Hoppin' John

Here's a spicy version of hoppin' john that is delicious with this week's fresh Georgia purple hull peas!

Ingredients:
-1 1/2 pounds purple hull or black eyed peas
-water
-1 large onion, chopped
-1 large bell pepper, chopped
-1 clove garlic, chopped
-1/4 cup olive oil
-salt & pepper to taste
-1/2 tsp dried cayenne pepper
-1 tsp spicy brown mustard
-1 cup rice, cooked
-8 ounces hot sausage, cooked

1- Place peas in a sauce pan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook peas until tender (approximately 1 hour).
2-Saute onion, bell pepper, garlic, and olive oil.
3-Combine peas, vegetables, brown mustard, rice, and sausage in sauce pan. Heat until the mixture is consistent and serve.

Taste of Monroe Menu

It's only one week away and I have just finalized the Honey General Store menu for the Taste of Monroe. If you haven't bought tickets yet, you can still get them at Honey for $20 per ticket (they'll be $25 at the door). The Taste of Monroe will be held at the Van Horne Manor, 410 East Church Street, Monroe, GA 30655 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. You will have the unique opportunity to taste menu items from local restaurants and stores, do some early Christmas shopping at our silent auction, and enjoy our cash bar...all in one of our favorite downtown neighborhoods! The following restaurants and businesses will be participating in the tasting: Twisted Oak Woodfire Grill, Blue Marley Cafe, Van Horne Manor, Fox's Pizza Den, Nature's Magik Garden, Bella Cucina, A Better Bite Catering, SD Smokehouse, John's Supermarket, Bruser's Ice Cream, Robison's BBQ, Creative Dinner Solutions, Country Beginnings, Honey General Store, and a few more! All of the proceeds from this event will go towards the Downtown Development Authority of Monroe.
A few of these recipes will be posted individually, but I'd like to share a little about each of them first...Keep in mind that these items are available at my booth, but all of the other vendors will have 3+ items at their table for you to try!

• Pop's Nassau Grits: This recipe was given to my mother by a dear family friend, Harold Byrd, who now resides in Apalachicola Bay, Florida. He has been so kind to our family and we've spent several wonderful family vacations relaxing, scalloping, fishing, and enjoying Aunt Ebby's Ice Cream at his home! If you love grits, this is for you! If you're not from around here, haven't tried grits, or question the taste value of this Southern staple, this is for you! This recipe originated in Pop's area and the Red Mule Grits are from Athens, GA! Tim and Alice Mills and their mule, Luke, create a few quality corn products: grits, polenta, cornmeal, and porridge. You can find them at Honey!
  


• Caprese Cups: Caprese salad reinvented! Bright green (spinach) and red (tomato) fillo shells hold an all organic carprese salad mixture and are topped with a fresh local basil leaf.


• Asiago Flatbread: Fresh, cheesy, delicious asiago cheese flatbread from Big City Bakery in Athens, GA will be served in small bites for tasting. This bread is available at Honey General Store each Wednesday and is currently my best seller!
  


• Pumpernickel Bread: This yummy bread will be served with a soft honey butter. Also from Big City Bakery in Athens, GA.


• Sourdough Everything Baguette: We will have some dipping oils available when you try this Big City Bakery treasure!
  


• Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate Cookies and Ginger & Molasses Cookies: The names say it all! Order these for your sweetheart in a Christmas Cookie Box! Big City has a large variety of cookies for you to choose from.
  


• Cream Cheese Brownies: You won't be able to resist these treats from Big City! Also available in fancy holiday boxes.

I hope to see you at the Taste!

Vegan Spaghetti Squash Recipe

This is definitely the best recipe that I've created in a while! I can't wait for you to try it! I used soy imitation mozzarella cheese by a company called Soya Kaas. Their "cheese" is lactose free and has no cholesterol or hydrogenated oils. It works well in any recipe as a cheese substitute and tastes much better than the other vegan "cheeses" that I have tried...and you can get it at Honey General Store!

Vegan Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:
1 large spaghetti squash cut into long halves, seeds removed
Water
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup shredded soy imitation mozzarella cheese (or regular mozzarella if you aren't avoiding dairy)
3 large olives, pitted and chopped
salt & pepper to taste

1- Preheat oven to 375 F. Place squash in a casserole dish, open side facing down and fill the dish with 1/4 inch of water. Bake for 30 minutes.
2- Remove the squash from the oven and scrape the stringy flesh out of the squash with a fork.
3- Over medium heat, saute garlic with extra virgin olive oil and oregano for about 3 minutes. Add spaghetti squash, cheese, olives, and salt and pepper. Serve when the cheese melts!

Mushroom Pizza

1 baked thin pizza crust
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 small red onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup marinara sauce
1/4 cup sliced tomatoes
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

1- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

2- Heat the oil in a skillet over a medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and mushrooms and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.

3- Place the pizza crust on a baking sheet. Spread the sauce over the crust leaving a 1-inch border. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Top with the mushroom mixture and tomatoes. Bake until the crust is crisp and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with basil, slice, and serve!