We are still at the beach. A local olive oil merchant recommended this simple recipe: peel and cut cantaloupe and watermelon into bite-sized pieces, then drizzle with peach-infused white balsamic vinegar and basil-infused olive oil (in a 4:3 ratio). Lightly toss, then serve. This was refreshing and delicious. If we were home with our full… Continue reading Simple summer melon salad
Tag: fruit
White sangria
For our first outdoor grilling event this sunmer, we decided to make white sangria. We discovered a wide range of recipes, and we loosely followed this one: https://www.thespruceeats.com/simple-white-wine-sangria-recipe-3511043 We combined the following: 1 standard bottle (750 ml) Spanish white wine, 1/4 cup brandy, 1/4 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup superfine sugar, and 3.5 cups fresh… Continue reading White sangria
Simple fig freezer jam
We had about 16 fresh figs left from our friends’ harvest, so we tried this recipe: https://goodiegodmother.com/fresh-fig-freezer-jam/ We used 1/3 c honey as the sweetener. We also found that we needed to simmer the mixture longer (about 45 mins) to reduce to the right texture. (Sept. 2022)
Savory fig jam
Our good friends Steve and Andrea generously gave us about 4 lb of figs harvested from their fig tree. We tried this chutney-like recipe: https://pastrychefonline.com/savory-fig-jam/ In terms of proportions, we used: 3 dry cups fresh, ripe green figs (see Note); 6 palm sugar lumps (called "small cubes" even though they are shaped like half-globes), and… Continue reading Savory fig jam
Strawberry-lemon sour cream loaf
Details here: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022439-strawberry-lemon-loaf-cake?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share This was delicious. (May 2022)
Whole orange snack cake
When I was a kid, my family loved an orange chiffon cake from our local bakery, Danish Bakers. Craving that childhood memory, we tried this NYT recipe for a whole orange snack cake: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022002-whole-orange-snack-cake?smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share We used a regular-sized naval orange. For the icing, we used the zest from the entire naval orange and about 2.5… Continue reading Whole orange snack cake
Grape sorbet
We tried this healthy recipe, and it was very tasty: https://www.liveeatlearn.com/5-minute-grape-sorbet/ We froze individual grapes on a quarter tray wrapped in a one gallon freezer bag for at least 4 hours. (Feb. 2022)
Oatmeal with caramelized pear
We tried this recipe: https://minimalistbaker.com/brown-sugar-pear-steel-cut-oats/ Based on our pantry, we made the full oatmeal recipe (using steel-cut oats) but halved the pear recipe. We also ran out of standard brown sugar (fine granulation, slightly moist), so we used 1 Tbsp natural brown sugar (medium granulation) plus 1 tsp dark molasses. We covered the pear mixture… Continue reading Oatmeal with caramelized pear
Cranberry pear sauce
We tried this recipe: https://www.skinnytaste.com/cranberry-pear-sauce/. We used Anjou pears and added 1 Tbsp julienned ginger. We found the sauce tasty, not too sweet, but the texture a little runny. Nov. 2021)
Fruit salad with lime-honey dressing
This is a simple and refreshing dessert. First, prepare approximately 4 cups of seasonal fresh fruit (here, quartered strawberries, halved red flame grapes, blueberries, and sliced banana) in a large serving bowl. Sprinkle lightly with salt and black pepper. Drizzle with juice from half a lime and 1 Tbsp honey. Mix well and serve. (Nov.… Continue reading Fruit salad with lime-honey dressing
Cooking Adventures 