Fresh fruits sweetly complement any summertime meal. For a
healthy serving of unique tastes, try these delicious, refreshing
recipes that are fun for all occasions.
Hot Summer Nights Granita
From Tabitha Alterman, Mother Earth News associate editor
This dessert is tasty and light, and the recipe is intended to
be modified based on seasonal, available and favorite ingredients.
Experiment!
3 cups fresh fruit (e.g. berries, pineapples, mangoes,
peaches, tangerines ? try a mixture)
1 cup water
1 cup raw sugar or ? cup fresh honey
2 cups fresh sweet juice (e.g. orange, apple)
1 cup fresh tart juice (e.g. lime, lemon, cranberry, sour
cherry)
1 to 2 tbsp favorite flavor enhancers for desserts (e.g.
chopped mint leaves, cloves, star anise, aged balsamic vinegar,
diced chipotle peppers)
2 tbsp citrus fruit zest (from limes, lemons, oranges,
etc.)
1 cup red wine (e.g. chianti, pinot noir)
? cup plus 2 tbsp fruity liqueur (e.g. brandy, kir, grand
marnier)
1 pint heavy whipping cream
Fresh mint leaves
Pur?e 2? cups fruit and set aside. Combine water, sugar or
honey, fruit juices, flavor enhancers and all but a few shavings of
zest in a saucepan. Heat slowly over medium-low heat about 5 to 7
minutes, or until a few minutes after sugar is completely
dissolved. Remove from heat, and strain. Discard the solid
ingredients. Allow syrupy liquid to cool completely. Stir in pur?ed
fruit, wine and ? cup liqueur. Pour mixture into freezer-safe
container. Freeze for 12 to 24 hours (texture will be in icy
shards). Whip the cream with 2 tablespoons liqueur. Serve with a
dollop of whipped cream, remaining fresh fruit, a couple mint
leaves and a curl of citrus zest.
Fruity Kebabs
From
moosewoodrestaurant.com
It’s easy to wow party guests with this colorful dessert, and
its unique guava glaze adds drip-free flavor.
?ripe cantaloupe or honeydew melon, peeled and
seeded
? ripe pineapple, peeled and cored
1 pint fresh strawberries, stemmed
About 20 seedless green grapes
1/3 cup guava paste
2? tbsp fresh lime juice
20 10-inch bamboo skewers
*Find guava paste in Latin and Asian groceries and in the
ethnic section of well-stocked supermarkets.
Cut the melon into 1-inch, bite-sized cubes and place them in a
large bowl. Cut the cored pineapple half into 5 to 8 long wedges
and then into bite-sized chunks. Add pineapple to the bowl along
with strawberries and grapes.
In a blender, pur?e the guava paste and lime juice into a smooth,
thick dressing. Add 2 tablespoons of rum for a little fun. Pour
dressing into the bowl and toss with fruit.
On each skewer, spear 7 or 8 pieces of fruit: begin and end with
grapes to secure the other pieces. Serve immediately or cover well
and refrigerate until serving time.
Fresh Fruit Lemon-Mint Cream
From
eatingwell.com
This creamy dessert isn’t only tangy and invigorating; it’s a
step above your grandma’s fruit salad.
? cup nonfat plain yogurt
? cup reduced fat sour cream
? cup sugar
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint
1 cup fresh raspberries or other fresh fruit
Whisk yogurt, sour cream, sugar, lemon juice and mint until the
sugar dissolves. Chill covered for 1 hour. Divide raspberries (or
other fruit) between 2 bowls and top with the lemon-mint cream.
Grilled Sweet Cheese Peaches
After barbequing, use the hot grill to create this elegant
combination of sweet flavors.
From
eatingwell.com
4 ripe peaches (about 1? pounds)
1? tsp lemon juice
Honey
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 tsp sugar
Chopped hazelnuts
Cut peaches in half and remove pits. Toss peach halves with
lemon juice in a large bowl. Arrange halves cut-side down on the
grill, flip after a few minutes and let them cook just enough to
see grill marks and bubbling juices. Drizzle with honey and fill
the grilled peach halves with lightly sweetened ricotta cheese (mix
sugar with ricotta) and a sprinkle of hazelnuts.
Tart Lemon Tart
From
moosewoodrestaurant.com
Served chilled with a lemon garnish, this recipe’s tart citrus
flavor and baked crust lends a cool, sophisticated ending to a rich
summer dinner.
Tart Pastry:
1 1/3 cups unbleached white flour
7 tbsp butter
Pinch of salt
? tsp pure vanilla extract
? cup sugar
3 to 4 tbsp ice water
Filling:
Juice of 4 lemons
5 tbsp butter
? cup sugar
5 eggs, well beaten
? tsp pure vanilla extract
1 lemon, sliced in very thin rounds
Cut the butter into small pieces and work it into the flour with a
pastry cutter, two knives or your fingertips. Mix in the salt,
vanilla and sugar, and then just enough ice water to bind. Press
the dough with your fingers into a 9- or 10-inch spring-form pan.
Chill the crust 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line the chilled crust with waxed
paper and fill with dried beans, rice or pastry weights to prevent
the crust from buckling during baking. Bake 15 to 20 minutes.
Carefully remove the waxed paper and its contents.
Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Mix together lemon, butter and sugar, and heat until the butter
melts and mixture is just warm. Pour beaten eggs slowly into this
mixture in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Continue to stir
over low heat until the mixture thickens into a custard. Stir in
vanilla. Pour into prepared crust and bake for 35 to 50 minutes or
until the custard sets and the top becomes golden.
Banana Popsicles
From The Encyclopedia of Country Living
Good for all ages, this simple treat is extra tasty on lazy
afternoons.
Firm, ripe bananas
Popsicle sticks
Chilled, strained raw honey
Chopped peanuts
Cut the bananas in half crosswise. Stick a popsicle stick into
the end of each banana half as a handle. Coat each half with honey
and then roll in the nuts. Freeze unwrapped until solid.
Don’t know which fresh fruits make the best summer desserts?
This
guide
tells you what’s in season. Click
here for more of our homegrown, healthy fruit dessert
recipes.
Have a delicious fruit recipe of your own? We’d love to try it.
Please post your ingredients and instructions below.
