Salad ingredients for Summer salads are in abundance fresh during the warmer weather.
Summer salads
Pictured is butter lettuces, sliced fresh peach, fresh figs, fresh garden tomato, assorted olives, extra virgin olive oil and Blackberry-Ginger Balsamic vinegar. The fruit flavor of the peaches combines with the vinegar and explodes flavors on your pallet! Be sure to use a good quality vinegar from a specialty store like the one I mention in my “tips and tricks” category. Be creative, use different lettuces and fresh fruits such as plums, nectarines, grapes, Add crumbles of cheese, such as blue cheese or goat cheese. Add nuts too if you like.
The possibilities are endless !!
This is a beautiful fresh Pineapple Fruit Display for your table centerpiece. The pineapple is the focus but you can place any other fruit around it.
Pineapple fruit display
Ingredients;
whole pineapple, I prefer the golden variety
1/2 LB cherries
6 whole strawberries
1/2 pint blueberries
decorative picks
Directions;
Cut the ends of the pineapple off, saving the top and placing it in the
middle of the platter.
Stand the cut pineapple on it’s end and cut into the center core 4 even pieces. Slice off the center core section about 1/2 inch.
Slice the wedges on an angle on either side to allow the pineapple flesh to separate from the outer core. Keeping the wedges together with the outer core lay flat and cut the flesh into slices.
Place the sliced 4 wedges evenly around the pineapple top.
Decorate with colorful picks.
Place the other fruit in between the pineapple wedges.
I recently rediscovered this recipe in an old cookbook.
I remember spice cake from my childhood.
It’s origin dates back to the Pilgrim days as it traveled well.
It has an Autumn spice taste written all over it.
Spice cake
Adding packaged or canned ingredients to a recipe for desserts or entrees seems to have been forgotten. It’s moist, flavorful and easy to put together. Serve it dusted with powdered sugar or frost it with my cream cheese frosting recipe or my easy chocolate ganache frosting recipe as pictured.
I hope you will enjoy it!!
Ingredients;
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 1/3 cups sugar
4 TSP baking powder
1 TSP baking soda
1 1/2 TSP allspice
1 TSP cinnamon
1/2 TSP ground cloves
1 10oz can of Campbell’s condensed tomato soup
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 XLarge eggs
1/4 cup water
Directions;
Preheat the oven to 350.
Grease and flour a loaf pan or two 9″ pans. Measure dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Add the soup and butter and mix for 2 minutes. Add the eggs and water and mix for another 2 minutes. Pour into the pans.
Bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Ganache frosting is smooth and very glossy. This version is my easy Chocolate Ganache Frosting. Flavorful and pours over your cake.
easy chocolate ganache frosting
Ingredients;
7oz pkg Bakers chocolate dipping chips cup, dark or milk
2-3 TBLS heavy cream
Directions;
Use a double boiler or place an oven proof bowl over a pot of simmering water.
The bowl bottom should be over the water, not touching it.
Heat the cream a few minutes at the same time melt the chocolate in its package according to the microwave directions. Add the melted chocolate to the heated cream and mix together with a whisk until smooth.
Pour/spread the ganache while warm over your cake.
For easy clean up; line a baking sheet with waxed paper and place a cooling rack over it. Place your cake on the rack then frost it.
