Peach and Corn Salad

This is a quick post for an equally quick to prepare recipe highlighting late summer, juicy, fragrant peaches and corn. All you need is about 5 large ripe peaches (you’ll know because they will be fragrant and give slightly to a gentle touch). Make sure they aren’t too squishy because it makes them easier to peel and they will hold up better in the salad. This salad is bursting with flavor and is a perfect accompaniment to a backyard bbq, roast chicken dinner, or just about anything. I cant recommend it enough!

What you need:

-About 5 large juicy peaches peeled, pitted, and sliced

- 4-5 ears of sweet corn, boiled, and sliced off the cob

-1/3 of a vidalia onion sliced as thinly as possible

-About 6 oz of fresh feta (please use fresh feta off a block not the pre-crumbled kind) I like cow‘s milk feta if you can find it for this salad, slightly milder than sheep’s milk

-1-2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

-2 tbsp olive oil

-fresh ground salt and pepper

-1/2 cup fresh basil

Fill a large bowl with peaches, corn, and onion and squeeze about 1-2 tbsp lemon juice over the top and drizzle in the same amount of olive oil. Add a touch of salt and pepper to taste. Now add your crumbled feta and basil. Stir to combine and store in the refrigerator until serving time. I recommend making it at least two hours ahead so the flavors can meld and the onion can soften but not more than one day in advance.

Classic Macaroni Salad with a Twist

Today is Labor Day and it’s important to remember the reason for the holiday but that’s not why you’re here. A holiday that has become synonymous with backyard barbecues requires a classic pasta salad so I’m sharing my recipe for old fashioned macaroni salad with a slight twist.

A friend gifted me some ramp infused fusilli and I thought this would be the perfect way to elevate the pasta salad. I used 1/4 cup of the pasta water to infuse even more ramp flavor and if you arent lucky enough to have this pasta (made by Sfoglini) you could use any infused pasta you like or add some chopped scallions or onions to the boiling pasta and it should have a similar affect.

Cook your pasta (1 whole box) according to package directions and drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta water in a bowl. Stir in 1 cup of mayonnaise, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, a dash of salt and pepper. Stir in your hot pasta and set aside. If there isn’t enough dressing add in mayo one tbsp at a time until it reaches desired consistency, careful not to oversaturate it. Now fold in your chopped veggies and chill for 2-3 hours.

Veggies: 1 stalk celery, 1 red bell pepper, 1 large cucumber all finely chopped and 1 cup frozen peas.

Now go enjoy your holiday and remember those who sacrificed for fair pay, regulation, no child labor, and better hours!

Coconut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are chewy, gooey, sweet, and chocolatey….basically all the things a good chocolate chip cookie should be. My girls wanted to bake and my oldest loves anything with coconut flakes. Her favorite sweet lately has been the coconut chocolate covered almonds from Trader Joe’s and she polished off the whole box earlier this week. I thought a fun weekend baking project would be to take the flavors of those almonds and put them into cookie form. These did not disappoint…honestly some of the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made. Using only brown sugar keeps them nice and chewy and the combination of oatmeal and coconut flakes gives them a good texture and sweetness without dominating the flavor. I am definitely making this my new go-to recipe!

What you need:

1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup flour

2/3 cup oats

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes

1 cup chocolate chips

Begin by preheating your oven to 350. Mix your flour, oats, salt, and baking soda together and set aside. In a separate bowl whisk together your melted butter and brown sugar, followed by your egg and vanilla extract. Now combine the flour mixture with the butter and sugar mixture. Lastly, fold in your chocolate chips and coconut flakes. Spoon out individual cookies onto a parchment lined baking sheet. I went with about 2.5 inch balls and made sure to give them ample space to spread out while baking. About 12-15 minutes made them brown on the bottom while still being soft and chewy. Pull them out while they are still quite soft and set on a wire rack to cool. Enjoy!