Serving Tonight | Page 2 of 10 | Flavorful recipes you can look forward to serving tonight

Local Goodness at Tarheel Too Produce Market

Is there a connection between who you are and what you eat? The adage is likely hinting at our waistlines more than our personalities but, in my view, I’ve never met a person who truly enjoys some good North Carolina-grown produce that I couldn’t get along with. Sweet potatoes, scuppernong grapes, butter beans, and the prized mattamuskeet sweets breed kind, good-humored people, as far as we can tell here on the OBX. Those friendly folks near Kill Devil Hills all seem to gather in one place, around another kind-hearted soul – Ed Goninan at Tarheel Too Produce Market.

Tarheel Too Produce Market and it’s owner, Ed, bagging arugula

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

Oh heeeeyyyy, sweet, creamy, pumpkin-y dessert! Other than my brain not fetching a better word than pumpkin-y, there is nothing wrong and everything right about this Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream. I’m not always a huge dessert person because… there’s wine for that. But I am weak for this ice cream, specifically for its super smooth and perfectly thick texture. We’re not messing around: there are 6 egg yolks and 2 cups of cream in here – please don’t try to sub milk or leave a yolk out. You deserve all the fatty richness this ice cream provides, I promise. It’s good stuff. It also offers some bonus texture of crushed ginger snaps. I highly recommend this Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream for your Thanksgiving dessert if you’re not in the mood to make a pie. Or, whatever, serve it ON your pie. No judgement here.

Apple Cider Pulled Pork

Apple cider, onions, chipotle peppers, apple butter, apple cider vinegar… and a big hunk of pork cooked right down in it. All of this. Right now. 🙏 This beautiful mess is too easy not to do and it oozes Fall on the Outer Banks. It’s all red-orange leaves and crisp mornings around here and this weather begs for some slow, easy cooking.

Pouring Perfection at Treehouse Coffee Co and Biscuits

Tucked comfortably into a live oak-shaded nook of Duck’s Scarborough Faire sits Treehouse Coffee Co. and Biscuits, a cool, comfortable, inviting space that is the personification of its owner, Craig Readman. Time slows down a bit when you’re talking to Craig, he radiates a peaceful calmness that’s contagious and relaxing and there’s a connectedness about him that seeps into his restaurant at every turn. The handsome hardwoods and grey tones on the walls are a cozy back drop for the shiny, state-of-the-art coffee equipment housed behind the front counter where friendly baristas greet you and take your order. You can watch as they quietly and patiently prepare your coffee or tea, a methodical process that feels soothing in a way, like someone is really doing something special just for you. It sets the tone for your day in the best way.

Harissa Carrots with Yogurt and Chaat Masala Granola

This is how I wan to eat all the time: roasty vegetables, with something fresh and creamy, showered with a crunchy, salty topping. Harissa Carrots with Yogurt and Chaat Masala Granola, I luh’ you. I actually just read in Bon Appetit magazine that charred carrots with yogurt is on their list of things they are ready to see go away. Yet, here I am, posting this recipe. Because it is amazingly good! With the perfect combo of sweet, tangy, salty, roasty, crunchy… I just can’t agree, Bon Appetit! Super-roasted, spicy carrots on top of cooling, tangy yogurt, topped with this crispy, salty granola are still a good thing. So, here we go.

roasted carrots on a swirl of yogurt, topped with granola and chopped cilantro on a white plate with a fork

South Beach Takeout, Catering & Delivery is variety at its best

I met Wayne and Shawn Everhart of South Beach Takeout, Catering, & Delivery in between the lunch and dinner rush on a Wednesday afternoon. These guys are all “yes ma’am’s” and “no ma’am’s” with lots of eye contact and polite, fluid conversation. They’re the type of guys you’d love to bring home to mom- charming and friendly, not to mention super-talented in the kitchen. They both come across a little modest and reserved but any shyness is unwarranted. Wayne, Shawn, their sister Miranda, and the rest of the Everhart family with a hand in the restaurant, could afford to be a bit cocky. With a contemporary mix of Asian, Mexican, and American food plus plenty of guilty pleasures and outside-the-box vegan options on the menu, the flavors here are deliciously loud and alluring, benefiting from homemade sauces, fresh ingredients, and edgy concepts. This food is recognizable but with interesting twists, offering something for everybody.

Pumpkin Gnocchi

We’re ready for this, right? Pumpkin stuff? Even though we have highs in the 90’s on the OBX this week? Yes! It is October and I am here for all the pumpkiny squashy goodness! In the name of trying to force autumn vibes into our lives, here is Pumpkin Gnocchi with step-by-step instructions.

Pecan Kale Pesto

This nutty, citrusy, rich-tasting Pecan Kale Pesto is kale’s best version of itself. Please, don’t even eat another piece of kale until you try it in this pesto.

The recipe is a mishmash of Vivian Howard’s almond pesto from this cookbook (I am crazy about this book – so many southern gems in there) and a pecan pesto I had with veggie ravioli at one of the best restaurants on the OBX – The Saltbox Cafe.

Banana Pecan Muffins with Streusel Topping

Muffins and a hurricane. Dorian passed through last week and we are fine and grateful but other parts of the OBX were not so lucky. Here is a great way to help a very special foodie in Ocracoke whose business was destroyed. Meanwhile, Joey, Bear, and I spent hurricane day watching the storm and making Banana Pecan Muffins with Streusel Topping. Dramatic skies and a neighborhood on the verge of disruption really brings out the need for comfort food and these muffins hit the spot. Let’s talk nutty, cinnamon-y baked goods, shall we?

Chaat Masala Granola

Contrast! Salty, nutty, sweet, and spicy contrast is just squealing out of this Chaat Masala Granola. It’s a savory granola, which, you could say with an eye roll. Like, “What am I going to do with savory granola?🙄” Or, you could say with an excited gasp, like, “Oooooo, savory granola!😱”I say it like the latter. Eat this delicious crunch-bomb on it’s own as a snack or use it to add crispy yummy contrast to other foods, like yogurt, roasted veggies, salads, fruit, or rice. It’s not sooooo savory that it can’t pass for breakfast on that yogurt; I’ve done that every day this week. But it is just the right savoriness for those spicy roasted carrots or that olive-oily cauliflower rice.