Eating Well in North Carolina!

Craig and I visited Susan and David near Wilmington, NC last weekend. It was a great trip--not only was the company exceptional, but the weather was great and the food even better! Our very first night there, Craig and David cooked up some local scallops and broccoli rabe:

Craig did the scallops, pan-seared with a lemon-thyme white wine sauce. Even I, not the world's biggest scallop fan, ate every single one on my plate--they were goooood. If they hadn't been there, however, I would have been content with a big bowl of the rabe, sauteed with lots of garlic and some crushed red pepper, just like David's mom would make.

Breakfasts were just as good as dinners. Our first morning, David made cornmeal-buckwheat blueberry pancakes, made with blueberries Susan and David picked and froze last summer. Craig said they were the best pancakes he's ever had, and that's saying something. David also introduced us to curry oatmeal, made with steel-cut oats and dried fruits. It's savory and delicious and I can't wait to make it myself.

And our little Rhode Island contribution:

Jonnycakes! We brought the mix and Craig fried them up. Apparently it's against the rules to have blueberries with your jonnycakes, but butter and maple syrup were all they really needed.

Our hosts took us to a little goat farm run by a woman who makes her own cheese. She's apparently won some national acclaim, especially for her blue:

It wasn't tangy like a traditional blue might be, but it was really soft and good. Look at that mold. That wasn't the only goat cheese I bought that day--I'll put a picture up on a future post--besides the blue, the two most notable were a cheddar (very young and mild) and an entire wheel of gouda, which I am not allowed to crack open until June 1.

On our final night there, Sue and Dave made us more of that wonderful rabe and a lovely risotto with sun-dried tomatoes, chicken, and shallots.

Mmm!

Other Things Megan Ate that are not pictured include hush puppies, stewed okra and tomatoes, crab cakes, field peas and snaps, pulled pork, and grits. I'm definitely heading south again!