Blog Posts by Southern Living

Being faced with so many fruits and veggies can sometimes be daunting. How do you know what to buy? What do you do with your fresh finds once you get home? And most importantly, what recipes will best showcase your finds? Find all the answers and more from these farmers' market shopping tips.

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17 Juicy Peach Recipes

Farmers' Market Shopping Tips

Savor sweet, juicy peaches this summer with our best recipes to showcase one of our favorite seasonal fruits.

Insalata con Peche
Photo: Jim Franco























Ingredients
1 (6-oz.) package spring greens mix
2 (8-oz.) packages fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
2 large fresh, ripe peaches, peeled and thinly sliced
4 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto
1/2 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation
Place greens on 4 serving plates. Top with mozzarella, peaches, and prosciutto; sprinkle with thyme. Whisk oil into lemon juice in a slow stream until blended; whisk in salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle over salads.

Related: 12 Superfast Salad Suppers

Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Peach Pie

Photo: Jim Franco























Ingredients
1 1/3 cups cold butter
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup ice-cold water
8 large fresh, firm, ripe peaches (about 4 lbs.)
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground

Craving a little down-home comfort but without the hassle? These classic Southern recipes deliver the authentic Southern flavor of their labor-intensive counterparts with super short prep time.

Shrimp and Grits
Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas























Ingredients
2 bacon slices
1 pound unpeeled, medium-size raw shrimp
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 tsp. canola oil
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. hot sauce
Cheese Grits

Cheese Grits
Bring 1 (14-oz.) can low-sodium fat-free chicken broth, 1 cup fat-free milk, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1 1/3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; gradually whisk in 1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until thickened. Stir in 3/4 cup (3 oz.) shredded 2% reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1/2 tsp. hot sauce, and 1/4

Cool down and enjoy homemade ice cream desserts anytime with these easy and refreshing recipes.

Lemon Meringue Ice-Cream Pie
Photo: Jennifer Davick























Ingredients
2 pt. vanilla ice cream
Vanilla Wafer Crust
1 1/2 cups Homemade Lemon Curd
16 vanilla wafers
Meringue Topping

Vanilla Wafer Crust
2 1/2 cups coarsely crushed vanilla wafers
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together crushed vanilla wafers, powdered sugar, and melted butter; firmly press on bottom, up sides and onto lip of a lightly greased 9-inch pie plate. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and cool completely (about 1 hour).

Homemade Lemon Curd
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp. lemon zest
1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
4 large eggs, lightly beaten

Stir together first 4 ingredients in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, and cook, stirring constantly, 3 to 4 minutes or until sugar dissolves and butter melts. Whisk about one-fourth of

Pimiento cheese, barbecue, catfish, and grits-all examples of true Southern culinary icons. Yet despite their humble beginnings, the dixie-born gems have become popular across the country. Enter pimiento cheese.

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas























More from Southern Living
100 Ways to Cook Southern
20 Best BBQ Joints
The Perfect Pitcher of Iced Tea

What is Pimiento Cheese?
To the uninitiated, it's little more than grated cheese, chopped pimiento peppers, and a little mayonnaise. However, to those fans who rank pimiento cheese right next to cold fried chicken and deviled eggs as essentials at any proper country picnic, it's much more. To devotees, pimiento cheese becomes a must-have-elevating an ordinary grilled cheese to something heavenly and dramatically raising the bar on cheeseburgers and omelets.

Related: 12 Crazy-Good Cobblers

Basic Pimiento Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 (4-oz.) jar diced pimiento, drained
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. finely grated onion
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
1

Take advantage of summer blueberries with our best recipes for muffins, desserts, drinks, salads, and more!

Blueberry Salsa
Photo: Beth dreiling Hontzas
























Ingredients
2 cups coarsely chopped fresh blueberries
1 cup whole fresh blueberries
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
1/3 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Preparation
Toss together coarsely chopped fresh blueberries, whole fresh blueberries, fresh lemon juice, chopped fresh cilantro, seeded and minced jalapeño peppers, diced red bell pepper, and kosher salt in a large bowl. Serve immediately, or cover and chill 8 hours.

Related: Savory Summer Peach Recipes

Lemon-Blueberry Cream Pie
























Ingredients
1 2/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 (3.4-oz) package lemon instant pudding mix
2 tsp. grated lemon rind
1/2 cup fresh lemon

Okra is a signature Southern ingredient whether fried, pickled, or grilled. Savor this veggie with some of our favorite okra recipes.

Classic Fried Okra
Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas























Ingredients
1 lb. fresh okra
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup self-rising cornmeal
1 cup self-rising flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
Vegetable oil
1/4 cup bacon drippings

Preparation
Cut off and discard tip and stem ends from okra; cut okra into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Stir into buttermilk; cover and chill 45 minutes.

Combine cornmeal and next 3 ingredients in a bowl. Remove okra from buttermilk with a slotted spoon, and discard buttermilk. Dredge okra, in batches, in the cornmeal mixture.

Pour oil to a depth of 2 inches into a Dutch oven or cast-iron skillet; add bacon drippings, and heat to 375°. Fry okra, in batches, 4 minutes or until golden; drain on paper towels.

Related: Conquer Your Fear of Frying

Okra-and-Corn Maque Choux
Photo: Jennifer Davick























Ingredients
1/4 lb. spicy smoked sausage, diced
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1/2 cup

You don't have to sacrifice taste for speed! These Tuscan Pork Chops are packed with flavor and take less than 20 minutes to make. Try this recipe for dinner tonight, or one of our 10 Quick-Fix Pork Chop Suppers.