Not having to go into an office job during the day allows the family and I to have nice big mid-day dinners and lighter evening meals.

Here’s a sampling of what’s been on the table here:

• Grillades and Grits
• Baked Sea Trout (caught by me!)
• Fried Chicken with Cream Gravy
• Szechuan Style Eggplant
• Chicken Gumbo (with fresh okra from Dub’s garden)
• Butter Beans with Country Ham
• Bluefish Fishcakes
• Baked Ham, Fried Apples, Acorn Squash and Cornbread
• Corn, Okra and Tomatoes

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup buttermilk (substitute: 1 cup plain yogurt, or sour the milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups diced rhubarb
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Topping:

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon softened butter

Beat together the oil and brown sugar until smooth. Gently stir in the egg, buttermilk, salt, baking soda, vanilla, and flour; blending only until just moistened and combined. Do not over mix. Fold in the rhubarb and nuts. Pour into two 8×4x2 1/2-inch loaf pans.

For the topping, mix the sugar and softened butter until crumbly and sprinkle over the batter.

Bake at 350 F for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and allow to cool.

From Sugar Snips and Asparagus Tips

I used shredded carrot, cucumber and green onions with cider vinegar, mayo and black pepper for the dressing. I don’t quite remember the quantities of ingredients, but it shouldn’t matter if you know what the end result is supposed to be like. Cheat by using the dressing from another recipe if you don’t feel comfortable winging it. Just don’t be tempted to add sugar; the carrots make it sweet enough.

Recipe

This recipe was inspired by a favorite dish of mine - grillades and grits - along with a recipe from a muched loved cookbook - Sausage and Mash. Make sure you use a sausage with a high meat content. I like the chipolatas because they are generally meatier than most of the sausages I can find here in England, plus they fry up to leave a brown sticky goo in the pan that really flavors the sauce nicely.

• 1 lb chipolata sausages or other meaty sausage
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1-2 green peppers, 1 inch dice
• 1 large, mild red chili pepper
• 2 shallots minced (garlic or onion could substitute)
• 1 teaspoon fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon four mashed up with 1 tablespoon softened butter
• 200 ml red wine
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 125 ml chicken stock
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• chopped basil or parsley for garnish

Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan. When hot melt in the butter, add the sausages and cook over moderate heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until the sausages have browned and left a nice sticky residue in the pan. Remove the sausages, pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat and reduce the heat on the pan.

Briefly cook the peppers and shallots in the oil for just a few minutes and then add the thyme followed shortly by the red wine. Simmer the wine until the smell of the alcohol has diminished - about 5 minutes - then add the sugar and salt. Pour in the chicken stock and return to a simmer. Using a fork, stir in the butter and flour mixture in small bits until it is well combined and the sauce is slightly thickened. Bring the sauce back to a simmer.

Add the sausages to the pan, turning to coat with the sauce. Cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce is nice and thick. The cooking time is important to blend the flavors of the sausages and peppers and to mellow the sharpness of the wine and taste of the flower. If the sauce starts to get too thick before this time is up then just stir in hot water a splash or two at a time. If you didn’t add a red chili with the green pepper then you might want to add a few dashes of Tabasco sauce just a minute or two before it’s done cooking to give the sauce a peppery feistyness (don’t make it hot though, you’re going for mild here).

Serve garnished with the chopped fresh herbs. This dish is fantastic when spooned over grits (for my Southern readers) or polenta (for my European readers). Sauteed rocket and baby greens or a fresh salad make a great accompaniment.