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These amazing recipes (below) were developed by the award-winning cookbook author, Damon Lee Fowler. Bookmark this page and visit often as we will be adding new recipes every week.
Also, be sure to check out three of Damon Lee Fowler’s most popular cookbooks. All are available for sale at the Salt Table shops and online. And, all three are autographed.
Damon Lee Fowler (left) recently held a booksigning at The Salt Table shops in Savannah and Pooler Georgia. Carol and Dave are very proud to host such a prolific and notable cookbook author. His books are available in the shops and online. These books are also autographed by Damon.
About the Author: Damon Lee Fowler is a culinary historian, cooking teacher and food writer. A nationally recognized authority on Southern cooking, he is the author of nine cookbooks, including Classical Southern Cooking, Beans, Greens, & Sweet Georgia Peaches, Savannah Chef’s Table, Essentials of Southern Cooking and, most recently, Ham: A Savor the South Cookbook. He has written historical commentary on a number of historical cookbooks and was editor and recipe developer for Dining At Monticello for the Thomas Jefferson Foundation. He is the featured food writer for the Savannah Morning News and has written for such national publications as Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, Garden & Gun, Relish and Local Palate. He lives, eats, and writes in Savannah, Georgia.
Carmen Blend marries well with just about any fish, seafood and fresh produce. You can substitute or add to the crab if you like: flaked cooked fish such as snapper, or cooked small shrimp, bay scallops, squid, and/or octopus cut into very small pieces.
Serves 4-16
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound (2 tightly-packed cups) picked crabmeat, preferably both lump and claw meat
1/3 cup thinly sliced small scallions (about 3-4), both white and green parts or minced red onion
1 large or 2 medium cloves garlic, lightly crushed, peeled, and finely minced
Extra virgin olive oil
Freshly squeezed lemon juice from 1-to-1-1/2 lemons
The Salt Table Carmen Blend
4 medium ripe tomatoes, 8 small Roma tomatoes, or a 24-36 mini San Marzano or cherry tomatoes
The Salt Table Fine Sea Salt
Smoked paprika and/or basil leaves, optional, for garnish
How to Make It:
Pick over the crabmeat for bits of shell and put it in mixing bowl. Add the scallion and garlic and gently toss to mix.
Lightly drizzle it with olive oil and toss until lightly but evenly coated. Sprinkle with the juice from 1 lemon, gently toss, then season lightly with Carmen Blend. Gently toss again and let it stand 15-20 minutes. Taste, adjust the Carmen Blend and lemon juice, and toss again. Cover and refrigerated at least 1 hour or until needed; can be made up to a day ahead.
About half an hour before serving, cut off about 1/4-inch of top (stem end) of the medium tomatoes, halve the Roma or mini San Marzano tomatoes lengthwise, or cap the cherry tomatoes. Carefully scoop out their seeds and inner pulp, leaving only outer flesh to form shell. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and invert over wire rack set in sink. Drain at least 20 minutes.
To serve, gently pat tomato shells dry. Spoon crabmeat into tomato shells. If liked, garnish with paprika and/or basil leaves and serve. The larger tomatoes can be served as an appetizer course at the table, on a lettuce leaf with crackers or toast on the side.
Pasta alla Violetta Tagliatelle with Chanterelle Mushrooms and Salt Table’s Southern Italian Blend
“Chanterelle” is French for “little singers,” presumably because these delicate mushrooms look a bit like a singer’s open mouth. Simply sautéed in butter and seasoned lightly with The Salt Table Southern Italian Blend, they’re tossed with egg pasta noodles from Verdi’s home town of Parma, but they’re equally good with factory pasta. Chanterelles are seasonal, so if you’re not able to find them, cultivated shiitake and oyster mushrooms can be substituted.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
¾ pound fresh chanterelle mushrooms, or shiitake or oyster mushrooms, mixed
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium shallot, split lengthwise, peeled, and minced (about ¼ cup)
½ lemon
The Halle & Savannah Blend
12 ounces fresh egg tagliatelle, fettuccine, or short pasta such as fusilli or penne
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
How to Make It:
Gently clean the mushrooms with a dry cloth or soft brush. Halve or thickly slice the larger ones, but leave small ones whole.
Put 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet or sauté pan. Return the pan to medium heat and let the butter melt. Add the shallots and sauté, tossing often, until just beginning to color, about 4 minutes. Add the chanterelles and sauté, tossing gently, until they have started to collapse. Season lightly with Southern Italian Blend, then squeeze in a few drops of lemon juice. Toss, taste, and adjust the lemon juice and Southern Italian Blend. Cook until the mushrooms are tender. Turn off the heat.
Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a 6 quart pot. When the water begins boiling, stir in a small handful of salt, then stir in the pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente, stirring occasionally. Just before it’s done, gently reheat the mushrooms over medium-low heat.
When the pasta is ready, drain and add it to the mushrooms with the remaining butter and ¼ cup of the cheese. Toss well and add another ¼ cup of cheese, then serve at once, passing the remaining cheese separately.
This be served alone as a main dish or appetizer, with crusty bread for sopping the juice, or as a sauce for linguine or fettuccine. The Salt Table Southern Italian Blend makes the seasoning a snap. If you use it as a pasta sauce, squeeze in lemon juice to taste after tossing the shrimp with the pasta. It should not be served with cheese.
Serves 4 as a main dish, 6-8 as an appetizer
INGREDIENTS:
1¼ pounds medium to large shrimp
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, lightly crushed, peeled, and minced
2 finely chopped anchovy filets or about 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
Peel the shrimp and pat them dry. Put the oil and garlic in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. Sauté until fragrant but not colored, about 5-10 seconds after it begins to sizzle. Add the anchovy paste and stir until it dissolves into the oil.
Deglaze the pan with vermouth, bring it to a boil, and cook, stirring, until it’s reduced by 2/3 and syrupy. Add the shrimp and season liberally with Salt Table Southern Italian Blend. Toss until just curled and pink, about 1 minute. Add the parsley, if using, and, toss until the shrimp are just cooked through, about a minute longer, depending on their size.
Turn them out onto a platter and serve warm or at room temperature with lemon wedges.
In this classic pasta dish from Giuseppe Verdi’s home town (Parma), the name isn’t a reference to the famed opera composer but to the actual color of the noodles. (If Verdi had been born in England, his name would’ve been “Joe Green. Never mind.) The sauce is exquisitely simple, being nothing but good butter, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and The Salt Table’s Southern Italian Blend.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
Salt Table fine sea salt
12 ounces green tagliatelle or fettucine pasta noodles
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
About 2 teaspoons The Salt Table’s Southern Italian Blend, freshly ground
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
How to Make It:
Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a heavy-bottomed 6-8-quart pot. Slowly stir in a small handful of salt and the pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 1-2 minutes for fresh pasta, 4-6 minutes for dried pasta. While the pasta cooks, mix the butter and 1 rounded teaspoon of Salt Table’s Southern Italian Blend in a large, wide bowl.
When the pasta is ready, reserve a few spoonfuls of its cooking water and lightly drain it. Add the pasta to the bowl with the butter and Salt Table’s Southern Italian Blendd= and toss well. If it seems a bit dry, add a spoonful or two of the reserved cooking water. Add ¼ cup cheese, toss well, and add another ¼ cup cheese. Taste and add Salt Table’s Southern Italian Blend as needed. Toss and serve with the remaining cheese passed separately.
Salt Table Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend
This lighter rendition of Eggs Florentine actually is from Florence (Italy, of course, not South Carolina). Perfect for spring weather, it can be served over pan-toasted bread: Butter 8 slices ½-inch-thick crusty Italian bread and pan-grill it over medium heat until browned on both sides.
Salt Table Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend or use another great Salt Table blend noted below
¼ cup (4 tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil
About 1- 1½ cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, optional
8 poached eggs (recipe follows)
HOW TO MAKE IT:
If using fresh spinach, wash it in several changes of water and remove any tough stems. Put it into a lidded skillet with the water that’s clinging to it, cover, and cook over medium high heat until just wilted. Drain, cool enough to handle, and squeeze out excess moisture. If using frozen spinach, omit the preliminary cooking and squeeze out any excess moisture.
Heat the sauce over medium low heat. If liked, season it lightly with Hostess City Southern Hospitality blend. Keep it warm. Put the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the spinach and season lightly with Hostess City Southern Hospitality blend. Sauté, tossing often, until it’s hot through, tender, and dry, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat. Mix in ½ cup Parmigiano or more, to taste, taste adjust the seasoning.
Divide the spinach among 4 warm plates. Top each serving with 2 eggs and grind a little Hostess City Southern Hospitality blend over each egg. Spoon the tomato sauce evenly over the eggs and lightly sprinkle with cheese. Serve at once with more cheese passed separately.
1-2 tablespoons distilled white or white wine vinegar
2-4 large eggs
Optional for serving: salt, whole pepper in a mill, softened butter and/or Sauce Hollandaise (see recipe)
If you’re planning to make the eggs ahead, prepare a large basin of ice water. Put at least 2 and up to 4 inches of water in a deep, lidded saucepan. Turn on the heat to high, cover, and bring the water to a boil, then add the vinegar and reduce the heat so that it bubbles steadily but isn’t boiling hard. One at a time, break each egg into shallow bowl and slip into pan at point where water is bubbling. Let it settle and gently turn it to help egg form oval. Add up to 3 more eggs in the same way.
When all the eggs are in pan, let them simmer until their whites are set and yolks are still quite soft, about 1½ to 2 minutes. Remove them with slotted spoon, let them drain thoroughly, and trim any loose tendrils of egg white. Serve immediately while still warm.
If you’re making the eggs ahead, immediately slip them into the ice water bath until they’re chilled. Store them in cold water until needed (refrigerated if holding more than a couple of hours). To reheat them, drain and drop into large pan with at least 1½ inches simmering water and heat until warmed through, about ½-to-1 minute. Serve warm.
Salt Table Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend
This recipe is adapted from Beans, Greens, & Sweet Georgia Peaches, Second Edition, by Damon Lee Fowler (Globe Pequot Press/2014). The original had parsley, salt, and pepper as seasonings, but the herbs and lemon essence blended into The Salt Table’s Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend are perfect mates for spring asparagus, new potatoes, and leeks. It really adds a boost the flavor and condenses the condiments into a single ingredient that requires only a few shakesr.
Serves 4
Ingredients
½ pound small red new potatoes, scrubbed under cold running water
1½ pounds fresh, fat-stemmed asparagus
Green tops of 2 large leeks, washed and trimmed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt Table Hotess City Southern Hospitality Blend* or use another great Salt Table blend noted below
1 tablespoon minced flat leaf parsley, optional
How to make it:
Bring at least an inch of water to a boil over medium high heat in a heavy bottomed pot. Put the steaming basket or insert in or over the pot, add the potatoes, cover, and reduce the heat to medium. Steam until the potatoes are just tender and can be pierced easily with a sharp paring knife, about 8-10 minutes. Let them cool, and if making them ahead, cover and refrigerate. They can be precooked as much as a day ahead.
Meanwhile, wash and trim the asparagus, peel the tough lower part of stem, and cut it into 1-inch lengths, keeping the tips separate from stems. Slice the leek greens crosswise into 2-inch lengths, then cut into thin strips. When ready to finish the sauté, cut the potatoes into 1-inch pieces (halves if small, quarters if larger, eighths if really large).
Melt the butter in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the asparagus stems. Stir-fry, tossing frequently, until they’re bright green and beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the potatoes and continue tossing until beginning to turn golden, about 3 minutes longer.
Add the leek greens and asparagus tips and season well with several grindings of Hostess City Southern Hospitality blend. Stir-fry, tossing frequently, until the asparagus is crisp-tender and beginning to brown, but still firm and bright green. Stir in the parsley if using and turn off the heat. Taste and correct Hostess City Southern Hospitality blend and serve at once.
Salt Table Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend
Our “roasting” is really roasting but high temperature baking, but never mind: This is a popular and simply beautiful way to prepare fresh spring vegetables. The special blend of herbs in The Salt Table’s Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend are the perfect seasoning for this method and simplifies the preparation since the seasonings are already perfectly blended.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
8 very small carrots with tops attached
12 small fresh radishes with tops attached
8-12 very small red or gold new potatoes
8-12 small shallots
8 small baby turnips, with tops attached
Extra-virgin olive oil
Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend or use another great Salt Table blend noted below
2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley or blend of fresh herbs, optional
HOW TO MAKE IT:
Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450° F. Trim off all but 1 inch of the carrot tops. Wash, and if they’re not freshly gathered, peel, and cut them on the diagonal into 2-3 pieces. Wash and trim the radishes, leaving an inch of their tops attached, and halve them. Scrub the potatoes and halve them. Trim and peel the shallots, but leave them whole. Wash the turnips and trim them, leaving 1 inch of tops attached, then halve or quarter them.
Drizzle a large, heavy-bottomed roasting pan or heavy rimmed half-sheet pan with oil. Spread the vegetables on the pan, drizzle with more oil, and toss to mix and coat. Spread them flat (they should have room around them) with the potatoes cut-side-up, and season well with Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend. Roast 8 minutes, stir, turning potatoes cut side down, and roast, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, about 10-15 minutes more.
Taste and adjust the Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend. Toss well and sprinkle with the optional parsley or other herbs, if using. Serve at once directly from the roasting pan.
Salt Table Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend
The herb blend in The Salt Table’s Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend, enhanced with lemon essence and sea salt, is ideal for most any fish but is especially compatible with spring salmon. Roasting in a hot oven is a simple way to cook fish fillets that is easy even for novices.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
4 6-ounce wild salmon filets
Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend or use another great Salt Table blend noted below
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
HOW TO MAKE IT:
Position a rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 450° F. Season the fish on all sides with Southern Springtime Blend. Rub a roasting pan, rimmed sheet pan, or large metal (copper or enameled iron) gratin with oil and put in the filets, skin-side down. Drizzle with more oil.
Roast until the fish is done to your taste, about 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Sprinkle with Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend and serve it from the pan or transfer it to individual plates and serve immediately.
Salt Table Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend
Potato gratins don’t have to be heavy with white sauce or cream or, for that matter, loaded with cheese to be good. The Salt Table’s Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend is an ideal pairing for new potatoes and pairs well with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and a couple of fresh green onions to brighten the flavor.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
1¼ pounds small new potatoes
2 small green onions, washed, trimmed and thinly sliced
Salt Table Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend or use another great Salt Table blend noted below
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup dry breadcrumbs
HOW TO MAKE IT:
Prepare a heavy-bottomed pot with at least 1 inch cold water and a steamer insert (the water should not touch the insert). Cover and bring it to boil over high heat. Meanwhile, scrub the potatoes under cold running water. Add them to the pot, cover, and steam 2 minutes. Adjust the heat to medium and steam until the potatoes are just tender, about 15-20 minutes, depending on their size.
Remove them from the pot and let them cool enough to handle. Butter a 2-quart gratin dish or shallow casserole. Slice the potatoes and arrange them in rows in dish, overlapping and scattering the onions among the potatoes and seasoning each row with Salt Table Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend . Sprinkle each row with a little Parmigiano and as you go, reserving ¼ cup for topping the gratin. Drizzle each row with butter, reserving 1 teaspoon for the crumbs. If any onions remain, scatter them over top. The gratin can be made several hours ahead to this point. Cover well.
45 minutes before serving, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375° F. Sprinkle the gratin with the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano. Melt the remaining teaspoon of butter over low heat in a small skillet. Add the breadcrumbs and stir until they evenly absorb the butter. Sprinkle the buttered crumbs over the top and bake in the center of the oven until it’s hot through and the top is lightly browned, about 20-25 minutes. Let settle 5 minutes before serving.
Salt Table Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend
This is a lean and simple alternative to sautéed or fried chicken cutlets with far less mess. They can also be grilled if you prefer. If the only chicken breast halves you find are 10-12-ounce each, split them in half horizontally. The Salt Table’s Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend make short work of the seasoning and really enhances the mustard marinade.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each)
Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend or use another great Salt Table blend noted below
1 small clove garlic, crushed, peeled, and roughly chopped
Pinch medium-course Salt Table Himalayan or sea salt
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth
1 tablespoon olive oil
How to make it:
Position a rack 8 inches below the heat source and preheat the oven broiler for 15 minutes. Trim the chicken of any fat and cartilage and pat dry. Put them into a shallow glass or ceramic dish. Lightly season them on all sides with Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend.
Sprinkle the chopped garlic with the pinch of salt and, with the side of a knife blade, scrape and rub to a puree. Scoop it into a small bowl. Whisk the mustard into garlic, then whisk in the vermouth and olive oil. Season lightly with more Hostess City Southern Hospitality Blend. Pour this over the chicken, turning to coat it, and let it marinate 15-30 minutes.
Rub a rimmed baking sheet or bottom of flameproof (broiler safe) casserole with olive oil. Lift the chicken breasts from the marinade, put them skin-side down in pan, and brush them well with the marinade.
Broil until they’re beginning to color, about 3-4 minutes. Turn, brush with more marinade, and broil until they’re lightly browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes longer. Discard remaining marinade.
Recipe by Damon Lee Fowler, featuring 
