nectarines

June 29, 2009

Nectarine, Thyme & Cheese Tart

mel breakfast, recipe, sides & bites cheese, nectarines, pastry, tart, thyme

Nectarine, <a href= no rx Thyme & Cheese Tart” />

What to do with the creamy, pharmacy decadent Supreme cheese that Ile de France sent me last month? I thought of a million things. Creamy pasta sauce, intense wild mushroom risotto, another decadent sandwich. But then I had a better idea. Why not top a sheet of puff pastry with nectarines, Supreme and thyme? A simple and pretty hors d’ouevre.

So that’s exactly what I did. And it was absolutely, ridiculously delicious. The nectarines were just the right amount sweet and tart. They melted in the oven coating the puff pasty and acted as a nice counterpart to the creamy Supreme. Sprinkled with fresh thyme and a little flaky sea salt, this was just about one of the best appetizers I’ve made in awhile. It was easy, impressive and delicious.

There’s no better appetizer than fruit and cheese, unless it’s fruit, cheese and puff pastry. Mmmmm!

August 5, 2008

red currant, necatrine & thyme crisps

mel dessert, recipe, sides & bites crisp, crumble, nectarines, oats, red currants, thyme

red currant, <a href= there necatrine & thyme crisps” />

Did you know that when red currants are baked they taste like candy? I swear! Just like candy. All red and sweet and sticky. If you’ve never tried red currants before, I think you should snatch some up and make this crisp. Wikipedia says that red currants are a bit sour and mostly used in jams and other cooked dishes. They’re definitely not conducive to snacking since they’re as tiny as a mini Altoid. But something happens when they’re baked and they just transform…into candy!

I paired them with some sweet nectarines and added bit of thyme as a contrast to the sweet crisp topping. I also used more salt than is usual, fancy fleur de sel to be exact, in the topping to really make the fruit pop. I loved how sweet, salty, sour and savory all combined to make this special summer dessert. I also loved how the scoop of Haagen Dazs Fleur de Sel Caramel ice cream we heaped on top made for the best dessert I’ve had in a long time.

June 16, 2008

jerk chicken, nectarine & goat cheese salad

mel entree, recipe, sides & bites chicken, goat cheese, jerk, nectarines, salad, walnuts

jerk chicken, <a href= angina nectarine & goat cheese salad” />

I just got back from a weekend away in beautiful Maine. I was hoping to post this before I left, click but never got around to it. Here it is in all of its delicious glory.

Summer’s here and the stone fruits are starting to appear in huge quantities. I love nectarines and often bring them to work for my mid-morning snack. Although tasty, health they’re really not ideal for eating at your desk. Usually, I end up bent over the trash can as the juices run down my fingers and drip everywhere. Not very attractive.

If you want to avoid creating such a scene at work, another way to eat those nectarines that I’m sure are piling up in your fruit bowl (aside from a delicious crumble) is to use them in a salad. They provide a nice substitute for the juicy tomatoes which have unfortunately disappeared from stores nationwide, lest we all become infected with salmonella.

The jerk chicken is a nice compliment for the sweet nectarines and goat cheese and vinaigrette give it enough of a bite to curb the fruit’s sweetness. Just add some walnuts for crunch and you’ve got a perfectly well-rounded summer salad.

March 21, 2008

almond nectarine crumble

mel dessert, recipe almonds, crumble, nectarines

almond nectarine crumble

It’s not exactly stone fruit season here, resuscitator but it is in Chile. And while I know it’s not exactly environmentally friendly to buy fruit that’s traveled from another continent, prothesis my grocery store seemed to be overflowing with nectarines this week. If I didn’t buy them, they’d just shrivel up and get thrown away right?

Anyway, I ended up with 2 pounds of nectarines and decided to make a crumble with them. They were just ripe enough, but not so ripe that they’d turn to mush in the oven. This crumble is healthier than most because I didn’t use a whole lot of sugar and the crumble is made with white whole wheat flour, rolled oats, Greek yogurt and about half the traditional stick of butter.

The crumble is tangy, crunchy, refreshing and just feels like summer (it always kind of feels like summer here in Miami, though). If you’re sick of winter and tempted by the foreign nectarines at your market, this just might make the perfect Easter dessert.