Grilled Peaches with Honey and Mint

My weekly trip to the Memphis Farmers Market has reached a new level -- the peach farmer (first booth on your right from the main entrance) recognizes my routine visit. I hate to waste an entire basket of ripe peaches, so he lets me take 2 for a dollar, or 4 for $2. It's a super sweet gesture for my favorite fruit of the season.

Grilled fruit is a go-to side dish or salad base for my summer meals, particularly because the natural caramelization is so irresistible! I add a few drops of Nature Nate's before throwing them on the heat; and 5 minutes later, they're ready to go.

For a richer application, my friend Justin Fox Burks of the Chubby Vegetarian throws his grilled peaches in a dutch baby with fresh, creamy burrata cheese. The heavenly fruit and cheese combination could serve as a light salad or more savory dessert option.

Enjoy the rest of your summery weekend!

Makes 2 servings

2 peaches, pitted and quartered 2 sprigs fresh mint 1 tablespoon Nature Nate's honey 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1. Spray nonstick spray on a grill (or grill pan) over medium heat. Brush peach slices with honey.

2. Place peaches, skin side up, on grill. Allow fruit to caramelize for 4-5 minutes until grill marks appear.

3. Immediately plate peaches. Top with torn pieces of mint, sprinkled sea salt, and a bit of extra honey if you're in need of some more sweetness.

Share your own Nature Nate’s honey creations on social media with @naturenates and #honeymakesitbetter!

This post is in partnership with Nature Nate's. Thank you for being supportive of my sponsors!

How to Picnic for a Levitt Shell Summer

Summer weekends shout picnic season, hence why routine trips to Memphis' Levitt Shell should be on your radar. The free summer-long concert series kicked off in May and lasts through August, gathering hundreds of all ages and backgrounds to a Midtown amphitheater house of entertainment. It is truly a venue unlike any other.

Friday evening, some girlfriends and I bounced our heads to Australian boy-band Jakubi, whom none of us had ever heard of. That's the fantastic part about the Levitt Shell venue -- it frankly doesn't matter who's on stage. As soon as you enter the lawn and take a first glance at the crowd, you know you'll enjoy yourself.

Food trucks line stage right every weekend, though I took the opportunity to plan a picnic that I believe satisfied everyone on our blanket!

Twist-off wine bottles (Meomi pinot noir and Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc) prevented the need for a corkscrew. Plus, my friend recently gave me a gold S'well bottle, which keeps cold drinks cold for 24 hours, so we utilized it nicely for the bottle of white. Cold drinks are a must, people.

My new Tennessee cutting board from Amelia's Outpost at Hoot + Louise was the perfect for transportation; lightweight and narrow, it held a wedge of brie and water crackers flawlessly. Don't forget a few plastic knives.

Fresh Market's sushi selection was on-point for fancy finger food. We grabbed nigiri, tuna poke, crunchy shrimp, and riceless salmon rolls. Cherries and fruit offered pops of sweetness for munching throughout the show.

The blanket to our right was enjoying their Aldo's Midtown pizzas to-go, and a blanket behind us enjoyed Chick Fil A #1 combos. Whichever route you go for your summer picnic, I hope you'll take advantage of the offerings in your city. Memphis: the Levitt Shell is your spot!

(final photo by memphis daily news)

Grill Out and Chill Out

This post was made possible by Longhorn Steakhouse. Thank you for supporting our sponsors! Happy June! 'Tis the season for summertime grilling galore. Though I will miss my weekend habit of schmoozing at Tennessee Brewery: The Revival beer garden during the months of April and May, I am pledging to move past my fear of the grill and prepare some memorable summer dinners.

I personally do not own a grill but am lucky to share a rooftop community grill for my Downtown apartment building. It's fantstic to call "dibs" and gather friends for a sunset gathering. Last weekend on Memorial Day, upon receiving some swanky grilling goodies and tips from Longhorn Steakhouse, I planned a beautiful, doable meal of grilled shrimp skewers, filet, okra and brussels sprouts. You've got to try it!

Follow along for some tips to entitle yourself an official "grillmaster" in no time...

1. Prep your surface. Your grill should be hot (about 500 degrees) and cleaned with a wire brush. Place your hand three inches above the grates, and count to three. If you need to pull your hand away before you hit “three,” it’s ready.

2. Prevent sticking. Before you put anything on your grill, rub the grates with an old wash cloth dipped in a small amount of oil. Use your tongs to handle the washcloth so that you don’t risk burning your hand.

3. Get in the zone. If you’re working with a large gas grill, create cooking “zones” by keeping one section at a lower temperature. As your meat and vegetables start to cook through, you can move them to a cooler area to slow down the process.

4. Tools of the trade. Keep everything you need within reach: metal spatula, heavy duty metal tongs, a good grill brush and a small squirt bottle (used to douse any flare-ups).

5. Select fresh proteins and vegetables. If you’re planning to serve steak, filets, sirloins and ribeyes are best on the grill – just be sure they’re fresh, never frozen.

6. Boldly season. Don’t be shy when seasoning your steak! Go bold. For an at-home rub, try “The Big 4” – salt, pepper, granulated onion powder and granulated garlic powder.

7. Sear-in diamond marks. Searing locks in flavor, as well as creates those great grill marks synonymous with summer. Grill your steak for 2-3 minutes on one side, then give it a quarter turn. Flip and repeat.

8. Test for doneness. With a meat thermometer, steaks should be at minimum 120-130 degrees if you like it rare, and up to 170 degrees, if you prefer your steak well-done.

9. Handle with tongs. Only use tongs to touch your meat. Poking with a fork to rotate or pull it from the grill will let the juices and flavor out.

10. Give it a rest. Make sure you let your steaks and other proteins rest for 2-3 minutes before serving. This will allow the juices to settle back into the meat, resulting in optimal flavor.

Tips provided by Longhorn Steakhouse's executive chefs. Thank you for supporting our sponsors!

Summer Green Pea Medley

Y'all, I just discovered a new love affair with Sprouts Farmers Market, which just opened in a suburb of Memphis. The produce is particularly gorgeous and colorful, especially this time of year. Above all else, it's affordable. I gathered fruits and vegetables of all shapes and sizes to accompany my fish and chicken this week. Somehow, Sprouts has pushed me to be excited for a healthy week of eating ahead! Here is a super, super simple green side that'll be ready to plate in under five minutes. It's protein-fiber-filled and carb-free. I'm addicted to the nutty, crunchy textures of the medley.

Despite it s ridiculous simplicity, I hope you'll look to this recipe for inspiration with summer produce. As I always like to say, it's about highlighting the ingredient -- no sauce necessary!

Makes 2 servings

2 handfuls French green beans, washed and trimmed 8 pods fava beans, shelled 1/4 cup edamame, shelled 1/4 cup green peas Truffle or olive oil, to drizzle Sea salt and pepper

1. Bring one medium pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath beside the stove.

2. Add beans and peas to water and blanch for 1-2 minutes until vegetables are bright green. With a slotted spoon, remove vegetables and add to ice bath to freeze further cooking.

3. Remove vegetables from ice bath and plate. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and red pepper flakes. Serve alongside...anything! I enjoyed mine with white cod and Rainier cherries.

Grilled Shrimp Salad with Peach and Avocado

Who's ready for a holiday weekend? I am leaving you with a colorful salad to prepare alongside the lake, pool, rooftop, patio -- wherever you choose to spend this glorious, extra-long Memorial Day weekend. I chose to let the ingredients show their simple magic by not adding a rich dressing; lemon juice and salt and pepper seemed to do just the trick.

Makes two servings

1 peach, sliced 1 avocado, sliced 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined 2 cups spinach 1 yellow heirloom tomato 2 ounces goat cheese 1 lemon Olive oil Salt and pepper

1. Brush shrimp with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until cooked through, approximately 2 minutes per side.

2. Arrange lettuce and remaining toppings -- peach, avocado, tomato, and crumbled goat cheese. Plate shrimp atop salad.

3. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over salad. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Twenty Three

Another year older; and wow, what a glorious whirlwind it has been since those twenty-two-year-old birthday wishes. Over the past week alone, I have been blessed to sit around the dinner table with college best friends, grandparents, siblings, boyfriend, Dad, and birthday-twin Momma. It's all been exceptional -- both the dishes (Hog and Hominy pizzas and homecooked lobster tails, ahem) and the conversations.

Tonight, I will be shamelessly belting lyrics alongside Dave Matthews himself (most likely in the rain) with Alex and friends from all walks of life. I'm counting down the minutes to that opening song.

This past year marked a theme of "balance." I'm quite certain it will encapsulate my twenty third year of life as well. Balance between old and new; college dreams and real world achievements; challenges and changes; the familiar and the unexpected; professional responsibilities and creative expressions; caffeine and cocktails...

Ignore the last one. My balance of time, however, has been the most challenging. I have learned an incredible amount to which I can barely express, but I rarely grab the moments to truly observe my load. Time toward this blog has undoubtedly diminished to random iPhone snapshots and blurbs. I crave writing more than ever (sometimes more than pasta!).

Thus, my one wish for twenty three is to allocate more time to write regarding restaurants, clients, passions, future, etc., etc. Here's to a year of setting the alarm a tad bit earlier and making the most of my evenings to express myself.

featured image courtesy of buzzfeed