I had 15 minutes more to go for the doorbell bell to ring, friends would now arrive any moment, but I was still running around with the tart, the slice & the camera… a few quick shots before I greet my friends; for what is a food post without a photo?
It is raining strawberries here. I do not know how many pounds of strawberries we have consumed so far. Couple of weeks back they were for selling for 99 cents a pound. The big, bright red strawberries are luscious & irresistible, & moment I see them my limbs freeze at the spot till I get to grab a few boxes. This preserve is one of the things I did with them. Not just with toasts, a small spoon of the preserve is serving me well to satisfy my after meal “dessert” craving.
Not a crumble, not a pound cake – but something of both is this delicious, fruity, nutty berrylicious Spoon Cake. The best part of the summer is probably the bountiful colors for the luscious & juicy fruits & berries. At home, with the scorching heat beating down the windows, we pull the shades to cool ourselves & indulge in the sweet berries & the juicy melons & mangoes & the other stone fruits. What else would compliment the season but this fruit & berry cake?
With the holidays around the corner, every one is in preparation mood I bet. I am seeing neighbors have started putting up the lights & christmas decorations (which is a constant reminder to me that i should start ours soon). The shopping malls are already decked up and sparkling… red contrasting with fluffy and shimmering white of the snowflakes, & Santa Claus doing his magic with the kids. Here in Dallas, one of the malls even has a machine which is churning up snow every few minutes, all over Santa’s North Pole and the children are running around so excited to get some flakes on them. Everyone is enjoying…. It indeed turns magical at during this time of the year.
Even though Fall has officially made its entry here, the summer colors are still dominant. The morning and evening air is sure cool and crispy but gets pretty warm during the day. The markets are still displaying abundance of summer fruits, the color and texture of which are tough to resist. The maples leaves are confused to whether it is time it should turn red or still be green.
But it is definitely pleasant and the drone of the air condition is almost gone. And it is very very nice to sit outside in the yard in the evenings… and relax, watch the kids frolicking in high spirits.
Talking of spirits… I decided to add some to my fruit salad this time. Nice change to the already delicious fruit mix. There is no rule to what fruits you can add, just toss in whatever you personally find sensational. I have only written about what i used this particular time. I always use nuts whenever I make a fruit salad, any kind of nut. Clementines and berries would have been a lovely touch to this, but I did not have any at hand. But I did use fresh juicy figs. Figs have just awesome color, texture and taste. This actually turned out to be a great refreshing dessert for us – a well balanced harmony of color, taste and flavor.
This is being sent to real Epicurean’s “In the Bag” for ITB September: Fruit and Nuts
Ingredients:
Preparation:
Chop all the fruits except the figs and toss together in a bowl along with the nuts, rosemary, sugar, & salt.
Whisk together ginger juice, lemon juice, & honey and stir it in the fruits. Add a splash of Peach Schnapp. Cover the bowl tight and shake the bowl for about 7-8 times. This makes the fruits release their juice. The juice at the end of the salad is the best part. Now add the figs. Cover & chill it for atleast 1/2 hour. Serve Cold.
Beat the Heavy Creme till it forms soft peaks. Layer fruits with creme in individual glasses. Top with strawberries. Serve Immediately.
Note: Use gently ripe fruits, not the fruits which are rock hard!
I sometimes substitute the Creme with Vanilla/Peach Icecream, or Vanilla Icecream with a drizzle of Peach Schnapp. Do use your favorite.
Details 
