FAVORITE SUMMER FOODS: BACON CHIVE POTATO SALAD

There are some dishes that just scream summer and potato salad is one of those. There is rarely a picnic or BBQ without it on the table. As a southerner, potato salad and deviled eggs are something you grow up eating and some of the very first dishes you learn to make. I always helped my mom make the potato salad... I can remember standing on the kitchen stool, peeling the potatoes or cracking he hard boiled eggs. She always told me that mayonnaise is the most important ingredient in potato salad and to this day, I find that to be correct. If you skimp on the mayo, the integrity of the dish changes drastically.

I typically make my mom's potato salad recipe with lots of yellow mustard and onion but here's a new spin on potato salad that I really like. This version tastes like a baked potato with sour cream, bacon and chives... try it as an alternative to your own version of potato salad. You'll love it!

BACON CHIVE POTATO SALAD

1 pound red potatoes

3 tablespoons kosher salt plus 1 teaspoon

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced, plus 1 teaspoon for garnish

10 bacon strips, cooked crisp and crumbled reserve some for garnish

Put the potatoes and 3 tablespoons salt in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 10-12 minutes. Drain. Let cool slightly. Cut into halves or quarter if the potatoes are large.

In your serving bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, Dijon, sour cream, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper. 

Add the potatoes while they are still warm and toss well to coat. Try not to break up the potatoes too much. Add the bacon and chives, toss again and check seasoning. You may want a bit more sour cream because the warm potatoes will soak up most of the liquid. Add a bit more salt and pepper depending on your taste. Serve immediately or chill until serving time. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream plus the chives and bacon.

FOR MORE RECIPES, COCKTAILS, PARTY IDEAS AND FUN FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM AND TWITTER

Summer Entertaining: Easiest Grilled Corn (ever!)

Whoop Whoop! It's just about corn season!! Fresh picked corn is probably already in stores and farmer's markets in some areas of the country and I just cannot wait to bite into that first piece of corn from the grill. Some of my friends think it is hard to grill good corn- that it gets dried out, etc. I've got a super easy way to grill corn for a crowd that is perfect every time. Here's how:

MARTIE'S PERFECTLY EASY GRILLED CORN

2 dozen ears of fresh corn in the husk (you don't have to remove the inner silks)

tub or bucket

Styrofoam ice chest

Grill

Long handled tongs

Directions

Check the ears for any evidence of bugs, etc. Snip the silks off of the tip of each ear. I usually don't slice the bottom off so people have something to hold on to... but you can cut them level if you are using plastic corn holders.

Submerge the ears in cool water and let them soak for 30 minutes.

While the corn is soaking, fire up your grill. You want medium heat and indirect - which means move the coals to the outer edge of the grill if you are using charcoal. Make sure the grill rack is not down too low. You want indirect heat so the husks don't burn. A bit of charring is good but if the heat is too high or the grill is too low over the coals, you'll burn up the husks before the corn cooks inside.

Once the coals are ready, drain the water.

Place the corn on the center of the grill- stay away from the outer edge where there could be hot spots.

Cover the grill and leave it alone for 12 minutes. (you may need to adjust the time if you have a larger quantity of corn)

Open and turn the ears to char the other side. Close the grill and let cook for another 5 minutes.

Remove the corn and immediately put it in the Styrofoam ice chest and put the top on it as fast as you can. Put something heavy on top of the chest to keep the lid down tight.

Allow the corn to continue to steam in the chest until serving time- at least 15 minutes. I usually do this an hour or more before the party and it is perfect to serve when guests arrive. The ice chest keeps the corn steaming hot!

To serve: Open the chest and allow guests to serve themselves. Simply peel back the husks and the silks fall off with it. So easy, so fast, and soooo good!

Serve with my wonderful HERB BUTTER and a little kosher salt.

Note: Make sure to have a box or something handy to collect all of the husks. And plan for at least two ears per guest... maybe three!

FOLLOW MARTIE ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE RECIPES, PARTY IDEAS, COCKTAILS, AND FUN!

Easy Weekend Grilling: Hot Dogs, Brats and Sausage Dogs (and a beer)

Everyone loves a good hot dog. I guess there's nothing that says summer like a good ball park hot dog... or hamburger. But today is all about the dogs... an easy, affordable way to feed a bunch of folks and make them really happy, too!

Rather than just the standard hot dog, I decided to grill up different varieties of hot and sweet sausages: chicken and sage, chicken and apple, and spicy Italian along with some traditional brats. There is a trick to grilling really good sausages. You have to get them done all the way through yet keep them moist and not char the heck out of them on the outside. My trick to the perfect sausage is to pre-cook them first in beer. You can also do this with water but the beer really adds something extra to the flavor.

MARTIE'S GRILLED SAUSAGES

2 1/2 bottles of your favorite beer (reserving the other 1/2 for the peppers)

1 dozen fresh sausages, any kind. I like the spicy chicken or Italian sausages best

2 tablespoons olive oil

Pour the beer into a large pot. Add the sausages. Bring to a boil and then immediately turn off the heat. Let the sausages sit in the beer until it cools to room temperature.

To grill: Get your coals to a medium heat. Remove the sausages from the beer and brush them with a little of the olive oil. Grill about 10 minutes or until done. The time will depend on the size of the sausage and the heat.

THREE PEPPER AND TWO ONION HOT DOG TOPPING

1 each red, green, and yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips

1 small white onion, sliced into strips

1 small red onion, sliced into strips

1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced into small strips (optional)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 bottle beer (I like to use a lager but use your favorite)

salt and pepper

Put all of the ingredients except the beer into a bowl and toss together to coat. Turn out onto a hot pan or skillet. Cook over medium-high heat. Don't stir too frequently; allow the veggies to caramelize slightly before stirring. After the veggies have been cooking for about 3 minutes, add the beer. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, allowing the beer to reduce. Stir occasionally.  

Some people like a steamed bun for their hot dogs. I prefer a toasted bun. Brush a little of the olive oil on the bread and toast it lightly (too crusty will result in a broken bun= no fun!).

Shout out to a new favorite beer: Red Brick Pale Ale. They're out of Atlanta, GA. Check them out.

FOLLOW MARTIE ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE GREAT RECIPES, PARTY IDEAS, AND FUN!

Get Grilling: Smoky Chipotle BBQ Sauce

I am a huge fan of chipotle. No, not the fast food joint (although I do like it and have been known to stop in frequently) I am talking about chipotle, the pepper. I use chipotle powder in my recipes quite often. In case you don't know, chipotles are simply jalapeno peppers that have been smoked and dried. Used a lot in Mexican cooking, the earthy, smoky flavor of chipotle combines well with fruits like cherry, raspberry and cranberry, too.

CHIPOTLE BBQ SAUCE

1/2 cup BBQ sauce

1/4 cup canola oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (find canned in the Mexican section of the store; Goya makes them- so do many others) 

1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and whir until smooth. As an option, you can add a cup of fresh fruit along with a tablespoon of honey to the recipe. I really like raspberry. This is delicious on chicken!

FOLLOW MARTIE ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE RECIPES, COCKTAILS, IDEAS, & FUN!

Get Grilling: Big Bob Gibson's Alabama White Sauce

I have been a fanof Big Bob Gibson's BBQ since I was 16 years old. I had some friends who lived in Decatur, Alabama and every time I would visit, they would insist that we have lunch at Big Bob Gibson's, which they proclaimed to be the best BBQ joint in the world. I'd never seen or heard of a white BBQ sauce before and this one had me at hey y'all... All these years later, I make a detour off I-65 and stop by to get my white sauce fix. Try it and let me know what you think.

BIG BOB GIBSON'S FAMOUS WHITE BBQ SAUCE

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon sugar

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Refrigerate for a day. Bring to room temperature before using.

FOLLOW MARTIE ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE RECIPES, COCKTAILS, IDEAS & FUN!