Last night at bedtime the sky was clear, a young moon over the western hills. I watched the fireflies as I looked down into the bottom land, like a basin in its wall of dark trees, all filled with the flashing, moving light. Nowhere, I believe, are there so many, so brilliant.— HARLAN HUBBARD,PAYNE HOLLOW JOURNAL
In June, Kentucky is a kaleidoscope of color. It is the crossroads of spring and summer, a turning point for seasonally available produce. Flowers are in full bloom, lending grace and charm to the month that ushers in summer. Daylilies, peonies, and hydrangeas bow their heads to the summer sun. When the cottonwood trees open their pods and release their downy white seeds into the air, I know the change in season is upon us.
As the harvest begins in earnest, the beauty of summertime food appears in the kitchen. The precise date of the switch depends on the weather, but whenever it occurs, it is gradual yet dramatic. Out with asparagus and strawberries, and in with squash, peaches, and tomatoes. Out with rhubarb, peas, and wild mushrooms, and in with blueberries, corn, and basil.
The longest day of the year—the summer solstice—falls on or about June 21. On outings or during baseball games, we sweat and feel the oncoming haze of the day. We swat at mosquitoes in the yard. If the weather cooperates, the patio becomes an outdoor dining room, a place to eat a late-night meal under the stars. Fireflies glow on and off under the trees and bushes near the darkened ground. Picnics and Father's Day set the agenda for June. Early-morning visits to the farmers’ market, a day at the pool, or a cold, refreshing drink on the patio with friends begin the celebrations of summertime.
With a loaf of bread and some milk on hand, French toast is only a few beats of an egg away. Served hot off the griddle, this dunked-bread creation pleases both young and old. We gild the lily and sprinkle “plain” French toast with powdered sugar, making it taste like a funnel cake without the deep frying, thank goodness. Whole milk is the best choice for a nice balance of richness and consistency—creamy enough, but not so thick that it won't soak into the bread. Because we drink low-fat milk at our house, I often mix milk with the half-and-half I use in my morning coffee. And one more thing: a dense bread makes the best French toast.
MAKES 12 SERVINGS
This dish can be prepared the night before and baked in the morning. Herbed Pork Sausage Patties (page 281) and Pork Sausage Goetta (page 279) are both tasty side dishes.
12 slices firm white sandwich bread
6 ounces soft Neufchâtel or cream cheese
½ cup seedless blackberry or raspberry jam
4 large eggs
1 cup milk
½ cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Spray a 13×9×2-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread 6 slices of bread with cream cheese and put them in the pan, cream cheese side up. Spread the remaining bread with jam and lay the slices on top of the others, jam side up. Mix the eggs, milk, half-and-half, and vanilla. Pour the mixture over the bread and refrigerate for at least 1hour or overnight. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until the eggs are set.
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
Sunday tradition dictates a hot breakfast or brunch, complete with pancakes, French toast, or some other variety of hot bread that can be covered with warm maple syrup. This recipe uses one of the most popular fruits (next to apples) available in our supermarkets that is not native to Kentucky but is quite prevalent in Kentucky cuisine.
FRENCH TOAST
3 large eggs
½ cup half-and-half
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons Kentucky bourbon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound dense bread, sliced into 1-inch slices
BANANA TOPPING
4 ripe bananas
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Kentucky bourbon
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
In a bowl, mix together the eggs, half-and-half, milk, bourbon, vanilla, and brown sugar. In a large skillet or griddle, melt 1 tablespoon butter. One slice at a time, soak the bread in the egg mixture, let the excess drip off, and place the bread in the skillet or griddle. Cook on both sides until golden brown. Add more butter as needed to keep the toast from sticking and to create a crispy edge. Serve immediately, topped with the bananas, or keep warm in a 200°F oven until ready to serve.
To make the banana topping, peel the bananas, cut them in half, then slice lengthwise. Melt the butter in another skillet until bubbly. Mix in the sugar and stir until it dissolves. Add the bananas and cook gently to warm and brown them. Turn off the heat and add the bourbon and walnuts. Stir to mix. Serve the bananas over the French toast.
MAKES FOUR 8-OUNCE JARS
Take advantage of Kentucky strawberries and preserve them. The trick to making jam is getting the fruit to “jam,” or hold together, which is accomplished with pectin. Some fruits have a naturally high pectin content; for those that don't, powdered pectin can be added. Strawberries are iffy on pectin content, so I use a trick from the Joy of Cooking and add a few green apples to the berries. To create a jam with a deeper red color, substitute 1 cup of blueberries for 1 cup of strawberries.
1 quart (4 cups) strawberries, hulled and cut into quarters
2 cups sugar
2 Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled, and grated with a box grater
In a large saucepan, bring the strawberries and sugar to a boil. Add the apples and let boil gently for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the temperature is 220° F. With a spoon, remove any foam that rises to the surface. Spoon into freezer-safe containers and let cool. Cover and freeze.
A potluck meal is one of life's little pleasures, for it reveals what folks are eating and cooking. I remember one particular potluck I attended with my mother. Mom is a member of the Bluegrass Dulcimer Club, and on this particular Saturday afternoon, their picnic agenda featured a double bonus—a dulcimer jam session and a potluck meal. Baby blue skies and crisp, dry air created a picture-perfect day. We set out for our destination with a carload of food, drink, and instruments. The park where the group gathered can only be described as charming, complete with an 1800s log cabin and a large amphitheater constructed of stone blocks and cedar timbers.
Soon after our arrival, Mom and her dulcimer buddies circled their chairs under the tall oak trees. Within minutes, they were strumming and picking catchy tunes such as “Whiskey for Breakfast” and “Mississippi Sawyer,” along with old-time favorites “Farther Along” and “I'll Fly Away.” The music gave us reason to sing along, tap our feet, and lose our thoughts in the soothing balm of the dulcimers.
This musical day set up the ideal backdrop for sharing a meal. We spread a plaid tablecloth and arranged the food on a long picnic table. Sweat bees buzzed around the soda cans, and a soft-spoken woman blessed the food. A wide assortment graced the table: cheesy potato casserole with corn flake topping, fried chicken wings and strips, slivered radishes with sour cream and dill, zucchini lasagna, bowtie pasta salad, fresh watermelon and cantaloupe balls, chocolate Bundt cake, and yellow and pink frosted sugar cookies. Conversation about the weather, and the music, could be heard above the chatter of the surrounding park and picnic areas.
Nourished and refreshed, the musicians moved their chairs, music stands, and instruments to the adjacent amphitheater. Once settled, they began to play more melodies, interspersed with stories and jokes. From my chair on the periphery, I found myself lost in the music once again.
No doubt the divine reached down into the park that Saturday afternoon. As we sat among the tall shade trees, we were fed in body and in spirit. Potluck meals are like that—everyone brings a little and receives much more. Life is like that too. On this day, hearts were touched and memories were made—all because of dulcimer music and a potluck meal.
Kentucky has recently experienced a growth in artisan food producers, especially those who make cheese. For instance, Kenny's Farmhouse Cheese is made in Barren County, using milk from Kenny's dairy cows. Inspired after a trip to Europe, Kenny decided to start making cheese as a value-added product for his dairy farm. Kenny's Farmhouse Cheese has blossomed into a fine manufacturer of Cheddar, Colby, Monterey Jack, Asiago, Swiss, Havarti, and Blue cheese.
The monks of Gethsemani began making and selling handmade cheese in the 1940s, using milk from their own herd of Holsteins. Gethsemani has been a hardworking community of monks since 1848, when forty-four Trappist monks from the Abbey of Melleray in western France settled in the hills of Central Kentucky. At first they supported themselves by farming, but now their income depends on the sale of Kentucky fruitcake, cheese, and bourbon fudge. They also produce a semisoft cheese in the tradition of their Trappist brothers at the Abbey of Port du Salut in France.
Another Kentucky cheese producer, Sapori d’ Italia (Taste of Italy) was founded in 2007. Master cheese maker Giovanni Capezzuto from Napoli, Italy, has become the largest producer of artisan goat cheese in Kentucky. All the cheese is made with goat's milk from Kentucky farms.
summer unofficially starts on Memorial Day, when wreaths are laid on the graves of veterans and flags are flown in their honor. There's a good chance that before the official first day of summer in June, the weather will cooperate for a potluck picnic, pool party, or patio cocktail party. These occasions call for food that is portable, traditional, and easy to eat. Traditional Kentucky appetizers, salads, and side dishes are generally my choice.
PORTABLE RECIPES
In addition to those presented here, the following recipes from other chapters fit the bill:
Nina's Potato Salad (page 182)
Dried Cherry and Pecan Chicken Salad (page 220)
Cheese Dip with Chutney, Bacon, and Green Onions (page 52)
White Cheddar Pimiento Cheese Sandwiches (page 102)
Cream Cheese Olive Nut Spread (page 221)
Oven-Fried Boneless Chicken Thighs (page 82)
One-Pan Pecan Brownies (page 94)
Broccoli, Apple, Raisin Salad (page 275)
Sweet Bourbon Baked Beans (page 183)
Watermelon Cucumber Salad (page 207)
Fresh Blackberry Sheet Cake (page 189)
Bourbon Mint Slushies (page 124)
MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS
A cousin of the filling for White Cheddar Pimiento Cheese Sandwiches (page 102), this spicy spread (inspired by my friend Rhonda Greely's recipe) is arguably Kentucky's favorite way to serve cheese. Made famous by Joe Allman for his cousin's restaurant, John Allman's, on the Kentucky River, it can be served with crisp celery, radishes, pretzels rods, or Northern Kentucky–style with thick chunks of “everything” bagels. Be sure to allow the beer to flatten so the bubbles won't interfere with the smoothness of the cheese. To read about how to flatten beer, see page 52. Plan to visit Winchester in June during the annual Beer Cheese Festival.
One 14-ounce tub sharp Cheddar spread, such as Merkts Wisconsin, at room temperature
8 ounces (2 cups) shredded sharp Cheddar, at room temperature
4 ounces Neufchatel or cream cheese, softened
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon hot red pepper sauce
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ cup flat beer
With an electric mixer, beat the Cheddar spread, shredded Cheddar, and cream cheese until well blended. Add the garlic, hot red pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne pepper, and beat until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer running, add the beer in a slow, steady stream, mixing slowly until creamy and well blended. Scrape into a storage container and refrigerate to harden the cheese and allow the flavors to bloom.
MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS
This simple dip highlights the abundance of fresh dill weed in Kentucky gardens. My aunt Eileen serves this dip with Bugles, but cucumber slices, broccoli florets, or crisp celery stand in well.
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced onion or dried onion flakes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill weed or 2 teaspoons dried
2 small cloves garlic, pressed, or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving if using dried onion flakes.
MAKES 12 SERVINGS
Strikingly colorful and full of fresh, simple flavors, this pasta salad is a potluck superstar.
1 pound uncooked bowtie pasta
1 pint grape or small cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups fresh baby spinach
½ cup slivered almonds, toasted
½ cup chopped fresh basil
In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente, or tender but slightly firm in the center. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water. Place the tomatoes in a large bowl. Stir in the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Gently mix in the cooled pasta, spinach, and almonds. Just before serving, stir in the basil.
Most herbs can be rinsed to remove surface dirt and dabbed dry with a paper towel. Avoid vigorous washing.
Store fresh herbs in the refrigerator, gathered in bunches. Stand the herbs in a small container with about 1 inch of water. Store individual sprigs of herbs wrapped in a damp paper towel and then sealed in a small plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper. Watch for and remove mold or brown spots, which indicates the herb is deteriorating.
Harvest fresh herbs with a pair of kitchen shears, and chop herbs with a sharp knife. In most cases, the woody stems of herbs are discarded, and the leaves and tender stems are chopped. To chop basil, stack the leaves on top of one another and roll the stack to form a caterpillar-shaped tube. With a sharp knife, slice across the roll to form thin, ribbon-like cuts. Some herbs with tiny leaves, such as thyme or oregano, need very little chopping.
For best flavor and color, add fresh herbs during the last 20 minutes of cooking, if possible. This is especially important for fresh basil, which tends to darken when cooked for longer periods.
MAKES 8 SERVINGS
This recipe has been part of my repertoire for a long time because it travels well and tastes best when served at room temperature. Instead of rice, 3 cups of any cooked grain can be used, including wheat berries, bulgur, or, as my brother-in-law Mike enjoys, orzo.
3 cups cooked brown rice
1½ cups cooked, or one 15-ounce can, dark kidney beans, drained
1½ cups cooked, or one 15-ounce can, light kidney beans, drained
1½ cups fresh, frozen, or canned corn kernels
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced (mostly the green part)
⅓ cup canola oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
In a bowl, combine the rice, beans, corn, bell pepper, and green onion. Toss to mix. In another bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Whisk until the sugar dissolves. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature, tossing occasionally, for up to an hour before serving.
MAKES ABOUT 10 SERVINGS
And now for something completely different—a salad based on garden-variety green peas. Fresh peas have a short growing season in Kentucky, so frozen green peas (but not canned) are a good alternative. When we lived in Michigan, this salad appeared in salad bars in the area. This recipe is from the now closed Ember's Restaurant in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.
Two 12-ounce bag frozen peas (about 5 cups), thawed and drained if necessary
1½ cups Spanish peanuts (about 8 ounces)
1 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
In a bowl, combine the peas and peanuts. Stir in the mayonnaise and Worcestershire sauce and mix well. For best flavor, refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
If the walls of the dining room in my Lexington childhood home could talk, they would speak of the turkey and dressing we ate there every Thanksgiving, the country ham and biscuits for our Christmas Day buffet, and the wedding cakes cut during family wedding receptions. They might even speak of one sunny Father's Day afternoon when my sisters and I transformed that dining room into a makeshift bedroom for my father.
That year, my father was celebrating his second Father's Day as a cancer patient. He was tired, thin, and, as it turned out, only three weeks from departing this world for the next. His illness had rendered his legs too weak to ascend the steps to my parents’ bedroom, so we moved his bed downstairs, closer to his chair, to make his days and nights a little easier for him and for my mother.
Later in the evening, after the heavy furniture lifting was over, our family enjoyed a barbecue meal complete with pulled pork, coleslaw, fried pickles, and sweet tea. Dad nibbled at the food, but lacked the fervor and enjoyment for eating he once had. He sat in his recliner in the TV room while the rest of the family gathered around the large table in the adjacent “eating room.” I sat with Dad and encouraged him to eat. As I helped him lift a tumbler filled with vanilla milkshake to his mouth, he looked me in the eye and asked, “How will I get any better if I can't eat?” I knew the answer, but during this tender moment with my dad, my heart wouldn't let my voice speak. I placed the milkshake back on the TV table, looked him in the eye, and said, “It's okay, Dad. Just eat and drink what you can.”
On Father's Day the next year, as I mourned the loss of my father, I turned my attention toward my father-in-law Henry. We visited him in Lexington and roasted chicken on the grill. Henry was not feeling up to snuff that day, and although we were unable to put a finger on the cause of his fatigue, he seemed to have lost his spark and spunk. In August, Henry was diagnosed with colon cancer, and he died six weeks later following a complicated surgery.
In fifteen short, grief-filled months, we both lost our fathers, and our three children were now without any grandfathers. “I don't know why we don't have any grandpas,” I replied to my son Neil, who was firing off questions from the backseat of the van. “I guess God was ready for them to come to heaven,” Neil said. As hard as the losses were, I knew his youthful wisdom was correct. And although it's inevitable, we know not the day nor the hour when we will be separated from the ones we love.
As Father's Day again looms on the horizon, I rejoice in the scores of good years and good times we had with our fathers. I plan to fire up the grill and, using my favorite hardwood charcoal, cook a meal for the best male cook I know. We'll open a bottle of our favorite beverage and toast to Carl, to Henry, and to all fathers everywhere.
Here's a Father's Day menu to share with your father.
Blueberry Spinach Salad
Flat Iron Steak with Brown Sugar Rub
Roasted Potato Salad with Olives and Capers
Garlic Scape Pesto on sliced whole-grain baguette
Moist Carrot Sheet Cake (page 192)
Mojito or
Bluegrass Breeze (page 263)
MAKES ABOUT 8 SERVINGS
A fresh blend of sweet blueberries and salty Feta cheese makes this a refreshing change from a traditional garden salad. For local blueberries, visit Brackenridge Berry Farm in Brooksville, a small family farm that specializes in “u-pick” berries.
DRESSING
¼ cup raspberry vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar.
½ teaspoon salt
½cup olive oil
SALAD
8 ounces fresh baby spinach (about 8 cups)
1 cup fresh blueberries, picked over and rinsed
4 ounces Feta, crumbled
½ cup chopped pecans, toasted
For the dressing, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. The dressing will thicken and become lighter in color.
For the salad, place the spinach in a large salad bowl. Add half the dressing and gently toss to coat. Toss in the blueberries, Feta, and pecans. Add more dressing if desired.
MAKES 8 SERVINGS
Whether sautéed for fajitas or flame-cooked for a simple entrée, beef steaks are one of the easiest cuts to cook at home. A newer cut of beef is the flat iron steak, a modified version of a top blade roast, cut from the shoulder of the cow. For years, butchers were faced with a problem: what to do with the blade roast, a relatively tender and beefy cut of meat but with a tough piece of connective tissue running down the center. Researchers from Nebraska devised a method of cutting the blade roast to remove the tough connective tissue, leaving a large, flat piece of beef from the “top” of the roast that weighs about 1V2 to 2 pounds and is evenly thick all around. This top blade steak resembles a triangular-shaped iron (yes, like an iron used to press clothes)—thus the name flat iron steak. The flat iron steak—once a humble cut that barely made it out of the back of the meat case—is gaining in popularity. A simple brown sugar rub enhances this beefy, tender steak.
One 2-pound beef chuck flat iron steak
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Lay the steak in a shallow baking dish. To prepare the rub, mix the brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper together. Evenly distribute half the mixture over the top of the steak and rub it all over the surface of the meat. Flip the steak and repeat with the remaining rub. Let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature. Preheat the grill to medium high. Place the steak on the grill and cook for 5 minutes. Watch carefully to ensure the sugar doesn't burn. Flip and cook for 5 more minutes for medium-rare, 6 more minutes for medium, and 8 more minutes for medium-well or well-done. Remove from the grill to a platter, cover with foil, and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
Grass-fed beef is leaner than its conventionally raised counterpart. For this reason, it's best to cook grass-fed beef only to rare or medium-rare to prevent drying out the meat. A marinade, fresh salsa, or pan sauce helps preserve or add moisture when cooking the beef to well-done.
MAKES 8 SERVINGS
Roasted potatoes add a creative twist to this warm potato salad that was adapted from a recipe in USA Today.
2 pounds red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1½ teaspoons herbes de Provence or dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 green onions, white and small portion of green parts, thinly sliced
½ cup pitted and coarsely chopped kalamata olives
2 tablespoons capers
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper. Place the potatoes in a single layer, cut-side down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Set the pan on the lowest rack of the oven. Set the oven to 450°F and cook, without stirring, until the potatoes are tender and golden brown, about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, in the same bowl used for the potatoes, whisk the vinegar, mayonnaise, and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Stir in the green onion, olives, capers, and parsley. After the potatoes finish cooking, add them to the bowl with the dressing. Toss to coat, and season to taste with more salt and black pepper, if desired. Serve warm for best flavor.
Harvesting fresh garlic is one of the highlights of June's garden events. Very little Kentucky-grown garlic is available in most markets, and in fact, most garlic sold at local supermarkets is grown in China. For true local garlic, look to a farmers’ market. In the springtime, garlic growers sell garlic scapes, the twisty, scurvy green shoots that spring forth from garlic plants. The garlic scape must be pinched off to allow the energy to be directed toward growth of the bulb, not for the production of new seed. Garlic scrapes can be used in peso and other dishes where a strong “green” garlic flavor is desired. Fresh garlic bulbs are harvested in June or July and then cured for sale later in the year; they can then be stored until used. Blue Moon Farm in Richmond grows sustainable local garlic and sells it at farmers’ markets in Central Kentucky.
MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP
After a few iterations, I've settled on this recipe for garlic scape pesto. In an effort to mellow its garlicky flavor, I use only ½ cup scapes and an equivalent amount of walnuts and Parmesan. Almonds or pine nuts can be substituted for the walnuts. Spread the pesto on a warm whole-grain baguette or serve over pasta.
½ cup chopped garlic scapes
½ cup walnuts
½ cup shredded Parmesan
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons water
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Place all the ingredients in a blender or small food processor. Blend until creamy, scraping down the side of the blender jar or bowl once or twice. Store refrigerated.
MAKES 1 TALL DRINK
Just as mint, bourbon, and May go together, as in Bourbon Mint Slushies (page 124), so do mint, rum, and June. With a little imagination and a copy of Old Man and the Sea, I can transport myself from Kentucky to Havana with this refreshing lime- and mint-infused drink. To mix either a Mojito or a Mint Julep, first make a sugar syrup, infused with fresh mint. If desired, wet the rim of a highball glass with fresh lime juice and dip it in sugar. For the rum, I recommend a true sugarcane rum such as the Brazilian brand Ypioca Cachaça, sold in wicker-wrapped bottles—the Brazilian equivalent of Chianti in a basket.
2 ounces sugarcane rum
2 ounces Mint Simple Syrup (page 165)
Juice of 1 lime
4 ounces club soda
Fresh mint leaves, for garnish
Fill a tall highball glass with ice. Pour in the rum, Mint Simple Syrup, and lime juice. Top off with club soda and stir to combine. Garnish with fresh mint, sip, and enjoy.
MAKES 1 TALL DRINK
2 cups ice cubes
2 ounces rum
2 ounces Mint Simple Syrup (below)
Juice of 1 lime
4 ounces club soda
½ cup fresh blueberries, picked over and rinsed
Fresh mint leaves, for garnish
Put the ice in a blender. Pour in the rum, Mint Simple Syrup, lime juice, club soda, and blueberries. Blend on high until frothy. Pour into a glass and garnish with fresh mint. Sip and enjoy.
MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 cups fresh mint leaves
In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Turn off the heat and stir in the sugar and mint until the sugar is dissolved. Let steep for at least 30 minutes. Cool, strain, and store in a glass jar or glass pitcher in the refrigerator.
VARIATION: Herb Simple Syrup
Substitute fresh lemon balm, lemon basil, thyme, rosemary, or lavender for the mint.
As the weather gets warmer, the grill gets more use. Serve either of these recipes any time the grill is heated or in place of the Flat Iron Steak with Brown Sugar Rub for Father's Day.
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
Boneless chicken thighs are one of easiest pieces of a chicken to grill. The meat cooks quickly, and it stays moist and juicy. After grilling the thighs, I bathe them in a “marinade in reverse” that is equally magical on grilled chicken breasts, vegetables, or shrimp.
6 boneless chicken thighs
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced cilantro or parsley
Juice of ½ lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Preheat the grill to medium high. Lightly oil the grill rack so the chicken won't stick. Lay the chicken pieces on the grill, cover, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes on one side. Check the chicken periodically to be sure it is cooking evenly and not burning. Turn the chicken over and continue to cook until it is cooked through, about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken.
Meanwhile, mix the olive oil, cilantro, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes in a bowl. After the chicken is cooked, place it in the bowl with the marinade and turn each piece of chicken to coat. Remove the chicken to a platter, drizzle with the herbed oil, and serve.
MAKES ABOUT 8 SERVINGS
Inspired by a marinade in the Pride of Kentucky cookbook, my recipe makes use of Kentucky's favorite distilled spirit for a robust marinade that tastes best with pork but is appetizing with chicken breasts too.
Two 1- to 1½-pound pieces pork tenderloin
¼ cup Kentucky bourbon
¼ cup canola oil
¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Stand a gallon-size zip-top bag in a deep bowl so the bag stands open. Place the pork tenderloin pieces in the bag. Pour in the bourbon, oil, and soy sauce. Add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and pepper. Partially zip the bag and squeeze out the air. Close the zip top completely and turn the bag to mix the ingredients and coat the pork. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.
Preheat the grill to medium high. Cook the pork for about 30 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part measures 150°F. Remove to a platter, cover with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. The final internal temperature for cooked pork is 160°F.
VARIATION: Oven-Roasted Bourbon Pork Tenderloin
To cook in the oven, preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the pork for 5 minutes on each side. Bake, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a thermometer registers 150°F. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
