Strawberry Soup with Sorbet

Ingredients
1 pint fresh strawberries, cleaned and hulled
about 1/2 cup brown sugar
juice of 1 lemon
4 scoops of fruit sorbet

Cooking Instructions
1. Purée the strawberries in a blender or food processor.
2. Strain with a fine mesh strainer, pressing gently on the pulp to release the juice.
3. Blend in the sugar and lemon juice until a pleasant balance of sweetness and tartness is reached.
4. Ladle the soup into soup bowls and serve with a scoop of fruit sorbet.

This recipe serves: 4 | Preparation time: 10 minutes

Strawberry Soup with Sorbet: Recipe by FoodFit

Zucchini, Mushroom and Taleggio Tart

Try making this light appetizer with the wild mushrooms that are gaining popularity at farmers’ markets around the country. If you can’t find Taleggio cheese, use a soft goat cheese instead. Serves 8.

Ingredients:
* 2 Tbs. olive oil
* 1 lb. zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch rounds (about 3 cups)
* 10 oz. mushrooms, sliced (about 2 1/2 cups)
* 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp.)
* 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
* 2 Tbs. Madeira wine
* 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed (1/2 17.3-oz. pkg.)
* 3 oz. Taleggio cheese, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Heat 1 Tbs. oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of zucchini and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until browned on both sides. Transfer to paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with remaining zucchini. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Add remaining olive oil to skillet. Sauté mushrooms 7 to 10 minutes, or until browned and liquid has evaporated. Stir in garlic and thyme, and cook 1 minute. Add Madeira, and sauté 1 minute more, or until liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat.

3. Place puff pastry on prepared baking sheet. Prick dough all over with fork, leaving 1/2-inch border on all sides. Spread mushrooms over pastry inside border. Lay zucchini and cheese over mushrooms. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and cheese has melted. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Zucchini, Mushroom and Taleggio Tart

Rustic Plum Tart

Take advantage of another fruit in peak season: Substitute unpeeled nectarines for the plums. Serves 10.

Filling
1⁄4 cup chopped walnuts
2 lbs. ripe plums
1⁄4 cup unbleached flour
1⁄2 cup sugar
3 Tbs. red currant jelly

Pastry crust
1 1⁄2 cups unbleached flour
2 Tbs. sugar
1⁄2 tsp. salt
1⁄3 cup walnut oil
3 to 6 Tbs. ice water

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425F. Lightly coat baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. To make Pastry Crust: In medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, and salt. Using fork, slowly stir oil into flour until mixture is crumbly. Stir in enough ice water so dough will hold together. Press dough into flattened disk.

3. Roll dough between sheets of wax paper into rough circle, 14 to 15 inches in diameter and approximately 1⁄16 inch thick, patching where necessary. Remove top sheet and invert dough onto prepared baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate while preparing filling.

4. To make Filling: Spread nuts in pie pan and toast in oven until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Let cool.

5. Meanwhile, quarter plums, discarding pits. In food processor, combine walnuts, flour and 1⁄4 cup sugar. Process until finely ground.

6. Spread flour-nut mixture over pastry, leaving 11⁄2-inch border around edge. Arrange plums, resting on their sides, in concentric circles, over nut mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1⁄4 cup sugar. Fold pastry border over plums.

7. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375F and bake until crust is golden and juices are bubbling, 30 to 40 minutes.

8. Using long spatula, loosen warm tart from baking sheet and slide onto serving platter. Let cool.

9. Heat jelly in small saucepan over low heat until melted, then brush sauce over plums before serving.

Rustic Plum Tart [Vegetarian Times]

Peach Lasagna

Ingredients:
For the peach layers, 3 pounds ripe peaches
Grated peel and juice of 1 small-medium lemon
¾ cup sugar
For the bread layers,
8 slices (approximately 5 x 3 ½ inches) country bread cut, not too thick, from a round country loaf
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons butter)
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
For the crumb topping
1/3 cup flour
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter
3 tablespoons finely chopped almonds

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Peel the peaches and cut them into approximately ¼ inch wedges. Toss them in a bowl with the lemon rind and juice and ¾ cup sugar.

Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet and lay in half of the bread slices. Brown them lightly on one side, then turn them and brown the other side. Repeat with the remaining butter and bread slices and when all are done, sprinkle the 1 ½ tablespoons sugar over them.

Line the bottom of a shallow baking dish (approximately 8 x 10 inches) with half the bread slices; they should just cover the bottom. Spoon half of the peaches and half of their juices on top, then arrange a second layer of bread slices over the surface, and a final layer of peaches and juice.

Prepare the topping by tossing together in a bowl the flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Cut the butter into small cubes and mix them with the dry ingredients, using your fingertips or a pastry cutter to incorporate the butter but not too thoroughly—leave small, flakey pieces of butter throughout. Fold in the chopped almonds.

Sprinkle the topping even over the peach lasagna and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Test after 50 minutes; if the peaches were very ripe and juicey, it will be done. Otherwise, it will take the full hour or a little more; the peaches should be tender, the juices bubbling all around, and the top nicely browned. If the peaches seem done (and you don’t want them to dry out) but the crumb topping is still pale, slip the dish under a hot broiler for a minute or two. Serve warm.

Peach Lasagna

Ricotta Cheesecake

Torta di Ricotta (Makes 8 servings)

3 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup raisins
3 tablespoons dark rum
Softened butter
Fine dry bread crumbs for the pan
5 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch salt
Grated zest of 1 large lemon
Grated zest of 1 large orange
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup pine nuts

Place the ricotta in a cheesecloth-lined sieve and place the sieve over a bowl. Cover the ricotta with plastic wrap and let drain in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or up to one day.

Combine the raisins and rum in a small bowl. Soak, tossing occasionally, until the raisins are softened and have absorbed most of the rum.

Brush an 8-inch spring form pan with enough softened butter to coat lightly. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the butter to coat generously. Shake out the excess crumbs. Preheat the oven to 375° F.

In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks, sugar and salt with a whisk until pale yellow. Add the drained ricotta, lemon and orange zest and beat until blended thoroughly. Beat in the cream. With a rubber spatula, fold in the pine nuts and the raisins and rum, blending well. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with a hand mixer or wire whisk until they form firm peaks when a beater is lifted from them. Add about one fourth of the egg whites to the ricotta mixture and gently stir them in. Add the remaining egg whites and fold them in, using a large rubber spatula to scrape the batter from the bottom of the bowl up and over the whites. Fold just until a few streaks of white remain. Do not overmix. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared pan and bake until the cake is golden brown on top and set in the center, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Cool the cake completely before removing the sides of the pan. Serve the cake at room temperature or chilled.

Ricotta Cheesecake