RECIPES « Cowlick Cottage Farm

MY FAVORITE RECIPES

Pan-Seared Scallops with Meyer Lemon

Date Night at Home

Carolyn Binder

We seldom find ourselves at home alone, but with our daughter travelling to Cape Canaveral for the launch of NASA’s Curiosity Rover to Mars (lucky girl!), we decided to enjoy a date night. At home. When you live 45 minutes to an hour from the nearest fine dining establishment, date night at home is very appealing. Tonight, we celebrated the harvest of the first ripe Meyer lemon from our young tree, the perfect accompaniment to fresh Florida seafood.

Meyer Lemon

To me, the Meyer lemon is the queen of lemons. With its smooth gorgeous skin and …continue reading “Pan-Seared Scallops with Meyer Lemon”

Party Favors and a Recipe for Candied Pecans

Preparing for Thanksgiving

Carolyn Binder

Candied Pecans and Smoked Jalapeno Salt

We are preparing for a big feast this week! I love big feasts, don’t you? This year, the cottage will be full to the rafters with family and friends. We’ve got some love and romance going on, some big challenges, and some adventure, too. We have very interesting guests…artists and stylists, lawyers and builders, IT execs and foodies, and one special little boy. When they all arrive on Friday, we’ll share a big welcome dinner, and the conversations will go on into the wee hours, fueled by tall tales, much laughter, and proper …continue reading “Party Favors and a Recipe for Candied Pecans”

Summer in a Jar

Easy Mango-Lime Salsa

Carolyn Binder

Organic Mangoes and Peppers

I was so lucky this week to receive some absolutely magnificent organic mangoes from our local organic farmer, Miss Louise of Turkey Hill Farm. Please see my post on Jamming to read about the Mango Man, and don’t miss the comments. I ran into Mango Man’s wife at the grape-crushing, wine-making event in Tally last Fall, which caused her to look up my blog, where she read about her husband. We live big here, but it’s a small town. Be careful.

Anyway, the mangoes are amazing, weighing over 2 pounds each, …continue reading “Summer in a Jar”

An Evening in Atlanta and The Best Grits Dish Ever

Inspired by Parish Foods and Goods, Inman Square

Carolyn Binder

Every now and then, I tear myself away from weeding and digging and go to the Big City. I put on my high heels, some smokey eyeliner, and maybe a pencil skirt. Because when I go to Atlanta, it’s not to sleep. It’s to hang out with beautiful people.

Heather and Phil

And to see gorgeous things in cityscapes, like red chandeliers, shimmering against old concrete and brick walls.

The dining room at Parish in Atlanta

And it’s definitely about food. Really good …continue reading “An Evening in Atlanta and The Best Grits Dish Ever”

Caramel Cake

Inspired by The Help

Carolyn Binder

Caramel Cake

I recently had the pleasure of reading the immsensely popular book, “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett. It’s a wonderful story about three women who cross the lines of what is acceptable in their little Southern town and make change happen. It’s the story of everyday women who are heroines. Really, we all know them, don’t we? We see heroines every day…moms, workers, aunties, teachers, doctors, writers. Women always try to make things better.

One detail that fascinated me about the book was Minnie’s caramel cake. It keeps coming up in the story, at dinner parties, …continue reading “Caramel Cake”