Watermelon Popsicles

It's summer! Watermelons usher in a whole wealth of delicious ways to beat the heat. This wonderful flowering vine produces a bounteous & versatile fruit. From salads to soup to desserts, watermelon is one of my favorite and fondest summer fruits. 

This year I have spent the summer trying to feed children their fruits and vegetables. A mission I've realized is easier said than done mission, I have to say the least been frustrated with these harsh critics. When I read Mark Bittman's feature Watermelon, Man,  I knew I had a trick up my sleeve for the kids. This low sugar treat is a great way to get the kids excited about eating fruit without any added sugar. Watermelon is also high in Vitamin A & C as well as Potassium so they can think they're getting spoiled. This simple 'recipe' can be whipped up in a jiffy and is malleable to the wealth of seasonings that compliment watermelons juicy and sweet flavor.

Watermelon Popsicles

1 fresh watermelon

 Juice of 2 limes

1 sprig mint or basil

Remove skin from watermelon. Cut into chunks and remove seeds. In a blender, puree watermelon chunks and lime juice. Pour juice into molds and add a leaf of mint or basil to each popsicle. Freeze for 6 hours. 

Raw Summer Cold Noodle

In the summer, it's hard to eat, sleep and even breathe. Salads have always been my escape on hot summer days when I don't have much of an appetite, but recently I've been looking for some new cold & delicious alternatives. I love playing around with no-bake or raw recipes and am always overjoyed with the low prep and delicious results. I find that simplicity & allowing the natural flavors shine through is the key in raw 'cooking'.  

Cold sesame noodles is one of my favorite summertime dishes and I was excited when I saw a method for making noodles out of zucchini. With my new favorite kitchen toy, a julienne peeler, whipping up this simple summer recipe was a breeze (around 10 minutes total!) and a great way to eat raw. There are many benefits to eating vegetables in their raw state, most being that none of the nutrients is lost during the cooking process. Raw Zucchini has high levels of Potassium and Fiber as well as impressive values of Vitamin C (58%!) and Vitamin A, B-6 and Magnesium. 

When I received 4 gigantic zucchinis in my farm share this week, I was determined to make zucchini noodles. I julienned 2 of them and made the sauce out of some peanut butter, though I suspect that any and all nut butters would be delicious. This recipe is mostly a guideline, experiment with different preparations, customizing it to your taste. This one, of course, is on the spicier side. if you prefer milder version, nix the sriracha and chili powder and take it easy on the ginger and onion. Get out there and get your raw on! 

Raw Summer Cold Noodle

Sauce 

1/4 cup nut butter or sesame paste

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil  

2 teaspoons grated ginger

2 tablespoons of lime

1 tablespoon sriracha  

1 dash chili powder

Combine all ingredients in bowl and stir till smooth. If mixture is thicker than you'd like add more soy sauce or water. Set aside

Noodles 

2 large zucchinis, shredded with a julienned peeler

1 cucumber,  shredded with a julienned peeler

1 cup bean sprouts

1 onion, diced

Garnish 

1/2 cup peanuts, chopped

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Cilantro to taste, chopped

Toss together ingredients in a large bowl . Slowly add sauce, dressing as much as you'd like. Do be aware that the zucchini will release liquid over time. Chill or serve immediately. Enjoy!

Ginger Peach & Black Raspberry Water

An ice machine breaking on a 90 degree day is a sad reality of summer. When scrounging for a refreshing beverage without ice,  I decided I had to get creative. I had just gone an picked black raspberries from my favorite farm in Jersey. I decided to macerate the berries with a few slices of ginger, peach & citrus then submerge them in water and stuck it in the fridge. The water instantly turned a brillant red and was absolutely refreshing. Now I like to take on of my 32oz. mason jar and leave it in the fridge with water fruit I have laying around. Weather it be to cool down, mix up the usual water chugging you need on these hot days, or to spice up a cocktail, I'm positively smitten with the simplicity and versatile uses of this flavored water. Now this recipe is merrily a suggestion, the brilliance behind this water is to use what you have on hand. Play around and experiment with different fruits, add a dash of honey or maple syrup and refill it and just leave it in the fridge to have around at all times. 

Ginger Peach & Black Raspberry Water

32 oz of water

1/2 cup raspberries

1 peach

1 lemon

ginger root to taste

honey or maple syrup, to taste (optional) 

Grab a large jar and macerate the black raspberries and peaches. Add the juice of 1 lemon and add 3 slices of ginger root, cover with water. Allow to sit in the fridge for a minimum of an hour. Replenish after each use and enjoy on its own or with your favorite spirit! 

Strawberry Rhubarb Preserves

After returning to the States from cool and balmy France, I came home to what seemed like a strawberry explosion. Excited for the season I went to my favorite fruit farm, Phillips Farm in New Jersey, and quickly picked up 2 pounds. The following day our farm share from Lancaster Farm Fresh was loaded with 4 quarts of the most delicate beauties. Dumbfounded and gitty, I immediately thought, preserves. When you have this amount of berries on your hands, the possibilities are endless. However strawberries are pretty perishable, and a lot of the varieties I prefer, bruise easily and taste best when eaten within a couple days of picking. Preserving these badboys allows you to enjoy their freshness year round; and believe me, come December, you'll be so happy you saved yourself a jar. The other great thing about this preparation is that you can also immediately do whatever you can think of with the stuff. From cocktails, pies, and ice creams, this base is extremely malleable for all your strawberry dreams. So get into the field before the season passes and enjoy the taste of the season!

Strawberry Rhubarb Preserves

Makes 6 half pints

3 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

2 pound fresh rhubarb stalks, leaves removed 

3 1/2 cups granulated sugar 

Method

Wash & clean berries and rhubarb. Hull berries and slice in half, set aside in bowl. Chop rhubarb into 1/2 inch pieces and place in the bowl with the berries. Cover with sugar and stir. Set aside for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight. 

Prepare sanitized 1/2 pint jars and set aside. If you want to can them, prepare a water bath for jars. 

Strawberry Thyme Waffles

When the juices are released from the fruit pour into a large skillet over high heat. Bring to a rapid boiling, stirring often for around 10 minutes or until the juice is thick. Remove from heat and funnel into sanitized jars. Secure lid to jars and boil in water bath for 10 minutes or simply store in the fridge for up to 4 weeks. 

Try these preserves in syrup on waffles, folded into whip cream to make a 'fool' or even stirred into your favorite gin.  

My strawberry partners in crime @ Springdale Farms

Local Pick Your Own Locations (Philadelphia Area) 

Active Acres Farm 

881 Highland Road, Newtown, PA 18940. 

215.860.6855

Brumbaugh's Farm

2575 County Line Road, Telford, PA.

215.723.3508

Manoff Market Gardens

Comfort Road, Solebury, PA 18963.

215.297.8220

Shady Brook Farm

931 Stony Hill Road, Yardley, PA 19067.

215.968.1670

Springdale Farm Market

1638 S. Springdale Road, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003.

856.424.8674

Rowand Farms 

Greentree Road & Dalton Drive, Glassboro, NJ.

856.589.9234

Phillips Farm 

290 Church Rd, Milford, NJ 08848

908.995.0022