Eating well year-round

College students keep a tight hold on their purse strings, but they certainly want to let loose when entertaining with friends and family.

Putting together a simple, flavorful meal doesn’t have to break the bank, especially if
seasonal produce is the star. Below is a three-course meal sampling the best of the
four seasons. Try variations on the entire menu or use each season’s recipe
to complement your favorite standbys.

Summer Peach and Blackberry Tea with Basil Simple Syrup
Peach tea and blackberry tea, loose-leaf or in bags
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup water
½ cup fresh basil leaves
Optional: bourbon

- Brew teas and refrigerate.
- While the tea brews, combine sugar, water and basil leaves in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently until all sugar has dissolved and mixture coats the back of a spoon.
- Cool syrup completely. Strain out basil leaves and store syrup in a resealable container in the refrigerator.
- When ready to serve, pour equal amounts of peach and blackberry teas in glasses filled with ice cubes. Add basil simple syrup in place of sweetener. Garnish with extra basil leaves, fresh blackberries or half-slices of peach.
- Add one or two shots of bourbon if you’re of-age.

Winter Brussels Sprout, Bacon and Caramelized Red Onion Hash with Fried Eggs
6-8 strips thick-cut bacon, roughly chopped
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced
Olive oil
Unsalted butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Eggs
Optional: 1 Tbsp. dried or 3 sprigs fresh thyme, red wine vinegar

- Cook bacon in large skillet. Set bacon aside, keeping the fat in the pan over medium heat.
- Add onions and sauté until soft and caramelized.
- Add garlic, cooked bacon and sliced Brussels sprouts, and increase the heat. If remaining bacon fat is not enough to lightly coat the sprouts, add olive oil and butter in even amounts.
- Season with salt and pepper and cook, occasionally stirring and turning sprouts until browned (the more caramelized, the better). Add thyme toward end of cooking if desired.
- Fry eggs to desired doneness and serve one atop each plate of hash. Runnier yolks are ideal for mixing in with the sprouts. Drizzle a few teaspoons of red wine vinegar for more flavor.

Fall Beet and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese
6-8 medium golden or purple beets, cooked and sliced
6 cups arugula
Goat or bleu cheese, crumbled
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1/8 cup olive oil
2 shallots, minced
Coarsely ground black pepper

- Toss beets, cheese and greens in large bowl.
- Whisk together balsamic, olive oil, minced shallot and black pepper.
- Drizzle over salad when served.

Spring Strawberry-Orange-Grapefruit Dessert Topping
Strawberries, chopped
Grated orange and grapefruit peel
Sugar
Water
Fresh mint leaves

- Add strawberries and grated citrus peel to a small saucepan.
- Add sugar to taste, depending on the strawberries’ natural sweetness, and a few tablespoons of water.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. If water evaporates and mixture looks dry, add more water in small amounts.
- Remove from heat and cool. Mash with a fork until you reach a jam-like consistency.
- Serve atop your favorite vanilla ice cream, yogurt or frozen yogurt. Garnish with fresh mint leaves to brighten the sweet fruit.