Grilled Asparagus and Salmon with Dill Butter

Use the right tools for the job to grill a Father's day meal of Grilled Asparagus and Salmon with Dill Butter.

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Why do Father's Day foods have to be all red meat? Dads may enjoy a nice piece of fish for a change.  A healthier swap--especially with so much flavor--is a welcome addition to a summertime table. Plenty of vegetables never hurt anyone, so sharing the limelight with a fresh seasonal vegetable makes good sense and is good for you as well.

Fresh Strawberry Sundae Ice Cream Pie

This Fresh Strawberry Sundae Ice Cream Pie takes the flavor of a strawberry sundae and makes it easy to serve a small crowd all at once. Great for graduation parties, Memorial day cookouts, or just because local strawberry season should be celebrated.

Ice cream pies are a fun way to make a special dessert and still keep the house cool in the summertime. A few shortcuts (I use store bought everything but the local berries, but you could make each component from scratch) and you've got a sweet treat to eat with very little effort.

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Strawberry season has arrived here in Ohio, and it's the perfect time to appreciate the sweetness of a locally grown berry. Kick off the summer with this pie--you could serve it for a Memorial day cookout, or a graduation celebration, or just because you deserve a treat.

If you're new to making ice cream pies, I've shared a photo-rich How To Make An Ice Cream Pie At Home tutorial. I put my years of experience making ice cream desserts at Baskin Robbins to good use, and shared all the tips and tricks I've picked up along the way. You can find that ice cream pie recipe here.

My son is graduating high school today and family has flown/driven in for the occasion, so there's a lot more of us around than usual to commemorate the event. When you're a military family and move often, you tend to be a pretty self-contained nuclear family unit at school functions because you haven't been part of the community for generations.   

It was nice to fill up a pew at baccalaureate last night, even though I didn't have any tissues in my purse. You need an emergency chocolate or dog biscuit? Need to floss, have a cup of decaf tea, or repair a hem? I've got you covered. I have catheters and ear plugs, but do I have a hankie when I need one? No.

Red Potato Salad with Chive Blossom Vinegar

A recipe for new potatoes bathed in a chive blossom vinegar-mayo dressing and accented with carrots and parsley.

I've got a terrific potato salad today that celebrates the fresh flavors of the season. This perfect picnic side dish has the mild flavor of chive blossom vinegar paired with tender new potatoes. It's a great accompaniment to a cook out, graduation party, Father's day, or just because it's lovely weather outside.

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If you grow chives (simple--it's a perennial clump that you plant once and harvest for years) you'll have chive blossoms. Just like with my beloved garlic scapes, the blossoms are an edible plant part that's often overlooked.  I've already shared a few recipes using them (Chive Blossom Focaccia and Chive Blossom Potato & Egg Salad) but if you've got plenty, please make Chive Blossom Vinegar. It's got a great flavor and really adds to your dishes.

Do you have a vinegar hoarding problem, too? I've already got a bunch of vinegars in my pantry--rice wine, apple cider, balsamic, red wine--and white in the basement for laundry/pickling. Why make another one? Because it's easy, and it's fun. If you had access to enough chive blossoms (anyone want to give me some?) this would make a lovely gift. I was sad last year when the last of my vinegar was used up--mostly in potato salads--and will be glad when this year's batch has finished steeping.

Potatoes in so many forms are a staple for my family.  In the Fall we got a large volume of them from our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share and I stored them in the basement. We've got a dry basement, and they lasted in baskets for a few months. So many dinners started with roasted potatoes, and of course on Thanksgiving I made my Make Ahead Irish Mashed Potato Casserole.

In the summer I switch to potato salads. My Confetti Potato Salad is the old family standby, but lately I've been using the chive blossom vinegar with it.  This time I wanted to play up the colors of the new red potatoes so I grabbed some parsley (planted next to my chives) and my mother's day present herb scissors (Amazon affiliate link) and went to town.

Robert Barker considers the backyard his own Edible Foodscape.

For more recipes using herbs, please see my Recipes Using Herbs Collection. Innovative titles are not my strong suit. For more recipes using potatoes, please see my Potato Recipes Collection.  These collections are part of the Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient, a resource for folks like me eating from the farm share, the farmer's market, the garden, the neighbor's garden, and great deals on ugly produce at the grocery store.