Summer Kiwi Salad

Two Handfuls of fresh spinach leaves

Two fresh Kiwis, peeled and sliced

2 tablespoons dried cranberries

3 tablespoons walnuts

Balsamic dressing to taste

Wash spinach and combine all ingredients in a bowl. Add balsamic dressing to taste and serve. Serving size is for 1 to 2 servings. Double and triple the recipe for entertaining!

The next recipe might seem a little odd at first, so don’t knock until you try it because it is delicious!!!

Strawberry Salsa

1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced

4 roma (plum) tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lime, juiced

1 tablespoon olive oil

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Toss all together to mix and coat. Cover dish and refrigerate for 2 hours to chill. Serve with tortilla or corn chips.

Try either of these summer creations with fresh fruit and take advantage of your seasonal fruits! You won’t be disappointed and your guests won’t stop talking about it!

Blackberry Fool

Granny’s.

Autumn flavour abounds in this smooth yet textured treat.

Stew the fruit with a little sugar until soft and thick, add a little lemon juice and put through a ‘hair sieve’ (nb. I used a normal fine one). When cool combine with an equal amount of custard and leave in a cool place until required. Serve in glasses with some whipped cream on top.

Please use proper custard to do this justice, powder does not do it.

Raspberry Custard

Granny’s.

A different way to use spare raspberries, the baked custard can be a dish on its own, or set in a small pastry dish.

1 pint of fresh Raspberries

Sugar

2 whole eggs + 1 yolk

Milk (sadly there is no mention of how much milk is needed here - I used 1/2 a pint and it worked ok but this might need tuning.)

Put the raspberries into a pie dish and sprinkle with sugar.

Beat up the eggs with a little sugar, boil the milk and gradually pour over the fruit.

Put the pie dish in a moderate oven for 1/2 hour or until custard is set. Sprinkle with castor sugar and serve.nb. do not let custard boil in the oven.

You can also add a vanilla pod to the milk to flavour but remove before baking.

Steamed Asian Pears with Honey

The juice and crunch of the pears blend with the sticky sweetness of the dates.

2 Asian pears

4 teaspoons honey

2 dried Chinese dates also known as Jujubes or Zizyphus, softened in cold water, slit, and the pits removed

Lemon juice to brush on the pears.

Wash the pears and pat dry with paper towels. Cut the top off the pears and set aside (these will become the lid). Remove the core. If desired, cut off a small slice at the bottom so that the pear will stand straight during steaming.

Spoon 2 teaspoons honey into each pear. Add 1 Chinese date. Place the top back on the pear. Brush the lemon juice over the skin of the pear.

Set up a steamer, or place a rack for steaming inside a deep pot. Place the pears on a plate and steam, covered, for 30 minutes, or until the pears are tender. Serve warm.