Oh Honey… yes, dear?  No, I mean that amazing, sweet and flavorful product our wonderful honeybees give us!

I love bees – but I use to be afraid of them until I had a couple of hives in my urban garden and there were a LOT of bees! Honeybees go about their business and are busy buzzing around the garden, they are on a mission so just don’t get in their flight path!

Did you know a honeybee will only produce about one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in its lifetime? Wow!

Honey is so versatile, from sauces and salad dressings to beverages and desserts. It’s also amazing on seafood, combined in a spicy glaze over salmon, or lending just a touch of sweetness in my Korean Honey Poke Bowl.

And if you are like me and love to whip up creative beverages and cocktails – then swap out your simple syrup for honey syrup – take 2parts honey and 1-part hot water and mix until they are combined. It will store for over a week in the refrigerator.

Bee Sweet! -Kathy

Korean Honey Poke Bowl
Gochujang and honey were meant for each other in this sweet, spicy, and savory dressing. Serve this tasty poke over steamed rice studded with cooked sorghum and garnished with shaved green onion and popped sorghum tossed with dried honey and chili seasoning! Also, great served over crisp greens.

Makes about 2 servings

1/2 lb. salmon or ahi tuna, diced, 1/3-inch cubes
3 Tbsp. Korean Honey Poke Dressing (recipe follows)
1/4 cup drained and chopped kimchi
1/4 cup diced white onion
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
1/2 cup small diced green apple, skin on or Asian pear
1 Tbsp. toasted black and white sesame seeds

Toss all the ingredients together. Serve over steamed rice or fresh greens.

Korean Honey Poke Dressing
Makes 3 cups

1/2 cup Orange Blossom Honey
6 Tbsp. Gochujang hot pepper paste
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/4 cup minced ginger
1 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup sesame oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Whisk ingredients together until smooth. Store refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Stir well before using.

Recipe by Kathy Casey Food Studios®

Strawberries really signal that summer is here! I can’t wait for the first big, juicy red berry of the season.

Probably the most popular way to enjoy strawberries — other than eaten from hand! — is strawberry shortcake. My recipe for Strawberry Citrus Shortcake with Zesty Orange Biscuits & Grand Marnier Cream is quick and easy. But if you want to add another twist, add in some mini chocolate chips into the biscuit mix… orange and chocolate is d’lish together – yum!

On the non-dessert side, strawberries have multiple possibilities. I love to add them to a baby spinach salad with thin slivers of sweet Walla Walla onion and glazed almonds, then dressed it all with a poppy seed vinaigrette. A light and refreshing summer salad.

If you don’t have strawberries of your own to pick, there are many great farms for “U-picking”. And if you have had a big day of picking but still have not eaten your fill while in the field, sit down and relax with a big, glistening bowl of just-picked juicy berries. -Kathy

Strawberry Citrus Shortcake with Zesty Orange Biscuits & Grand Marnier Cream
Orange zest and Grand Marnier give a flavor pop to this iconic dessert.

2 pints (about 4 cups) fresh strawberries
1/4 – 1/3 cup sugar, more or less to taste, depending on the tartness of the berries
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2 1/3 cups Original Bisquick^® Mix
1/2 cup milk
3 Tbsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. melted butter
1 Tbsp. finely minced orange zest

3/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier liqueur (optional)

Heat an oven to 425 degrees F.

Slice strawberries, place in a bowl, sprinkle with sugar and stir gently. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the Bisquick mix, milk, sugar, butter, and orange zest, until a soft dough forms. Divide dough into six pieces and gently shape into 6 rounds about 2 1/2 inches across. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile in a small bowl, whip the cream and powdered sugar until just soft-peaked. Stir in Grand Marnier if using.

To serve, split shortcakes and spoon on berries. Top with whipped cream and place biscuit tops slightly askew.

Recipe by Kathy Casey Food Studios®

Food and flowers are wonderful side-by-side, and flowers on the table can definitely set the tone for a meal…. but many flowers you love are also edible! Did you know you can eat those (unsprayed) marigolds roses and pansies in your yard?

You can add edible flowers to salads, or to top a dish or cocktail. And some of our favorite veggies and greens have tasty blossoms as well. For instance, arugula blossoms are beautiful small flowers – with a peppery flavor, much like the leaves! Another favorite is nasturtium flowers, so pretty but with a very zippy flavor. For larger flowers like nasturtiums or marigolds, I like to pull off the flower petals before adding to a dish.

For a beautiful appetizer idea, you can mix soft goat cheese with roasted garlic and some fresh herbs – then form into a log in plastic wrap. Pop in the freezer for about 20 minutes or until very firm – then unwrap and roll in edible flower pedals. Present on a cheese board, or slice into beautiful rounds and serve on crostini – yum!

Freezing edible flowers into ice cubes will definitely snazz up your favorite cocktail, like in my recipe for Sparkling Floral Gin Punch.

Always check to be sure that your flowers are edible and unsprayed! There are lots of great resources online – and for those of you in the hospitality industry, be sure to check out Fresh Origins, our go to source for edible florals and micro herbs! -Kathy

Sparkling Floral Gin Punch
A delicious and sophisticated punch for any garden hangout or summer wedding. For the ultimate presentation, serve over large format ice cubes studded with edible flower petals made in square silicone ice molds (available online).

Makes about 11 1/2 cups, or 16 – 18 servings

1 cup wildflower honey
2 cups warm water
1 1/2 cups fresh squeezed Meyer Lemon juice
3 cups Koval Dry Gin (750 ml bottle)
1 cup Italicus Liqueur (aromatics of rose and bergamot), or if not available substitute St Germain
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1 bottle (750 ml) prosecco, chilled

Garnish: Lemon peel twists (and edible flower petals if not serving over floral ice cubes)

In a large pitcher, combine the honey and warm water; stir until well dissolved. Then add the lemon juice, gin and liqueur. (At this point you can refrigerate the punch for service, up to 3 days in advance). When ready to serve, pour the chilled mixture into a punch bowl or large drink pitcher (You could split it between 2 pitchers and add half a bottle of prosecco to each.) Serve over floral ice cubes and garnish with lemon twists.

Recipe by Kathy Casey Liquid Kitchen®

The sun is shining and that means we are eating al fresco, and no outdoor meal is complete without coleslaw!

There are a lot of different varieties of slaw – and you can certainly switch up the cabbages: green, red, savoy, and Napa.

But it’s the dressing that really gives slaw the tasty zippy zing. There are vinaigrette types, which range from tart and tangy — to creamy or spicy styles.

I love an old-school cooked dressing – why? Well, you know sometimes when you dress your slaw it gets kind of weepy and then bland…well a cooked and thickened dressing takes care of that, as it stays coated to the cabbage. Just thicken a simmering vinegar and sugar mixture with a little cornstarch, cool then add into mayo with your seasonings.

My recipe for Poppy Seed Pineapple Coleslaw has a d’lish thickened dressing and is perfect to serve with barbecue-slathered ribs and fresh grilled corn! -Kathy

Poppy Seed & Pineapple Coleslaw

Makes 6 cups

1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple with juice
1/2 tsp. salt
tiny pinch red pepper flakes
1 tsp. finely minced fresh ginger (optional)
1/3 cup cider vinegar
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 (1 lb.) bag coleslaw greens or 8 cups of mixed shredded green and red cabbage
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, grated
1 1/2 tsp. poppy seeds
1/4 cup light or regular mayonnaise

In a small saucepan, combine the crushed pineapple with juice, salt, red pepper flakes, ginger, vinegar, sugar and cornstarch. Whisk together well until the cornstarch is dissolved. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil while constantly stirring; cook until dressing is thickened. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Place coleslaw greens, green onion, carrot, and poppy seeds in a large bowl. Stir mayonnaise into cooled pineapple mixture, then mix into coleslaw, coating salad well.

Recipe © Kathy Casey Food Studios®