Old brioche finds new life as French toast. Decadent, maybe. Delicious, definitely.

I hate to throw things away. Look in my freezer and you’ll find chicken bones for stock, egg whites frozen in ice-cube trays, and bags of leftover cornbread to make stuffing. My aim to make use of everything is a noble one although I sometimes find myself despairing in the face of so many bits and pieces to use up. After all, there’s only so many ways one can use a ham bone from Easter brunch or the two tablespoons of raspberry coulis leftover from dessert this spring. Read the full story

Hayworth Szymborski (with her kids) was the winner of the Davidson Farmers Market 2014 Salsa Showdown on July 26. More photos below. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Congratulations to Hayworth Szymborski, winner of the 2014 Davidson Farmers Market Salsa Showdown. She outpolled 3 other entries at last Saturday’s competition with a recipe that stretched the boundaries of salsa, incorporating several kinds of tomato, red onion, and two unexpected ingredients: avocado and feta. Read the full story

Pickled Shrimp (Nikki Sawyer Moore photo)

Pickled shrimp are the perfect combination of casual and sophisticated.  To serve, they are pulled straight from the fridge, which is hardly stuffy.  Yet, they also seem to be the type of food that you would expect smartly dressed South Carolinians to be noshing on in the Battery.  I’m not sure what it is about them, but in truth, when I have these pickled shrimp on hand, I kind of hope someone will unexpectedly stop by so that I can say, “dah-ling, go rest yourself on the front porch while I pull together some refreshments.” Read the full story

Contestants at last year’s Salsa Showdown served up their creations.

How hot can it get? The salsa, that is. Find out Saturday when the Davidson Farmer’s Market hosts its 5th annual Salsa Showdown, competition for prizes and the title as the area’s top salsa maker. Market-goers will help judge the event, where four contestants will use mostly market ingredients to concoct their fresh salsas. Read the full story

Too many herbs on your hands? Put them in ricotta and hey presto, a refreshing, flavorful dip.

After a flurry of summer travel, I came home to an herb garden that more closely resembled a jungle. Thyme cascaded over the edge of the bed, my oregano looked like a small shrub, and basil was everywhere. I am always surprised when this happens.

In the spring, right after planting, every snip taken seems on the verge of ending the young plant’s life. I’m so eager to harvest that I find it hard to sit back and let them grow. Yet without fail, halfway through the summer and despite my efforts to the contrary, I find myself with more herbs than I know what to do with it and a flurry of activity ensues. Read the full story

The sweet of summer peaches is chased by the spicy jalapeno in these refreshing popsicles–perfect for cooling off in mid-summer.

Our baby gets credit for these pops. I’ve brainstormed about a new cocktail recipe all week. I wanted a drink made for summer. Something straight from the farmer’s market that quenched the deepest thirst. I just didn’t have time to make enjoy a cocktail.

I hadn’t totally given up hope. I craved a cocktail that was sweet and spicy, so I made a batch of jalapeño simple syrup earlier this week. It sat lonely in the fridge while I changed diapers, responded to emails, and dealt with a to-do list that runs the length of my yellow legal pad. Sigh…cocktails were not in my future. Read the full story