Top 10 Ways to Enjoy Honeydew Melon

1.       Freeze It. Make popsicles by pureeing honeydew with a little sugar and a splash of lime juice. Pour into molds and freeze.

2.       Drink It. Make a slushy with your honeydew. Watch Recipe Video.

3.       The Perfect Pyramid. Place a peeled slice of honeydew on a plate. Pile on slices of banana and your favorite berries. Top with a scoop of low-fat frozen yogurt and a sprinkle of chopped peanuts for a scrumptious dessert.

4.       A Sweet Green Salad. Add melon to a green salad for sweet bursts of flavor.

5.       Melon Salsa. Mix melon with finely chopped red onion, fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice for a fresh salsa that pairs well with seafood.

6.       Melon Salad. Honeydew, cantaloupe and watermelon mix well for a beautiful and delicious fruit salad. Drizzle with maple syrup and spice with shavings of ginger root.

7.       Kebab It! Thread cubes of melon and other favorite fruit on bamboo skewers. Serve with a yogurt dip.

9.       Fill It. Use the hull of a honeydew melon as a bowl and fill it with cold melon soup on a hot day.

10.   Wrap It Up. Wrap slices of melon with prosciutto (ham) for a delicious appetizer.

11.   Wash, Slice and Peel! Enjoy melon by itself for a taste just the way nature intended.

 Source:
http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/top-10-ways-to-enjoy-honeydew-melon

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Ingredients:
1 avocado
1/4 cup carob powder (or cocoa or chocolate powder)
1/2 cup dates







Directions:

You will need a knife, high speed blender or hand blender
Simply blend all ingredients until the mixture is smooth and creamy and no lumps.
Taste test before using. Add more avocado if you’d like it richer and/or creamier; add more dates for extra sweetness or add more carob for a stronger chocolate flavor.
Serve on its own or with ice-cream for the ultimate treat.

Helpful Hints

1. You are going to need some water (or soy, almond or cow’s milk) to blend the ingredients. I tried to blend it without water and the pudding didn't get very far, and it just made my blender cranky. So when making this recipe just add a bit of water to get the blender working, and add more as needed.

2. The best part about this pudding? It's so quick that you could make it in the morning and take it with you to work or school!

3. Lasts in the fridge for a few days!

Fruit Cobbler Easy Batter

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 cups of sliced fresh peaches or nectarines, or whole blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries or a combination of fruits (or a 12-ounce package of frozen berries)
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position, and heat oven to 350 degrees. Put butter in an 8-inch square or 9-inch round pan; set in oven to melt. When butter has melted, remove pan from oven. Whisk flour, 3/4 cup of sugar, baking powder and salt in small bowl. Add milk; whisk to form a smooth batter. Pour batter into pan, then scatter fruit over batter. Sprinkle with remaining 1 Tb. of sugar. Bake until batter browns and fruit bubbles, 50 to 60 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream or a small scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Fennel, Beet, and Orange Salad with Olives

3 medium beets, trimmed
1 tsp grated orange peel
1/4 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
1/9 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 fennel bulb, trimmed (fronds reserved), halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
3 large navel oranges
1/3 cups halved pitted Kalamata olives


Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap beets in foil. Place on baking sheet. Roast beets until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Cool. Peel beets; cut into rounds. Mix orange peel, mustard and fennel seeds in bowl. Whisk in vinegar. Gradually whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper. (Beets and dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately; chill. Bring dressing to room temperature before using.) Place fennel slices in bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Cut peel and white pith from oranges. Cut oranges into rounds. Alternate beets and oranges along edge of platters, overlapping. Spoon fennel slices into center; sprinkle with olives. Drizzle remaining dressing over beets and oranges. Chop fronds; sprinkle over salad.

Fingerling Potato Salad With Sherry Mustard Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Sherry wine vinegar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Potatoes
2 cups coarse sea salt
2 pounds fingerling potatoes (such as Ruby Crescent or Russian Banana)
2 1/4-inch-thick slices smoked bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick strips
2 small shallots, thinly sliced
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled, chopped
2 green onions, thinly sliced

For vinaigrette:
Combine mustard and vinegar in small bowl. Whisk in oil, then herbs. Season with sea salt and pepper.

For potatoes:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread sea salt in even layer on rimmed baking sheet; arrange potatoes over salt, spacing slightly apart. Cover sheet with foil and bake until potatoes are tender, about 1 hour. Remove from oven, uncover, and cool to lukewarm. Meanwhile, cook bacon in medium skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Peel potatoes; cut in half lengthwise. Place warm potatoes in medium bowl. Add bacon, shallots, eggs, onions, and vinaigrette. Toss well and serve.

Peach, Banana, and Blueberry Smoothie

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe peaches or nectarines, pitted and chopped
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 banana, preferably frozen
• 1 cup low fat or non-fat vanilla yogurt

Directions:

Place ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Thin with some calcium-fortified orange juice if desired

Poblano Pepper Chilequiles

Makes 4 Servings
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 slices bacon, chopped
6 corn tortillas, cut into triangles
1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 poblano pepper, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 (12-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, drained and cut up; or 2 very ripe fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 cup grated Monterey jack or mild longhorn cheese
sour cream, for garnis

Preheat a heavy skillet, preferably cast-iron, on medium-high for 1 minute. Add the olive oil and bacon. Cook just until the bacon is limp. Remove it from the oil with a slotted spoon. Add the tortilla triangles and cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove the tortillas and drain all but 1 tablespoon of the grease from the pan. Add the onion and poblano pepper to the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Over the vegetables in the pan, layer the corn tortillas, then the bacon bits, the tomatoes, then the 4 eggs broken individually, like fried eggs. Season with the salt. Reduce heat and cook, covered, for 2 to 3 more minutes. Cover with the cheese and let stand until the cheese has melted. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, taking care to give each person an egg.
All the Trimmings

Arrange the avocado, grapefruit, and pomegranate seeds on a platter in a
pinwheel design. This not only looks good, but it allows people to take what they want. We love the drama of bringing the chilequiles to the table in the black skillet. Serve the refried beans in a nice bowl. We usually open a can of refried beans and microwave them in the serving bowl. To spruce them up, add 1/4 cup of salsa. We love Pace mild Pan dulce, or Mexican bread pastries, which are usually beautifully colored, unworldly pinks, blues, and yellows, can be
purchased at any Mexican grocery store. Warm and serve them on a big platter. We like to cut them in half so that people can taste the pink ones and the blue ones!

Spinach and Sprout Salad

Makes 8 servings
1 red onion
1 pint of tomatoes
4 cups of alfalfa sprouts
3/4 pound of baby spinach

Halve onion lengthwise and very thinly slice crosswise. In a bowl cover onion with cold water. Chill onion in water 30 minutes. Toss together remaining ingredients and serve with lemon juice.

Watermelon, Lemonade, and Blueberry Ice Pops

Serves 8
Watermelon ice
2 1/2 cups 1/2-inch cubes seeded watermelon (from 2-pound piece)
1/4 cup sugar
8 5-ounce disposable paper cups
8 ice pop sticks or wooden coffee stirrers

Lemon ice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blueberry ice
2 cups fresh blueberries (from three 1/2-pint containers)
1 cup water
5 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
For watermelon ice:
Blend watermelon and sugar in processor until smooth. Strain puree into bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much fruit as possible..

Place cups in shallow baking pan. Spoon watermelon puree into cups, dividing equally (scant 3 tablespoons each). Freeze until mixture is almost frozen, about 2 hours. Cover cups with rounds of foil, sealing tightly at edges. Using tip of small knife, make 1/4-inch slit in center of each foil cover. Push ice pop stick through slit and securely into watermelon ice without hitting bottom of cup. Freeze until watermelon ice is solid, about 1 hour longer.

For lemon ice:
Bring 1/2 cup water and sugar to boil in heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Mix in lemon juice, orange juice, and vanilla. Cool to room temperature.
Place pan with frozen pops on work surface; carefully fold back foil over each cup without dislodging stick. Spoon lemonade into cups, dividing equally (scant 3 tablespoons each). Reseal foil. Freeze until lemonade layer is solid, about 2 hours.

For blueberry ice:
Stir blueberries, 1 cup water, and sugar in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Boil until berries are very soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Strain mixture into small bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much fruit as possible. Mix in lemon juice. Cool to room temperature.

Place pan with frozen pops on work surface; carefully fold back foil over each cup without dislodging stick. Spoon blueberry mixture into cups, dividing equally (generous 3 tablespoons each). Reseal foil. Freeze until pops are frozen solid, about 8 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep frozen.)
Remove foil, then tear or use scissors to cut cup off each pop; return ice pops to pan and freeze until ready to serve

Apple Filled Acorn Squash Rings with Curry

1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, diced (about 2 1/3 cups)
2/3 cup apple juice
1/2 cup dried raisins or currants
8 1-inch-thick unpeeled acorn squash rings (from 2 medium), seeded

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 12 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon curry powder; stir 1 minute. Add apples, apple juice, and currants. Sauté until liquid evaporates, about 6 minutes. Season filling to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt 5 tablespoons butter in small skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 tablespoon curry powder; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer curry butter to bowl. Brush 2 large rimmed baking sheets with some curry butter. Arrange squash in single layer on sheets. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Scoop filling into center of rings. Drizzle remaining curry butter over squash and filling (mostly on squash). Cover with foil. Bake squash rings until squash is tender when pierced with skewer, about 40 minutes. Using spatula, transfer squash rings with filling to plates.

Cathy's Kale Chips

Kale!

Kale is one of those amazing greens that can be cooked in a thousand ways and somehow always tastes different and exciting. Filled with vitamins A, C and calcium this green is something you just can't live without. One of our CROPS members here at Wolfson campus, Cathy Anthofer, sent in this recipe for Kale Chips - a healthy alternative for the regular potato chip and pretty easy to make.

I made Cathy's recipe the other day and was surprised by how much it actually tasted like a regular store bought chip. The crunchy green chip was quite a hit! Many members have commented that the Kale chip has substituted store bought snacks.

Cathy's Kale Chips

May be made in a food dehydrator or oven.

For oven: pre-heat oven to 350

Wash and dry kale. Chop into chip sized pieces, cutting away stems. Place on a baking sheet, and liberally brush olive oil on all pieces. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake until ends begin to curl and pieces are dry to the touch. Eat like chips, tastes like popcorn! (Baked kale retains all of its nutritional value!)

Enjoy!

Pictures taken from the Smitten Kitchen

Blueberry Season!

Blueberries are finally here from Florida! There is nothing like the sweet, fresh flavor of freshly picked blueberries. The blueberry is the true sign of summer.

I have challenged myself this season to come up with some new ways of using blueberries besides the usual sweet renditions. I came up with a blueberry balsamic vinaigrette and threw in some of the blueberries in a green spring salad with watercress, radishes, walnuts, feta cheese, and grilled mushrooms. It turned out great the blueberries added a sweet kick to the salad.

I'd love to hear some other suggestions for how to use blueberries in non-traditional ways.

I have added a blueberry muffin recipe here. You can never go wrong with blueberry muffins on a Sunday morning. Hope you enjoy the blueberries this week!

This recipe is taken from the Smitten Kitchen.

PERFECT BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Makes 9 to 10 standard muffins

5 tablespoons (2 1/2 ounces or 71 grams) unsalted butter , softened

1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces or 100 grams) sugar

1 large egg

3/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 1/2 cups (6 3/4 ounces or 191 grams) all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon (7 grams or 1/4 ounce) baking powder

1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) baking soda

1/4 teaspoon (2 grams) salt

3/4 cup (3 3/4 ounces or 105 grams) blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, don’t bother defrosting)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a muffin tin with 10 paper liners or spray each cup with a nonstick spray. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well, then yogurt and zest. Put flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a sifter and sift half of dry ingredients over batter. Mix until combined. Sift remaining dry ingredients into batter and mix just until the flour disappears. Gently fold in your blueberries. The dough will be quite thick (and even thicker, if you used a full-fat Greek-style yogurt), closer to a cookie dough, which is why an ice cream scoop is a great tool to fill your muffin cups. You’re looking for them to be about 3/4 full, nothing more, so you might only need 9 instead of 10 cups. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until tops are golden and a tester inserted into the center of muffins comes out clean (you know, except for blueberry goo). Let cool on rack, or you know, serve with a generous pat of butter.


Pictures and Recipe from The Smitten Kitchen