Charlotte Hardwick has studied more than 100 dietary theories with some of the world’s top health and wellness experts. Her teachers included Dr. Andrew Weil, director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine; Dr. Deepak Chopra, leader in the field of mind-body medicine; Dr. David Katz, director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center; and Dr. Walter Willett, chair of Nutrition at Harvard University, along with many other innovative researchers and doctors.
Charlotte Hardwick picksherbs from her garden.
In the height of the pandemic, Hardwick returned home to Hilton Head Island after traveling extensively and putting down roots in California and Florida. Her emphasis has always been on overall wellness, and she empowers her clients to make gradual changes in their lives and in their diets.
She often provides support for the whole family by encouraging this change to begin in their own kitchens and offers holistic health counseling as well as cooking classes. Hardwick’s classes are inspired by local and seasonal foods. She believes food should be sourced and cooked with love and integrity and encourages her clients to get organized in the kitchen and cook simply with whole foods.
As part of her wellness offerings, Hardwick also teaches yoga classes for all levels at her home studio. Her classes are designed to strengthen the nervous, immune, and lymphatic systems while encouraging people to practice mindfully at their current ability. Classes include the use of props to gently create space in the body and connect movement to breath in a meditative way to open and clear the body, mind, and heart.
Hardwick will be leading small groups this fall through her new book, Finding a Way to Be Here, weaving together cooking for the season, broths, teas, yoga, meditation, and writing for clarity and change. Learn more about her work and new workbook at flowandnourish.com.
What follows are some of Hardwick’s favorite summer recipes from her book, with most ingredients sourced locally from farmers’ markets and Mrs. Campbell’s stand on Spanish Wells Road.
Fresh fruits and vegetables at Mrs. Campbell’s stand on Spanish Wells Road
Della Campbell and Charlotte Hardwick
SUMMER
Summer is filled with cooling fruits and vegetables to support long, warm days. There is an abundance of delicious produce that includes corn, peaches, tomatoes, watermelon, cherries, and cucumbers. Many people avoid these vegetables and fruits because they think they are too high in sugar or carbohydrates, but please don’t miss enjoying summer’s offerings.
The bounty of summer is here to nourish you from the inside out. Many of these fruits and vegetables are here to hydrate and literally protect you from the sun. Summer days are long and warm, so energy and hydration is key. Think about eating your water: an ounce of water-rich vegetables or fruit is almost an ounce of water. Water is in the structure of the fruit and vegetable and is gradually released to hydrate instead of passing through the body.
An ingredient called lycopene, which is a phytonutrient, helps protect skin from sun damage. Tomatoes, for example, make lycopene to protect themselves from sun damage. When we eat those plants, we reduce the damage from UV light and decrease our chances of sunburn.
The colorful produce of summer is loaded with fiber, vitamins, and minerals to nourish us and requires minimal cooking. I love to fill my kitchen with beautiful produce, throw together fresh salads and enjoy the fruit I don’t eat during the colder months. I put cooling cucumber in my water, blend watermelon and drink as a juice, chop tomatoes and basil, and keep meals very simple. This makes summer cooking easy and allows more time to be outside.
The energy of the sun is undeniable and I appreciate the inspiration this season brings to move more and allow a little more freedom in our day to day. Even if you don’t cook much in the summer, you can always be inspired by the colors that surround you with this season’s incredible abundance.
HIBISCUS TEA
Hibiscus is packed with antioxidants and is rich in antioxidants such as beta-carotene, high doses of vitamin C, and anthocyanin. It offers many benefits, but it is amazing for the skin and perfect for a summer tea.
In honor of summer, you can make sun tea by simply filling a large glass jar or pitcher with water, and add four tea bags per half gallon, based on the size of your container. Place your jar or pitcher outside where the sunlight can warm the container for about three to five hours. When the tea has reached its desired strength, remove it from the sun and put it in the refrigerator to enjoy cold.
WATERMELON JUICE
Watermelon juice couldn’t be easier. It really isn’t even a recipe and you don’t need a juicer, just a blender.
Scoop the watermelon into the blender, blend until smooth. You don’t need to strain it unless it has seeds in it. (You can buy seedless watermelons.) If you have a big watermelon, you can do batches of the juice and store in the refrigerator for a few days.
I like to store the juice in jars because it separates, and you can just give it a shake. I love to freeze into cubes and serve with sparkling water or lemonade and mint.
WATERMELON GAZPACHO
Serves 6
4 cups seedless watermelon, cubed
1 peeled and diced cucumber, reserve half
3 medium diced tomatoes, reserve half
1 red bell pepper, diced, reserve half
1/3 cup chopped green onions, reserve half
Big handful of fresh basil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
Optional jalapeno
Set aside the reserved half of the chopped cucumber, tomatoes, red pepper, and green onions and place the remaining half in a blender.
Add the watermelon, basil, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings. Stir in the reserved chopped vegetables.
Chill for 3 to 4 hours or overnight
To serve, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with diced avocado.
TOMATO PIE
1 9-inch piecrust
5 tomatoes, sliced
½ yellow onion, chopped
15 basil leaves, chopped
2 cups shredded parmesan
¾ to 1 cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 350°.
Use a serrated knife to cut the tomatoes into slices ¼-inch thick. Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet and line with paper towels. Arrange the tomato slices in a single layer on the paper towels and sprinkle them with the salt. Let them drain for 15 to 30 minutes. Blot the tomatoes dry with more paper towels.
Meanwhile, stir together mayonnaise, chopped onions, grated parmesan, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. You want a paste you can spread on the bottom and top of the pie.
Cover the bottom of the pie with the mayonnaise mixture, then layer with tomatoes, chopped basil, parmesan, more tomatoes, chopped basil, grated parmesan, and finish with tomatoes. Cover the entire top with the mayonnaise mixture and bake until the top is browned, about 30 minutes.
Place on a wire rack to cool to room temperature before serving.
SUMMER CORN SALAD
Serves 4-6
2 cups of corn off the cob
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 diced orange pepper
1 diced red pepper
1 cup diced cucumber
1-2 avocados, cubed
1 16-ounce container of mozzarella petals
1 cup fresh chopped basil
Whisk together for dressing:
Juice of 3 limes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of salt and pepper
CUCUMBER FETA SALAD
Serves 6
4 pitas
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons sumac
1 garlic clove
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
3 cups cucumbers, sliced
1 can (15 ounces) white beans, drained and rinsed
¼ cup thinly sliced red onions
4 ounces of feta, crumbled
4 tablespoons dill
Pre heat oven to 400°.
On a sheet pan, toss the pita with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and sumac. Bake the pita until brown, about 8 minutes. Let cool.
Whisk together red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper for the vinaigrette.
Make the salad with cucumbers, white beans, red onions, feta, and dill. Toss the salad with half of the vinaigrette, then toss in the pita chips. Add more vinaigrette as you like.
GREEN BEAN POTATO SALAD
Serves 4-6
4 small red skinned potatoes
Big handful of green beans
1 small scallion, white and tender green parts, chopped
¼ cup chopped dill
6 stalks celery, diced
1 cup black olives
1 tablespoon chives
Red wine vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender (about 10-15 minutes). Steam green beans.
Make vinaigrette.
Sauté leeks with dill in a splash of olive oil over medium heat until crispy.
In large bowl, toss potatoes, green beans, celery, olives, chives, and half of the leek mixture with a splash of vinaigrette. Garnish with the remaining leek mixture.
FROZEN CHOCOLATE BLACKBERRY BARK
1 cup chocolate chips
1 tablespoon coconut oil
½ cup berries
Melt chocolate with coconut oil over low heat in a glass bowl over boiling water until it is smooth. Take off heat and stir in your berries until completely coated. Pour the chocolate and berry mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread it so it’s flat. Put it in the freezer for an hour.
After the bark has solidified, take it out, break it into pieces, and store it in a container in the freezer for a healthy delicious treat anytime.
Of course, you can substitute berries for nuts, seeds, coconut, or dried fruit, but I make this with berries all summer long.
FRUIT COBBLER
Melt 1 stick of butter in a deep casserole dish and make
a batter of:
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
¾ cup milk
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pour in melted butter. Don’t stir.
Pour in batter. Don’t stir.
Pour in 1 cup fruit. Don’t stir.
Bake at 350° for 1 hour.
