A gorgeous night for learning to cook with Chef John Ash at the Dry Creek Peach & Produce Company

One of my favorite events each year is a class and dinner that I do with Dry Creek Peach Company in the middle of their orchard in the beautiful Dry Creek Valley near Healdsburg, California.  I do this in partnership with Relish Culinary Adventures in Healdsburg, a very fun cooking school that offers a wide range of classes throughout the year.

One of the recipes we made at this event: Grilled Coconut Chicken, Peach Chutney and Sesame Spinach

Historically, the Dry Creek Valley was a place in which all manner of fruits and vegetables were grown.  Dry Creek Valley, an official AVA, is now planted almost entirely with wine grapes and Dry Creek Peach is the last outpost for some of the most delicious peaches, nectarines and plums that I’ve ever had in my life.

Photo courtesy Donna Del Rey, Relish Culinary Adventures

I try to work peaches into every course and it’s always fun to see what the favorites are.  This year the “winner” was a very simple salad course, the recipe for which I’ve included below.  If you make it, let me know what you think of it!

ARUGULA SALAD WITH GRILLED PEACHES, MORTADELLA AND ROBIOLA
Serves 6

Robiola is considered by many to be Italy’s best cheese.  It comes from the Piedmont in the north and is a blend of cow, goat and sheep’s milk.  True Mortadella is sublime.  It hails from Bologna.  Seek out the real versions of both the meat and the cheese for this recipe.  It will make all the difference in the world!

12 thin slices of mortadella
12 ounces fresh robiola
12 basil leaves
3 ripe peaches; halved, peeled and pitted
2 tablespoons or so fruity extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups packed baby arugula leaves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

On a work surface, lay out the slices of the mortadella. Divide the robiola in the center of each one and top it with a basil leaf. Fold the mortadella over the cheese and then fold in the sides to form a neat packet.  Secure with toothpicks.

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Lightly coat the peaches with olive oil and grill until nicely marked.  Slice each half attractively and set aside.

Grill the packets over high heat for about 1 minute per side, until they are lightly marked and the cheese has softened. Discard the toothpicks.

In a bowl, toss the arugula with olive oil and vinegar and season to your taste with salt and pepper. Arrange peaches and dressed arugula attractively on 6 plates.  Top with warm packets and serve right away.

Photo from Norwichnuts

Grunts are one of those great “Grandma” desserts that trace their history back to colonial times.  They are in the large family of cooked fruit desserts that include crisps, cobblers, betty’s, pandowdy’s, and slumps that are distinguished by cooking fruit in combination with some sort of crust (on top, on the bottom or both) or dumpling.

Although there is a great debate on what makes a “grunt”, the consensus seems to be that both grunts and slumps are simmered on top of the stove rather than baked in the oven like crisps, cobblers.  The most famous “slump” no doubt is the recipe for Apple Slump which Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women, prepared in her home in Concord Massachusetts.  The fruit was cooked and then pieces of yeasted dough were placed on top. It was then covered and cooked until the dough was done.  The name Slump came from the fact that when spooned out onto the plate it “slumped” and had no recognizable shape. Grunts are very similar.  They usually are made with berries and topped with a baking powder dumpling.  The name supposedly comes from the sound the berries make as they simmer in the pot!

My favorite Grunt is one my Grandmother made using blackberries.  She would make it in the summer when the wild berries were plentiful.  However you can make and enjoy this year round since most markets carry frozen IQF (individually quick frozen without sugar) berries.  These are often better than fresh in most markets because they are picked and frozen when they are fully ripe and at the peak of flavor.  The price is usually very good too.  Too often the fresh berries we see have been picked under-ripe so that they’ll travel better.  Blueberries make a nice alternative here.

BLACKBERRY GRUNT
Serves 6 – 8

For the berries:
8 cups fresh or IQF (individually quick frozen) blackberries
3/4 cup sugar (or to taste)
1/2 cup red wine or water
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

For the dumpling dough:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup buttermilk (or a mixture of plain yogurt and skim milk or water), plus more to make a soft dough
2 tablespoons sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping:
Whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or sweetened yogurt

Method:

Place the berry mixture in a heavy, deep casserole and bring to a simmer over moderate heat.

While berries are cooking make the dumpling dough by stirring together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl.  Stir in the melted butter.  Add enough of the buttermilk to form a soft dough. For reference it should be wetter than a biscuit dough.

Using a soup spoon, place heaping spoonfuls of the dumpling dough on top the fruit.  Make sure you have at least one per person.  Sprinkle the dumplings with the cinnamon sugar.  Tightly cover with a lid or a sheet of foil and cook the mixture over medium-low heat so that the fruit just barely simmers. Keep covered until the dumplings are puffed and set and the surface is firm when touched with a fingertip.  This will take about 12 minutes or so.

To serve:  Spoon the warm grunt into serving bowls and spoon on whipped cream, ice cream or sweetened yogurt.

Wine Recommendation:  Although I usually think desserts are best served without wine because of the problem of balancing the sugars in the wine and the dessert.  If the dessert is sweeter than the wine then the wine will taste thin and acidic.  However, the not-too-sweet ripe berry flavor here could be a nice match with a ruby style port.  In California a number of producers are making nice port-like wines (true Port comes from Portugal) from grapes like Black Muscat, Zinfandel and Petite Sirah that I’d love with this dessert.

At the retreat, my assignment was to create a couple of simple dishes that attendees could make at home and that matched to the earthiness and complexity of Kosta Browne’s amazing Pinot Noirs.  Below are the recipes.  I hope you’ll enjoy!

WILD MUSHROOM PATE

Makes enough to fill a 3-cup mold or dish

The simplicity of this recipe belies its great taste.  Serve with crisp little croutes, toasts or crackers of your choice and, as the French do, with some little cornichons and grainy mustard on the side.

1 ounce dried wild mushrooms such as porcini
5 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped shallots or green onions (white part only)
1-1/4 pounds thickly sliced fresh wild or exotic cultivated mushrooms*
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoons curry powder or to your taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup toasted, preferably unsalted cashews
2 tablespoons toasted nut oil such as walnut or olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped mixed herbs such as parsley, chives and/or basil
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Rinse the dried mushrooms quickly and let soak in warm water to cover for 15 minutes.  Drain, squeeze dry and chop.

Heat the butter in a large sauté pan over moderately high heat.  Add the shallots, all mushrooms, garlic, curry and cumin and sauté and stir until mixture is just beginning to brown and all liquid has evaporated.

While mushrooms are cooking add the cashews to a food processor and process till finely chopped.  Add oil and continue to process to make a paste or butter.  Add the mushroom mixture and process till almost smooth.  Stir in the herbs and zest and season with salt and pepper to your taste and place in a 3-cup pate mold or other ceramic dish.  Can be stored covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.  Allow to return to room temperature to serve.

*A caution here – - only use wild mushrooms that you are certain are edible.  If you are not a hunter you can certainly substitute wild or cultivated mushrooms found in the market such as chanterelle, shiitake, cremini, portabella, oyster, etc.

COUS COUS RISOTTO WITH OLIVES, ARUGULA AND SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

Serves 4 – 6 as a main course

This recipe uses a kind of cous cous known as moughrabiye or Israeli cous cous.  It is made from the same toasted semolina as the regular granular Moroccan cous cous with which we are most familiar.  Israeli cous cous is larger in size and round- about the size of whole peppercorns.  There are even larger ones made known as Lebanese cous cous which can also be used in this dish.  They are about the size of petite peas and take longer to cook.  This also makes a nice side dish or base for simply cooked meats, fish and poultry.  The great thing about cous cous is that you can make a risotto in half the time of a rice-based version.  Additionally, cous cous is a little more “forgiving” in that it doesn’t completely mush out as it sits!

1/2 cup chopped shallots or green onions (white part only)
1 tablespoon slivered garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups large Israeli type cous cous
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups rich chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pitted olives such as Cerignola
2 cups or so baby wild arugula
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup chopped chives
1/2 cup (or more) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Garnish: Fried basil sprigs and drops of truffle or smoked olive oil, if desired.

Sauté the shallots and garlic in olive oil until lightly colored.  Add the cous cous and sauté for a minute or two longer.  Add the wine and 1/2 cup of the stock and stir occasionally until liquid is nearly absorbed.  Add remaining stock in half-cup increments and continue to cook and stir until stock is nearly absorbed.   Continue in this manner until the cous cous is tender but still has some texture (about 10 minutes total).  Stir the olives, arugula, tomatoes, zest, chives and cheese into the risotto. Serve immediately in warm bowls topped with the basil sprigs and the truffle oil.

Most people are aware of wine and food pairing, but beer and food hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves since craft brews can be much more complex than most wines.  We did a pretty good job with all the dishes and

Brother Thelonious Belgian Abbey Ale, made by North Coast Brewing Co.

brews, but the following match and recipe seemed to get the most attention.  We served the Roast Duck Breasts with Grapefruit with North Coast’s Brother Theolonius.  It’s made in honor of great jazz piano player, Theolonius Monk, and a portion of its sales supports the Monk Institute of Jazz.

Try this pairing and let me know what you think!  I’d also love hear about some of your favorite beer and food pairings.

ROAST DUCK BREASTS WITH GRAPEFRUIT
Serves 4

This recipe could also be done with chicken breasts and pork loin or tenderloin.  You could also prepare the meat on the grill rather than roasting.  My favorite grapefruit are the Texas pinks or reds that come to the market in the October thru June.

1 tablespoon honey
4 grapefruits, 2 squeezed for juice to make marinade and sauce below and 2 sectioned
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice or juniper berry
4 duck breast halves (6 – 7 ounces each)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large bunch watercress, preferably Upland Cress with big stems discarded
Grapefruit sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Whisk the honey 3 tablespoons of grapefruit juice and the allspice together in a small bowl.  Trim the breasts of excess far and score the skin in a crosshatch pattern cutting almost but not quite thru to the meat.  Brush the breasts with the honey mixture, season with salt and pepper and set aside for at least 15 minutes.

Heat an ovenproof sauté pan over moderately high heat.  Add the duck breasts skin side down and sear until golden brown, about 4 minutes.  Turn the breast over and place in the oven for 3 or 4 minutes more or until meat is medium rare.  Be careful not to overcook.  Remove pan from oven, then remove breast from pan to a cutting board and allow to rest for at least 3 minutes.  Cover loosely with foil to keep warm.

To serve:  Arrange grapefruit sections and watercress on plates.  Thinly slice the duck breasts and arrange on top, spoon warm sauce around and serve immediately.

Note:  For texture I’ll often add some crisp fried parsnips or julienned leeks for garnish.

Grapefruit Sauce
Makes about 3/4 cup

This tart-sweet sauce is delicious with all kind of grilled and roasted meat.  Note the addition of the bit of fresh grapefruit juice at the end.  This “brightens” the rich sauce and adds aromatics of the fruit to the finished sauce.

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups rich chicken or duck stock
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon grapefruit juice
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Add the balsamic vinegar and sugar to a saucepan and cook over high heat until the sugar is melted and the mixture is reduced to a syrupy consistency, about 2 minutes.  Add the stock and 1 cup of the grape fruit juice and reduce over high heat to 3/4 cup or so, about 10 minutes.  Whisk in the cream and continue to reduce until sauce is nicely thickened, about 5 minutes.  Off heat, stir in remaining 1 tablespoon grapefruit juice, season to your taste with salt and pepper and keep warm.  Can be made ahead and gently reheated.

Photo from Hog Island Oyster Company

This Saturday, (April 30, 2011) I am honored to be the Guest Shucker at the Hog Island Oyster Company at the Oxbow Market in Downtown Napa.  From 2:30 p.m. to 5:30  p.m., yours truly will shuck and share with everyone who comes to the oyster bar.  Hog Island will also serve one of my sauce recipes, a Salsa Verde, that is my all-time favorite with oysters.

I hope you’ll come and share some oysters with me, and if you bring some home, you’ll want to make your own Salsa Verde to enjoy with them.  Enjoy!

SALSA VERDE
Makes about 1 cup

This is a quick little sauce of Spanish origin that is delicious on all kinds of grilled, pan seared or roasted meats, fish and vegetables.  Note that I’ve used blanched or roasted garlic rather than the fresh raw type.  I think this is especially important if you are going to make the sauce ahead.  Within an hour, raw garlic can become harsh and hot.  Blanched or roasted garlic maintains its more subtle and sweet flavor and doesn’t overpower the sauce as it sits.

1 cup coarsely chopped parsley
4 anchovy fillets, rinsed
2 tablespoons drained capers
2 tablespoons blanched or roasted garlic (see note below)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or mint or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
2/3 cup or so fruity extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Add the parsley, anchovies, capers, garlic, basil and zest to a food processor or blender.  With machine running, slowly add the oil until just blended.  Sauce should still have a little texture.  Season with salt and pepper.  Can be stored covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day.

Note:  To poach garlic, separate cloves but don’t peel.  Place in a small sauce pan and cover with at least ½ inch of cold water.  Place on stove over high heat and bring to a boil.  As soon as water boils, drain and repeat process one more time.  Rinse to cool off cloves.  Remove husk from poached garlic and store covered in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

To roast garlic, cut off top quarter of a whole head to expose each of the cloves.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Wrap loosely in foil and roast in a preheated 375-degree oven for 30 – 40 minutes or until garlic is soft when gently squeezed.  Store covered in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.  Squeeze out as needed.

Photo from the Alasa Seafood Marketing Institute

I hope everyone has had a great Passover and Easter weekend.  As a result, many of us have some leftover hard-boiled eggs to put to good use.  This recipe was printed in a recent article of Restaurant Hospitality, talking about seafood trends in restaurants.  Let me know how this recipe works for you!

Makes 8 deviled egg halves

4 hard-cooked large eggs*
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Juice of 1 lemon wedge
¼ tsp. each hot sauce and salt
5 oz. Wild Alaska Crabmeat

Optional Garnish: pimenton or paprika, and chervil sprigs

Halve eggs lengthwise. Carefully remove the yolks from eggs and place yolks in a mixing bowl.

Mash yolks with a fork (or press through a sieve). Add mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, hot sauce and salt; blend. Fold in the crabmeat. Gently spoon mixture into egg whites. Garnish with sprinkle of pimenton or paprika, and chervil, if desired.

*To make perfect hard-cooked eggs, place eggs in a single layer in a deep saucepan. Cover eggs by at least 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to simmer and cook 3 minutes. Turn off heat; cover and let sit 15 minutes. Drain; add ice water to cover eggs. Gently crack eggs all over, then peel under cold running water.

Photo from Gary Soup

We have one more week before spring officially begins.  In celebration of the last week of spring, I’m sharing one of my favorite winter recipes.  This chutney is a delicious accompaniment to smoked and roasted meats and poultry dishes and as an accompaniment to cheese.

Makes about 1 quart

1- 750ml bottle of dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc
3/4 cup sugar
3 whole star anise
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon coriander seed, crushed
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, crushed
1 cup raisins (preferably golden, unbleached)
3/4 pound assorted dried fruits such as apricots, cherries, mangoes and/or figs coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons minced candied ginger
2 large tart-sweet fresh apples pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1 inch chunks
3 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice

Add wine, sugar and spices to a non-aluminum pan and simmer uncovered over moderate heat for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and let it cool. Strain discarding spices. You should have about 2-1/2 cups strained liquid.  Return liquid to pan and add raisins, dried fruits and candied ginger and simmer covered for 5 minutes.  Add the fresh apples and simmer gently until they are just tender, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool.  Stir in lime juice.

Store covered in the refrigerator for several weeks.  Serve at room temperature for maximum flavor.

Photo taken by John Ash

I just returned from a couple of weeks in Viet Nam.  It was an amazing trip.  In Viet Nam you’ll find the whole cultural spectrum of primitive to ultra modern often chock-a-block to each other.  The foods are wonderful, the best being what you find on the streets everywhere.  Flavors and ingredients differ in this long, narrow country.  In Hanoi, the capital in the north, food is more hearty and rustic, no doubt driven by the weather there which can be pretty cold in the winter.

As you move south, the beautiful beaches of the China Sea in Da Nang are quickly being developed into first class resorts.  Reminds me of the beaches in Mexico 30 years ago.  Probably says get there before it becomes too touristy.  Europeans are flocking there to buy homes and condos because of the temperate weather and cheap prices.  As you’d expect, cuisine is heavily seafood oriented.

Saigon in the south is tropical and lush.  The nearby Mekong Delta is one

Photo taken by John Ash

of the most important food-producing spots in the world.  Every where you look are rice paddies, bananas, fish farms, ducks and four-footed animals of all kinds.  The food here reflects that diversity.

Though you don’t see much of the French influence today (with the exception of the delicious Bahn Mi sandwich made with a classic French baguette) the French dominated the region from 1887 when French Indochina was formed which included what we know today as Viet Nam along with Cambodia and Laos.  This ended in 1954.

My observation is that Vietnamese food differs from Thai not so much in terms of ingredients but more a subtlety of flavor (probably a contribution from the French) in seasoning . . . Vietnamese being not so fiery chile influenced as Thai often is.

A dipping/table sauce that appears everywhere is Nuoc Cham.  There are as many variations on the recipe as there are people who make it.  Below is my riff on Nuoc Cham in a fish salad.  This particular recipe is one that I’ll be preparing for this year’s Cooking for Solutions event at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in May 2011.  Go to www.montereybayaquarium.org/vi/vi_events/cooking for more information.

VIETNAMESE SALAD WITH FRESH TROUT

Serves 4

Any crisp vegetables that you like could be added or substituted here.  There are several inexpensive tools on the market which make julienning a snap.  I’m pan cooking the trout here but you could also grill or poach it.  I love serving this in little Asian to-go boxes!

2 completely boned trout, about 10 ounces each

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Lime juice

3 tablespoons olive or canola oil

2 ounces thin rice noodles softened in warm water and drained

Toasted sesame oil

2 cups very finely sliced green or Nappa cabbage

1 cup or so carrot cut in fine julienne

1 cup or so finely julienned daikon radish, crisped in ice water and drained

1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into fine julienne

2 cups seeded and thinly sliced English cucumber

Nuoc Cham (recipe follows)

1/4 cup or so loosely packed tender cilantro and/or mint sprigs

2 tablespoons chopped toasted peanuts

Season the cavities of the trout with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lime.  Add oil to a large skillet and, over moderately high heat, cook the trout until just done.  Remove and set aside to cool.  Remove skin from trout and break fillets into large pieces.  Set aside.

In a bowl toss the noodles with a few drops of sesame oil. Combine the cabbage, carrots, daikon, red pepper and cucumber and gently toss with the noodles.  Add the trout and artfully arrange on a plate or in a small Asian to-go box.  Spoon the Nuoc Cham over and top with cilantro and chopped peanuts.  Serve immediately with chop sticks.

Nuoc Cham

Makes about 1 cup

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

4 tablespoons Asian fish sauce

1 teaspoon minced fresh red chile or to taste

2 teaspoons finely minced garlic

5 tablespoons sugar or to taste

1 tablespoon cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Combine all ingredients and stir until sugar is dissolved.  Let stand at least 30 minutes before serving for flavors to develop.  Adjust salt/sweet/tart/hot flavors to your taste.

John Ash © 2011

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Duck with Grapefruit Sauce

Duck is one of those birds that most Americans shy away from. If that describes you, then it’s time to give duck a try! They are widely available frozen in supermarkets, and much richer in flavor than a typical turkey. They are also easy to cook, using this two step method:

First Step:

•    Preheat oven to 350 degrees
•    Coarsely chop some aromatic vegetables like garlic, onions and carrots and place in the bottom of a roasting pan
•    Prick the duck all over with a cook’s fork to help release the fat and nestle it in among the veggies.  Add a splash of white wine if you want.
•    Cover with foil and roast for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until tender and juices run clear.
•    Halve the duck, remove and discard backbone.  At this point you can refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Second Step:
•    When ready to serve, roast in a preheated 450 degree oven for 25 – 30 minutes to heat thru and crisp the skin.
•    Delicious!

The cranberry, along with blueberries and the Concord grape, have a unique and special place in American cuisine.  They are the three North American native fruits that are grown in commercial quantities.  There are of course, many other fruits native to North America such as the paw paw and the Saskatoon berry, but these aren’t grown commercially.  Native Americans used wild cranberries extensively as a food and also as a fabric dye and healing agent.  When the European settlers landed, they adopted the versatile cranberry and used it as a valuable bartering tool. Because they are full of vitamin C, American whalers and sailors also carried cranberries on their voyages to prevent scurvy.

The name “cranberry” is thought to come from the Pilgrim name for the fruit, “crane berry”.  It apparently was called this because the small, pink blossoms that appear in the Spring resemble the head and bill of a sand hill crane. It has also been called the “bounceberry” because they will bounce when ripe.  This is in fact a good way to test for ripeness when you buy them in bulk.

The USA still is the place where much of the world’s supply of cranberries comes from.  Wisconsin is the largest producer accounting for over half of the production.  Maine is next with 25% or so followed by New Jersey, Washington and Oregon who make up the rest.  Canada also produces a large crop of cranberries mainly in Quebec, Nova Scotia, and British Columbia.

One of the common misconceptions about cranberries is that they are grown in or underwater.  They do require water in the beginning, and typically, end of their growing cycle. The season begins in winter when growers flood the bogs with water that freezes and insulates the vines from frost. As the winter snow melts, and spring arrives, the bogs are drained and the plants grow in dry beds.  Blossoms soon appear and in mid-July, petals fall from the flowers leaving tiny green nodes which, after weeks of summer sun, become red, ripe cranberries. Cranberries are typically harvested in September and October. Most cranberries are harvested using the wet method when growers flood their bogs with water.  They then use harvesting machines that loosen the cranberries from the vine. With small air pockets in their center, the cranberries float to the water’s surface. Growers corral the berries onto conveyers that lift them from the flooded bog onto trucks and into processing plants. A small percentage of cranberries are dry harvested. This process uses mechanical pickers, resembling lawn mowers with comb-like conveyer belts that pick the berries and carry them to attached burlap bags.

Storing Cranberries
If you buy cranberries in a plastic bag, the bag can go directly into the freezer. Bulk cranberries can be frozen in a freezer bag or container.  Cranberries will last up to nine months in the freezer. Frozen cranberries can be used in recipes without thawing since frozen berries will be soft when thawed, it is easier to chop or grind them while frozen.

Health Benefits of Cranberries
During the last decade or so there have been several research studies that suggest cranberries are not only a healthy, low-calorie fruit, they may also help prevent urinary tract infections and reduce the risk of gum disease, ulcers, heart disease and may have anticancer properties.  Cranberries contain significant amounts of flavonoids and polyphenols which are powerful antioxidants. To put it simply, antioxidants protect our bodies from harmful molecules that we are exposed to every day of our lives.

CRANBERRY SORBET
Makes about 1 quart

This makes a not-too-sweet palate cleanser when served by itself, or a nice foil for fresh tropical fruits like pineapple and mango.  My favorite use is to scoop a small ball into a martini glass and then splash a little vodka over.  It’s a fun version of the classic “Cosmopolitan”.

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1-1/2 pounds (5 cups) fresh or frozen cranberries
½ cup fresh lime juice (or to taste)
2 tablespoons orange flavored liqueur such as Grand Marnier*

Add sugar and water to a small sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved.  Add cranberries and simmer covered until berries have burst, about 10 minutes.

Strain mixture through a medium mesh strainer, pressing down gently on solids to extract the juices.  Discard solids and chill the mixture covered for at least 2 hours.  Stir in the lime juice, liqueur and freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions.  Transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.

*If you prefer a non-alcoholic version you can use one of the orange flavored syrups used to flavor coffees that are now widely available.