Season to Taste

A Moveable Feast

A late summer afternoon, a slight breeze, a golden cast to an expanse of grass where kids toss a Frisbee, dogs squirm contentedly on their backs, and where a red-checked tablecloth is spread out for a picnic. What’s in the basket? We asked a couple of our favorite foodie friends to contribute to a satisfying, moveable feast.

Salem Kitchen, 50 Miller St., Winston-Salem,
(336) 722-1155 or salemkitchen.com

Tennessee Cornbread Salad

2 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix made as directed on box (We use our homemade cornbread.)

1/2 pound bacon

2 chopped tomatoes

1 chopped cucumber

1 chopped red onion

1 chopped green pepper

1 cup ranch salad dressing

3/4 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

Cube cornbread. In a large bowl add cornbread, bacon, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and green pepper. In a separate bowl, combine ranch dressing, mayonnaise and sweet pickle relish. Gently stir in liquid mixture to cornbread mixture.

The recipe, says Salem Kitchen President Elizabeth Johnson, makes about 5 pounds. “It was found by my sister at a cornbread festival in Knoxville many years ago. It is a little unusual and people are pleasantly surprised when they taste it.”

1618 Midtown, 1724 Battleground Ave., Greeensboro, (336) 285-9410 or 1618midtown.com

Grilled Lamb Chops

Chef Jon Player’s grilled lamb chops upon a blood-orange,
cucumber salad topped with Vidalia-onion jam

Blood orange vinaigrette

In blender or food processor, combine:

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 cloves garlic

1 shallot

3 tablespoon sugar

1/3 cup rice-wine vinegar

2/3 cup salad oil ( olive or canola)

Salt to taste

Splash of fresh lemon juice

Vidalia-onion jam

3 onions

1 cup  vinegar

2 cups sugar

Splash of lemon juice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Dice onions. Put in a sauce pot with vinegar and sugar, and cook until caramelized. Add a splash of lemon juice and cinnamon and nutmeg. Cool in fridge for an hour.

Slice lamb chops and season with salt and pepper. Grill for about 2 minutes a side.

Toss the salad in vinaigrette, add slices of blood oranges and sliced cucumber and arrange in a bowl. Place grilled chops atop the salad, finishing them with the jam.

Lemon Strawberry tart

Executive Pastry Chef Cherish Cronin’s lemon strawberry tart with ginger honey glaze

Basic cookie dough for tart shell

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups butter, room-temperature

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

Vanilla to taste

Cream butter and sugar until soft. Add eggs one by one, still beating slowly. Add vanilla. Mix in flour until incorporated. Roll out dough until about 1/8-inch thick. Spray pie tin and carefully place dough into tin. Line dough with either parchment paper or plastic film wrap. Fill with dry baking beans and bake for 8 minutes. Remove beans and continue baking the shell until golden brown.

Lemon curd

1 1/2 pounds (6 sticks) butter

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup of fresh lemon juice

4 large eggs

21/2 egg yolks

2 tablespoons butter

Melt the butter, sugar, and lemon juice in a double boiler, stirring constantly. In a separate bowl whisk together yolks and eggs. Once butter mixture is warm and sugar is melted completely, gradually stir in the egg mixture.

Continuously whisk the mixture, until it reaches the ribbon stage, about 15-20 minutes. At the very end, stir in butter until melted. Place the bowl in an ice bath, stirring occasionally until cold. If egg lumps develop, push the mixture through a sifter. 

Ginger honey glaze

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup honey

2 tablespoons minced, fresh ginger

Bring sugar, water and ginger to a simmer. Allow the mixture to simmer for about 5 minutes. Strain out ginger and mix with honey.

Final assembly:

Strawberry preserves

Fresh strawberries

Whipped cream (optional)

Unmold tart shell. Line tart shell with a thin layer of strawberry preserves. Fill tart with lemon curd. Top tart with cut strawberries. Drizzle or brush honey glaze on strawberries just before serving

Add whip cream, if desired.  h

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