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Pineapple Chamomile Iced Tea Sangria Mocktail
With a refreshingly light sweetness from pineapple and ripe stone fruit, this non-alcoholic chamomile tea sangria makes use of summer’s abundant fruit and herbs. A touch of sage balances the drink and is just the right ingredient to add clean herbal notes without overwhelming the pitcher. Lounge away the afternoon with a glass then sip another well into the evening, as chamomile tea is naturally caffeine-free with a mild floral quality that’s mellow and smooth. Spoon cherry halves and nectarine slices in each serving along with plenty of pineapple, and this mocktail makes blazing days quite welcome. Ingredients 5 chamomile tea bags brewed in 4 cups water then cooled1 cup…
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Heirloom Tomato Salad with Basil Blue Cheese Vinaigrette
Late summer may be the most relaxed cooking time of the year. All it takes to put together a beautiful salad is a basket of heirloom tomatoes, fresh herbs, and a bright dressing, in this case my basil blue cheese vinaigrette. Soon we will be slicing squash and roasting pumpkins, but for now, we still have brilliant tomatoes in yellow, purple, and green, with stripes and ridges that make you miss summer just a bit before it even ends. Perfectly ripe summer tomatoes can be enjoyed with a bit of salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil, but they shine just as much with a scattering of herbs…
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Herbed Jalapeño Potato Salad
A bright, creamy dressing made with fresh herbs and jalapeño livens up potato salad and gives it freshness. The mild chile pepper lends crisp flavor more than heat, so it brightens meals with grilled meats and pairs equally well with seafood. Since summer meals at my home often include both, I love sides such as this that work whether you opt for slices of steak, a crab cake, or both. For this creamy potato salad, I start with the smallest baby potatoes I can find, then halve them after cooking for the perfect bite size pieces. A mix of gold, red, and blue potatoes lends beautiful color, which makes it…
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Chamomile Cookies
With hints of floral sweetness, chamomile tea is just as tasty in these delicate cookies as it is made by the cup. The light herbal flavor calls to mind a specialty shop treat, but this recipe comes together beautifully right at home. Simply open the tea bags to measure the dried chamomile and add it to the flour mix while you bake. These are the cookies that taste just like spring to me. Ingredients 2 cups all-purpose flour2 ½ tablespoons dried chamomile from high quality chamomile tea bags½ teaspoon baking powder¼ teaspoon salt12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter¾ cup granulated sugar1 egg¾ teaspoon vanilla extract Yields 3 ½ dozen…
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Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash with Goat Cheese and Figs
I believe there is something joyful about a stuffed vegetable. All that goodness overflowing an edible package. In this recipe I fill naturally mild and buttery acorn squash with a quinoa mixture that includes dried figs, goat cheese, shallot, and a touch of homemade pear vinaigrette. On the Italian side of my family, figs were relished, and a flourishing fig tree was admired more than a sprawling lawn. As we drove through my grandmother’s neighborhood, I would look for signs of fruit trees spilling over backyard fences. I suspect this is what sparked my love of gardens tightly packed and overflowing. Though she was a butcher’s daughter, my grandmother favored…
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