Georgia Peach Salad with Arugula, Avocado, and Grapefruit

Before I moved to Georgia, I'd never eaten a peach before. I had eaten things that looked a lot like peaches, had fuzzy peach-like skin, and had that funky pit in the center. But, the flavor of these imposters was dull and the texture of the flesh was mealy. Nope. They couldn't have been peaches. I saw signs for Lane Farms (a peach orchard about 15-20 minutes from here in Fort Valley) that boasted fresh Georgia peaches and so I went - on a hunt for something that had flavor. And that, my friends is what I found. After eating one of their peaches, I knew that all the peaches I'd eaten before were faux fruit - peach imposters.

Since I got those peaches, I've put them on my cereal each morning, added them to salads for lunch, and eaten them with angel food cake for dessert. I was watching my favorite cooking show, Back to Basics with the Barefoot Contessa, and she made an avocado and grapefruit salad. It looked delicious, but I wanted to spice it up a bit (no offense, Ina. I love you.). I just made her recipe and added fresh baby arugula and some sliced Georgia peaches!

It was the perfect lunch - the acidity of the dressing and grapefruit went perfectly with the peppery flavor of the arugula and the sweet goodness of the peaches.

As you can see, I enjoyed it quite a bit. I encourage you to enjoy the last of this season's peaches... especially if they're Georgia peaches. The other ones in the grocery stores... well... we know all about them.

Enjoy!

~ Mari

Goat Cheese & Parsley Potato Salad

I shan't tell a lie - I'm not a fan of potato salad. Actually, I'm just not a fan of the regular potato salad that shows up at most picnics and summer events. German potato salad is delicious, as is loaded baked potato salad. But, I was feeling a little adventurous, so I thought I would put my own little spin on tater salad.

Goat Cheese & Parsley Potato Salad

28 oz. Yukon Gold potatoes (2-bite size)

2 pinches kosher salt

2/3 cup reduced fat sour cream

1 Tbsp. mustard

1/4 cup creamy goat cheese

salt & pepper to taste

dried dill to taste

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1.5 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

1 tsp. fresh oregano, chopped

First, wash the potatoes and put them in a large sauce pot. Next, sprinkle some kosher salt over them.

Next, cover the potatoes with just enough water so that none of them are peeking out.

Put the cover on the potatoes and let them boil for about 15 minutes (until you can pierce the largest potato with a fork and it goes in like it would into chilled butter).

Now, mix the sour cream, mustard, and goat cheese in a bowl with a whisk. Then add the spices and taste the mixture. Remember that the cayenne pepper will intensify as it sits in the fridge, so put a little less than you actually want. Then add the olive oil and whisk that in.

Once the potatoes are done, drain them and allow them to cool. Slice them in half (or quarters, depending on their size).

Put the potatoes into the bowl with the sour cream mixture.

Now, stir it up with a large spoon - being careful not to smoosh the potatoes too much.

Now, chop the herbs!

Sprinkle the fresh herbs over the potatoes and stir a few times.

Next, cover the bowl with saran wrap and stick it in the fridge for a few hours (this allows the flavors to soak into the taters!). All that's left to do now is eat it! (Take it out about 30-45 minutes before you want to eat it if you want it a little creamier.)

I served it with a seared pork chop and warm apple slaw (courtesy of Ellie Krieger). Delish! It has a nice creaminess to it and a unique tang from the cayenne. The parsley and oregano add a great freshness and texture to it. I hope you like it as much as Ryan and I did!

~ Mari

Bison Bolognese

Pasta is my favorite thing to eat. Period. Here at the Smith household, we eat a pasta dish once or twice a week. And none of that "whole wheat" grainy pasta crapola. We have real, carb-filled pasta goodness. The trick is to vary the sauces from week to week so we don't feel like we're eating the same thing each week. This week, I was in the mood for Bolognese sauce. If you're not sure what it is, basically it's an amazingly delicious meat sauce with wine and cream. How can you go wrong with vino and cream? But, it can clog those arteries... so, I thought I would go for a healthier version of this classic dish by using a very lean (and tasty) meat - Bison!

Bison Bolognese

2 slices raw bacon

1 yellow onion

2 carrots

2 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 sprig fresh rosemary (1 tsp. dried)

1 lb. ground bison meat

1 cup pureed sweet potatoes (optional)

1 cup dry red wine

1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1.5 cups chopped fresh tomato

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 cup half & half

First, get your ingredients prepped: chop the rosemary, chop the garlic, and... dice the onion.

Grate the carrots.

Chop the bacon.

Heat a large thick-bottomed sauce pot over medium high heat. Put the bacon in, and render it away!

Next, add the olive oil, onions, carrots, rosemary, and garlic. Saute until the onions become transparent.

Now, add the bison meat and saute until browned.

Now you're ready for some booze! Add the red wine and canned tomatoes. Reduce to low, cover, and allow to simmer for 40-50 minutes. Once the sauce has reduced and it smells amazing (it will... I promise), taste it. Add salt and pepper as you like it, and dump those yummy fresh tomatoes in there. Here is where one would add the sweet potato puree. If you don't have any sweet potatoes, don't worry. It just adds creaminess and body to the sauce.

Let the sauce cool in the pot for 10-15 minutes (stick your finger in there and if it's still hot... wait a bit longer for the next step). Pour 1/2 cup of half & half in your pot and stir it up.

Now, try it. YUM. If it's not the best pasta sauce you've ever had...add more half & half. Haha. But, it should be pretty amazing as it is.

Just add pasta, grated parmesan, and fresh basil and you've got a delicious (and not QUITE as bad for you) meal fit for any pasta lover!

Enjoy!

~ Mari

Flank Steak Tacos

Tacos are kind of amazing. Especially when they're easy to make and good for you! I'm a huge fan of fish tacos and shrimp tacos, but I saw a lovely Flank steak at Kroger and decided that I would go that route. We rarely eat red meat, but it just seemed like one of those times. So, I turned the grill on and got to cookin'!

Flank Steak Tacos

For the steak:

Olive oil

Flank steak

Chili powder

Cinnamon

Cayenne pepper

Salt

2 cloves garlic

For the salsa:

1/2 cup pre-made salsa

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

1/2 small red onion, slivered

1 lime, juiced

1/4 cup fresh tomato, chopped

1 avocado, diced

1/2 cup red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, diced

For the slaw:

1/4 bag slaw mix

1/4 cup yellow bell pepper, cut into strips

1 lime, juiced


While the grill heats, rub the steak with olive oil (enough to coat it). Then sprinkle it with the spices. Put the garlic cloves through a garlic press and rub it around on both sides of the steak. Grill it for about 10-15 minutes (however you want it).



Here's Ryan - hanging out by the grill on our back porch. :)

Mmmmm... here's the steak! Let it rest for about 10 minutes.

After the meat has rested, slice it thinly. Yum.

For the slaw, simply mix the above ingredients together and toss.

For the salsa, again, mix all the ingredients and toss! I told you this was easy...

Now, all you have to do is pile it on a tortilla in whatever order you want. I wouldn't eat this with the new in-laws or anything... it definitely dribbled down my face. But, it was worth it!

Enjoy!

~ Mari

Late Summer Update

After all those years of watching my mom and dad garden and do yard-work, I realized how much I didn't want to have any part in that world. The world of spiny plants, yellow jacket attacks, and rushing inside to take a shower to get the ticks off. Yeah. Not really appealing, right?

Wrong. Ok - so, the actual act of gardening isn't a super fun time, but the result of all that hard work is quite magnificent. Especially when you can eat the things you grow!

I started a little herb garden next to the garage. At first, I was dissapointed with my thumb and it's ability to grow healthy plants (the leaves were a little yellow and they were growing pretty slowly), but after a month, the garden is doing quite well!

I have mint, basil, sage, oregano, parsley and... sunflowers (just for color). I've been using herbs from my OWN garden and am quite proud of myself. :)

Here was my other project - the front flower bed. The rose bushes don't look so hot and they will probably be gone (by way of Ryan and a big shovel) by the fall, but they shall stay there for now. I planted some Gerber Daisies, Pink Vinca, Lantana, and a Butterfly bush. It looks so much better now that we've mulched it and planted a few things!

And there's the front porch - where I sit and watch the hummingbirds guard their feeder. :) I cannot tell you how GLAD I am that it's starting to cool off here. Yahoo!

Thanks for looking!

~ Mari