https://www.southernsirenchs.com/the-charleston-catering-blog daily 0.75 2026-08-16 https://www.southernsirenchs.com/the-charleston-catering-blog/too-damn-hot-easy-dishes-for-summer-entertaining-in-charleston monthly 0.5 2026-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/a8a52511-acd2-4571-8519-b38dafcd23ce/1.png The Charleston Catering Blog: Southern Siren - Too Damn Hot: Easy Snacks for Summer Entertaining in Charleston Lately, I’ve been stopped in my tracks by the most beautiful, deep pink tuna steaks at the Harris Teeter seafood counter. Last night, I finally decided to take a stab at tuna ceviche, and those results were the inspiration for this very blog. The ceviche stays clean and bright with fresh, wild-caught tuna, lime juice, diced cucumber and avocado, minced jalapeño and shallots, cilantro, and just a little rice vinegar. Instead of reaching for a heavier pita chip, baked wonton chips keep things light. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/079459c3-16ff-4e7a-95c3-41f7030c55fc/2.png The Charleston Catering Blog: Southern Siren - Too Damn Hot: Easy Snacks for Summer Entertaining in Charleston - There is something deeply satisfying about a salad that is aggressively crunchy while also being super healthy. Hometeam BBQ’s green salad is my favorite salad in the entire universe, and when developing Southern Siren’s menu, I set out to make my own version honoring its green, crunchy goodness. Cabbage, arugula, fennel, celery, Honeycrisp apple, jalapeño, cilantro, and parsley bring plenty of crisp texture. It's bright, refreshing, and made for those days when you want food that tastes like it might actually lower your body temperature by a degree or two. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/a80ed0bb-a6f9-42ab-bf49-ec0b2482e9be/3.png The Charleston Catering Blog: Southern Siren - Too Damn Hot: Easy Snacks for Summer Entertaining in Charleston Butterbeans immediately give this dish a Southern point of view, while a tri-color cheese tortellini (store-bought is fine!) makes it substantial enough to stand in as a meal. Toss together with sliced heirloom cherry tomatoes, scallions, basil, parsley, feta, and a lemon vinaigrette, and you've got a pasta salad that is bright enough for summer but filling enough to keep everyone from asking what's for dinner 45 minutes later. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/87b9dd6e-d191-4d5c-adcf-7a0dea0dd669/4.png The Charleston Catering Blog: Southern Siren - Too Damn Hot: Easy Snacks for Summer Entertaining in Charleston What better way to beat the heat than with…beets!? Summer is an excellent excuse to eat more vegetables without cooking them into oblivion. Raw beets, rainbow carrots, Hakurei turnips, fresh herbs, goat cheese, and chopped pistachios create a salad with plenty of color, texture, and personality. A lemon-Dijon vinaigrette pulls everything together without weighing it down. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/22a43f2a-043a-47b6-80d6-17f3b362744b/5.png The Charleston Catering Blog: Southern Siren - Too Damn Hot: Easy Snacks for Summer Entertaining in Charleston Okay, so technically we're turning on the heat for this one, but only briefly, and I think we can all survive that. Shishito peppers are my favorite summer side, and are very similar to Padrón peppers if you’ve ever had those in a Spanish tapas bar. They take only a few minutes to blister at high heat, and I like to serve the with either cold whipped feta or a quick sriracha mayo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/d1b0f002-34e5-4e8f-81f7-2b739d55b5be/6.png The Charleston Catering Blog: Southern Siren - Too Damn Hot: Easy Snacks for Summer Entertaining in Charleston When local tomatoes are at their peak, the goal is simple: DON’T MESS THEM UP. Layer thick slices of ripe tomato with fresh mozzarella, basil, baby spinach, and homemade basil or walnut pesto on a slider bun – I use King’s Hawaiian Rolls or homemade focaccia bread. The result is familiar enough to please a crowd but still celebrates one of summer's best ingredients. If you keep the Hawaiian rolls intact, they’re easy to pack in a cooler and bring to the beach or pool for a crowd. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/5f4f2951-2aee-43fe-925c-cdec38f095fb/7.png The Charleston Catering Blog: Southern Siren - Too Damn Hot: Easy Snacks for Summer Entertaining in Charleston Fresh South Carolina peaches, salty prosciutto, whipped feta cheese, arugula, basil, and balsamic reduction all piled onto focaccia? YES PLEASEEEEE. This one hits sweet, salty, creamy, peppery, and acidic all at once. Best of all, it requires very little actual cooking, just a little searing of sliced peaches, which means you can spend more time enjoying your guests and less time sweating over a stove. That is always a win. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/153a0329-e6c2-4315-97be-af65de2be882/9.png The Charleston Catering Blog: Southern Siren - Too Damn Hot: Easy Snacks for Summer Entertaining in Charleston A Charleston summer dessert should understand the assignment. These raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake bars are best served straight from the freezer, somewhere between traditional cheesecake and an ice cream bar. Fresh raspberries on top add a little brightness and make the whole thing feel appropriately summery. Is raspberry particularly Lowcountry-specific? No. Do we care when it's 115° with the humidity? Also no. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/d9f94443-5649-4144-a22c-9fdb9306ae5d/BankerMay2026-34.JPG The Charleston Catering Blog: Southern Siren - Too Damn Hot: Easy Snacks for Summer Entertaining in Charleston At the end of the day, easy summer entertaining is supposed to be just that: easy. You don't need a complicated menu, twelve burners going at once, or a kitchen that looks like The Bear lives there. A few cold dishes, a little peak-season produce, something crunchy, something citrusy, and a dessert that comes directly from the freezer can go a long way. But what if your version of Charleston summer entertaining involves inviting people over but having absolutely zero interest in actually preparing the food yourself? Well, that's where Southern Siren Drop-Off Catering comes in. Southern Siren specializes in fresh, flavorful food designed for gatherings, so you can spend time with your guests instead of standing in a hot kitchen wondering why you thought hosting a party in August was a good idea in the first place. You invite the people. Tell everyone to BYOB. And let someone else handle the food. Maybe also perform regular maintenance on your HVAC. I know from experience. https://www.southernsirenchs.com/the-charleston-catering-blog/underrated-local-ingredients-charleston-catering monthly 0.5 2026-08-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/92472ea0-9643-4f36-9253-eb8ed783515a/03152026.png The Charleston Catering Blog: Southern Siren - 8 Underrated Ingredients Every Charleston Home Cook Should Try - 1. Farro Farro is what’s called an “ancient grain”, meaning in the (thousands of) years of its cultivation, it has not been significantly hybridized or genetically modified through modern agricultural breeding. Farro has a slightly chewy texture and a nutty flavor that makes it perfect for salads, grain bowls, or warm side dishes. I recommend trying it with roasted seasonal vegetables (I just paired it with mushrooms and leeks), feta and herbs, or lemon vinaigrette. Farro piccolo from Marsh Hen Mill and Anson Mills are the foundation of our Farro Feta Salad, which you can explore on our Southern Siren catering menu. It’s a popular option for Charleston drop-off catering and does great on the beach or boat, kept in a cooler. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/55def2d2-018c-4bd8-9471-7c12a0237a02/2.png The Charleston Catering Blog: Southern Siren - 8 Underrated Ingredients Every Charleston Home Cook Should Try - 3. Fennel Fennel is criminally underused in American home kitchens. If you watched my reel on fennel, you know how I feel. The beautiful bulbous vegetable has a subtle anise flavor that becomes sweet and caramelized when roasted. When raw, it adds a nice snap to a salad with other crunchy, zippy vegetables or apples. I was so inspired by fennel that I developed a recipe for the Siren Snap Salad, which pairs excellently with our Carolina-style BBQ pork and skillet “unicorn” cornbread. Explore our Charleston catering menu. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/2ba07d88-5b99-4c56-aee1-7c1ab3b1d7c9/IMG_1711.jpg The Charleston Catering Blog: Southern Siren - 8 Underrated Ingredients Every Charleston Home Cook Should Try - 5. Tarragon Tarragon is one of the most elegant herbs you can cook with. Its subtle licorice flavor pairs beautifully with chicken, eggs, seafood, and creamy sauces. It’s kind of funny that I despise black licorice yet enjoy the flavors of tarragon and fennel – does anyone else have weird food preference contradictions like that? I found out that I loved tarragon in a chicken salad, and that’s now a staple dish on not only our Charleston vacation rental catering menus, but are Charleston boat charter menus, created exclusively for patrons of sailboat, yacht, and other boat charters in the area. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/be459112-0196-44b5-8a6d-0cad7223992a/Spanakopita1.jpg The Charleston Catering Blog: Southern Siren - 8 Underrated Ingredients Every Charleston Home Cook Should Try - 7. Dill Dill is often associated with pickles, but it’s far more versatile than that. Dill’s bright flavor works wonderfully with seafood (pickled shrimp!), yogurt sauces, cucumber salad sandwiches, and crispy roasted potatoes. Fresh dill instantly makes dishes feel lighter and more vibrant — perfect for coastal cooking. On Southern Siren’s Charleston catering menu, you’ll find dill in our spanakopita filling, our tzatziki that accompanies the Greek Kebab feast, and the Santorini shrimp and orzo salad. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/c42863d3-e107-4cae-ad03-860e2daa06d8/Greek+Kebabs2.png The Charleston Catering Blog: Southern Siren - 8 Underrated Ingredients Every Charleston Home Cook Should Try - Cooking with Seasonal Lowcountry Ingredients https://www.southernsirenchs.com/the-charleston-catering-blog/charleston-catering monthly 0.5 2026-04-05 https://www.southernsirenchs.com/the-charleston-catering-blog/mount-pleasant-catering monthly 0.5 2026-08-11 https://www.southernsirenchs.com/the-charleston-catering-blog/sullivans-island-catering monthly 0.5 2026-08-11 https://www.southernsirenchs.com/the-charleston-catering-blog/isle-of-palms-catering monthly 0.5 2026-08-11 https://www.southernsirenchs.com/contact-southern-siren-catering daily 0.75 2026-04-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/a31e5304-88b9-4b4b-8982-4784e574fc19/Greek+Kebabs6.jpg https://www.southernsirenchs.com/privacy-policy daily 0.75 2026-02-18 https://www.southernsirenchs.com/charleston-catering daily 1.0 2026-07-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/caab0ec8-554a-4962-9429-04b0c15543e1/SS_RoastBeefChimi_Lg-15.jpg Charleston Vacation Rental Catering | Southern Siren Close-up of an open-faced sandwich with deli meats, cheese, lettuce, and pickles on a toasted bun, accompanied by strawberry and herb toasts in the background. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/f379c594-14e8-4a86-97c6-0aaa75399a19/SS_TurkeyBLT_Lg-16.jpg Charleston Vacation Rental Catering | Southern Siren Close-up of a plate with two sandwich halves filled with turkey, lettuce, tomato, bacon, and slices of bread, on a blue tablecloth with other plates of sandwiches in the background. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/5c489e08-f20f-42ae-8f6c-5f9ad872b6a9/SS_BuffChickenSliders_Lg-20.jpg Charleston Vacation Rental Catering | Southern Siren Close-up of chicken slider sandwiches on a wooden serving board with toothpicks, with other sliders blurred in the background. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/d7a7b10a-a8ff-4b23-977a-6ad9a49abc7a/SS_CheeseburgerSliders_Lg-09.jpg Charleston Vacation Rental Catering | Southern Siren Mini cheeseburgers with pickles on a dark platter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/8c9cda6a-0c19-4ff6-9e74-90df5246b732/SS_MeetballSliders_Lg-14.jpg Charleston Vacation Rental Catering | Southern Siren Three mini meatball sandwiches with melted cheese on a wooden cutting board in a kitchen. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/6f31fb8f-2d45-4509-ba9c-77f1c68f6f46/SS_TunaStuffedPeppers_Lg-11.jpg Charleston Vacation Rental Catering | Southern Siren Close-up of a white rectangular plate with sliced stuffed red peppers filled with chopped vegetables and chicken, garnished with drizzled sauce. In the background, there are plates with fried chicken tenders with lemon slices, a bowl of shrimp in sauce, and a vegetable salad on a blue tablecloth. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/6e82afa7-02ed-4746-b168-c6115d15732e/SS_HotHoneyGarlicShrimp_Lg-19.jpg Charleston Vacation Rental Catering | Southern Siren Shrimp dish garnished with chopped herbs on a decorative blue and white plate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/6cbb22f3-d70d-4142-bb8d-5923a8f7f063/SS_CountryHamCroquettes_Lg-04.jpg Charleston Vacation Rental Catering | Southern Siren Plate of fried chicken tenders garnished with lemon slices, with bowls of pasta salad and sushi rolls in the background. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/6f2326d1-173c-472e-b9b3-1ed9ab05a0ec/SS_PatatasBravas_Lg-07.jpg Charleston Vacation Rental Catering | Southern Siren A bowl of potato salad topped with ketchup or tomato sauce, with fried chicken nuggets in the background. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/1769636966381-WIX7U0C268GD7496T5AD/IMG_0449%2B%25281%2529.png Charleston Vacation Rental Catering | Southern Siren Two freshly baked rosemary and sea salt focaccia bread loaves in baking dishes cooling after baking. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/01b13301-4908-485b-9aa1-23d477343e56/SS_Lasagna_Lg-06.jpg Charleston Vacation Rental Catering | Southern Siren Baked lasagna in a aluminum tray garnished with parsley and grated cheese, sitting on a wooden surface. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/13709e3c-87a1-4559-bd70-4dd7b92741bc/SS_PenneAllaVodka_Lg-20.jpg Charleston Vacation Rental Catering | Southern Siren Plate of cooked pasta with orange sauce garnished with chopped parsley and grated cheese, on a yellow and blue patterned bowl with other dishes in the background. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/867f8f06-c87d-45ab-80ec-38f69b40685b/IMG_0256.jpg Charleston Vacation Rental Catering | Southern Siren Plate of cooked bowtie pasta with sautéed mushrooms, topped with a seasoned piece of fish garnished with chopped parsley, on a decorative plate. Silver fork and wooden-handled knife rest on dark tablecloth. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/dfb5021c-4d6d-4542-82f4-663f2b798da6/SS_WinterKaleSalad_Lg-6.jpg Charleston Vacation Rental Catering | Southern Siren A plate of fresh mixed greens salad with sliced apples, red onions, pecans, pomegranate seeds, and crumbled cheese, served with tongs on a wooden board. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/08e67a4b-b10e-4ca1-abbc-16c403df36e5/SS_CheesecakeBars_Lg-09.jpg Charleston Vacation Rental Catering | Southern Siren Plate of raspberry crumb bars on a colorful ceramic plate, placed on a granite countertop. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/876e3acb-1177-4e4f-8235-315da0e10927/SS_FunfettiSugar_Lg-04.jpg Charleston Vacation Rental Catering | Southern Siren Colorful sprinkled sugar cookies on a white ceramic plate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/122968d3-aa3f-42c1-8f91-5fdac68071e4/SS_OatmealRaisinNut_Lg-02.jpg Charleston Vacation Rental Catering | Southern Siren Close-up of homemade oatmeal raisin cookies on a white tray. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/7dfa9ff8-bf18-4afe-b095-3211f3df51a1/SS_PecanPralineStickies_Lg-13.jpg Charleston Vacation Rental Catering | Southern Siren Two pieces of bread pudding with caramel sauce, topped with a layer of vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce, on a rectangular dish. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/3b2d4999-6ea4-4896-a521-0707b0dbd561/Greek+Kebabs6.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/75359227-2081-4ac7-b621-25e8859ffecb/IOP.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/d928a51a-c0f0-43ab-9a5f-7377a631e92a/IMG_0701.JPG https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/f2d2e5af-cac6-49b0-a82d-317662ff7199/IMG_1863.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/e23bcffb-f871-4273-8302-16b8e8a7ac84/IMG_6351+%281%29.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/9275e4f6-6000-4a80-b4aa-a7862c12f468/SS_RoastBeefChimi_Lg-15.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/b4b4838f-bd66-4eca-82a1-e8c58ff12e12/SS_BaconWrappedDates_Lg-12.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/1f79a95d-809a-40d2-aa28-efe9cc8b051c/SS_CheesecakeBars_Lg-09.jpg https://www.southernsirenchs.com/menu daily 0.75 2026-07-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/40087532-325e-47a2-a103-faedc9f48790/SS_Lasagna_Lg-04.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/2dd39010-3917-45b5-a94b-2b8f47e2d5d7/SS_BaconWrappedDates_Lg-12.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/8b559cd2-1f5b-43a8-98a5-e6465c1d96fa/SS_5Desserts_Lg-03.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/718e28eb-3d0a-4781-96a6-c1a29ec0bbca/SS_WinterKaleSalad_Lg-3.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/5e1c4081-19b7-4842-a526-c1994b9bf2b9/SS_RoastBeefChimi_Lg-06.jpg https://www.southernsirenchs.com/faq-charleston-vacation-rental-catering daily 0.75 2026-07-13 https://www.southernsirenchs.com/chef-meg-banker-charleston-caterer daily 0.75 2026-04-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/68ae3249a273d970603fbe94/a8b99d7a-b428-434e-a539-26c58ad4cb80/IMG_7087.jpeg