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| Meyer Lemon |
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| Grilled Fruit Salad |
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| Grilled Chicken with Papaya and Currants |
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| Wild Plums and Wild Plum Chutney |
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| Brined Charcoal Grilled Pork Chops |
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| Pork Chop and Plum Chutney
On a recent local hike I came across a tree filled with ripe plums, and after gathering a large quantity I decided to make a chutney. These ripe plums were going to be too soft when cooked so I added a few nectarines for a firmer consistency. Another idea was to serve it with grilled pork chops; two great foods coming together to a form an amazing meal.
WILD PLUM CHUTNEY
Ingredients:
2 cups diced wild or cultivated plums
3 diced nectarines
1/4 diced yellow onion
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 pinch fresh cracked pepper
1 cardamom pod cracked
Method:
1. slowly cook all ingredients till they become soft and the liquid reduces to a thick jam-like consistency.
Note: Remove cardamom pod shell.
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| Holiday Fruit |
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| Finger Lime "Caviar" |
Two simple amazing flavors combined to create an even better flavor. The strong flavored and salty cured ham paired with the soft creamy and sweet fig, perfect. Maybe introduce a third flavor of arugula and a dash of Extra virgin olive oil? It's all good and perfect for Summer.
Parsnips and lots of Squash
A Mountain of Beans
Bing Cherries
Plantains are the 'other' bananas; same family of fruit, but with a different texture and sweetness. Common bananas can be eaten raw and are considered sweet where a plantain needs to be cooked and is more starchy, which makes it good to fry for chips. One form of Plantain chip that can be found in Latin restaurants is the popular Tostones from Cuba, which are fried, pounded and fried again 'till crisp. This is good chip that you can make at home by slicing long thin strips and frying in hot vegetable oil. You will need firm, green plantains which after peeling have to be sliced thinly with a mandolin or other slicer. Next they go into hot 350F oil to fry 'till crisp, simply drained, salted and you are ready to eat a good alternative to potato chips.
Visiting my family this last weekend, they gave me a huge quantity of Kumquats from their tree. This fruit has origins in South Asia and was introduced to Europe in 1846 and then North America a short time later. In Asia the plant symbolizes good luck and it is given as a gift during the Lunar new year. What to do with all these small olive size citrus fruits? Not much juice or edible flesh either. They are prized for their intensely flavored rinds which are good in marinades, marmalades and chutneys. Raw they 
can be quite bitter and tough, so cooking in water for 15-20 minutes will soften them and leech out the bitter juices. I decided on making a chutney with some of the fruit and I'm thinking of serving it with pork.
The Pomegranate has been cultivated since ancient times with its origins in Persia and the Western Himalayan range but they can found everywhere in the Middle East and the Mediterranean regions. In recent years the popularity of pomegranates and its juice has increased due to its good health benefits. Some of these benefits are high levels of antioxidants and fiber. Most people tend to shy away from these fruits because they are afraid of the mess associated with removing the seeds. The dark red juice will stain. The simplest and cleanest method of extracting the juicy seeds is to score the thick skin and break apart the pomegranate under water in a bowl, separating the red seeds from the white membranes, the seeds will sink to the bottom and the membranes will float to the top. The now cleaned seeds are a great addition to a lot of dishes by providing bright color, texture and flavor. I like to sprinkle the seeds on top of my yogurt and granola in the morning.
I shop at. These fruits are a new discovery for me here in the Bay Area; I have never seen them here before. When I lived in Australia many years ago, it was common to have people growing them because of the warm tropical weather. These fruits are native to South America but can now be found in the warmer regions around the world. They are about the size and shape of chicken eggs with a fairly hard purple skin. The pulp and the seeds are what's eaten and used in drinks and desserts. They are sweet with a pronounced tartness and a very fragrant aroma.
Cherries are at their peak right now and flooding the market, in Washington state Rainier cherries are found everywhere and in part because this is where they originated from. Back in 1952 the Rainier was developed at Washington State University from Bing and Van cherries. When I came across this cherry stand selling Bing's and Rainier's for $1.00 a basket, I had to stop, a few pounds later and I was on my way. 
I always knew of the tree back in the corner of my yard, but this year when it decided to bear fruit I found out it was a plum tree! I picked a few of the small round plums to try and they were really good and so sweet.
I got the urge for warm weather fruit in the middle of winter. I have tried star fruits a long time ago and decided to buy some again to show my kids, they have never seen or heard of it. I picked up a mango for them to try also, they love them and I wanted them to try a different variety called a Manila mango. The manila is a little smaller with a yellow coloring when ripe. The reason why people like this variety more is because it is less stringy in texture then the conventional mango's you will find in the store. The star fruit gets it name from its five long segments that form a perfect star shape when seen from the end. It has a smooth waxy skin with a taste very much like Asian pear, there is not much to eat on this expensive fruit and its use is more for its looks then taste.
On a recent Napa Valley road trip I came across these nice Prickly Pears, they are the edible fruit of Cactus plants. Mostly used in making desserts and drinks. They have large thorns and need to be peeled before use. I think I might have to get some for a Prickly Pear Margarita!
