A summer fruit tart recipe is the best way to use the season’s ripest yield. Topped with a combination of fruits to bring out summer’s sweetness, we like our shortbread crust filled to the brim with Grand Marnier and Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream. INGREDIENTS Shortbread Pastry Crust 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour ⅛ teaspoon salt 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan ¼ cup granulated white sugar 1 large egg Pastry Cream 1 ¼ cups whole milk 3 large egg yolks ¼ cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste 2 teaspoons Grand Marnier, optional Topping ½ cup apricot jam or preserves 3 cups of summer fruit such as raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, plums, pineapple, peaches INSTRUCTIONS To make the shortbread crust: In a small bowl, whisk the flour with the salt. Place the butter in a mixer bowl, add the sugar, and beat until light and f...

A delicious combination of blackberries, blueberries, and ginger create a sweet and tart BBQ sauce. When brushed over pork ribs, and then roasted to crispy perfection, it is an irresistible combination. We served it with farmer’s market fresh green beans and grilled baby sweet potatoes. INGREDIENTS For the sauce: 1 ½  cups fresh blackberries or frozen, thawed ½  cup fresh blueberries, or frozen, thawed ½  cup sugar 2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar Pinch of kosher salt For the ribs: 8 country-style boneless pork ribs ¼  teaspoon garlic powder ½  teaspoon onion powder ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup blueberry and blackberry BBQ sauce INSTRUCTIONS Make the sauce: Add the berries and sugar to a sauce pan. Cook until the berries have completely collapsed and formed a thick sauce. Strain, through a fine mesh strainer and add the sauce to a blender with the remaining ingredients. Blend unti...

It’s hot out there and time to cool off with this tasty treat. Deliciously creamy lemon gelato dotted with fresh seasonal peaches and stuffed in a crispy ginger cookie we coated in Bourbon Vanilla Sugar. You can’t get any cooler than these summer ice cream sammies. Cookies INGREDIENTS 1 ⅓ cups bread flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon powdered ginger 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature ¾ cup sugar 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ cup Bourbon Barrel Foods Bourbon Vanilla Sugar or Turbinado sugar INSTRUCTIONS In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and ginger. Using a stand mixer, or hand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until the butter is light and fluffy and the sugar has dissolved. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and combine until smooth. On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and blend until just incorporated. Cover and refrigerate the dough for a minimum of 4 hours or u...

The perfect combination for a special summer dinner – pan-seared scallops served atop a bed of creamy cheese grits with seared fresh corn and prosciutto. To complement the scallop’s sweet, succulent flavor, we added a lemon butter cream sauce right under the scallops to make this pure meal luxury. Basil Lemon Cream Sauce INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons salted butter 1 cup cream Juice of one lemon 6-8 fresh basil leaves 2 garlic clove, cut in half INSTRUCTIONS In a saucepan, heat butter over medium temperature until melted. Slowly whisk in the cream and bring to a simmer. Whisk in the lemon juice, basil, and garlic. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean saucepan to remove the basil and garlic. Cover and keep warm. Cheese Grits With Fresh Corn Prosciutto INGREDIENTS 2 ears fresh corn, kernels removed 4 tablespoons butter, divided ¼ cup chopped prosciutto 1 ½ teaspoons salt 1 cup Charleston...

A perfectly light meatless dinner for a summer evening – succulent grilled eggplant and vegetable salad with croutons and freshly made ranch dressing. We added our favorites - cubed pickled yellow beets, cherry tomatoes, microgreens and watercress, but you can select your own ingredients to customize your salad to taste. INGREDIENTS Grilled Eggplant & Bread Croutons 2 small eggplants, slice into ¼” rings 4 slices of country bread Olive oil Kosher salt Buttermilk Ranch Dressing ½  cup mayonnaise ½ cup sour cream ½ cup buttermilk 1 tablespoon lemon juice from 1 lemon Freshly ground black pepper Kosher salt Thinly sliced green onion tops Salad Ingredients Use these or choose your favorites! 10-12 Cherry tomatoes, sliced in half ¼ cup yellow pickled beets, cubed 3 cups watercress or your favorite salad greens Microgreens, optional INSTRUCTIONS Grilled Eggplant & Bread Croutons Heat a grill to high. Brush the eggplant ...

We can’t imagine summer without banana pudding. So, we took this favorite southern dessert and turned it into a cheesecake topped with banana meringue cookies and crushed vanilla wafers. Creamy, delicious, and loaded with banana flavor, it mimics that perfect southern treat. INGREDIENTS 1 stick unsalted butter, plus more to grease the pan 3 cups vanilla wafers 3 tablespoons sugar 1 ¼ cups ripe bananas 24 ounces cream cheese at room temperature 2 tablespoons flour Pinch salt 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar 2 teaspoons banana extract 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 4 large eggs, at room temperature Garnishes: ½ cup crushed vanilla wafers Banana meringue cookies (recipe below) INSTRUCTIONS Heat the oven to 375˚F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan on the bottom and sides. Add a parchment circle to the bottom of the pan; butter the parchment. Melt the stick of butter and set aside. Place the vanilla wafers in a food processor and pulse until finely ground....

No fire needed. Our s’mores are a great way to cool down on a hot night. We sandwiched creamy Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream between two crunchy Chocolate Chip Graham Cracker Cookies. It’s the ultimate summer treat. If you have time, let the cookie dough rest, covered, overnight in the refrigerator and bake the next day. This gives the dough time to develop a more flavorful cookie. Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream INGREDIENTS 5 ounces large marshmallows 1 ½ cups heavy cream 1 ½ cups whole milk ½ teaspoon of salt INSTRUCTIONS Fill a large bowl with ice. Place a medium metal bowl inside the large bowl over the ice. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the marshmallows on the parchment. Preheat the oven broiler to high. Toast the marshmallows in the oven broiler, turning them every 4-5 seconds, until they are browned on all sides. Watch very carefully so the marshmallows don’t burn. Set them aside to slightly cool. Combine the cream, milk, and salt i...

It gets saucy when we use cherries with pan-seared salmon. Fresh this time of year, we topped the salmon with a sweet and spicy barbecue sauce made from Kentucky Bourbon and fresh cherries. This easy one-pan-and-a-blender-sauce can be used on grilled salmon, chicken, or pork. It’s shown served over yellow beet and apple mash with fresh watercress.  INGREDIENTS Cherry Bourbon Glaze: 1 tablespoon butter ½ cup green onion 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic 1½ cups fresh pitted cherries ⅓  cup dark brown sugar ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice 1 tablespoon molasses 1 tablespoon cider vinegar ¼ cup bourbon ¼ teaspoon ancho chili powder ½ teaspoon dijon mustard 1 teaspoon kosher salt Freshly ground pepper to taste Pan-Seared Salmon: 4  center-cut salmon filets, deboned with skin on Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil INSTRUCTIONS For the Cherry Bourbon Glaze: In a saucepan over medium hea...