fly up next week for seven days to prep the showroom for the event. As always, it has been a pleasure working with our long time partner and contractor, EDE Corp. They do amazing work!

So, the next couple of weeks will be hectic but looking forward to a nice cruise the last week in June!

Hope your Memorial Day weekend was peaceful and bountiful. Bring on Summer!

The Menu:

- Barbecue Chicken and Pork Sliders with Grant Family Recipe BBQ Sauce

- Baby One Britt Lettuce with Lemon Vinaigrette

- Jicama and Granny Smith Slaw with One Britt Peppers

- Husk Grilled Yellow Corn

- Lemon and Strawberry Ice Box Pie

16 May 2011 – Farm to Table to Vineyard

I had a great retreat with the Grant Design Collaborative creative team this weekend, so I did not get home in time to cook Sunday Supper this week. We spent some fun and relaxing time together at Persimmon Creek Vineyards in Clayon, Georgia. Persimmon is a client of ours, and we did the website for the Cottages. We stayed in Fiddle Head and Sassafras, both of them are beautifully situated and appointed. On Friday night, we dined in their new restaurant, the Farmhouse. The food and wine were exceptional, and we felt like we were dining at a friend's country home. Thanks to Mary Ann and Sonny Hardman for a wonderful visit. On Saturday, hiked the beautiful vineyard and went into town to check things out. We stopped at one of my favorite spots, Osage Farms, for local produce and beef. Local farmers bring their produce here, and it is always fresh and in-season. We picked up some things for Saturday Supper, and I cooked for the team that night. All of the meat and produce was local and organic, so it was great. We had a big dinner, followed by games and marshmallow roasting. I truly have the best team ever! Not only do they do some of the greatest strategic design work in the country but are fun to hang around with as well. So, thanks to Matt DeFrain, Elizabeth Peterson and Kurt Seidle. I could not, and would not, do it without your collaborative efforts. This meal was for you...

The Menu:

- Local Hormone Free Grass Fed Strip Steak

- Roasted Baby Red Potatoes with Persimmon Rosemary

- Husk Grilled White Corn

- Grilled Fresh Asparagus

- Fresh Picked Cranberry "October" Beans

- Ramp Butter Baguette and Homemade Sourdough from Crescent Moon Bakery

- Local Sweet Strawberry Shortcake on Grilled Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

- 2010 Cabernet Franc by Persimmon Creek Vineyards

08 May 2011 – Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day! It is sort of a sad day for me since my mom passed away, but the rose I took from her yard is in full bloom – her way of being here for me. Otherwise, it was a fun weekend. Yesterday was Derby Day for the Cherokee County Historical Society. Jeff organized the Derby Dash 5K run, and I emceed the start and finish lines. The race went great. Afterward, the Canton Main Street program sponsored the Mother's Day Chocolate Walk, so the Store was very busy. After that, we had the Derby Party at the Rock Barn. It was a lot of fun, and I got to fulfill a lifelong dream by being one of the hat judges! There were over 40 contestants in the hat parade, but we found three great winners. It was a very long day but a lot of fun. Today was about recovery, and I spent most of the afternoon making my mom and dad's secret family barbecue sauce! It is perfect for kicking the summer off with barbecued chicken. Also, I needed to make some for my dear friend and neighbor, Pat Gold! Pat agreed to chair the Canton Festival of the Arts for the Cherokee Arts Center, and she has been working very hard. The Festival will be held May 21-22 in Canton's Brown Park. The Artist Market is sold out with nearly 65 artists from 9 states! There is also a Literary Celebration with over 30 authors. Keep your fingers crossed for great weather! Anyway, the last time I made the barbecue sauce, I shared some with Pat and her husband, and she recently said I could return the favor for chairing the Festival by making her some more barbecue sauce! So, there you have it. A great weekend with lots going on. I hope yours was equally eventful and memorable.

The Menu:

- Barbecued Organic Chicken with Grant's Secret Recipe Barbecue Sauce

- Grill Steamed Organic Florida Corn in the Husk

- Steamed California Jumbo Asparagus with Bread Crumbs

- Garlic Bread

- 2005 Joseph Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

02 May 2011 – Sunday Supper on Monday

It was a very hectic weekend, so I did not get around to cooking Sunday Supper last night. Friday night, Jeff and I went to see Lucinda Williams at the Cobb Energy Center. I have seen her five times now, but she was better than ever on Friday. She was in great voice, and her band was incredible. She actually sounded better live than she does on her CDs – a rare case. On Saturday, I worked the Store, and then we had the Service League Ball that evening. It was a lot of fun, and the League raised a lot of money to benefit needy children in Cherokee County. Nice job. Afterward, some new and old friends came over to the Side Porch at One Britt, and he had a lot of fun. Yesterday, I was a little tired from all of the festivities, but I had a lot of yard work to accomplish. I got a lot done, but I did not finish in time to cook. So, it was Mexican and margaritas instead for Sunday Supper. However, we got another big bag of ramps last week, so I could not let them go to waste. So tonight, I left work on time to get to nursery to buy some coleus for the side porch pots and make a simple Monday Supper with the ramps. I made some great roasted fingerling and ramp potatoes, olive oil steamed corn on the cob and organic, grass fed cube steak. In addition, I made two more pounds of homemade organic ramp butter from scratch, and I still have ramps left over! I hope to make more butter in the next couple of days, but it is going to be a busy week. Hope your Manic Monday was equally productive and delicious!

Cheers!

The Monday Menu:

- Organic Grass Fed Cube Steak

- Oven Roasted Organic Fingerling Potatoes and Wild Ramps

- Olive Oil, Husk-Steamed Sweet Florida Corn

17 April 2011

I've been so excited about cooking tonight's Sunday Supper! One of Jeff's customers brought him some ramps on Friday, and I obsessed about what to cook with them all weekend. Ramps are wild leeks that only appear for a very short period in the Spring. They grow wild, and foodies forage for them like truffles. They have a very strong and distinct flavor that is similar to garlic and onions. I have heard about them but never cooked with them until tonight. I love the fact that they are wild and native, so I made sure that everything I prepared tonight was from Georgia. I cleaned the ramps and made two pounds of Amish ramp butter. It is now in the freezer, and it will be great for steaks, chicken and fish. I will experiment with it on other things as well. Our local farmers market begins on May 15, so I am looking forward to some local produce this summer. Jeff's parents joined us for dinner on the side porch, and I began with an amuse bouche of baby green pea soup with pea cream and wasabi pea garnish. It set the tone for a nice dinner. For the entree, I pan seared bacon wrapped filet mignon and topped it with the ramp butter. For sides, we had sweet corn steamed in its husks and baked Vidalia onions. I made some whole grain ramp bread with the butter as well – similar to garlic bread but with ramp butter. It was yummy! For dessert, Jeff made a divine flourless chocolate torte which we served with organic raspberries and a dollop of whipped cream. All in all, a very nice Sunday Supper inspired by an indigenous wild leek.

Sweet dreams!


The Menu:

- Baby Georgia Sweet Pea Soup with Pea Cream and Wasabi Pea Garnish

- Local Grass Fed Filet Mignon with Ramp Butter

- Baked Vidalia Onions

- Sweet Corn Steamed in its Husks

- Whole Grain Ramp Bread

- Flourless Chocolate Torte with Organic Raspberries



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