Sara Wells - Savoring the Seasons with Our Best Bites

All food styling and food photography by Sara Wells, except page 161, which is by Kate Jones Art direction by Richard Erickson Book and cover design by Sheryl Dickert Smith Typography by Rachael Ward Back cover and author photos of Sara by Rebecca Smith; author photo of Kate by Sam Jones; back cover photo of Kate by Lydia McDaniel Hutson; author photo on page 1 by Jenny Flake. Text and photographs 2012 Sara Wells and Kate Jones Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Wells, Sara (Sara Smith), author. Savoring the seasons with Our best bites / Sara Wells and Kate Jones. pages cm Summary: Cookbook based on the Our best bites blog.

Includes index. ISBN 978-1-60907-132-5 (hardbound : alk. paper) 1. Seasonal cooking. I. II. Title. Title.

TX714.W345 2012 641.5'64dc23 2012016922 Printed in China Regent Publishing Services Limited, Shau Kei Wan, Hong Kong 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 To my family: Eric, Tyler, Owen, and Jack.
Each season of my life is sweeter with you boys in it. Sara To the memory of my mom, Margaret Bishop Randle,
and the amazing holiday celebrations she created. Kate Acknowledgments Wed like to thank our friends at Shadow Mountain who have been so patient and supportive of our ideas for this bookevery single person we have worked with directly (and those who have been more behind the scenes) has done everything possible to help us realize and exceed our very best vision for this book. A million thanks to those who faithfully read Our Best Bites; without you, none of this would be possible. Thank you to our friends and family, both near and faryou have helped shape and support who we are and what we do every day. And finally, we are completely indebted to our husbands, Sam Jones and Eric Wells, as well as our kids Clark, Meredith, Tyler, Owen, Jack, and the yet-to-be-named Jones baby, for being endlessly patient, supportive, and loving.

Introduction Avid readers of our blog Our Best Bites know that while we enjoy posting everyday recipes for busy families, we really love holidays. We love the crafts and recipes passed down from generation to generation and the memories that come along with those traditions. When we were discussing possibilities for another cookbook, a book centered on the seasons was a very natural next step for us. From the springy smell of Brussels sprouts to grilled recipes that are perfect for a summer barbecue to cinnamon-spiced desserts in autumn to cozy soups and stews for winter, we wanted these recipes to evoke feelings and memories of each season, to inspire you to cook no matter the time of year and to create memories all year long with the people you love the most. We hope that youll want to cook your way through this book and as you do, youll find recipes that will become part of your family and seasonal traditions for years to come! Love, Sara & Kate Spring Berry-Kiwi Salad with Mint-Lime Dressing Banana Slush Punch Serves about 30 Kates Grandma Randle made this punch for every family gathering, from Christmas dinner to the Fourth of July, from baby blessings to wedding showers to backyard kindergarten parties. Its not just a nostalgic favorite, its pretty darn delicious, too.6 cups water, divided4 very ripe bananas1 cups sugar6 cups pineapple juice (48 ounces)2 (12-ounce) cans orange juice concentrate1 (12-ounce) can lemonade concentrate (pink or yellow)3 liters ginger ale or lemon-lime soda, such as SpriteFrozen berries of choice, optional, for garnish 1.

Combine 3 cups water, bananas, and sugar in a blender. Process until smooth and set aside. 2. Combine remaining water, pineapple juice, orange juice concentrate, and lemonade concentrate in a large bowl or pan, and mix well or blend with an immersion blender. Add banana mixture. 3.

Divide mixture evenly among 3 freezer-safe containers or gallon-sized zip-top bags and freeze for several hours or preferably overnight. When ready to serve, place 1 container of punch mixture at a time into a punch bowl and pour 1 liter of chilled ginger ale or Sprite over it. Mix with a spoon (or immersion blender) and serve immediately. If desired, garnish with frozen berries. Orange Rolls Makes 12 rolls In this recipe, we use the light, airy dough from our favorite Everyday Cinnamon Rolls and fill it with sweet, citrusy orange filling and then drizzle the warm rolls with a sweet orange glaze. For the dough: Place milk and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. For the dough: Place milk and butter in a microwave-safe bowl.

Heat 1 minute 30 seconds on high. Butter should be at least partially melted. Stir and set aside. 2. Whisk together 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. When milk mixture has cooled to warm (not hot; about 105110 degrees F.), add it to the flour mixture along with the egg.

Beat until well combined, using the paddle attachmentabout 1 minute. 3. Switch to the dough hook. Add the remaining flour only until dough barely leaves the sides of the bowl. It should be very soft and slightly sticky. Continue to knead dough with mixer for 5 minutes or turn dough onto floured surface and knead for 5 minutes by hand.

Allow to rest about 10 minutes while you make the filling. 4. For the filling: Combine ingredients in a small bowl. 5. To assemble: Roll dough into a rectangle about 12 x 14 inches. Spread filling mixture over the surface and use your fingers or the back of a spoon to gently spread around.

Roll up from the longer side of the rectangle and pinch edges closed. Use a piece of dental floss to score the roll into 12 equal pieces and then slip the floss under the log and cinch off each piece with the floss to cut into rolls. Place in a 9 x 13-inch pan that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Cover pan with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place about 30 minutes or until visibly increased in size. In the meantime, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 6.

When rolls have finished rising, bake 1520 minutes or until light golden brown. 7. For the glaze: Melt butter in a small saucepan or in microwave. Add the powdered sugar and enough orange juice to reach a smooth pouring consistency. Drizzle over warm rolls. Authors Note When I was young, we had a neighbor who made the most amazing orange rolls.