SUMMER FRUITS

Summer Fruits by Caravaggio

Pomegranates by Panayiotis Tetsis

By Panayiotis Tetsis

Greek Summers by Demetris Mytaras

Watermelons by Kostas Tsoklis

Watermelons by Alecos Fassianos

Since the beginning of times, humans and many animals had become dependent on wild, edible fruits as a source of nourishment.   Some fruit, especially, such as apples and pomegranates had acquired symbolic significations since early antiquity.  

Persephone - Prosperia by Dante, Gabriel Rossetti (1870)

Adam and Eve with the Forbidden Fruit by Cranach the Elder  

A Greek myth tells us that the goddess Persephone, after being abducted by Hades, the god of the underworld, was condemned to live in the world of the dead for three months every year, after she tasted a pomegranate seed.  Also, a single bite from an apple, the forbidden fruit, led to the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden.  Confirming that the luscious flavours of fruits are very hard to resist!

Fruits have been a symbol of abundance and wealth since classical times depicted by the cornucopia, a horn of plenty, overflowing with ripe fruits.

The myth started with the birth of baby Zeus in a cave of Mount Ida, on the island of Crete.  He was fed by the milk of a goat called Amalthea.   But one day, baby Zeus, while playing, accidentally broke off one of Amalthea's horns which had since, miraculously provided "never-ending nourishment and abundance".

Cornucopia by Andre Dluhos

In June, in the northern hemisphere. we thoroughly enjoy eating summer fruits such as apricots, figs, grapes, melons, peaches, pears, late strawberries and watermelons. Besides consuming them in a raw condition, we can also cook with them, creating the most exquisite sweet and savoury dishes. 


(Some of the information for this post was acquired from Wikipedia and Time and Life's "The Good Cook" both of whom I sincerely thank.)


Here are a few recipes prepared with summer fruits.

                                                    ICED PEACH SOUP

390 ml (13 fl oz) chicken stock, plus more if necessary

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1 garlic clove, peeled

1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf + 1 sprig of thyme + 1 sprig of parsley)

Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

¼ tsp or less Cayenne pepper

1 tsp honey or sugar

1 kg (2 lb) ripe peaches, peeled, stoned and cubed

1 shot tsipouro or Metaxa brandy or vodka, optional

Mint sprigs for garnish

Simmer the first six ingredients for 20 minutes, discard the bouquet garni, cool, blend and sieve.

Meanwhile, blend the peaches and combine with the chicken stock mixture, sieve once more, add the honey or sugar and stir well together.   Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper or honey if necessary, cover and place in the refrigerator.

Before offering the soup to your guests, add the liquor, if using, and a little iced chicken stock, if it seems too thick.  Serve the soup iced, in tall glasses, garnished with sprigs of mint.

                    SHRIMPS COOKED WITH PEACHES AND FETA CHEESE

500 g (1 lb) spaghettini or any other pasta of your choice 

2 tbsp melted butter

750 g (1 ½ lb) shrimps, shelled, deveined, thoroughly washed and patted dry 

2 tbsp olive oil

62½ ml (¼ cup) ouzo

5 spring onions, trimmed and very finely chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

4 large, ripe peaches, peeled, stoned and sieved

1 tsp sugar if necessary

250 ml (1 cup) Santorini Sigalas or any other good dry white wine

2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper

1 peach, peeled, stoned and cubed

150 g (5 oz) feta cheese, crumbled

2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

San Mihalis or Parmesan, finely grated

Boil the spaghettini in salted water until just "al dente", strain, add half the melted butter, swirl the saucepan and keep warm.  Reserve a little of the cooking liquid.

Simultaneously, sauté the shrimps in 1 tbsp olive oil, until they just change colour.   Sprinkle with a little salt, drizzle wi the ouzo and ignite.  When the flame dies down, transfer the shrimps to a dish and keep hot.

Sauté the spring onions and garlic in the leftover olive oil, season with salt and pepper and cook until almost soft. Then pour in the wine and cook for a few minutes until the alcohol evaporates.  Add the peach pulp and cook to 10-12 minutes more.  Stir in the cubed peach and the Cayenne pepper and simmer for 2-3 additional minutes.  Add the sautéed shrimps, feta cheese, parsley and the remaining butter and simmer gently until hot. Finally, taste the sauce, adding a little salt, pepper and sugar, if necessary. 

Stir a few tablespoonfuls of the reserved cooking liquid into the pasta and serve piping hot sprinkled with grated cheese and the delicious shrimp sauce.

                              

                              FILLET OF PORK WITH FRESH FIGS AND BACON

Sliced Fillet of Pork Cooked with  Figs and Bacon

This is a delicious, easy dish for special occasions.

6 fillets of pork trimmed and cubed 

2-3 tbsp flour mixed with 1 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tbsp olive oil

8-10 rashers lean bacon

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 tbsp mustard with honey

187.5 ml (1/4  a bottle) of Vinsanto or Mavrodaphne or any other sweet red wine

375 ml – 500 ml (1½-2 cups) tasty chicken stock plus more if necessary

2-3 sprigs of fresh tarragon or

1-2 sprigs of fresh sage

12 fresh figs, peeled and halved
Butter

Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

125 ml (½ cup) or more, thick cream

            

Dredge the pork cubes in seasoned flour, and set aside.   In a large, shallow saucepan sauté the bacon in 1 tbsp olive oil, remove and reserve.

Shake off the excess flour from the meat cubes, fry them in the same saucepan, in two batches until slightly brown and transfer to a dish with a slotted spoon.  Lower the heat, add the remaining olive oil, the onion and garlic and simmer until the onion changes colour.  Stir in the mustard, return the meat to the saucepan, pour in the wine, and with a spatula scrape the bottom of the saucepan.  When the wine reduces a little, add the chicken stock and the herb of your choice (tarragon or sage).   Cover and simmer gently until the meat is almost done for 12-15 minutes, adding a little extra hot chicken stock if necessary.

Meanwhile, season the figs with salt and pepper and cook them separately with a little wine, chicken stock and a small knob of butter, until soft but not falling apart.  Discard the herbs, spoon the figs over the meat and cook for a few minutes more. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper, if necessary.  At this stage, you can cover and refrigerate the food until the next day. Don’t forget the bacon.

Just before required, heat the food thoroughly, stir in the cream, taste once more for seasoning and adjust accordingly.   Also, heat the bacon until crisp.   Arrange the meat and figs, attractively, on a hot serving dish, garnished with bacon and accompanied by what my family used to call “smashed potatoes with cream”!

                                   SMASHED POTATOES WITH CREAM

1 kg (2 lbs) or more mealy potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

Enough water to just cover

1 garlic clove, peeled

1 sprig of sage

Salt

2 tbsp olive oil

250 ml (1 cup) or more, cream

1 tbsp snipped chives

Boil the potatoes, until tender, with all the ingredients except the cream and chives.  Remove the garlic and reserve, discard the sage and strain thoroughly.  Return the potatoes to the saucepan and heat in order to remove any possible remaining moisture.

Before serving, vigorously stir in the reserved garlic and the cream, bring to the boil, and check the seasoning.  Serve sprinkled with chives and freshly ground black pepper.

                 A GREEN SALAD WITH APRICOT AND HONEY DRESSING

A salad with a lovely dressing.  You can prepare it as sweet or as sour as you wish.

1 cos lettuce, trimmed and torn into bite-sized pieces

2 cups rocket (arugula), leaves only. finely chopped

3 chive stalks, finely snipped

Dressing:

120 g (4 oz) apricots, stoned and blended

1 tbsp honey

Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp tarragon vinegar

(Mix all the ingredients well together until thick)

Place the lettuce in a bowl, sprinkle evenly with the chopped rocket leaves and the snipped chives, drizzle with dressing and toss thoroughly et bon appetit!

                     WATERMELON SALAD WITH FETA CHEESE AND MINT

This salad accompanied with crusty brown bread can be a meal in itself.

1 kg (2 lb) watermelon, peeled, seeded, cubed, drained and iced

120 g (4 oz) or more feta cheese, crumbled

Mint leaves for garnish

Dressing:

62 ½ ml (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

(Mix well together until thick)

Just before serving, place the watermelon in a large, iced bowl, sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese, drizzle with part of the dressing (it might not need it all), garnish with mint leaves and toss.

ROAST BABY POTATOES WITH AN APRICOT AND FLORINA PEPPER DRESSING

1½ kg (3 lb) baby potatoes, boiled until tender, in salted water, peeled and halved

Dressing:

750 g (1½ lb) apricots, peeled and stoned

3 Florina peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded

125 ml (½ cup) Santorini Sigalas or any other dry white wine

4 tbsp olive oil

Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

(Boil all the ingredients together for 10 minutes, cool a little and blend until smooth)

Pour the dressing over the hot potatoes, toss and serve immediately.

                    WALNUT MERINGUE WITH PEACHES AND CREAM

                               

 This recipe is also very good prepared with fresh strawberries, bananas, or poached sour cherries.

Meringue:

250 g (1 ¼ cup) sugar

4 large egg whites

Pinch of salt

250 g (2½ cups) finely chopped walnuts

1 tsp cinnamon

Filling:

500 g. (1 lb) ripe peaches, peeled and thinly sliced, or any other fruit

4 heaped tbsp sugar

A piece of lemon rind

2 tbsp brandy or an orange flavoured liqueur or Kirsh, if using sour cherries

500 ml (2 cups) cream, lightly whipped, with

2-3 tbsp icing sugar

          

 Whisk the egg whites with the salt until they form soft peaks.    Then gradually whisk in half the amount of the sugar, a spoonful at a time, until the mixture is quite stiff.  Finally, very gently, but thoroughly, fold in half the amount of chopped walnuts, the remaining sugar and the cinnamon.

  

Bake in two 25 cm (10 in) round, baking tins, lined with baking parchment, in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 10 minutes.  Then reduce the temperature to 130 C (250 F) and bake for another 1-1½ hours.  Turn off the heat and let the meringues cool in the oven until the following day.

Place the peaches, sugar and lemon rind in a saucepan and cook gently for 5 minutes or more, if necessary.  Discard the lemon rind.   Then add the brandy or whatever alcohol you choose, and set aside to cool.

Arrange one of the meringues disks on a dish and cover with half the whipped cream.  Spoon half of the stewed fruit on top.  Cover with the second meringue, spread with the remaining cream, and garnish attractively with the remaining stewed fruit and the reserved walnuts. Serve very cold.

                                           STRAWBERRY TRIFLE

Trifle is the absolute British dessert made with fruit, biscuits, cake, jam, fruit macerated in rum, brandy or sherry, custard and whipped cream. This is my version.

Plain cake, sliced (please see recipe below)

About 300 g (10 oz) strawberry jam

500 g (2 cups) fresh orange juice

2-3 tbsp Metaxa brandy, only for adults

500 g (1 lb) strawberries, hulled

Grated rind of 1 orange

Brandy custard (please see recipe below)

500 ml double cream, whipped to the soft peak stage, with

2-3 tbsp icing sugar

Plain Cake:

300 g (10 oz) butter at room temperature

300 g (10 oz) sugar

A pinch of salt

1 tsp grated orange rind

300 g (10 oz) self-rising flour

4 large eggs, separated, whites whipped stiff

Brandy Custard:

500 ml (2 cups) milk

250 ml (1 cup) double cream

A twist of fresh orange peel

8 egg yolks

90 g (3 oz) sugar or more if preferred

1 pinch salt

1 liqueur glass Metaxa brandy
1 tbsp butter cut into small pieces

Make the cake at least one day before you need it.   Beat the butter and sugar together with the salt and the grated orange rind, until light and fluffy.  Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the flour, and fold in the whipped egg whites until no traces are visible.  Place in a large loaf tin, lined with baking parchment and bake in an oven preheated to 180 C (350 F) for 40-45 minutes.  Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin.  Keep for 1 day before slicing.

For the custard, bring the milk, cream and orange peel to the boil and remove the saucepan from the heat.  Beat the egg yolks with the sugar and salt until pale and almost doubled in bulk.  Discard the orange peel and slowly pour the hot milk mixture over the eggs and keep on whipping for 2 minutes at least.  Then pour the custard back into a clean saucepan and simmer very, very gently, stirring with a wooden spoon, in a figure of eight pattern, but do not let it boil. Add the brandy and when the sauce coats the back of the spoon, remove from the fire immediately, add the butter pieces and stir for 5 minutes more until it cools a little. Then place in a bowl, cover both the surface of the custard and the bowl with cling film and set aside to cool completely. Refrigerate until needed.

The evening before you want to serve the trifle, start assembling it.   Slice the cake and make 6-8 sandwiches with strawberry jam. Place them at the bottom of a glass bowl. Combine the orange juice and the brandy and sprinkle evenly, over the cake. Reserve 10-12 of the most attractive strawberries for garnishing.  Slice the remaining strawberries and scatter them over the cake. Sprinkle with the grated orange rind.  Spoon the custard over the strawberries and even the surface.  Cover the bowl with cling film and place the trifle in the fridge. 

One hour before your guests arrive, cover the trifle with whipped cream and garnish attractively with the reserved strawberries. Pipe a few rosettes of cream around the edge of the bowl, if you wish.   

   

A Basket of Fruit by  Evgeniya Gonch