fruits of summer
DESCRIPTION
The weather is warm but with a tendency towards more temperate air. After all the work and waiting, my garden is in full swing. The changing yet glistening dusk at night. A less frenetic pace to everything and local stonefruit, watermelon and and blueberries. How do you enjoy the fruits of summer?TRANSCRIPT
How do you enjoy the
fruits of summer?
August, let me count the ways I love thee. The
weather is warm but with a tendency towards more
temperate air. After all the work and waiting, my
garden is in full swing. The changing yet
glistening dusk at night. A less frenetic pace to
everything, local stonefruit, watermelon &
blueberries.
A dear Australian friend will be visiting the
Berkshires and we are planning to meet at
Tanglewood. When I think Tanglewood, I
think food. What will our picnic consist of? This
is where I am leaning....
Locally smoked salmon with blueberries, the homemade crackers and chevre I have been
trying to perfect. I am leaning towards cornish game hens and grilled peaches, also local.
A green salad with strawberries and a simple vinaigrette
Gingerbread baby cakes with whipped cream and watermelon.
JFK would not campaign in August because he knew people's minds were off and at
rest. For Terra Americana it is hopefully the calm before the storm. This year I am taking
full advantage. Up early in the morning to experiment in the kitchen and enjoying my
yard during the day and into the night. It seems that once the fall thunders in I do not get
to see much of either.
Here is my current list of new recipes to try and old ones to revisit and make better.
Mixed Berry Preserves
Flat Topped Blueberry Muffins
Easy Peach Salsa
Watermelon and Peach Salad
Grilled fish with a touch of peach
Duck breast with fresh peaches
Stonefruit Bread Pudding
Sable breton galette with berries
Blueberry Vinegar Cookies
Baked Yogurt Tart
Cantaloupe sorbet
Peach and Blueberry Sangria
Shannon's Seoul Summer Sip
Black Cherry Collins
Mixed Berry Preserves
The idea for Mixed Berry Preserves came home with me from
England. I lived in Devon as a grad student. While there I
fully immersed myself in the cuisine of the shire. Naturally
that meant lots of tea with clotted cream and preserves.
Quite often I could be found at Mol's Coffee House in the
Cathedral close. A book in hand, a pot of tea and the
remnants of my treats sprinkled on a plate.
This recipe was shared by one of the waitresses who knew me
by name whenever I walked in. It is a simple way to preserve
the fruits of the season. It is also perfection topped on Dorie
Greenspan's Sable Breton Galette.
1 lb strawberries, sliced
1/2 lb dried mixed berries
(blueberries, blackberries, rasperries
(or 1 lb fresh)
1 tsp corn starch
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Orange Vanilla Sugar
Remove stems and wash the fruit. Hull
strawberries. First place red dried berries in
a pan with very little water boil until they
become mushy. Add the straberries and
continue to boil until they are soft, this
should take approximately 20 min. Stir in
cornstarch, lemon juice and Orange Vanilla
Sugar. Continue to boil until the fruit begins to set. Cool the mixture for 15 to 20 min and
then store in warmed jam jars.
Flat
Topped
Blueberry
Muffins I think my earliest memory of
food was a blueberry muffin; a
light, airy confection full of
sublime flavor and
color. Blueberry muffins bring
me joy. Blueberry muffins are
the perfect Sunday morning
food....
This recipe has evolved over the years. The technique for blending the batter come from
Baking with Julia. The muffins are petite and flat topped. Not the grande, pretentious
kind you now find at coffee houses. These have you remembering the flavor for hours
without feeling as though you might need to undo a button or two.
1 package Shortbread Mix or (1 1/3 cup
gluten free flours and 1/3 cup sugar)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup sour cream or yogurt
1/4 cup Earth Balance or butter
1 pint fresh blueberries - rinsed, drained and
patted dry
1/2 tsp Russian Mulling Spice
Sift the Shortbread Mix, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt together twice. Remove a
tbsp of dry ingredients and Russian Mulling Spice. Toss with blueberries in a different
bowl. In another separate bowl, stir milk and sour cream together, and set aside.
Cream half of the dry
ingredients with the butter.
Add half of the milk mixture,
delicately fold the ingredients
together, stopping when barely
combined. Add remaining dry
and liquid ingredients and fold
in only until just mixed. It is
important not to thoroughly
mix the batter. Fold the
blueberries in.
Spoon batter into prepared
muffins tins, filling each cup at
least 2/3 full. Bake back
for 25 to 30 minutes or until
tops are golden and spring
back when light pressed. Turn
out muffins onto a cooling rack
and allow them to cool for 10
to 15 minutes before serving.
Easy Peach Salsa
This recipe is for old Mr.
Nestrovich, who died a couple
years ago. I proudly biked up to his
orchard in Granville to get some
peaches. Very full of my self when
I arrived, I was unsure of how
many to buy; so I asked him what
he thought would fit in my
pack. His answer, "This bag, and
you better get going because your
a.. is going to get wet, by the looks
of those clouds."
Fresh, simple and just in time for our local harvest. Enjoy it on salad, with chips, grilled
chicken, fish and even steak. Sweet, yet spicey - just like Mr. Nestrovich. This peach
salsa can't be beat!
2 fresh peaches, chopped 1/2 bermuda onion, sliced thin 2 tsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp lime juice 1/4 tsp Chinese 5 Spice
1/8 tsp white pepper
In a medium bowl, combine peaches, onion, cilantro, and lime juice. Mix in Chinese 5
Spice, and white pepper. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Watermelon and Peach Salad
with feta and mint
This recipe calls my name in the heavy, hot and humid dog days of summer. Light and
refreshing, yet at the same time filling.
The watermelon sooths while the peach satisfies. I have been known to serve it with a
poached egg for breakfast, toasted nuts for lunch and alongside a loaf of crusty bread and
pate for an oven free dinner.
2 lb watermelon (seedless is easiest)
2 peaches, stone cut out and
chopped (I prefer to leave the skin
on)
1/3 cup sliced bermuda onion or
chopped chives
1/4 cup Oregano & Thyme or white
wine vinegar
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 cup grapeseed or canola oil
1 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 tsp Garlic Ginger Salt (or try
chive salt)
Cut the flesh from the melon and chop into roughly 1 inch pieces. Add watermelon,
peaches and onion to a serving bowl. Toss in feta, mint and pecans. In a small bowl,
combine the vinegar, Garlic Ginger Salt and whisk until it is dissolved. Slowly drizzle in
the olive oil, a few drops at a time.
In a large bowl, combine the melon, onion, and feta. Pour the dressing over the salad and
toss until everything is coated and evenly mixed. Allow the salad to sit at least 1 hour
before serving.
Easy grilled fish with a touch of
peach
This is a filling, flavorful and fresh dish on a hot
summer night. We like to make our own Peach
Salsa to accompany it but if you are pressed for
time, Newman's Own All-Natural Bandito
Chunky Peach Salsa is a fine substitute.
Fresh fish fillets or steaks (tilapia, salmon,
swordfish, swai, barramundi, trout, etc)
1/2 cup of Peach Salsa, per serving Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley, optional
Place fish in a foil wrapper and cover with salsa. Refrigerate and allow to marinate for at
least 30 minutes. When ready to cook, place fish packets on hot grill elevated above
coals. Cook 2-6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the cut. Serve with
cooked salsa.
Duck breast with fresh peaches The first time I had duck was in a tiny hamlet outside of Exeter in Devon, England. I
think the village was called Tiverton, the name of the restaurant escapes me. Two things
I am sure of are that I was in the splendid company of David Palmer and the duck was to
die for. Rich and meaty, flavorful and filling. Since then I have had duck prepared in a
number of ways, none as special as Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table. The
combination of garlic, herbs, port and honey play as the perfect backdrop for Duck and
local peaches. On the grill its even better. This is my
adaption.
2lb duck breast
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1tbsp Herbs de Provence
3 garlic cloves, lightly smashed, not peeled
1 tsp honey
1/4 cup ruby port
1 tsp Coconut Oil
4 ripe but still firm peaches, peeled, halved,
and pits removed
Score the fatty side of the duck breast and rub with salt, pepper and herbs. Place in a
shallow bowl with garlic, honey and port. Add peach halves. Allow to marinate for at
least 2 hours. Heat grill. Rub grates with coconut oil and place peach halves on the
grates. Place the duck, meat side down and grill for 5 minutes. Turn over and finish for
2-3 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing. Internal temperature of the duck breast
should be 165 degrees F.
Stonefruit
Bread
Pudding
This recipe is a right of summer. It's
good with whatever is ripe at the farm
stand. Mix and match, it can be
different every time you make it. If the
fruit is fresh and local, the result will
always be fabulous.
2 medium stonefruit
(peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines,
cups of cherries)
8 cups bread cubes
3 eggs
1 cup half-and-half soy cream
1cup white sugar
1/2 cup soy milk
2 tsp Russian Mulling Spice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Peel, core and cube the peaches. Lightly grease a 13x9 inch-baking pan. Cover the
bottom with half of the bread cubes and then sprinkle on half of the peaches. Repeat
with the remaining bread and peaches.
In a large mixing bowl combine the eggs, soy
cream, sugar, soy milk and Russian Mulling
Spice; beat well. Pour this mixture evenly over
the bread cubes and peaches. Bake at 350 degrees
for 35 minutes. Serve hot.
Sable
Breton
Galette
with
berries
I just finished the last piece of
this. With the solstice and full
strawberry moon approaching
I felt the need for a little bit of comfort. I felt the need to travel in my mind to the shores
of Brittany. A place where sea salt pervades the air and spices up everything from savory
to sweet.
The salt infused sable (or butter cookie) dough used for this free form pie is the perfect
base for the sweet curd and fruit topping. It's name sounds complicated, but it is
not. Avoiding a trip to the store, I used the rhubarb curd I had just concocted along with
the mixed berry preserves in my pantry from last year. The experience of crunch and
cream, followed by an explosion of fruit flavor makes this a perfect way to wind down
and enjoy the little things. Thank you Dorie!
1 recipe Shortbread with 1/4 tsp salt added
(ours is gluten free but it does not have to
be) Flaky Crust or Galette Dough may be
used if you prefer a less sweet crust. 2 cups lemon, lime, or Rhubarb Curd
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
1 cup mixed berry preserves 2 tbsp Orange Vanilla Sugar
Make shortbread and spread dough in one, 9x13 or
two, 9" tart pans. You can freeze the dough for up
to 6 months if you only want to make one tart. Or just make cookies with the extra
dough. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes or until crust begins to brown.
Spoon lemon, lime, or rhubarb curd over warm crust. Sprinkle sugar over the bars. Bake
at 350 F for 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on
wire rack. Serve cool.
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table.
Blueberry
Vinegar
Cookies I had forgotten about this recipe
until this morning when my
mother was looking for
something to do with the local
blueberries that have been sitting
in the refrigerator all
week. These cookies were
always a hit when we made them
as samples for the Farmers
Market at the X. The addition of
vinegar creates a chewier cookie and brings out the natural sweetness of the fruit. Below
is a gluten free version that is baking in the oven as I type. A terrific treat on a lazy rainy
day.
To make this gluten free;
1 cup fresh or dried blueberries
3/4 cup of melted butter or Earth
Balance (soy butter)
1 tbsp water
1 tsp Russian Mulling Spice
2 tbsp white wine or Cranberry
Orange vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 package of our gluten free
Butter Cookie Mix
1/4 tsp baking soda
With traditional flours:
1 cup fresh or dried blueberries
1 cup of melted butter
1 tsp Russian Mulling Spice
2 tbsp white wine or Cranberry
Orangevinegar
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 3/4 cups of flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Pour dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add the liquid ingredients and fold in using
a pastry cutter. Use a bit more water if you feel the mix is too dry. Bake in a preheated
oven at 350 f until the cookies become slightly brown. You can also add nuts or
chocolate chips to this recipe. This recipe makes a couple dozen good sized cookies.
Baked Yogurt Tart
I love yogurt, I love tarts
and I love seasonal
fruit. But, I could not get
my act together with this
one. It is partly due to the
fact that I have decided to
revisit all of the ancient
receipts in our collection,
looking for ways to
improve the techniques as
well as make them
healthier. So over the past
couple week my kitchen
has been a sweet shop and
any cravings I had have
long been satiated. Now that's have finally
gotten to it, I am not sure
what the hold up was. The flavors are so subtle and luscious on a flaky crust. I did not
expect baking yogurt to yield such a creamy base for fruit.
It is a beautiful ode to the fresh flavors of summer. The perfect addition to a family
picnic or, as my sister who was gifted with the beauty tells me, perfect for a summer
breakfast treat.
This is what I did to cut down on sugar and make
it gluten free.
1/8 cup Xylitol
1 egg
1 cup Yogurt
2 tbsp Orange Vanilla Sugar
1/4 cup Arrowroot
1/2 cups blueberries
1 cup sliced peaches
1/3 cup chopped nuts (I used almonds)
1/4 recipe gluten free Flaky Crust
Spread crust into a tart pan or plate. If you line the plate with parchment it will make
your life easier. Put parchment on top of the crust. Top that with pie weights or
beans. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar for 3-4 minutes till pale and thick. Lightly fold
the yogurt and vanilla extract into this until mixed. Sieve the flour into this gently,
folding it into the mix in batches.
Once the crust is baked, pour the mix into it, it will reach almost to the top of the pan.
Once you arrange the fruits in the center and nuts around the circumference, the tart is
ready to go into the oven for 40 minutes at 170 C (325F), until lightly golden around the
edges.Un mold with the foil or from the detachable base and chill in the fridge for 2
hours or so. Peel off foil and place on a cake tray, slice into wedges. Once such tart will
yield 16 slices.
How to make cantaloupe sorbet We had noble intentions for that cantaloupe....
Things don't always happen as planned. When we finally got to it the fruit was simply to
ripe to make an elegant accent to our fruit salad.
Armed with a bottle of riesling that needed a purpose as something other than a drink and
a cup of sugar we avoided a walk of shame to the compost pile.
1 large very ripe cantaloupe
1 cup sugar
1 cup Riesling
In a small saucepan, make a simple syrup by bringing sugar and 1 cup water to a boil.
Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until
it thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Allow it to
sit and cool to room temperature.
Cut the melon in half. Scoop out the seeds and
discard. Then cut or scoop out the melon from
the skin. Add the melon and syrup to a
blender or food processor. Puree. You may
need to do this in batches. Transfer each batch
to a large bowl.
Cover and chill mixture at least an hour and up
to overnight. Scoop out when ready to serve.
Peach and Blueberry Sangria
I don't consider Facebook
one of the 10 wonders of
the world. But yesterday I
saw Kevin Grezabian
posted that peaches are in
at Nestrovich and thought
what a great invention.
All day I've been
contemplating on what
I'm going to do with my
peaches. I was thinking
cobbler, and jam and ice
cream. Then I thought an
even better way to end a
long day, week and
month would be a
fantastic pitcher of
sangria.
There was that white
sangria Kate once made
and all those questionable bottles of Pinot Grigio sitting atop my sister's fridge, the
blueberries in the freezer and now my splendid peaches.
2 peaches per bottle of wine
1/3 cup blueberries per bottle wine
1/8 cup sugar per bottle of wine
Wine and more wine
Lightly macerate blueberries. Blanche peel and slice peaches. Add fruit and sugar to your
pitcher. Top with wine. Let's sit in the sun for two hours. Refrigerate until you're ready.
Shannon's Seoul Summer Sip;
with watermelon & rum Yes, that's right - Shannon's Seoul Summer Sip, say that 5 times fast. Or better yet, make
enough to share with 5 friends. Simple and refreshing, this cocktail screams summer. It
will also help you rest, relax and enjoy a hot summer day.
Shannon Buckley-Shaklee; fantastic friend and master mixologist planted the seed for
this recipe, shortly after I visited her in Seoul, South Korea in May.
"It is full-on watermelon season here. Have you
ever had watermelon juice? If not, have some
quickly. It is amazing. We made watermelon
cocktails tonight and they were very yummy."
2 cups cubed watermelon per drink
1 jigger spiced or Malibu rum per drink
fresh mint to garnish
Pour all of the ingredients in a pitcher, blender or food processor. Pulse for about 3
minutes until the watermelon has turned to juice. Add crushed ice or serve straight up
with a sprig of mint to garnish.
Black
Cherry
Collins I have been thinking of the Tom
Collins. My mothers parents,
Nana and Frankie, would serve
them when they had the
O'Connors over for dinner and
cards in the summer. They even
had proper Collins glasses. If I
remember correctly, the tall
glasses were frosted and sported turquoise sea horses. To me, the Collins has a distinct
refreshing flavor of summer, a quintessential cocktail of the season.
Then Beth was telling me about the Blueberry Collins her mother had one day in
Boston. Not sickly sweet, rather refreshing and flavorful.
On my way home I stopped at
Rays. Prepared to pick up some tiny wild
blueberries I was sidetracked I spotted
gorgeous black cherries. I could not
resist. This is where the typical Tom and
Inventive Blueberry Collins led me.
The juice of 1 lemons
1 tsp Xylitol(or 1 tbsp sugar)
4 black cherries, pitted
3 oz gin
Black cherry seltzer
Muddle cherries and xylitol. Add gin. Muddle some more. Divide between two tall
glasses. Add ice and top with seltzer.
There are endless possibilities to enjoy the fruits of summer!
Our Story
We are a group of people who love to cook, shop, travel,& give.
A lifetimes fascination with food somehow led to importing pottery from Europe. Initially we
marketed through home parties. During our first Christmas season we realized people were
looking for gifts rather than items for themselves so we decided to make our bowls and cups into
baskets by going back into the kitchen. After filling them with gourmet goodies we made
ourselves, the phone never stopped ringing with people looking for more.
Today our products can be found throughout the US and Canada. You might even find them on
a trip to Amsterdam.
Our customers are important to us. You helped us evolve into who we are today. We want to
hear your feedback! e-mail us.
Terra Americana PO Box 642 Southwick, MA 01077 1-877-298-0867