Original Makers Club Supper + Shoot at Ashbourne Farms
Last weekend, my beau and I took in the Original Makers Club Southern Supper + Shoot at Ashbourne Farm in La Grange.
It was a perfect night to shoot clays, sip a little Woodford Reserve (after the shooting, of course!), and enjoy the gorgeous weather, a lovely dinner, and conversation with new friends!
Thanks so much to the Original Makers Club for the invitation!
Whiskey Wednesday: Woodford Reserve Rye Whiskey Sour
Y'all, this is my favorite cocktail of the summer.
I'm just in love with Woodford Reserve Rye right now. It's such a smooth, interesting whiskey. Combine it with homemade sour mix (one part water/ one part sugar, reduced + juice of one lemon) and garnished with a couple of maraschino cherries, it's pretty much perfection.
National Fried Chicken Day
I hear today is Fried Chicken Day, which happened to coincide with Fried Chicken Day at HerKentucky HQ. We marinate our chicken in hot sauce and buttermilk, then bread it in seasoned flour and deep-fry it. How do y'all make your fried chicken?
Blueberry-Bourbon Peach Cobbler
Fresh peaches are the quintessential flavor of summertime.
Southern summers mean fresh peaches.
Georgia peaches, and Vidalia onions, and Florida oranges. They all mean that somebody's been traveling, and that somebody loves you.
Growing up in Eastern Kentucky in the Eighties, we still heard a lot about "the old days." The times when there weren't big supermarket chains or box stores on every corner, carrying every exotic fruit or vegetable you can imagine. The times when it was a huge luxury to take a car trip Down South.
Appalachian folks, rural folks, we're a practical lot. When you're fortunate enough to travel, you want the folks back home to know you're thinking of them. When you're traveling on a budget, it makes a whole lot more sense to bring back the fresh flavors of the South than a bunch of t-shirts and mouse ears and other souvenir junk.
Peaches from a roadside stand are a treat that'll last a bit. They'll provide a delicious treat for the family. They taste like the Georgia sunshine. And they remind you of your own adventures and road trips. They never go to waste.
Last weekend, The Peach Truck visited Louisville. This Nashville-based supplier deals in sweet, juicy nostalgia, bringing fresh peaches from South Carolina and Georgia. The line snaked all the way through the parking lot, as dozens of Louisvillians sought to recapture these sweet memories. (The folks at Brownsboro Hardware want y'all to know that the Peach Truck will be back on the 25th. In fact, they're touring all over Kentucky this summer!)
With all this peachy goodness in mind, I wanted to create a memorable, yet simple summer dish that combines the sweetness of peaches with a little Kentucky kick. A blueberry-bourbon peach cobbler was the perfect solution; it requires little prep time and makes a dramatic presentation when served still bubbling in a cast-iron skillet.
I used about about 1/3 cup of bourbon in this recipe. I wanted something that had strong vanilla notes, so I used Woodford Reserve. The sweetness of the Woodford made a great compliment to the fruit.
Blueberry-Bourbon Peach Cobbler
Filling
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup bourbon whiskey
- 3 large peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch thick wedges
- 2 1/2 cups blueberries
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Lemon zest, optional
Biscuit Topping
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces or grated
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
Add bourbon to peaches and allow to macerate in a covered dish for a few hours or overnight.
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
For the filling:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cornstarch. Add the peaches, and blueberries, and mix, coating the fruit evenly with the sugar mixture. Toss with the lemon juice and zest, if desired. Put the fruit filling in a cast iron skillet and place in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. In the meantime, make the biscuit dough.
For the topping:
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Using a food processor, a pastry cutter, or your fingertips incorporate the chilled butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and stir just until moistened.
Carefully remove the skillet from the oven and spread biscuit dough over the berry mixture.
Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F and bake until the biscuits are golden brown on top and the fruit is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Serve with vanilla ice cream and a cup of coffee, obviously.
Original Makers Club Southern Supper & Shoot
Next Friday night, July 8th, the Original Makers Club will host their Second Annual Southern Supper & Shoot.
My beau and I attended last year's event last year, and it was so much fun, y'all! Ashbourne Farm was the perfect setting for shooting, cocktails, and an outdoor dinner.
We started the evening with skeet shooting, under the careful supervision of a shooting instructor.
After the shoot, a cocktail and social hour commenced, followed by a lovely dinner.
I felt like I was in a Garden & Gun shoot. It was simply perfect!
I can't wait for this week's event, and I hope y'all join us! Pick up tickets here.
Fun Ways to Wear Red White & Blue!
Gorgeous pieces for Independence Day Style!
It's almost Independence Day weekend, and there are so many fun ways to play up your patriotic spirit in your ensemble! Here are a few of my favorites!
Gingham
This Ralph Lauren gingham romper is so cute and on sale! This gingham top from J.Crew Factory is soooo cute and under $30! Both are perfect for picnics, parties, and summer fun well after the 4th is over!
Lilly Pulitzer Pop Pop
I'm simply obsessed with this patriotic print from Lilly Pulitzer! I think it'll be cute all summer, and for Independence Days to come!
Lilly Pulitzer Talia Romper and Sophie Dress in Pop Pop.
Dressy Draper James
If you're heading to a wedding or fancy party this weekend, why not pair classic blue and white with a pop of red? Draper James has some gorgeous pieces on sale!
Draper James Oak Hill Vine Love Dress and camera bag
What are you wearing for the Fourth?
5 Times Kentuckians Totally Changed The Way You Eat
The Kentucky roots of some of your favorite convenience foods
Everybody knows that Kentucky is home to some unique and beloved signature foods. Beer cheese. The hot brown. Benedictine. Bourbon balls. But those recipes take time. And love. And well-honed recipes. Sometimes, you just want to grab a quick bite to eat. Did you know that there's a whole lot of Kentucky history in your quick
1. Kentucky Fried Chicken. I honestly don't care who's playing the Colonel in those creepy TV ads this week. I do know that entrepreneur, restauranteur and erstwhile lawyer (he quit practicing law after punching a client in the courtroom) Harland Sanders took a common Southern delicacy, branded it with his image and Kentucky's name, and created a global icon. It's even served as Christmas dinner in Japan.
2. Duncan Hines Cake Mix. Your mama and granny probably have several boxes of Duncan Hines cake mix in their pantries for "emergencies", but did you know that, unlike his fictional counterpart Betty Crocker, Duncan Hines was a real, live Kentuckian? Which bring us to #3 on the list...
3. Duncan Hines Restaurant Guides. Bowling Green native Duncan Hines, while working as a traveling salesman, took note of places where he ate and lodged while on the road. His recommendations became so popular that, by 1935, a list of his top 167 restaurants was included in his Christmas card mailing list. The next year, he published Adventures in Good Eating, the first modern "travel guide" for roadside eateries. We can thank this WKU Hilltopper for helping us all learn where to eat while we travel!
The First Papa John's.
4. Papa John's. Oh, Papa John's. Helping American college students gain the Freshman 15 since 1983. John Schnatter, the titular Papa, sold his Camaro to pay for the installation of a pizza oven in his father's Southern Indiana bar in the early 80s. Today, Louisville-based Papa John's is the third-largest pizza business in the world, with locations in Cyprus, Ireland, and of course all over the Bluegrass State.
5. Long John Silver's. The Robert Louis Stevenson-inspired name for this Lexington-based seafood fast food chain just barely beat out 'Limey's or Barnacle Bill's when the original location opened on Southland Drive in 1969. That's probably for the best.
Next time you need a roadside snack or a quick meal, remember that there's probably a Kentuckian to thank for it. Bon appetit, y'all.