Tag Archives: Southern sides

Spicy Polenta Tarts with Okra and Sweet Corn

Posted on by January 23, 2015

These Spicy Polenta Tarts with Okra and Sweet Corn were inspired by a recipe I saw online. It’s funny how some of these pinterest recipes work (p.s. Are you following me on pinterest? You should be), you keep tracing them back and tracing them back to their original incarnation, only to find that they were inspired by another earlier recipe, and now mine is part of the chain. Often, (for me anyway) pinterest recipes are filed away, never to be thought of again. But these Spicy Polenta Tarts with Okra and Sweet Corn were so appealing, and I’d been looking for something unexpected, but Southern inspired, so they made it to the top of my “try it out” list (I’m so glad they did). Not only were they beautiful, but they featured a new okra application that was a fun surprise for guests and as a side the tarts were a welcome departure from the traditional mashed potatoes and biscuits. Since I served my fried chicken on the good linens with the new French wine glasses, fresh peonies, and a gorgeous Summery rosé wine, a more elegant side was in order. My Updated Southern Supper proved the perfect occasion for … Continue reading →

Succotash

Posted on by April 27, 2015

This quick and dirty, fresh from the freezer version of Succotash makes it an o-so-easy side dish. And for a Kentucky Derby Party where the main dish is some serious meat, like my Twice Glazed Brisket: Bourbon and Peaches, I recommend keeping it vegetarian, even though bacon is typically found in the dish… this is a Southern dish after all. Of course Succotash is delicious if you shell and boil fresh beans, roast local sweet corn, shuck it, and then get to work on the salad, but truth told, this is one of those dishes that emphasizes the right time to utilize the freezer aisle at your grocery store. While I don’t love all frozen veggies, I tend to keep corn and peas on hand for all sorts of tasks. While I don’t necessarily keep lima beans around, I think freezer quality is quite high, and of course there’s the really important benefit of not having to shell and peel the beans. All this to say, don’t feel guilty if you go the freezer route, trust me, you’ll have plenty to do to prep for the derby and making complicated Succotash isn’t where you ought to spend your extra time … Continue reading →

Deviled Eggs

Posted on by April 30, 2015

Of course, everyone already knows how to make Deviled Eggs. Why would you possibly need a recipe? The truth is that most of us need a recipe, or at least some new techniques. In fact, it’s possible (or probable) that this should have been a pantry tips/ let’s fix it post. Because everyone knows how to hard-boil an egg intuitively, that means that lots of us don’t know how to do it well. If you don’t know Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything, you’re in for a treat, because his column and book are all about technique. In fact, Deviled Eggs are an example of a food I thought I didn’t like but actually just hadn’t eaten it cooked correctly until very late in life because I can’t stand the taste of over cooked hard boiled eggs. Mark Bittman’s egg cooking techniques are life altering, at least for people like me. I recommend you watch this video. Cooking the eggs properly will update this old school dish in a new school way. And after you know how to boil eggs to your liking, the sky is the limit in terms of making Deviled Eggs. I like them to be a … Continue reading →