Some of my favorite foods are now available at farmers markets: spicy garlic scapes, burning hot peppers, juicy apricots, succulent greens. I have been so excited about the beautiful and colorful flora now available that I often find that the produce I bring home is a mishmash of vegetables and fruits that don’t necessarily compliment one  another; I tend to buy what looks beautiful without a thought to the dishes that I can create with my purchases.

The other night, after a long day at work, I found myself staring blankly into my refrigerator and too tired to go to a restaurant or to head to the grocery store. That aforementioned motley assortment of flavors — a massive amount of peaches and apricots, basil, spring onions, jalapenos, and tortilla chips — was all I had. This could mean only one thing: fruit salsa. I chopped and seasoned and wound up with a sweet, light, and piquant dip — a perfect compliment to any sticky summer evening.

Spicy Stone Fruit Salsa
Serves 4

1 yellow peach
1 white peach
1 apricot
1 small white spring onion
1 jalapeno
1/4 cup basil
1/2 lime
salt to taste

Dice the peaches and apricots into small chunks and place in a large bowl. Finely slice the spring onion, mince the jalapeno, and then add both to the fruit.

Tear basil into small pieces and add to the fruit mixture. Squeeze the juice of a 1/2 lime over the salsa. Mix ingredients thoroughly together, then salt to taste.

Place in refrigerator and let sit for 1/2 hour to let the flavors meld.

Serve with tortilla chips, or as a topping for fresh fish or scallops. Salsa keeps well for three days stored in an air tight container and refrigerated.

Here’s a refreshing summer drink I made with all the ginger left over from my project. It’s called Gnamakoudji and pronounced “ni-ya-ma-koo-ji”. Gnamakoudji is a popular thirst quencher in west Africa, where the tropical climate is hot year round. Gnamakou means ginger in Mandinka and dji means water. So together, ginger water. It’s essentially a mint and lemon flavored ginger iced tea with a bold kick.

Ingredients

1.5-2 cups of freshly grated ginger
1.5 liters of water
4 limes or lemons juiced
1 bunch of mint
Orange blossom water
Brown sugar to taste

Place the grated ginger in a pot with 1.5 to 2 liters of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the mint. Let the ginger and mint steep until the liquid cools down completely.

Once the liquid is cool, strain it into a pitcher. Add the sugar starting with a cup and gradually increasing the quantity until you reach your desired level of sweetness. Add the lime/lemon juice and finish with 3 caps of orange blossom water. This adds a wonderful fragrance to the beverage. Serve ice cold on a hot summer day.

Thrifty Tip: Instantly turn your gnamakoudji into a delicious ginger margarita by adding some tequila. A perfect complement to your summer barbecue. Drink responsibly!

Yesterday was a sunny winter day in New York. On a day like this, there is nothing I enjoy more than flirting with the taste of summer. I was aiming for something sweet, but also quick and effortless like my Pineapple Tiramisu – deliciously decadent and executed in no time. Why wait until June when I can take a bite of the summer now?

I had this pineapple tiramisu for the first time at a potluck dinner in Paris last summer. It was love at first bite. I asked my friend for the recipe, but since she has yet to send it to me, this is my attempt at a replica. Adapted from a basic tiramisu recipe.

Ingredients

17 ounces of mascarpone cheese at room temperature ($3.99 at EV Cheese)
4 Large fresh egg
1/3 Cup of brown sugar
1/2 Cup of dark rum
1 Can of diced pineapple in pineapple juice (not syrup)
~24 Savoiardi a.k.a Italian ladyfingers ($3.45 at EV Cheese)
1 Tablespoon of pure vanilla extract (optional)

I first start by separating the egg yolks from the whites. Using an electric whisk, I whisk the egg yolks and the brown sugar on high speed until thick, pale and frothy.

I then lower the speed and add 1/3 of the rum, a tablespoon of vanilla. I mix it a little, add the mascarpone and continue whisking until the cream is smooth and homogenous. You’re probably thinking: “Wait! The eggs are raw?” Yes they are! That’s why you should always use fresh Grade A eggs. If it makes you feel better, adding rum to the raw eggs makes them safer by inhibiting the growth of bacteria. Once the cream is ready, I drain the pineapple and mix the juice with the remaining rum in a bowl wide enough to dip the ladyfingers.

At this point, the hard work is done and the fun part is ready to begin. When I’m having a dinner party and feeling creative, I make tiramisu verrines where I artistically layer the dessert in small glasses. Otherwise, I just use a spring form pan lined with wax paper.  If you’re a novice cook doing this for the first time, you might want to use a pyrex casserole dish.  It’s less sexy, but a lot easier.

Ok so… Now it’s time to assemble. Very easy! I quickly dip each side of the ladyfingers in the rum/pineapple juice and line the bottom of the pan with one layer of ladyfingers.

I pour half of the mascarpone cream over the ladyfingers. Then, I cover the cream with the diced pineapple and more ladyfingers dipped in the rum/pineapple juice. I finish with the remaining mascarpone cream and smooth the top. The tiramisu is done! I cover the pan with plastic wrap and chill the tiramisu in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.

I wasn’t really sure what to top the cake with the first time I made it, but one day it dawned on me that coconut and pineapple were a match made in heaven. So now, I top my pineapple tiramisu with toasted coconut flakes. They add crunch and texture. YUMMY!!