For vegans, vegetarians, and everyone else!

Caramelizing onions can be a painstaking process that, if done right, can take well over an hour. Here is a hack that cuts the time down by half.

Here is a recipe from Joanie Zisk for yummy baked sweet potato fries. Serves one or two.

Do you like avocados? Here are tips for making the most of them.

After testing 18 different methods of blueberry storage, the winning methods were a surprise even to us.

Grilled Peaches

Ingredients

• 4 peaches, halved and pitted
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (not olive oil)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 cup soft cream cheese or mascarpone cheese

Directions

1. Preheat your grill or grill pan to medium-high heat and lightly oil it.
2. Lightly brush peaches with oil; place cut side down onto the preheated grill pan. Grill until peaches have nice grill marks, about 5 minutes; turn them over.
3. Place a dollop of cream cheese or mascarpone cheese where the pit was and drizzle with honey. Grill until cream cheese is warm, 2 to 3 minutes more.
4. Serve immediately with additional honey.

Note: plan on 2 peach halves per person. You can also substitute other stone fruits like nectarines or plums.

Creamed Corn

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 4 cups fresh corn kernels (from 8 ears) with corn milk
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 Tbsp. sugar (optional)
• Chopped fresh chives

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 2 minutes.
2. Cut corn from the cobs, then use the back of your knife to scrape the corn milk from the cobs.
3. Add corn, corn milk, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until corn becomes tender and juicy, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Sprinkle flour over corn mixture; cook, stirring until well combined. Add whipping cream and, if desired, sugar. Stir until free of lumps. Cook over medium, stirring often, until the sauce thickens and coats the corn well. Garnish with chives, and serve.

Stick Of Butter Rice

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
• 1 can (10.5-oz) condensed French onion soup
• 1 (10.5-oz.) can condensed beef consomme
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into thin slices
• 2 large oregano or thyme sprigs (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Combine rice, water, and consomme in an 8×8–inch baking dish.
3. Scatter butter over the top, and tuck thyme sprigs into liquid.
4. Cover dish tightly with foil.
5. Bake at 400°F until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 50 to 55 minutes.

Pickled Red Onions

• 3/4 cup water
• 2/3 cup white wine or cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• pickling spice or black peppercorns

In a bowl, whisk together the first four ingredients until sugar and salt dissolve. Place onions and optional ingredients, if desired, into large glass jar; pour vinegar mixture over onions. Seal and let stand at least 2 hours at room temperature. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Rodney Scott’s Grilled Vegetable Salad 

by Christian Dashiell

Ingredients:

• 1 large red bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2½ teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 1¼ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch baby carrots, tops trimmed (real baby carrots, not the carrot scraps typically sold as baby carrots)
• 1 medium yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and then halved crosswise
• 1 medium zucchini, cut into ½-inch rounds
• 1 bunch asparagus with the woody ends snapped off
• 1 bunch scallions, with the root ends trimmed
• 1 teaspoon Rodney Scott’s Rib Rub (see recipe below)
• ½ cup Rodney Scott’s Vinaigrette (see recipe below)

Directions

Fire up your grill to 400°F to 450°F.

In a medium bowl, toss the whole bell pepper with 2 teaspoons of the oil, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper. Place the whole pepper on the grill. (Keep the bowl for the rest of the vegetables.)

As the pepper chars and blisters, use grilling tongs to turn it frequently so that the pepper gets charred on all sides — this will take 8 to 12 minutes. Remove it from the grill and immediately place it in a small paper or plastic bag.

Close the bag and allow the pepper to steam for at least 5 minutes. Then remove the pepper from the bag and use a spoon to remove the skin. Remove the seeds and stem, cut the roasted pepper into strips, and transfer them to a large bowl.

Place the carrots in the same bowl used to season the bell pepper. Toss them with 4 teaspoons of the oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Place them on the grill (perpendicular to the grates).

Add the squash and zucchini to the bowl you used for the carrots and toss with 1½ teaspoons of the canola oil, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper. Once the carrots have been on the grill for 4 to 5 minutes, they should be brown and wrinkled and their thin tips might be almost black. Flip them. Place the squash and zucchini on the grill. Cook for another 5 to 6 minutes.

Toss the asparagus and scallions with the remaining 1½ teaspoon oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Place the asparagus and scallions on the grill, turning and rotating so that they cook evenly. Once they have a slight char and wrinkled skin, after 6 to 8 minutes,

Begin removing the vegetables as they are done and place them in the bowl with the roasted peppers. Toss the vegetables with the vinaigrette and transfer them to a serving platter. Sprinkle with the BBQ rub and serve warm.

Rodney Scott’s Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• ½ cup Rodney Scott’s BBQ Sauce (see recipe below)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together Rodney’s Sauce and the mustard. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil to create a creamy emulsion. Add the salt and whisk until it is thoroughly incorporated. Use immediately or store in a screw-top jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Shake vigorously before use. Makes about 1 ¼ cups.

Rodney Scott’s Rib Rub

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons MSG
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon cayenne

Directions

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and place them in an airtight container. Cover and store in a cool, dry place until ready to use. Makes 1 cup.

What I did: I bought 1 pint of BBQ sauce from the original Scott’s BBQ in Hemingway, SC rather than making my own. I used it, with half the salt, to make the vinaigrette. I made the rib rub with half the salt, no MSG, half the pepper, and no cayenne (I have guests who don’t do spicy). Worked just fine

Melting Potatoes

Ingredients

• 5 Tbsp. (2 1/2 oz.) unsalted butter, divided
• 4 medium (5 oz. each) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-in.-thick slices
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 3/4 cup chicken stock

Directions

• Preheat oven to 475°F with a rimmed baking sheet positioned on center rack. Microwave 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large microwavable bowl on MEDIUM (50% power) until melted, about 1 minute. Add potatoes, salt, and pepper, and toss to coat.
• Remove preheated pan from oven, and pour potatoes onto pan; spread into an even layer, leaving space between each potato slice.
• Bake until browned on bottom, about 15 minutes. Flip potatoes, and bake until browned on both sides, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, microwave chicken stock on MEDIUM (50% power) until warm, 1 to 2 minutes; stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter until melted. After potatoes have been cooking for 30 minutes, pour stock mixture over potatoes, carefully tilting pan to evenly distribute stock mixture. Reduce oven temperature to 400°F, and bake until stock has been mostly absorbed and potatoes are very tender and browned, about 10 minutes.

Black pepper pineapple is delicious.