Spicy Baked Oysters with Caramelized Onions
Serves 4

Preheat oven (or grill) to 450°.  Caramelize onions in the oil and butter until golden. Season with salt and pepper. Line a baking sheet with rock salt and place oysters in their shells on top. Top each with some of the onion, enough to cover, then top with a teaspoon of butter, a sprinkle of cayenne, one slice of bacon, and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake until bacon is crispy, breadcrumbs are browned, and the oysters are cooked, about 10-12 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with flat leaf parsley.

Spring Vegetable Salad
Serves 6

Lightly toss all salad ingredients in a chilled bowl. In a food processor combine the vinegar, mustard and sugar. Add oil in a slow steady stream. Adjust seasonings, and dress salad lightly with the vinaigrette and serve immediately on chilled plates.

Marinated Pork Chops wtih Maker's Mark Sauce
Serves 6

To prepare the Marinade, mix the marinade ingredients together and marinate the pork chops at least 4 hours or overnight.

To prepare the sauce, heat the oil in a large sauté pan, add bacon, onion, and carrot and sauté, stirring often, for about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 5 more minutes. You should have some nice browning in the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato paste and the molasses. Stir to combine. Add the bourbon and ignite. Cook and reduce the mixture until a nice glaze forms. Add the broth and the bouquet garni and bring to a boil. Skim foam off the top if needed. Reduce by half. Strain sauce, and return to a clean pan, and simmer until it coats the back of a wooden spoon. Stir in butter, adjust seasonings, and serve over grilled pork chops and Creamy Grits (recipe to follow).

Creamy Grits
Serves 4 to 6

In a medium saucepan, bring the water or broth to a boil. Slowly add the grits, whisking the entire time. Whisk until the mixture comes back to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and continue to cook, whisking occasionally until the grits are tender and creamy, about 30-45 minutes. Add heavy cream,  butter, cheese, pepper and hot sauce. Serve at once.

Herbed Tomatoes
Serves 6

Preheat oven to 375˚. Slice off top third of the tomatoes and reserve for another use. Place the tomatoes in an oiled baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Divide fresh herbs over the tops of tomatoes, then sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered until cheese is golden and tomatoes are heated through, about 10-12 minutes. Serve hot.

Peach Blackberry Cobbler
Serves 10

In a medium saucepan, stir together the peaches, sugar, cinnamon, tapioca, and water. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Take off heat. Stir in vanilla and blackberries. Pour into a butter 9 X 13 baking dish. Dot with butter. Top with biscuits.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
                       
Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor just until blended. Add butter and pulse just until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer to a large bowl and add chilled cream, stirring gently with a rubber spatula to form a dough. (Dough will be sticky at first, but it will stiffen slightly as flour absorbs cream.)

Knead dough on a floured surface 4 to 6 times with floured hands (do not overwork dough, or biscuits will be tough). Roll out dough 3/4 inch thick, flouring surface as needed, and cut out 12 to 14 rounds with cookie cutter, re-rolling scraps as necessary. Place cut biscuits on top of fruit mixture. Stir together yolk and cream and brush on biscuits. Sprinkle sugar generously over biscuits. Bake cobbler in oven about 25-30 minutes until the biscuits are golden, and fruit is bubbly. Cool slightly before serving.