Strawberries – with another wave of summer hitting full force, today would be a great time to make some fresh, creamy berry gelato. Serve alone or with a few berries cut over the top.
Strawberry Gelato
Cantaloupe and Cilantro – how about a refreshing fruit salsa? This one is great with chips, or you could easily pair it with fish or on a tortilla with black beans.
Melon Salsa
A number of years ago, my extended family took a trip to Northern Italy. It was during our travels through the ancient hill towns of Tuscany that we fell in love with gelato (Italian ice cream – gelato literally means “frozen”). We ate it constantly – at least once, often twice a day. Having young kids in tow, gelato became the elixir that fortified us for tours through countless duomos (cathedrals) and collections of antiquities, and cooled us off after steep ascents through the narrow cobblestone streets of tiny picturesque hilltop villages. We came back to the states completely hooked and continued to devour gelato wherever we could find it. Sadly for us, it seems the new iced dairy fad is frozen yogurt, and when our favorite gelato storefront closed last year we decided it was time to make our own.
This heavenly onion jam is from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. The onions are a wonderful filling for crepes or tossed with pasta, walnuts and rosemary. Try them on toasted rustic bread spread with softened goat cheese and some chopped roasted walnuts and minced rosemary or thyme.
This recipe requires about 1 and 1/2 hours cooking time, but most of it is unattended. The jam will keep in the fridge for at least a week or more—to supply sandwiches, dinners, lunch and quick bites.
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Strawberries – hull, slice and serve on top of homemade (or store bought) vanilla ice cream. We own a Cuisinart electric ice cream maker. It’s a super simple device that helps us make creamy, delicious ice cream with a few hours notice.
Cantaloupe and cucumbers – here’s a refreshing and simple salad to throw together at the last minute.
Melon and Cucumbers with Pepper and Lime
This recipe comes from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. If you don’t already own this cookbook, check it out. It’s a fabulous resource that makes vegetarian food accessible to everyone.
Use this dressing on top of cucumbers, delicate lettuces, rice and melon salads.
Makes about ½ cup
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