Home At Last! with Patty Gironda

Orzo Pasta Salad with Fresh Baby Spinach Blueberry Ketchup Eager to experience a recent gift of Applewood-Smoke Bacon Burgers from Pine Street Market, I saw a chance to create a few of our family favorites. Ron loves blueberry ketchup and I adore Orzo Pasta Salad with Baby Spinach and vine-ripened tomato. My fiery blueberry ketchup with minced garlic and shallot added wonderful texture to the pork with a little heat and sweet! The smokey pork burger was lean and flavorful but called for a strong, sweet flavor! The smooth orzo with mild flavors and fabulous texture kept everything grounded and well-balanced! The final side that put it all over the top was a light summer salad of sweet, juicy Valencia orange slices with paper-thin slices of red onion and a homemade blueberry vinaigrette with a nod to the traditional by use of a scant teaspoon of stone ground mustard. All in all, a perfectly grown-up July 4th picnic menu! Happy Fourth of July, y'all! Stay safe!

  For a complete list of 2009 activities visit the Mainstreet Newnan website by clicking on on Mainstreet Newnan, above!

        Downtown Newnan sprung to life today with spring activities across the city! Market Days returned to the square with artists, fundraisers, farmers, beekeepers and a new vendor turning out bags of hot, delicious mini-doughnuts with the aid of an impressive automated machine . . . gently turning those delicate puffs of golden goodness. . .I'm sorry, I drifted off! Market Days is a chance to catch up with old friends, neighbors and meet new neighbors! I always enjoy the variety of goods and was relieved to see some of our favorites making their way back; Wally and Lynn Bachelor with their fragrant local honey and delicate spun honey- a must-have for proper Southern biscuits. (As a child I love to mix spun honey and butter for biscuits!) I even took in a estate sell out of Smokey Road and scored heavily! When it comes to a great estate sale you must trust the force within and if you think you should've stopped. . . you probably should've. I scored two delica...