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When you have only a few berries to hand, combine them with other summer fruits to make a colorful, refreshing fruit salad. Serve it simply with cream or ice cream, or drizzle with a vibrant mango sauce.
Serves 6
1 large ripe mango, peeled, stoned
and chopped rind of 1 unwaxed orange
juice of 3 oranges caster sugar, to taste
2 peaches
2 nectarines, 1 small mango, peeled
2 plums, 1 pear or ½ small melon
juice of 1 lemon
l-2oz/2 heaped tbsp wild
strawberries (optional)
l-2oz/2 heaped tbsp
raspberries 1-2oz/2 heaped tbsp blueberries
small mint sprigs to decorate
In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, process the large mango until smooth. Add the orange rind, juice and sugar to taste and process again until very smooth. Press through a sieve into a bowl and chill the sauce.
Peel the peaches, if liked, then slice and stone the peaches, nectarines, small mango and plums. Quarter the pear and remove the core and seeds, or, if using, slice the melon thinly and remove the peel.
Place the sliced fruits on a large plate, sprinkle the fruits with the lemon juice and chill, covered with clear film, for up to 3 hours before serving. (Some fruits may discolor if cut too far ahead of time.)
To serve, arrange the sliced fruits on serving plates, spoon the berries on top, drizzle with a little mango sauce and decorate with mint sprigs. Serve the remaining sauce separately.
Delicate blueberries and tangy oranges are combined with tiny lavender-flavored meringues in this simple but stunning fruit salad. Lavender sprigs add the final decorative touch.
Serves 4
6 oranges
l2oz/3 cups blueberries
8 fresh lavender sprigs
For the meringue
2 egg whites
4oz/1/2 cup caster sugar
1 tsp fresh lavender flowers
Cook's Tip:
Lavender is used in both sweet and savory dishes.
Always use fresh or recently dried flowers, and avoid artificially scented bunches
that are sold for domestic purposes. Of course, if you can’t find fresh
lavender, then you could just make plain meringues.
Preheat the oven to 140°C/275°F/Gas 1. Line a baking tray with six layers of newspaper and cover with non-stick baking paper. Whisk the egg whites in a large mixing bowl until they hold soft peaks. Add the sugar a little at a time, whisking thoroughly after each addition until the meringue is thick and, glossy, then fold in the lavender flowers.
Spoon the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a 5mm/1/4 in plain nozzle. Pipe as many small buttons of meringue on to the prepared baking sheet as you can. Bake the meringues near the bottom of the oven for 1/2-2 hours.
To segment the oranges, remove the peel from the top, bottom and sides with a serrated knife. Loosen the segments by cutting with paring knife between the flesh and the membranes, holding the fruit over a bowl. then arrange the segments on four plates
Combine the blueberries with the lavender meringues and pile in the center of each plate. Decorate with sprig of lavender and serve.
Strawberries release their finest flavor when served with raspberry and passion fruit sauce.
Serves 4
12oz/2 cups raspberries, fresh
or frozen
3 tbsp caster sugar
2 passion fruits
1/2lb/4cups small strawberries
8 plain finger biscuits, to serve
Cook’s Tip:
When buying strawberries choose fruit that is brightly
colored, firm and unblemished. For the best flavor, serve the
berries at room temperature. The delicate flavor will then be at its most intense.
Place the raspberries and sugar in a saucepan and cook over a low heat, with stirring occasionally, until simmering. Cook gently for 5 minutes, then leave to cool. Halve the passion fruits and scoop out the seeds and juice. Pour the raspberries into a blender or food processor, add the passion fruit pulp and blend for a few seconds.
Rub the fruit sauce through a fine nylon sieve to remove the seeds. Fold the strawberries into the sauce, then spoon into four stemmed glasses. Serve with plain finger biscuits.
Brown sugar gives this meringue a delicate, fudge-like flavor which combines well with the berry filling
Serves 6
l cup soft light brown sugar
3 egg whites
1 tsp distilled malt vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
For the filling
12oz-l lb/3-4 cups blackberries
2 tbsp creme de cassis
1/2 pint/1 1/4 cups double cream
l tbsp icing sugar, sifted
small blackberry leaves, to
decorate (optional)
preheat the oven to 325°F. Draw a 20cm circle on a sheet of non-stick baking paper, turn over and place on a baking sheet.
Spread out the brown sugar on another baking sheet and dry in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Sieve to remove any lumps.
Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until stiff. Add half the dried brown sugar, l5ml/1 tbsp at a time, whisking well after each addition. Add the vinegar and vanilla essence, then fold in the remaining sugar.
Spoon the meringue on to the drawn circle on the paper, making a hollow in the center. Bake for 45 minutes, then turn off the oven and leave the meringue in the oven with the door slightly open, until cold.
Place the blackberries in a bowl, sprinkle over the creme de cassis and leave to macerate for 30 minutes.
When the meringue is cold, carefully peel off the non-stick baking paper and transfer the meringue to a serving plate. Lightly whip the cream with the icing sugar and spoon into the center. Top with the blackberries and decorate with small blackberry leaves, if liked. Serve at once.
Place 1/2 pound dried apricots in a bowl. Cover with warm water and allow to soak overnight. Drain. Place the apricots, 4 large eggs, 1/4 cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon rum and 1/2 cup sugar in a food processor. Process until the apricots are pureed. Butter a 1 quart mold. Pour the apricot puree into the mold. Place the mold in a larger pan filled with hot water and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes, or until the point of a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool and unmold on a round platter. Garnish with mint leaves. This will serve 4.
Directions: 1. Have a 1qt. shallow bowl handy.
2. Put the rice in blender, blending until fine.
3. Pour into small bowl, add cornstarch & water, stir to dissolve the cornstarch.
4. Pour the drained apricots in blender, and blend until smooth.
5. Add just enough milk to total 4 cups (approximately 2 cups milk.).
6. Pour into a small saucepan & add sugar & to the rice mixture.
7. Over medium heat, stir constantly until the mixture begins to a boil.
8. Cook and stir for 5 minutes.
9. Remove from heat & stir in extracts.
10. Stir to blend.
11. Pour pudding into a bowl and allow to cool at room temperature for 1/2 hour,
then chill.
12. When pudding is cold, serve.
Ingredients:
Syrup
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 whole lemon
3 teaspoons honey
Basboosa
3 cups semolina
1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 cup oil
1 cup milk
Instructions:
1. To make the syrup: Peel the lemon with a potato peeler to get flat strips
of peel.
2. Juice the lemon.
3. Bring the sugar, water, and lemon juice to a boil.
4. Throw in the rind of the lemon.
5. Boil until the lemon rind is hard or the mixture is a runny syrup consistency.
6. Add the honey.
7. Set aside while you make the basboosa.
8. Mix the semolina, flour, sugar, and baking powder.
9. Add the oil and mix until all the batter is well blended.
10. Grease a large cookie sheet tray (10 x 16 inches).
11. Add the milk just before you are about to bake.
12. Dot the mixture into the greased pan by spoonfuls.
13. Level the mixture with your hand (dipped in milk).
14. Shake the tray to level.
15. Bake for 1/2 hour at 350 degrees.
16. Cut into squares and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes.
17. Pour the syrup over the basboosa immediately after you remove it from the
oven the last time.