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!

Zucchini Pasta with Fava and English Peas

Perhaps it's due to my tiny basil plant growing in the corner of my window, or my last month's bounty of local produce; but nonetheless, I have been craving a garden-inspired dish for the summertime dinner table.

Saturday morning, I strolled 'round the corner to the farmers market. I found a bag of English peas, already peeled (yes.), and a couple of bright green zucchini. Thus, the garden pasta plan was born. Though linguine or bucatini would have been fabulous, I felt proud of the healthier spiralizer alternative in mind. P.S. If you do not yet own a spiralizer, Whole Foods offers pre-spiralized packages of vegetables!

Perfect for summer nights, even my steak-and-potatoes fiancé approved. What's your latest spiralized creation?

Makes 4 servings

2 zucchini, spiralized 1/2 cup English peas 1/2 cup fava peas, peeled 1/2 cup low-fat ricotta, seasoned with salt and pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon basil, ribboned Truffle oil, to drizzle Sea salt Red pepper flakes

1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Prepare a small ice bath to set aside. Add fava and English peas to boiling water for 2 minutes; immediately drain and add to ice bath to stop cooking.

2. Add olive oil to a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook zucchini noodles for 3-4 minutes, until cooked through but not soggy! Turn off heat and toss in basil, sea salt, and a drizzle of truffle oil.

3. Plate zucchini and top with ricotta and peas. Sprinkle with additional basil, salt and red pepper flakes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Sweet Potato Salad

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

As recently discussed in a picnic post, I have been craving hot Southern nights under the stars and daytime dining al fresco. I find that a meaningful gathering is highly prioritized in the South, providing an opportunity to relish in hospitality and warm conversation. Southern Food Fest (May 16-22) at Whole Foods, therefore, could not arrive at a better time.

IMG_8905

Whether local honey, greens, potatoes, fried chicken or butter, Southern cooking should be celebrated (and elevated). I took the challenge to transform a standard Southern side -- potato salad -- into a healthy and refreshing accompaniment to Gus's fried chicken.

How do you spin off traditional Southern sides? Or do you stick to the originals? Share in the comments. And join Whole Foods in their week-long, in-store celebration of Southern cookin'!

Makes 4 servings

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1-inch pieces 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 vidalia onion, peeled and cut horizonally into 1-inch rings 1/4 cup sliced scallions 1 tablespoon mustard greens 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes Sea salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking sheet. In a medium bowl, toss potatoes in 1 tablespoon olive oil, ensuring to coat evenly. Spread in an even layer on one half of the baking sheet. Add vidalia onion slices to the other half of the sheet, keeping ring layers intact. Drizzle onion with remaining olive oil. Sprinkle baking sheet with salt and pepper.

2. Bake potatoes and onions for 30 minutes, flipping once halfway. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.

3. Quarter the caramelized onions, and transfer potatoes and onions to a serving bowl. Toss with scallions, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Top with mustard greens. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Processed with VSCOcam with f2 preset

This post is made possible by Whole Foods Germantown. Thank you for being supportive of my sponsors!