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
———————
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
—————————————–
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®

Who doesn’t love homemade pickles? But sometimes the idea of making them seems daunting. Quick pickle recipes to the rescue! Easy to make and store refrigerated, this method is perfect for beginning home picklers. Almost anything can be a quick pickle. Pickled red onions are the thing that comes to mind as the easiest to make and are so tasty on a salad or sandwich.

My recipe for Quick Summer Garden Pickles is fast and easy. Clean, quart jars – then pack with a mixture of vegetables (think baby cukes, carrots, peppers, and cauliflower), garlic, chili pods and some fresh flowering dill too if you have it. Boil up a sweet and tart brine and quickly pour into the veggie-packed jars. Quickly screw on the lid, and cool to room temperature for about 45 minutes –then pop in the refrigerator! In just two days you have delicious pickles to add to that charcuterie board or enjoy at your next backyard BBQ. -Kathy

Quick Summer Garden Pickles
The following is a mixture of veggies that I like to use, but feel free to switch it up and add some cauliflower or whatever strikes your fancy from your garden or the market.

Makes about 4 quarts

Vegetable Mixture:
7 cups (about 2 lbs.) 3/4″-sliced pickling cucumbers
2 1/2 cups (3/4 lb.) 1/2″-thick-slant-cut carrots
2 medium jalapeño peppers, cut in half, or 1 large, quartered
1 1/2 cups (6 oz wt.) 1 1/2″ chunks yellow or white onion
1 1/2 cups (6 oz wt.) 1 1/2″ chunks red onion
2 cups (8 oz wt.) 1″ chunks red bell peppers (substitute some hot peppers or some of your other favorite summer peppers if desired)
2 cups (3/4 lb.) 1/2″- to 3/4″-sliced yellow zucchini or yellow squash

Pickling Brine:
2 cups white distilled white vinegar
2 cups cider vinegar
1 3/4 cups water
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 Tbsp. pickling spice
3 Tbsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Place all vegetables in a large bowl and toss together to mix colors. Divide vegetables among four clean, regular mouth 1-quart canning jars, packing vegetables in tight. Set jars on a dish towel in a draft-free place in the kitchen.

Place the pickling brine ingredients in a non-aluminum saucepan over high heat. Bring to a rolling boil and then immediately ladle pickling brine into filled jars, filling to 1/2″ from the top and being sure to cover the vegetables and distribute spices evenly. Immediately cover jar with lid and tighten. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. Let pickle for at least 2 days before eating. Pickles will last refrigerated up to 1 month.

Recipe © Kathy Casey Food Studios®

*Cherries are beginning to arrive in our local markets soon (we have been waiting!)

*Local varieties: Bing is King – but early varies such as Chelan are followed by Rainier, Lapin, Skeena, Sweetheart, Queen Ann, and Lambert.

*Eaten right out of hand or in recipes from beverages to salads to entrees to desserts – enjoy cherries as much as you can this season.

One of my favorite easy apps is Cherry Bings – so easy you don’t even need a recipe! Pit big Bing cherries (and if you don’t have a pitter, use a disposable wood chop stick; I know you have in your kitchen drawer, to poke out the pit!) Enrobe in some goat cheese and then roll in some toasted almonds – that’s it, just refrigerate until ready to enjoy.

My other favorite cherry recipe is Cherry Mojitos for a Crowd, it is the perfect recipe to batch, and then just chill out and enjoy. (recipe below)

I also love a fresh cherry salsa over grilled salmon – an amazing pairing, and so good with a glass of Pinot or Merlot.  How do you make that cherry salsa you ask?….it’s easy, just combine diced fresh cherries, a little finely minced onion, chopped cilantro and some fresh lime, salt, and a splash of sweet chili sauce brings it all together. -Kathy

Cherry Mojitos for a Crowd
Makes about 10 servings

1 bunch fresh mint (about 1 1/2 cups sprigs)
3 cups Bacardi Limón rum
2 cups sugar
2 cups fresh lime juice
1/4 cup clear cherry liqueur, such as Maraska Maraschino Liqueur
3 cups pitted fresh sweet cherries (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Loads of ice for serving
Two 10-ounce bottles soda water

Garnishes
Fresh mint sprigs
Fresh cherries on the stem

In a large nonreactive container, such as a glass pitcher, combine the mint, rum, sugar, lime juice, liqueur, and pitted cherries. Stir well to dissolve the sugar. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

For each serving, fill a large rocks glass or tumbler with ice and measure in 6 ounces (3/4 cup) of the rum mixture (I like to use a ladle to do this), being sure to get some of the cherries into each glass. Top with 2 ounces (1/4 cup) of soda. Stir, then garnish with a mint sprig and a cherry.

Chef’s Note: You can make the cherry-rum mixture up to 3 days in advance and keep it refrigerated—the flavors will just get better and better.

Recipe © Kathy Casey’s Northwest Table Cookbook

Nothing says summer like a tall, icy cold glass of lemonade and these days we’re seeing lots of revamped versions of this American staple.

Start with the basics and switch it up a bit; how about changing lemon for lime, or adding some sparkle to your lemonade and lightening it up with a splash of your favorite La Croix.  Another riff can be instead of making it with traditional sugar, sweeten with organic agave or local honey.

How about getting creative with the classic Arnold Palmer made with iced tea and lemonade– by substituting classic black tea with green tea or chai tea?

One of my favorite flavor profiles is Strawberry Jalapeno Lemon-Limeade (recipe follows), I love it with a shot of tequila or mezcal!

For the garnish, get herbalicious and use up some of those herbs from your garden like thyme, rosemary, or basil. So, get creative and quench that summer thirst… there is nothing like a tall glass of freshly made lemonade! -Kathy

Strawberry Jalapeno Lemon-Limeade
Fresh strawberries and jalapenos give this drink some zing! Try garnishing with sprigs of fresh mint or cilantro.

Makes about 8 cups

1 – 1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper (check the spice level)
6 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup fresh lime juice

Cut the stem off the jalapeno, slice in half lengthwise, remove the ribs and seeds with a spoon, and slice into strips. Place the jalapeno, water, and sugar into a saucepan. Bring to a quick simmer over high heat, then immediately remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, place the strawberries in a large pitcher with the lemon and lime juice and crush with a potato masher (or blend berries and juice in a blender). Strain the cooled jalapeno syrup into the pitcher, stir. Serve over ice. Store refrigerated for up to 7 days.

Recipe by Kathy Casey Liquid Kitchen®

Good things really do come in small packages, and sliders are a perfect example. These two-bite wonders are popping up everywhere and are made with all kinds of delicious ingredients from pork belly to salmon – to plant-based patties. My recipe for Lamb Sliders includes a zingy spread spiked with garlic, whole grain mustard and horseradish, and a topping of arugula & roasted peppers (recipe follows).

Lamb, salmon, pulled pork, tuna, sliced steak … anything gourmet burgers can do, sliders can do to, just scaled down in size, but still dressed up.

For your next get-together why not set up a slider bar; put out a few different mini-patties, some great local mini buns, and an array of fun condiments like spicy chipotle mayo, horseradish aioli, blue cheese, tarragon mustard, pickled red onions, zingy slaw, and even grilled pineapple – yum! Think mini and cook up some d’lish slider fun! – Kathy

Lamb Sliders with Zingy Spread, Arugula & Roasted Peppers
I also like to top the hot burgers with dollops of soft goat cheese for a tasty variation.

Makes 16

Zingy Spread
3/4 cup mayonnaise, or substitute Greek yogurt
1 1/2 Tbsp. whole-grain mustard
1 tsp. prepared horseradish
1 Tbsp. minced fresh garlic

Burger Mixture
3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
3 Tbsp. minced onion
2 tsp. minced fresh garlic
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 lbs. ground lamb, or substitute beef

Accompaniments
16 small slider buns
Thinly sliced red or sweet onions
Roasted peppers, cut in strips
Baby arugula

To make the spread: Mix the ingredients together well. Cover and refrigerate, for up to 2 days, until needed.

To make the burger mixture: In a bowl, mix the pepper, mustard, rosemary, onion, garlic, vinegar, and salt. Mix in the lamb until thoroughly combined. Divide the mixture into 16 portions. Shape into patties, about 2 inches in diameter.

Heat a medium or large nonstick skillet or sauté pan over medium-high to high heat. Working in batches without crowding the pan, sauté the patties until just done, about 2 -3 minutes per side. (You can also grill the patties)

To serve, split the buns and spread with the Zingy Spread. Place the patties on the bottom buns and top with onions, roasted peppers, and arugula as desired. Close the burgers and secure with fun picks.

Recipe © Kathy Casey Food Studios®