SALADS,
SLAWS AND
BREADS

3. Grill the bread slices and tomatoes, turning once, until lightly charred, 2 to 3 minutes for the bread slices, 4 to 6 minutes for the tomatoes. Remove the bread and tomatoes from the grill. Set aside.

4. Grill the onions, turning often, until lightly charred, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove the onions from the grill.

5. Cut the bread slices and onions into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl. Remove the tomatoes from the skewers. Add to the bowl and mix gently.

6. Place all of the pesto ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until smooth.

7. Add the pesto to the bread mixture and toss well. Season the salad with salt and pepper to taste. Scatter with Parmesan and basil leaves.

Perfectly Pink Potato Salad

MAKES: 10 servings • PREP: 20 minutes • COOK: 20 minutes • CHILL: overnight

Everyone has a favorite recipe for potato salad, and this is mine. My secret ingredient is sweet pimento paste, a Portuguese condiment that adds a hit of color and flavor. For best results, chill the salad in the fridge overnight before serving—it’s worth the wait.

2½ lb mini potatoes

1 cup good-quality mayonnaise, such as Hellmann’s or Duke’s

½ cup sweet pimento paste

1 tbsp dried dill weed

1½ tsp celery seed

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp finely ground black pepper

½ tsp granulated onion (see this page)

1 medium red onion, minced

¼ cup grated carrot

¼ cup finely diced celery

6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped (optional)

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives

1. Boil or steam the potatoes just until fork tender. When cool enough to handle, cut each potato in half and set aside.

2. Whisk together the mayonnaise, pimento paste, dill weed, celery seed, salt, pepper and granulated onion in a large bowl. Stir in the red onion, carrot and celery.

3. Add the potatoes and the hard-cooked eggs and bacon (if using) to the mayonnaise mixture and toss gently. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.

4. Just before serving, sprinkle the salad evenly with chives.

Q SAVVY

Food poisoning wrecks a party, so make sure to keep mayonnaise-based salads cool on a warm day. Set the salad bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice.

Grilled Potato and Chorizo Parsley Salad

MAKES: 4 servings • PREP: 20 minutes • COOK: 20 to 30 minutes

My friend Colleen would always bring a potato and chorizo salad to our potluck parties. It was so good, I’d try and put it out of reach at the back of the buffet table so there’d be leftovers. This is my grilled version of that salad that I’m now happy to share.

1½ lb mini potatoes, halved

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and finely ground black pepper to taste

8 oz cured sweet Portuguese chorizo

1 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped

¾ cup crumbled queso fresco (see sidebar)

Vinaigrette

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Kosher salt and finely ground black pepper to taste

1. Whisk together all the vinaigrette ingredients in a small glass bowl, seasoning generously with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Prepare your grill for direct cooking and preheat it to medium-high (375°F to 450°F).

3. Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high until almost tender, about 8 minutes.

4. Add the olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper to the potatoes and toss well.

5. Grill the potatoes and chorizo, turning often, until the potatoes are crisp on the outside and the chorizo is reheated, 10 to 20 minutes.

6. Remove the potatoes and chorizo from the grill. Place the potatoes in a large bowl. Cut the chorizo into bite-size pieces and add to the bowl.

7. Whisk the vinaigrette. Add to the potato mixture, along with the parsley, and toss well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and scatter with queso fresco.

Q SAVVY

Queso fresco is a soft, unripened cow’s milk cheese from Mexico. Look for it in larger supermarkets or specialty cheese stores.

Shrimp, Mango and Noodle Salad

MAKES: 4 servings • PREP: 20 minutes • COOK: 10 to 15 minutes

Smoky sweet mango slices and spicy shrimp teamed with soba noodles make a satisfying salad that’s super refreshing and perfect for school lunches. Out of mangos? Substitute a well-drained can of mandarin oranges and add directly to the salad without grilling.

1 pkg (9½ oz/270 g) soba noodles

1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 metal skewers

2 tbsp Moroccan Spice Rub

Canola oil for oiling

2 mangos, peeled, pitted and cut lengthwise into ¼-inch slices

2 tbsp Piri Piri Hot Sauce

1 English cucumber, thinly sliced

1 bunch green onions, finely chopped

¼ cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 cup drained, shredded beets (from a jar)

Dressing

¾ cup rice wine vinegar

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

½ tsp table salt

1. Cook the soba noodles according to the instructions on the package until tender but not mushy. Drain well and set aside.

2. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.

3. Thread the shrimp onto the skewers. Season the shrimp with Moroccan rub. Set aside.

4. Prepare the grill for direct cooking and preheat it to medium-high (375°F to 450°F).

5. Generously oil the grill grates. Grill the mango slices, turning often, until lightly charred and just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the grill and set aside.

6. Grill the shrimp, turning once, until just opaque, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the grill and glaze with the hot sauce. Set aside.

7. Toss the soba noodles with the dressing, cucumber, green onions and parsley. Spread the noodle mixture out on a platter. Top with mango slices, shrimp and beets. Serve chilled.

Strawberry-Rosemary Lemonade

MAKES: 4 servings • PREP: 15 minutes • COOK: 2 minutes

This recipe comes from my friend Sara Lynn Cauchon, The Domestic Geek.

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

¾ cup granulated sugar

3¾ cups water, divided

1 cup hulled, sliced strawberries

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 6 lemons)

Lemon slices and additional rosemary sprigs for garnish

1. Put the rosemary sprigs in a small saucepan. Using a pestle or the back of a spoon, bruise the sprigs so they release their aroma.

2. Add the sugar and ¾ cup of the water to the saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the syrup cool completely. Strain, discarding the rosemary. Refrigerate until chilled.

3. Combine the strawberries and syrup in a blender. Purée until smooth.

4. Stir together the remaining water, strawberry purée and lemon juice in a large pitcher.

5. Pour into glasses over ice, and garnish with lemon slices and rosemary.

Grilled Vegetable Salad with Goat Cheese

MAKES: 12 to 14 servings • PREP: 30 minutes • COOK: about 15 minutes

There’s nothing complicated about grilling vegetables, and I find that when I set out a large platter of this simple goat-cheese-topped salad, it always disappears fast.

4 small green zucchini, cut into ¼-inch slices

4 small yellow zucchini, cut into ¼-inch slices

4 small Japanese purple eggplants, cut in half lengthwise

4 bunches green onions, trimmed

2 sweet yellow peppers, cut in half and seeded

2 sweet red peppers, cut in half and seeded

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and finely ground black pepper to taste

½ cup balsamic syrup

¾ cup crumbled goat cheese

1. Place all the vegetables in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and toss well. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss again.

2. Prepare your grill for direct cooking and preheat it to medium-high (375°F to 450°F).

3. Grill the vegetables, turning often, until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes for the zucchini and green onions, 10 to 15 minutes for the eggplants and peppers.

4. Remove the vegetables from the grill. Slice the eggplant and pepper halves. Arrange all the vegetables on a large platter, alternating the colors.

5. Drizzle balsamic syrup over the vegetables and sprinkle with goat cheese. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Q SAVVY

Buy the freshest, most colorful vegetables for the best impact and flavor. Any leftover grilled veggies are terrific on a pizza or flatbread or added to spaghetti sauce.

Grandma P’s Sweet and Tangy Slaw

MAKES: 12 servings • PREP: 30 minutes • COOK: 10 minutes

Grandma P always had a garden. She grew onions, cabbages, potatoes, carrots and peas. A childhood memory is getting yelled at for eating all her peas and feeding spring onions to her dog, Brandy. Another memory is Grandma P’s slaw. It was always in her fridge and it kept for weeks, becoming more intensely flavored each day. Tangy and sweet, it makes a simple summer side that’s crunchy and delicious.

1 green cabbage (about 3 lb), cored and shredded

3 stalks celery, thinly sliced

2 carrots, grated

1 medium white onion, finely chopped

1 small red cabbage (about 1½ lb), cored and shredded

Dressing

¾ cup granulated sugar

½ cup canola oil

½ cup apple cider vinegar

2 tsp celery seed

Kosher salt and finely ground black pepper to taste

1. Mix together the green cabbage, celery, carrots and onion in a large bowl.

2. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then boil, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let cool slightly.

3. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture. Refrigerate until chilled.

4. Just before serving, add the red cabbage and toss well. Serve chilled.

Q SAVVY

Don’t add the red cabbage until just before serving or your slaw will turn bright pink.

Creamy Carrot Slaw

MAKES: 6 to 8 servings • PREP: 20 minutes

Carrots are the star of this sweet, crunchy slaw. It’s great for entertaining because it holds up well even if prepared the day before (just make sure to toss it a few times just before serving). It’s a perfect pairing for pulled pork sandwiches, hot dogs, hamburgers or steaks.

½ cup good-quality mayonnaise, such as Hellmann’s or Duke’s

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tbsp honey Dijon mustard

1 tsp celery seed

1½ lb carrots, grated

3 cups shredded cabbage

Kosher salt and finely ground black pepper

1. Whisk together the mayonnaise, oil, vinegar, sugar, mustard and celery seed in a large bowl.

2. Add the carrots and cabbage and toss well to coat with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Q SAVVY

Add some extra crunch to the slaw with slivered almonds or apple slices.

Three-Cheese Smoked Garlic Monkey Bread

MAKES: 12 servings • PREP: 30 minutes • COOK: 35 to 45 minutes

This savory version of classic cinnamon monkey bread is ooey-gooey, garlicky greatness. I prefer to use a springform rather than a Bundt pan for this, as it’s easier to remove the bread. This simple recipe is perfect for a last-minute get-together.

2 cans (each 4.5 oz/127 g) refrigerated biscuits (12 biscuits total)

¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

1½ cups shredded cold-smoked cheddar, divided

½ cup shredded mozzarella

¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan

12 cloves Smoked Garlic, finely chopped

¼ cup finely chopped fresh chives

Butter-flavor cooking spray

1. Open the cans and separate the biscuits. Cut each biscuit into quarters.

2. Toss the biscuit pieces with the butter in a large bowl. Add 1 cup of the cheddar, the mozzarella, the Parmesan, the garlic and the chives. Toss well.

3. Prepare your grill for indirect cooking and preheat it to 350°F.

4. Generously spray a 9-inch springform baking pan with cooking spray. Scrunch a sheet of foil to form a 2-inch ball. Spray the ball with cooking spray, then place it in the center of the pan.

5. Carefully spoon the cheese-covered biscuit pieces into the pan surrounding the foil ball. Top with the remaining cheddar.

6. Place the pan on the cool side of the grill and bake, rotating the pan regularly, until the bread is golden brown and well risen, 35 to 45 minutes.

7. Let the bread stand in the pan for 10 minutes before removing it. Serve warm.

Best-Ever Buttermilk Biscuits

MAKES: about 16 biscuits • PREP: 30 minutes • CHILL: 20 minutes (bowl), 5 minutes (biscuits) • COOK: about 15 minutes

To say I am a fan of biscuits would be an understatement. When you elevate the biscuit, the rest of the meal comes along for the ride. This is my Grandma P’s recipe, but I’m also grateful to the many Southern ladies and gents who helped me get my biscuits to where I wanted them to be.

4¾ cups all-purpose flour, sifted

2 tsp good-quality baking powder, such as Clabber Girl

3 tsp good-quality kosher salt

1 tsp baking soda

8 oz unsalted butter (about 1 cup/2 sticks), frozen

2½ cups very cold, well-shaken buttermilk

¾ cup unsalted butter, melted

1. Chill a large stainless steel bowl in the freezer for 20 minutes before preparing the biscuits.

2. Adjust the oven racks to the center and upper positions and preheat the oven to 425°F.

3. Whisk together all the dry ingredients in the chilled bowl. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the frozen butter into the bowl. Combine the ingredients with a pastry cutter until the texture is coarse and crumbly (do not use your hands for this).

4. Add the buttermilk and, with a rubber spatula, mix just until the dry ingredients are damp (do not overmix the dough).

5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Working as quickly as you can, pat the dough out into a rectangle and then fold it in on itself a couple of times. Handle the dough as little as possible; the more you handle it, the tougher your biscuits will be.

6. Pat out the dough again into a ½-inch-thick rectangle. Cut into about 16 squares. (You can use a round biscuit cutter for this, but the trimmings make a much tougher biscuit.)

7. Place 8 biscuits, ¼ inch apart, on each of two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Chill the biscuits in the fridge for 5 minutes.

8. Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter. Place the baking sheets in the oven, one on the center rack, one on the upper rack. Bake for 5 minutes, then swap the positions of the baking sheets.

9. Bake for another 5 minutes, then swap the positions of the baking sheets again.

10. Bake until the biscuits are lightly browned and risen, about 5 minutes more. It is important to not overbake the biscuits.

11. Remove the biscuits from the baking sheets and let cool on a wire rack.

Q SAVVY

If you tend to have very warm hands, rinse them under cold water before patting out and shaping the biscuit dough.

Buttery Cornbread with Forty Creek Honey Butter

MAKES: 8 servings • PREP: 15 minutes • COOK: 18 to 23 minutes

Cornbread is a Southern staple. Do it right and it’s magic; do it wrong and you’ve made a hockey puck. For the best cornbread you’ll ever taste, use a well-seasoned cast iron skillet.

1 cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup cornmeal

2 tbsp granulated sugar

2½ tsp baking powder

¾ tsp table salt

½ tsp chili powder (optional)

2 tbsp unsalted butter or bacon fat

1 cup whole milk

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack

2 eggs, beaten

¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

2 jalapeños, seeded and minced (optional)

½ cup grilled corn kernels

Forty Creek Honey Butter

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

2 tbsp honey

1 to 2 tbsp Forty Creek Canadian whisky (to taste)

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and chili powder (if using) in a medium bowl. Set aside.

3. Add the 2 tbsp butter to a 10-inch cast iron skillet or a 9-inch round baking pan. Place the skillet in the oven until the butter melts, about 3 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, whisk together the milk, cheese, eggs, melted butter and jalapeños in a medium bowl.

5. Remove the skillet from the oven and swirl the butter to coat the bottom and sides of the skillet.

6. Add the milk mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Add the corn kernels. Stir just until moistened (don’t overmix). Pour the batter into the hot skillet. Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes.

7. For Forty Creek Honey Butter, whip the butter until light and creamy. Fold in the honey and whisky until well combined.

8. Cut the cornbread into wedges. Serve warm slathered with honey butter.

Q SAVVY

Day-old cornbread makes a great stuffing for a chicken.

SALADS,SLAWS ANDBREADS

Grilled Caesar Salad

Grilled Potato and Chorizo Parsley Salad

Best-Ever Buttermilk Biscuits

SALADS,
SLAWS AND
BREADS