Gluten Free Biscuits

A biscuit, in the Southern sense, is a vehicle for the eventful breakfast. These are not my grandmother’s biscuits; these are not fluffy and light like canned biscuits; these are biscuits for those who had to part ways with their heritage because of dietary reasons; these are gluten free biscuits—best taken with jam, sliced fruit, sausage, or all three.

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1 cup Gluten-free all purpose flour blend, sifted
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
2 ½ tbsp unsalted butter, frozen
½ cup Greek yogurt
¼ cup milk (any kind)

Before you begin: Butter should be frozen. It will be easier to grate. Any milk (cow, buttermilk, soy, oat, almond, etc.) can be used. If using buttermilk, decrease the amount of butter—1/2 tbsp from 2 ½ tbsp—and don’t use yogurt. If you use an iron skillet, cook time is 18 minutes. If you use sheet pan, cook time is 16 minutes. Once finished, cut the biscuit nearer the bottom. This will ensure that it holds together when you opt to fill it. 

Preheat oven to 425℉.
Sift 1 cup flour into large bowl.
Add 1 ½ tsp baking powder, 1 ½ tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt.
Whisk until dry ingredients are mixed.
Grate 2 ½ tbsp of butter into flour mixture. Whisk until blended.
Spoon ½ cup of Greek yogurt into clear glass measuring cup.
Add milk to yogurt until mixture reaches ¾ cups. Stir until smooth.
Incrementally add and fold with rubber spatula the milk/yogurt mixture into flour.
Once ingredients are mixed well, use spatula to scoop a ball of dough into your hand.
Quickly roll the mixture with your hands. Press gently onto lightly oiled pan/skillet.
This amount of mixture makes 4 medium sized biscuits or 8 small biscuits—rolling them golf ball size results in 8.
Your bowl should be clean when done. Gluten-free baking is usually chaotic, but not here.
Bake for 15-18 minutes if using sheet pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes if using skillet. Times will vary based on oven, skillet, pan, biscuit size, etc.

Variations:

• Finely mince 3 cloves garlic and a sprig of rosemary leaves. After rolling balls, press them into both. Crispy garlic and rosemary on top goes well with both sweet and savory additions.

• Mix ¼ tsp of nutmeg and ¼ tsp of cinnamon into dry mixture for scone-like flavor.

• Mix 1 tsp of harissa, berbere, or smoked paprika into dry mixture.

Recipe by Gresham Cash
Photographed by Jodi Cash

This recipe was produced in partnership with Georgia Organics. Join us in Athens for the 2020 Georgia Organics Conference & Expo, February 7-8.

Marinated Pumpkin with Green Peanut Oil

Experiment with the fresh side of roasted winter squash with a bright marinade and the option to prepare a day ahead of your dinner party. Oliver Farm produces cold-pressed oils from nuts and seeds all grown in Wilcox County, Georgia. Using naturally sweet green peanut oil with local-to-you green peanuts makes this dish extra special.

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1 large heirloom pumpkin, such as moranga

2 tsp salt

1 lime, zested and juiced

1/2 cup Oliver Farm green peanut oil

1 Tbsp peanut butter

2 Tbsp mirin

pinch of ancho chili flake

1.5 cups green peanuts, such as Sundance Striped

fresh cilantro to garnish

Peel and slice the pumpkin into crescents. Toss with salt. Roast at 400F for 1.25 hours.

Meanwhile, boil your green peanuts.

Prepare your marinade. Mix together lime juice and zest, peanut butter, mirin and chili flake with the green peanut oil.

When finished roasting and still warm, toss the pumpkin in the marinade and refrigerate for at least 1 hours, preferably overnight. Toss it a couple times to ensure it is well coated.

Serve the marinated pumpkin at room temperature, garnished with fresh cilantro and shelled boiled peanuts.

Recipe and Photograph by Erin Wilson

Hibiscus-Plum Mostarda

Fresh hibiscus grows wonderfully in Georgia as a gorgeous plant to add to your landscape and a producer of a wild calyx that can be used to infused a tart flavor to a beverage or dish. With this recipe, we cook down fresh hibiscus from R & R Secret Farm in Athens, Georgia with green plums for a sweet and savory mostarda - no straining necessary.

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1 pint / 4.5 oz fresh hibiscus
11 oz plums, diced
1/4 cup sugar
3 tsp. dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
pinch of salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Remove the red calyx surrounding each hard seed pod within.

Add hibiscus calyces, plums, sugar and dijon to a small pot and cook over medium for 10-15 minutes, stirring often.

Add the vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook on medium-low for 25 minutes to thicken.

Let cool and serve with a local pork chop or spread on toast with ricotta.

Recipe and Photograph by Erin Wilson

This recipe was created in partnership with Georgia Organics. The 2020 Georgia Organics Conference & Expo is Feb. 7-8, 2020 in Athens, Ga. Get excited!

Summer Squash Soup

As fig season trails off, you’d be remiss to ignore the aromatic qualities of those quintessential leaves. Rub a fig leaf or two between your fingers and you’ll notice a slightly sweet, coconut scent waft away. This alternative season curried squash soup comes into play when you just can’t sauté another summer squash.

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2 leeks, white parts only slivered

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp butter

2 pounds diced summer squash and zucchini

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp. curry powder

2 tsp. salt

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

3 young fig leaves

Bring a large sauté pan to medium heat and melt the butter. Add leeks and garlic to the pan and sauté until leeks are translucent but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add squash, olive oil, salt and curry powder and allow to cook for 10 minutes. Add chicken stock and fig leaves. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the squash is fully cooked through and soft.

Transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Garnish with a dollop of yogurt and enjoy hot!

Recipe & Photograph by Erin Wilson

This recipe was created in partnership with Georgia Organics. The 2020 Georgia Organics Conference & Expo is Feb. 7-8, 2020 in Athens, Ga. Get excited!

Southside

As much as I love all things rum and tiki, in the spring and summer, I also crave gin. Gin and tonic, gin and soda, gin and soda splash of tonic, gin fizz, gin martini, gin bramble, gin and juice, Stiegl Radler with gin, gin gimlet, tom collins, bee’s knees, etc etc etc. 

Also, as much as I love rum, I don’t like mojitos. I don’t think I’ve ever ordered one, and I raise my eyebrows at people when they do.

So I crave gin and I don’t care for mojitos, but I still like mint. Mint is the best garnish out there, and the smell of mint is the epitome of freshness. So, when I first heard about the Southside—basically a mojito with gin and lemon instead of rum and lime—it sounded about like what I imagined the perfect warm weather gin cocktail would be. My dad read about it in the Wall Street Journal (classic dad move), and as a drinker of gin and tonic, he was intrigued enough to give it a try (way to go dad). 

A quick google search shows the article was published in 2007, however, there is a nice follow-up seven years later in Town and Country called “The Southside is the Preppy Cocktail that Signals the Start of Summer.” I think that title pretty much sums it up. Though I consider my basic attitude as punk rock as the next guy, I’m not scared of preppy. I am, however, scared of the heat of summer and believe to my core that refreshing gin is one of the best ways to fight it. And we should always be fighting.

The key ingredients are gin, lemon, mint, and sugar—you really can’t mess it up. You can make a mint syrup, recipes abound. You can muddle mint with sugar and lemon juice, stir with gin to dissolve and mix and then top with soda. Or you can shake all the ingredients with fresh mint and either strain into a cocktail glass with a tiny splash of soda (my favorite) or into a collins glass with crushed ice and more soda (a close second).

‘Any which way you can’ will do, but I tend to at least operate under the following proportions: 1.5-2 oz gin depending on your taste for booze (the big brands will do or something a little more craft that enhances the herbal quality of the drink without taking away from the freshness); ¾-1 oz lemon juice (if at home, the juice of one not-gargantuan-sized lemon will do—jiggers can be tedious at the casa); 1/2 ounce of simple syrup (sugar,  honey, agave—all will do—I keep it simple); and a small handful of fresh mint leaves freshly torn. (For a further fun riff down the Southside rabbit hole, try muddling or shaking a few strawberries into the cocktail for more fruit flavor and that pretty pink color.)

2 oz Apostoles Mate Gin (London Dry or St. Georgia Terroir)

1 oz fresh lemon juice (~the juice of 1 lemon)

.5 oz simple syrup (or mint syrup)

5-10 freshly torn mint leaves

Shake with ice, strain into cocktail glass, top with a tiny splash of soda

Add strawberries or sub peppermint for more summer fun

Recipe & Story by Hunt Revell
Photograph by Erin Wilson

This recipe first appeared in Flagpole Magazine.

Three Bean Salad

I remember my mother bringing home three bean salad from the grocery growing up. At the time it seemed a curious even unappealing dish, but it stuck in my mind into adulthood. When the heat of summer takes hold, what could be better or easier than a cold vegetable snack ready to eat straight from the fridge. With so many exciting varieties of beans available these days, skip the grocery store and check out what your local farmer is growing or drying and start from there.

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1.5 cups dried heirloom beans of two varieties (or 30 oz. canned kidney and cannellini beans)

2 cups seasonal fresh beans, such as pole beans or wax beans

¾ cup quality extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup sherry or apple cider vinegar

½ preserved lemon

2 garlic cloves

4 sprigs thyme

½ bunch of parsley

3 spring onions

If using dried beans, soak overnight. 

Prepare the dressing by finely mincing your preserved lemon, yielding about 1 Tbsp of chopped rind. Grate the garlic cloves and add to a jar with the preserved lemon. Add the thyme sprigs, 1 tsp salt, a couple sprigs of parsley, vinegar and olive oil. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, drain the beans and remove the herb sprigs from the vinaigrette and set aside. Cook the soaked beans as you like, adding the used herb sprigs to the pot for good measure. Bring a pot of salted water to boil to blanch your fresh beans to al dente.  

While still warm, toss together all cooked beans with the vinaigrette and let cool in the fridge. To serve, finely chop the remaining parsley and spring onions and toss them together with the bean salad. Salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe by Erin Wilson
Photographed by Paige French

Tropical Morning Oats

Do the work the night before and wake up to bright and flavorful morning oats with just a short warm-up. Play with other combinations of spices and toppings to enjoy overnight steel cut oats year-round. Breakfast is served!

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1 can unsweetened coconut milk (13.66oz or 1 2/3 cups)

10 cardamom pods

1 cinnamon stick

1 inch ginger, grated

4 Tbsp. honey, plus more to garnish

small sweet orange, like mandarin or tangelo, zested and segmented

1.5 cup water

1 cup steel cut oats

2 Tbsp. hemp protein plus more to garnish

1 cup almond milk or milk, plus more to garnish as desired

pecans, toasted and chopped

coconut flakes

In a medium pot, combine coconut milk, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, orange zest and honey and bring to a gentle boil. Return to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1.5 cups water and hemp protein. Let cool.

In the meantime, bring a dry pan to medium heat. Add the oats and lightly toast for about 3-5 minutes. Pour infused coconut milk over the oats and let soak in the refrigerator overnight.

To serve, warm the soaked oats on the stovetop, adding milk to achieve desired consistency. Garnish with a generous addition of coconut flakes, orange segments, toasted pecans, hemp protein and a drizzle of honey.

Carrot Hummus with Gochujang & Hemp Oil

The natural sweetness of fresh, local carrots plays nicely with nutty hemp oil and spicy fermented chili paste gochujang.  A simple, seasonal twist on classic hummus inspires you to snack well.

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1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped

1 can chickpeas

1 large clove garlic, chopped

juice from one lemon

1 Tbsp gochujang paste   

2 Tbsp tahini

1 tsp. cumin

1 tbsp + pinch of salt

3 Tbsp. hemp oil

1 Tbsp olive oil

pepitas, lemon juice and hemp oil to garnish

Sauté carrots over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until slightly golden. Add 1 cup water and cover to steam for 10 minutes, until soft.

In a food processor, puree together garlic, gochujang, lemon juice, tahini, cumin and salt. Add the carrots and chickpeas. Puree, drizzling in the olive oil and hemp oil. Process until very smooth. Serve garnished with pepitas, lemon juice and hemp oil.

Roasted Cauliflower Salad

A quick and easy winter salad with a little finesse and a lot of flavor. 

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for the dressing

¾ cup yogurt

1 large garlic clove grated

juice of 1 small lemon

½ Tbsp tahini

½ Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 medium cauliflower

1 Tbsp olive oil

4 radishes, thinly sliced

4 oz. mushrooms, thinly sliced

¼ cup walnuts

small head lettuce, roughly chopped

chives + smoked paprika to garnish

Preheat oven to 350F. Cut up the cauliflower and toss with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Roast for 20-25 minutes until slightly golden. Toast walnuts for 5-10 minutes and chop. Let both cool.

Whip together ingredients for the dressing in a food processor or by hand until well-blended.

Toss together the cauliflower, radishes, mushrooms and walnuts with the dressing to taste. Add lettuce and sprinkle with chives and paprika to serve.

Slow-Cooked Okra, Fennel & Carrots

Slow-cooking vegetables feels antiquated and, well, dull, but here the low and slow cooking method brings out an amazing caramelized sweetness and a new way to imagine cooking vegetables this fall.

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1/3 cup coconut oil

7 garlic cloves, sliced

1/2 white onion, diced

3 anchovies (optional)

1/4 cup water

1 pound okra, cut to rounds

1 fennel bulb, sliced

1/2 pound carrots, roughly chopped

15 sage leaves, divided

1/2 - 1 tsp. salt

In a dutch oven, bring coconut oil to medium heat. Sautée garlic, onions, pepper flakes and anchovies for 7-8 minutes, until translucent but not browned.

Add the water, okra, fennel and carrots. Cut the sage into slivers, reserving about 2 leaves for garnishing. Add sage and salt to the pot and stir. 

Cover and reduce to low. Cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the lid and increase the heat to medium-high. Stir constantly for 5-10 minutes to lightly brown some parts. Serve hot or room temperature, garnished with fresh sage. 

Blueberry-Sherry Vinegar Shrub

Shrubs are an often beautiful way to preserve a moment in the season and an excellent refresher on a patio somewhere at dusk. Try mixing this one as a light cocktail over ice with 2oz. shrub, 2oz. amontillado sherry and club soda to finish. 

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6 cups blueberries

3 cups white granulated sugar

3 cups sherry vinegar

club soda, to serve

Macerate fresh blueberries with sugar, mashing to release the juices. Let sit in refrigeration for 4 days to 1 week.

Add 3 cups of sherry vinegar. Stir well to combine and let sit for 1 week.

Strain, mashing the fruit to extract as much of the juice as possible. 

To serve, pour 2 oz. of shrub over ice and top with club soda. 

Beef & Beer Chili

This is weeknight chili. Unexpected cool rainy night chili. A chili that packs in flavor quickly and easily. Using really really good ground beef pays off, we promise. 

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1 pound ground beef, preferably local and organic
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño or 2 chipotle peppers in adobo for more heat, minced
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
28oz. can whole tomatoes with juice
1 bottle stout beer
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
15 oz. can cannellini beans, or 1 3/4 cups cooked at home
15 oz. can navy beans, or 1 3/4 cups cooked at home
to garnish: yogurt, chives, cilantro

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Brown the ground beef and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium and add onions, cooking until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and jalepeño or chipotle pepper and sauté for another 3 minutes. Return the beef to the pan with the spices and stir.

Add the tomatoes with their juices, beer, tomato paste, brown sugar and beans, crushing the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Bring the chili to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes.

Serve hot with a dollop of yogurt and chopped fresh chives and cilantro.  

Turmeric Turnips with Spinach Chimichurri

Take your roasted root vegetables off the beaten path. A medley of turnips, radishes and kohlrabi is the answer to your late winter food blues. Turmeric is good for everything and a bright spinach chimichurri awakens the dish. You’ll have extra chimichurri so feel free to roast more vegetables for a larger group.

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6-8 turnips

2 kohlrabi

6-8 radishes

1 tsp. ground turmeric

1 tsp. fresh rosemary, finely minced

¼ tsp. each cumin, black pepper, salt

5 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar

1 cup spinach, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

Place a cast iron skillet into the oven and preheat to 375 degrees.

Quarter the turnips, then chop the kohlrabi and radishes to a similar size. Mix together the turmeric, rosemary, cumin, black pepper and salt. Toss the chopped vegetables in 1 Tbsp. olive oil and spice blend. Add the spiced vegetables to the hot skillet in the oven and roast for 15-18 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the spinach, garlic, a pinch of salt, 2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar and 4 Tbsp. olive oil to a food processor. Pulse until roughly pureed to make your chimichurri sauce.

When finished roasting, remove vegetables from the oven and while hot, toss with 2-3 Tbsp. of chimichurri to serve. 

Winter's Bounty Stew

This nourishing, hearty, slightly spicy stew brings together the best of winter's harvest for a satiating cold weather meal that's restorative too. 

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1 large onion, diced
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large carrot, diced
2 peppers chopped (bell or other large pepper)
32 ounces stock (low sodium, vegetable or chicken)
6 cups water
¼ cup quinoa
4 medium sized sweet potatoes, chopped in ½ inch cubes
12 petite potatoes or fingerlings chopped in ½ inch cubes (or sub 1 more medium sweet potato)
6 basil leaves, minced
2 star anise
Pinch cayenne
Pinch white pepper
1 tsp. each smoked paprika, dried tarragon, mild pepper powder, dried parsley, and dried thyme
1 tablespoon harissa
1 teaspoon salt
3 ounces salt pork/bacon, chopped (if bacon, cook before, cool and chop)
Bunch of kale, de-stemmed and chopped

Heat olive oil to medium in a large stock pot. Cook diced onion gently until translucent. Add minced garlic. Be careful not to overcook garlic to avoid bitterness. Once garlic is lightly browned and onion is cooked, add stock and water. Bring to a boil. Add carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes and quinoa. Once boiling again, reduce heat to simmer. 

Add minced basil, cayenne, paprika, white pepper, anise, tarragon, mild pepper powder, parsley, thyme, harissa and salt. Add pork. If you'd prefer a vegetarian soup, sub two teaspoons of salt for pork.

Simmer uncovered for at least 2 hours. When ready to serve, add one or two handfuls of chopped kale to each bowl and stir into soup. 

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Produce for this recipe was provided courtesy of The Turnip Truck. The Turnip Truck works with more than 50 small, local farms to get their fruits, vegetables, dairy and other products to Atlanta area restaurants, schools and institutions. By tackling the challenges of storage and distribution to deliver products, they bring local, sustainable food to businesses with ease, advancing the cause of slow food and local food in Atlanta.

Recipe by Gresham Cash

Photograph by Paige French

Heirloom Squash Pie

Just a slight twist on the classic holiday pie using pumpkin's sweeter cousin, the kabocha squash. Almond flour and butter lend the crust an almost celebratory cookie-like crunch. 

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For the crust

1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup almond flour
½ tsp salt
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 stick + 6 Tbsp butter, diced and frozen
¼ cup ice water

For the filling

1-2 heirloom squash, such as sunshine kabocha
      {equal to 4 cups diced and uncooked or 2 ½ cups cooked and pureed}
3 eggs
¾ cup brown sugar
1 ½ cup heavy cream
½ tsp nutmeg
1 ¼ tsp cinnamon
1 ½ tsp cardamom
pinch salt
2 Tbsp sorghum syrup

Make the crust in advance by mixing together both flours with salt and brown sugar in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the consistency resembles small pebbles. Add ice water and pulse just to combine. Roll out on a surface lightly dusted in almond flour until 1/8 inch thick. Set the crust into a buttered 9-inch pie pan. Leave in the refrigerator to chill until using; this can be done 24 hours in advance.

To make the filling, peel and dice the squash. Bring a pot of water boil and boil the cubes of squash for 15 minutes, until soft. Puree and set aside.

Blend together the remaining filling ingredients. Add the pureed squash and blend until smooth.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pour the filling into the prepared crust, being careful not to overfill. There may be more filling than you need. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes until the filling just barely jiggles. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving.

This recipe features a Barn Light Electric Enamelware pie plate.

Grilled Cheese with Apple and Sage-Walnut Pesto

Low and slow is the key to a great grilled cheese. Keep the pan lower in heat so the bread toasts slowly and the cheese has time to gently melt. Here we take the classic grilled cheese sandwich into the cooler months with sage-walnut pesto for depth of flavor and honeycrisp apple for tantalizing crunch.

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13-15 leaves of sage, roughly chopped
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 Tbsp. parmesan
pinch of salt and pepper
6 slices of quality bread
3 Tbsp. mayonnaise (optional)
1/3 pound white cheddar, sliced
1 apple, such as a honeycrisp, thinly sliced

Using a food processor or mortar and pestle, blend together the sage, walnuts and garlic. Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil, parmesan, salt and pepper and pulse until well-combined. 

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium low. Lightly spread mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread and pesto on the other. Place one slice of bread in the warmed pan, mayonnaise side down. Layer alternating with cheese and apple slices and top with a second slice of bread, mayonnaise side up. Let cook for about 8-10 minutes, turning the sandwich over halfway through, as soon as the bottom of the first sides becomes toasted and golden. Repeat to make 3 sandwiches.

This recipe features Barn Light Electric Enamelware plates.

 

PIckled Bamboo Shoots

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4 cups sliced bamboo shoots

2 cups seasoned rice vinegar

2 cups water

4 garlic cloves

small handful of fresh dill

½ tsp. cracked black pepper

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

During their active growth period in the spring, harvest bamboo shoots using a shovel to cut where the base meets the soil. Cut each shoot in half lengthwise and gently remove the tough outer layers. Clean and slice the peeled shoots into whatever shape you prefer for the pickles.

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Blanche the shoots for 10 minutes at a rolling boil to remove bitterness. Immediately rinse with cold water to cool. Arrange the shoots in the jars intended for storage.

In a small pot, bring the remaining ingredients to a boil. Reduce and let simmer for 10 minutes. If you have more than a quart of shoots, increase the amount of pickle brine while keeping to the 1:1 ratio of water to vinegar. While the liquid is still hot, pour over the bamboo shoots in their prepared jars. Cover and store in the refrigerator.

Wisteria Blossom cello

A fragrant signifier of the arrival of spring, the invasive wisteria vine produces lovely violet blossoms that provide a fresh, floral take on the classic Italian cello. Now for a few important details before you begin...

Wisteria plants do contain toxins. Only the flowers are safe to consume. That being said, the leaves, vines, roots and especially the seeds are to be avoided; they are poisonous.

When foraging, avoid picking wisteria from busy roadways to avoid pollution by car exhaust. Find a nice clean environment from which to harvest and snip the flowers off the vines in whole clusters.

Set aside plenty of time for gathering blossoms and preparing the cello recipe. It will take a couple of hours to get your infusion going, as manicuring the blossoms is time consuming but worth it. Spread the harvested clusters out on a table and scoot up in a comfortable chair.  

As the season progresses, try this recipe using honeysuckle or mimosa blossoms. Always use the ascorbic acid and lemon zest to keep your liqueur tasting fresh.

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15-20 freshly snipped wisteria blossom clusters

½ tsp. ascorbic acid powder 

5 organic lemons, thoroughly washed

1 liter Everclear or other 190 proof grain alcohol

6 cups distilled water

2 ½ cups granulated sugar

Hold each blossom by its base. With the other hand, gently pinch away all of the petals in one motion. Pinch only the petals from each blossom, leaving the stamen behind. Any green parts will be bitter. Collect the petals until they loosely fill 4 cups.

Scoop ascorbic acid powder into the bottle of alcohol and shake to dissolve. Peel the zest from the lemons, avoiding the white pith. Save lemons for another use.

Combine petals, zest and alcohol in a two-liter glass jar with a tight fitting lid. Give the contents a good stir and store in the refrigerator for two weeks. 

After two weeks, strain the solids away using cheesecloth.

Prepare a simple syrup by bringing 6 cups water to a simmer on the stovetop. Add 2 ½ cups sugar, stirring until completely dissolved. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature.

Combine simple syrup with the infused alcohol and stir well. Ladle into bottles using a funnel. 

Store tightly sealed bottles in a cool dark place for at least 2-3 months. The longer the liqueur ages, the better it will taste. Try to let it sit on the shelf for a year if you have the patience.

When ready to drink, store the bottle in the freezer. Serve straight from the freezer into small frosted glasses. 

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Recipe by Bob Fernandez

Photograph by Paige French

Clarified Milk Punch

Milk Punches have captivated American drinkers since the early 17th century. From the selection of spirits to the methodology, this classic style of drink leaves plenty of room to play. 

At The National in Athens, Georgia, Bar Manager Michael Clancy gives a nod to the Mediterranean with his Clarified Milk Punch recipe. Aromatic cardamom and coriander accent sweet Cachaça, the fermented sugarcane juice he uses in place of more traditional rum. 

In contrast to the quintessential Bourbon Milk Punch, a Clarified Milk Punch boasts an iridescent transparency that leaves the drink's creamy texture and subtle richness completely unexpected. The magic lies in the clarification process. Cool acid literally breaks the warm milk, separating out the solids to leave behind crystal clear whey that enriches the final concoction. You'll have to taste it to believe it. 

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3 tsp. ground cardamom

2 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. coriander seeds

6 oranges

1/3 cup Ceylon tea

1 ½ cup + 2 Tbsp. sugar

3 cups hot water

1 liter Leblon Cachaça

1 liter Ansac Cognac

0.75 liters orange juice

1.5 liters whole milk

2 ½ cups lemon juice

Peel and juice the oranges. Reserve the orange juice for the next day. Mix together the orange peels, cardamom, coriander, tea and sugar with the hot water until sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool overnight.

On the next day, strain the cooled mixture. Add cachaça, cognac and orange juice to make the base for the punch.

In a pot on the stove, bring the milk slowly to a boil. Remove from heat and break the milk by pouring in chilled lemon juice. Immediately add the broken milk to the base and stir to combine. Strain the mixture through cheesecloth to separate the milk solids from the whey. Strain several times until clear.

To serve, pour 5 oz. of the finished Clarified Milk Punch over ice and garnish with a blood orange wheel if desired. The flavor of the punch will only improve as it keeps in the refrigerator for up to two months. Some say it can even remain shelf stable at cellar temperatures for years.

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Recipe by Michael Clancy

Photographs by Danielle Hulsey

Styling by Candice Beaty

Braised Beef Stew with Parsnips and Paprika

In the grey cold of winter, a warm pot of pretty much anything could warm the soul. In the spirit of a Hungarian gulyás, this stew elevates inexpensive cuts of beef by slow-cooking alongside earthy sweet parsnips and smokey spicy paprikas. A meal meant to be shared or eaten for a few days, this recipe make 8 servings and can easily be prepared in a crock pot. To serve, pour over rice and top with the bright bok choy slaw.

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3 pounds beef stew meat or chuck roast cut to 1 ½ inch cubes

1 Tbsp. salt, divided

1 tsp. black pepper

2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

3 onions, sliced

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 inch piece of ginger, grated

5 banana peppers, chopped

add 1 tsp. dried chili flake if the banana peppers aren't spicy

1 pound parsnips, diced

2 Tbsp. sweet paprika

2 Tbsp. smoked paprika

1 Tbsp. ground caraway, divided

3 tomatoes, cored and diced

2 cups red wine

1 bunch of bok choy

1 ½ Tbsp. sherry vinegar

1 lemon, juiced

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

Cooked Rice, optional

Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season beef with 1 ½ tsp. salt and 1 tsp. black pepper. Sear on all sides and set aside.

Turn the pot down to medium-low. Add onions and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add ginger and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in paprikas, 1 ½ caraway and 1 ½ tsp. salt. Add 2 cups of red wine, scraping the bottom of the pan.

Add the beef and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer and cover. After one hour, add the peppers and parsnips to the pot and continue to cook 1 hour and 30 minutes until beef is very tender.

While the stew is cooking prepare the bok choy slaw. Finely chop the bok choy. Whisk together sherry vinegar, 1 Tbsp. olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and 1 ½ tsp. caraway. Dress the bok choy and set aside to marinate.

Serve the braised beef stew over rice with bok choy slaw to garnish.