On a recent trip to the Tuscany region of northeast Italia, one standard-fare salad continued to bring rave reviews from our traveling troupe.

Called Caprese, this classic creation is best when the mozzarella is freshly made and the tomatoes are perfectly ripened.  Adding FruitFast’s Wonderful Pomegranate Liquid Fruit Supplement is the ideal final touch.

Ingredients:

2         Tbsp minced red onion
1/4      cup balsamic vinegar
3/4       cup olive oil
Salt and pepper

1          small red onion, sliced thin
12 oz   fresh mozzarella, sliced
2          tomatoes, sliced
1/2       cup basil leaves
1          Tbsp FruitFast Pomegranate Liquid

Directions:

Prepare the vinaigrette by stirring the minced red onion and vinegar together, whisk in the olive oil.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Toss the sliced red onion with 2 Tbsp of the vinaigrette.  Arrange on plate, alternating the mozzarella slices, sliced tomatoes and red onion.  Add basil leaves.  Spoon on remaining vinaigrette, drizzle with FruitFast Pomegranate Liquid.

Yield:   2-4 servings

This recipe comes from Better Homes & Gardens. Bring it to your next family gathering or potluck, serve it as a side salad or with a bowl of tortilla chips for quick dipping. Then be prepared to share the recipe when asked!

Ingredients:

6 ears fresh sweet corn, husked
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 small cucumber, sliced
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped*
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp FruitFast Mixed Berry Liquid (optional)
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
Directions:

In Dutch oven bring salted water to boiling.  Add corn.  Cook, covered, 5 minutes, or until tender.   When cool enough to handle, cut corn from cobs.

In a serving bowl combine corn, blueberries, cucumber, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño. For dressing, in screw-top jar combine lime juice, oil, Mixed Berry Liquid, honey, cumin, and salt. Cover; shake well to combine. Add to salad; toss. Cover and refrigerate overnight (up to 24 hours).

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

*Hot peppers, such as jalepeños, contain oils that can burn skin and eyes. Wear plastic gloves when working with them. If using bare hands, wash well with soap and water.

Apples with soon be in harvest and what better combination than apples and cherries.  This tart recipe brings both together into one delicious dessert.

Ingredients:

3          large apples such as Jonathan or Macintosh, peeled, thinly sliced (4 cups)
5          Tbsp sugar, divided
1-1/4   tsp cinnamon, divided
1           cup Brownwood Acres Dried Tart Cherries
1           refrigerated rolled pastry for a 9-inch pie (1/2 of a 15 ounce package)
1           Tbsp butter

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.  Combine apples, 4 tablespoons of the sugar and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon in a large bowl;  toss well.  Stir in cherries.  Let stand 10 minutes; tossing once.

Line a 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan with foil; coat foil with cooking spray.  Unroll pastry onto pan.  Mound apple mixture over center of pastry, leaving a 3-inch border around edges.  Fold up edges of pastry over apple mixture, leaving a 4-inch opening in center.  Gently fold and press pastry onto apple mixture.  Cut butter into small pieces and arrange over apple mixture.

Combine remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon; sprinkle over tart.  Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and apples are tender.  Let stand 20 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield:  6 servings

A thick, frosty drink that’s perfect and very refreshing on a hot summer day – and can be enjoyed as an alternative to ice cream.

Ingredients:

1/2     cup fresh or frozen tart cherries, pitted
1/2     cup 1% low fat milk
1/4     cup plain low fat yogurt
2         Tbsp fresh or frozen blueberries
1         Tbsp FruitFast Montmorency Cherry Juice Concentrate
1         Tbsp honey
1/2     tsp pure vanilla extract
Sprinkle of cinnamon (optional)
8         ice cubes

Garnish:
1          Tbsp slivered toasted almonds
1          Tbsp chopped Brownwood Acres Dried Tart Cherries

Directions:
Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. Pour into two chilled glasses.
Garnish with almonds and dried cherries.

Serve immediately.

Yield:  2 servings

The following  is adapted from a “Grilled Branzino” recipe by Geoffrey Zakarian, Chef/Owner, TOWN Restaurant, NYC.  Since Branzino was not available,  I substituted with Mahi Mahi.

Ingredients:

Fish
6          filets of fresh Branzino (black sea bass or farmed striped bass will substitute,              scales and bones removed)
Olive oil (for seasoning)
Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Tart Cherry Emulsion
2          Tbsp FruitFast Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate (add to water to make 1/2 cup)
1/8      cup grapefruit juice
1/2      Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2      tsp FruitFast CherryFlex Liquid Fruit Supplement (or frozen cherry puree)
1/2      lb unsalted butter (cut into cubes)

Salad
1/2      cup picked frisee lettuce
1/2      cup picked peppercress leaves
1/4      cup Brownwood Acres dried tart cherries
3          fresh baby artichokes (thinly sliced)
Juice of 1 lemon
1          Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and fresh pepper to taste

(I used a bagged spring salad mix from my local supermarket)

Directions:

Tart Cherry Emulsion
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the cherry and grapefruit juice. Bring to a simmer and reduce by half its original volume. Reduce heat to low and add in the mustard and CherryFlex or puree, then carefully whisk in the cubed butter until fully combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and reserve warm for later use.  It is important to keep in a warm place NOT HOT, so the butter doesn’t separate. (The emulsion can be prepared and kept warm up to two hours in advance.)

Fish
Season a hot grill with a lightly oiled rag. Season the fish with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill the filets, skin side down, until desired doneness. Carefully remove with a spatula and reserve on a resting rack for later.

Salad
Carefully toss the peppercress, frisee, cherries, and shaved artichokes in a mixing bowl. Dress with the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon evenly a liberal amount of the warm cherry mustard sauce onto flat serving plates. Arrange each of the grilled filets on top of the sauced plates. Top each fish with a little of the mixed salad. Serve immediately.

Yield:  5-6 servings

The rhubarb is ready and the temps are perfect for this delicious dessert on a summer eve.

Ingredients:

2 cups      chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb, thawed
2 Tbsp      water
Pinch salt
1/2 cup     sugar
3/4 cup     FruitFast Dried Tart Cherries
Vanilla ice cream
FruitFast Mixed Berry or CherryFlex Liquid

Directions:

In a saucepan, combine the rhubarb, water and salt.  Cover and cook on the stovetop for 3 minutes over medium high heat.  Stir in sugar;  heat for 3 more minutes, stirring frequently.

Add FruitFast dried red tart cherries.  Drizzle with MixedBerry Liquid or CherryFlex Liquid Supplements from FruitFast.

Serve warm or cooled over your favorite ice cream.
Store leftover sauce – if any  – in the refrigerator.

Yield:  2 cups

With the upcoming cherry harvest, the question is “what to do with all those wonderful tart cherries?” ripe for picking and eating.  This recipe makes great use of fresh tart cherries, but frozen can be used when fresh are not available, especially during the holiday season.  I did not have enough tart cherries, so I used half sweet.  I do not advise using sweet cherries at all.  The tartness of the cherry is what makes this recipe so good.

I found the original recipe at goldenspiderweb.com and was really intrigued.  I have had it in my stack of “things to make” for some time and was excited to finally try it. The original German recipe with English translation was a definite challenge.  It required converting European measurements to U.S. and the recipe calls for gelatin leaves.  I looked at all my local haunts and could not find gelatin leaves,  so I used Knox gelatin and, again, conversion to powder—another challenge.  If you can find gelatin leaves, I would recommend using those instead.  The German recipe did not specify the amount of water for dissolving the gelatin and the guess on the part of the goldenspideweb.com page for 2 cups of water may be a little much.  I would certainly not use more than the 2 cups of water and the next time I make the recipe will reduce the water by half.  It would give the gelatin more flavor–so if anyone out there is brave enough to try it before I do—be my guest.  It also stated four servings.  Too much, I felt, so I have increased the serving size to six.  See the variations below for my other thoughts.  Overall, this recipe is very simple to make and is best when left overnight before serving.

WINE AND CHERRIES

Ingredients:

1          cup red wine
1          cup FruitFast Cherry Juice Concentrate (4 Tbsp  to 1 cup of water)
2 -3     whole cloves
1          cinnamon stick
Rind from one lemon
1          lb sour cherries (frozen is ok, thawed-approximately 4 cups)
3         Tbsp Knox gelatin (6 gelatin leaves, if you can find them)
Whipped cream or whipped topping
FruitFast CherryFlex Liquid Fruit Supplement

Directions:

Dissolve the gelatin in cold water (2 cups) and set aside.  In a saucepan combine the wine, cherry concentrate, cinnamon stick, cloves and lemon rinds.  Bring to a boil over low heat, then immediately remove from heat.  Discard the cinnamon stick, cloves and rind.  Add the gelatin and let cool.

While wine mixture is cooling, divide the cherries between 6 dessert glasses, keeping a few cherries as garnish.  Pour the wine and gelatin mixture over the cherries.  Refrigerate several hours or overnight.  Top with whipped cream or whipped topping.  Drizzle with the CherryFlex Liquid and garnish with cherries.

Yield:  6 servings

Variations: Place pound cake or lady fingers at the bottom of the serving dishes, cover with cherries and then the gelatin mixture.

Instead of dessert cups, use a large serving bowl and take to your next potluck or family gathering.

Warm summer evenings beckon all grill-masters and here is a tempting main course that is easy and quick.

Ingredients:
1          Tbsp sugar
1          Tbsp  paprika
1/2      tsp salt
1/2      tsp garlic powder
1/2      tsp ground red pepper
1/4      tsp ground thyme
1/8      tsp ground allspice
2          Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2   lbs peeled and deveined large shrimp
Cooking spray

Directions:
Pre-heat grill to medium high heat.
Combine first 7 ingredients.  Combine oil and shrimp in a large bowl and toss  well to coat.  Sprinkle spice mixture over the shrimp and toss again to coat.  Thread shrimp onto 8 wooden skewers, which have been soaked in water for 15 minutes.  Place skewers on grill that has been coated with cooking spray.

Grill 6 minutes or until done, turning once.

Salsa

Combine:

2         cups fresh mango, cubed or pineapple
1/2      cup FruitFast dried red tart cherries
1/2      cup chopped cucumber
1/2      cup sliced red onion
2          Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2         tsp cider vinegar

Yield:  4 servings

Wake up and break-out-of-the-box!  Forget the same old, predictable pancake recipe and try this one.  It’s healthy and hearty, especially when you add fresh fruit and FruitFast’s delicious Liquid Fruit Supplements.

Ingredients:
1-1/3 cups buttermilk
1 cup old-fashioned oats
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 teaspoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
FruitFast MixedBerry or CherryFlex Liquid
Fresh raspberries, cherries or blueberries

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine milk and oats; let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in eggs and oil. Combine the flour, baking powder, brown sugar and salt; stir into oat mixture just until moistened.

Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a greased hot griddle; turn when bubbles form on top of pancakes. Cook until second side is lightly browned. Serve warm with drizzled FruitFast MixedBerry or CherryFlex Liquids and fresh berries.

Yield: 10 pancakes.

Love tiramisu — try this simple recipe.

Ingredients:
7    oz lady finger cookies

Flavor options: 10 large basil leaves, chopped or 2 oz shaved chocolate or 6 tbsp dark rum

Cherry Syrup

FruitFast CherryFlex Liquid Fruit Supplement

2/3     cup tart cherries (canned in syrup)
1/3      cup sugar
1          cup water

Mascarpone Filling
1         cup mascarpone
3/4     cup whipping cream
1/4      cup sweetened condensed milk

Directions:
Drain the cherries and reserve the syrup.   Place the cherries, sugar and water in a saucepan.  Boil for 8 minutes.  Let sit until it reaches room temperature.   While cooling, mix the cream, milk and mascarpone together until smooth.

Dip the cookies in the syrup for a few seconds each side.
Place a layer of cookies in a 9” x 9” square dish.
Top the cookies with a layer of the mascarpone cream, followed by the cherries taken from the syrup.

Add a layer of one of the flavor options, if desired (add the rum directly to the syrup).
Continue with another layer of dipped cookies and finish by topping with the remaining mascarpone cream.

To serve, place on a decorative dessert plate and drizzle FruitFast CherryFlex Liquid over the top and on the plate.

Garnish with basil leaves (optional)