A Boys Birthday Bash

Hang up the bunting banner, stock up the bar cart, and send out your invitations. It's party time.

My fiancé and my childhood best friend were both celebrating birthdays just days apart, so I took charge to host our friends for bourbon drinks and sophisticated (and very simple) snacks.

I began with a quick farmers market grab of sunflowers and a trip to Miss Cordelia's for cheese, charcuterie and other appetizer ingredients. Though the presentation might have made this look like an all-day labor, the assembly was absolutely easy. Keep scrolling for step-by-step creations to throw together a cocktail party in a matter of minutes!

The hors d'oeuvres...

Mozz pops

1. Take a package of mini fresh mozzarella balls, rinse in water and pat dry.
2. Place each mozzarella ball on a mini party skewer.
3. Place store-bought or homemade basil pesto in a dipping bowl.
4. Serve on a slate tray with even ends of mozzarella bites

Cheese + charcuterie

1. Place mini plates of brie, goat, and gouda on a large cutting board.
2. Add a side of honey or grain mustard.
3. Accompany cheese wheels with cheese knives.
4. Fan charcuterie (I like soppressata) and fig grain crackers around the cheese.

Pork belly and peach flatbread pizza

1. Prepare pork belly the morning of the party.
2. Thirty minutes before guests arrive, top store-bought flatbread crusts with all recipe toppings.
3. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.
4. Allow to cool slightly before slicing in squares to serve.

Homemade guac with fresh cilantro and heirloom tomatoes

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Late Summer Peach Crumble

Feeling peachy this week? If so, you're in luck.

For an even sweeter end to summer, turn a farmers market bounty into a show-stopping dessert. Ripe peaches caramelize in the oven with a coarse crumble of healthy-ish ingredients, including King Arthur whole wheat flour. As Jeannine of Love & Lemons suggests (who inspired this recipe), serving piping hot with scoops of vanilla bean ice cream.

Makes 8 servings

2/3 cup rolled oats 2/3 cup chopped pecans 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 2/3 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon pinch of salt 6 tablespoons cold butter 8 peaches, sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and brush an 8"x8" baking dish with butter.

2. Use a food processor to pulse the oats, pecans, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the butter and give it a few short pulses until the the mixture clumps together. If too dry, add water one teaspoon at a time. If too wet, add a little more flour.

3. Place the sliced peaches into the dish, sprinkle the crumble mixture on top and bake until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is soft, about 18-20 minutes.

Sizzling Grilled Sides

Summer is made for dinners al fresco with nearby neighbors and new acquaintances. You might not have realized that your July barbecues and patio hangouts were, however, in celebration of an under-appreciated and effortlessly natural holiday--National Grilling Month.

To celebrate, I'm sharing some secrets with my Midtown specialty grocer The Fresh Market for cooking juicy, flavor-packed grilled sides at your next outdoor spread. All you need is begin a well-oiled or "au natural" charcoal grill...and a bottle of chilled white wine, of course.

Ciabatta Bruschetta I am a huge fan of ciabatta bread for the grill, either to load up a tomato mozzarella medley, dip in olive oil or sprinkle with parmesan. To prepare, slice the loaf horizontally and drizzle each slice with olive oil and freshly chopped garlic. Grill for roughly 3 minutes on each side. I love to snack on a few Castelvetrano olives while the ciabatta crisps and caramelizes. The Fresh Market's "Grill Master" Peter Mays recommends to, before serving, sprinkle the ciabatta with sea salt and basil.

Grilled Asparagus + Brussels Bright green vegetables not only look gorgeous, but they also enliven any spread or supper. Not to mention, you'll feel healthier when a few stalks of asparagus are paired with rich grilled entrées and carbs. The key to these vegetables is to coat evenly with olive oil, squeeze lemon while they're sizzling on the grill, and sprinkle with red pepper flakes to serve warm or at room temperature.

Potato Salad To grill, slice red skin potatoes in half inch rounds, drizzle with olive oil, place on grill and cover for about 5 minutes. Flip potatoes and repeat. Roughly chop potatoes and toss with sliced scallions, lemon juice, a spoonful of course grain mustard, salt, pepper and fresh parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This post is brought to you by The Fresh Market. Thank you for being supportive of my sponsors.

Heirloom Tomato and Red Corn Shrimp Sauté

Summer screams for simplicity, especially when local produce is at its peak of brightness and flavor. Though I frequent the farmers markets, I'm especially impressed with Whole Foods' local produce selection, which features stunning vegetables, fruits and starches. I plucked a few ears of red corn and a pint of tri-colored sweet cherry tomatoes; and, alas, another 15-minute meal for two was born. Whip this up after work or on a Sunday evening, and don't forget to pair it with a bottle of crisp white wine from Whole Foods Germantown's new selection of wine!

Makes 2 servings

1/2 pound ruby red shrimp, peeled and deveined 2 cups spinach 2 ears red corn, husked 1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon fresh basil, roughly chopped Sea salt and black pepper 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese (optional)

1. Brush corn with olive oil and place on a hot grill pan. Cook for five minutes, rotating to grill evenly. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before cutting corn kernels.

2. Meanwhile, heat one tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a pot. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Add shrimp to pan and cook evenly, flipping after 2 minutes.

3. Add tomatoes to pan, cooking for 2-3 minutes. Add corn and basil, continuing to sauté until fragrant. Then, add spinach and toss until just beginning to wilt. Season combination with extra salt and pepper, and sprinkle with feta. Serve immediately with a crusty baguette and glass of chilled pinot grigio.

This post is brought to you by Whole Foods Market Germantown. Thank you for being supportive of my sponsors!

Ginger Ale Summer Cocktail

Let the pre-July Fourth week commence. Alex and I are heading up to D.C. for a long holiday weekend, where we'll be patriotically celebrating the Fourth as well as Alex's birthday and our five-year anniversary! Yes, what a doozy.

If you're hosting an outdoor gathering this weekend, I know just the right beverage to fill your coolers or mix into a cocktail -- the all-natural Bruce Cost Ginger Ale.

Photos by Christen Jones

Each bottle is made from whole fresh ginger (rather than the ginger oil or other manufactured products used for the gingery flavor). Naturally sweetened with pure cane sugar, the beverage line offers flavors from pomegranate hibiscus to jasmine tea and passion fruit.

Concepted in Bruce Costs's James Beard-nominated kitchen in San Francisco back in 1995 and later served in Chicago, the ginger ale is now brewed and bottled in Brooklyn. Now, it has made its way to my Memphis doorstep, and I'm finely impressed!

I'm making Fourth of July cocktails with my Bruce Cost twelve-pack, but note that you can sip the original flavor to alleviate nausea, aid digestion, and even fight the common cold. Talk about benefits!

Keep scrolling for my peach-infused summertime Moscow mule, served in darling copper tumblers that'll keep our cocktails plenty cold. Enjoy the celebrations this weekend -- Cheers to the simplicity and festivity of summertime.

Makes 2 cocktails

1 bottle of Bruce Cost ginger ale, chilled 3 ounces vodka, divided Juice of 1 lime 2 lime wedges, to garnish 1/2 peach, sliced

1. Divide vodka among two tumblers. Add two slices of peach to each and muddle. Then add a few cubes of ice.

2. Pour ginger ale in each tumbler, followed by a heavy squeeze of fresh lime juice.

3. Garnish with lime and peach. Cheers!

This post is brought to you by Bruce Cost Ginger Ale and Christen Jones Photography. Thank you for being supportive of my sponsors!

Seared Tuna over Cucumber Jicama Slaw

Y'all, this heat is heavy. In need of a light and cool summer meal, I aimed for an airy Asian dish that highlights natural flavors and awe-inspiring colors. I plucked both the ahi tuna and cucumber at the Memphis Farmers Market last Saturday, and I spotted some prepped jicama at my Whole Foods location. Ten minutes prep max yields a ten-fold amount of impressionable plating and tasting!

Serve alongside a crisp dry Pinot Grigio and, perhaps, a shareable bowl of steamed edamame. Cheers!

Makes 2 servings

1 ahi tuna steak 1 teaspoon canola oil 2 cucumbers 1 package pre-cut jicama 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon rice vinegar Black sesame seeds Sea salt Eel sauce, to serve

1. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Season both sides of tuna steak with salt and black pepper. Place tuna in pan, searing for 1 minute. Flip and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and allow to rest.

2. Spiralize cucumber into thin ribbons. Slice jicama into thin strips. Mix vegetables with sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, salt and sesame seeds.

3. Slice tuna into 1/4-inch pieces. Create a cucumber-jicama nest, and place tuna on top. Drizzle with eel sauce and, if needed, add additional sea salt. Serve cold.