Monthly Archives: August 2010

Watermelon-Feta Salad with Balsamic Glaze & Black Olive Crostini

24 Tuesday Aug 2010

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Savor the last days of watermelon season with this party-worthy salad recipe from

Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets!

Happy Entertaining!

WATERMELON – FETA SALAD WITH BALSAMIC GLAZE & BLACK OLIVE CROSTINI

I grew up in the country where watermelon was served one way and one way only: ice cold with a generous sprinkling of salt. Nowadays, most people, including me, forego the salt. In fact, many people have never even heard of salting watermelon. However, watermelon and salt have always been good friends. Adding salty feta and black olives to watermelon is just another way of brightening its flavor by adding a little saltiness.

Traditionally, thinly sliced red onion and oil-cured black olives are added to this type of salad. I opted to use black olive paste on crostini instead of whole olives in the salad and omitted the onions, party because I find them a bit too assertive, and partly because I didn’t have any when I shot this photo.

INGREDIENTS

(Makes 4 servings)

¾ cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sugar

8 slices baguette, cut about 1/3-inch thick

Olive oil, for brushing

6 cups ½-inch chunks watermelon, seeded

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

About 4 tablespoons prepared black olive tapenade

DIRECTIONS

Make the glaze:

In a small saucepan, combine the balsamic vinegar and sugar. Gently boil until syrupy and reduced to a scant ¼ cup, about 6 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Make the crostini:

Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet, brush both sides lightly with olive oil, and bake in a 300 degree oven to dry out and toast slightly (about 5 minutes per side). Let cool.

Assemble the salad:

Divide watermelon chunks among 4 salad plates. Top with the crumbled feta, drizzle with the balsamic glaze, and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Spread the tapenade on the crostini and serve.

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Put-the-Lime-in-the-Coconut Pudding

18 Wednesday Aug 2010

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End your dinner party Harry Nilsson-style with this easy dessert recipe from

Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets!

Happy Entertaining!

PUT-THE-LIME-IN-THE-COCONUT PUDDING

This cool, refreshing pudding is a great make-ahead summer dessert. It tastes kind of like a combo of key lime pie and coconut cream pie, only not as sweet, and without the crust. In fact, it’s a variation on a recipe for Lime-Coconut Pie I found in Lauren Chattman’s “Mom’s Big Book of Baking.” I like to serve the pudding in old fashioned stemmed dessert cups with thin, crispy Moravian Key Lime Cookies, plain sugar cookies, or thin slices of lightly toasted angel food cake.

INGREDIENTS

(Makes 8 servings)

One (15-ounce) can cream of coconut, such as Coco Lopez

2/3 cup plain yogurt

½ cup fresh lime juice, strained (from about 3 limes)

2 teaspoons grated lime zest

2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin

¾ cup shredded, sweetened coconut

  1. In a large bowl, mix together the cream of coconut, yogurt, lime juice, and lime zest.
  2. Put 3 tablespoons cold water in a small metal bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Let the mixture stand until the gelatin softens, about 10 minutes. Set the bowl over a small saucepan of barely simmering water; whisk the liquid until the gelatin dissolves, about 1 minute. Whisk the gelatin into the coconut mixture. Stir in the shredded coconut.
  3. Divide the pudding among 8 dessert cups, cover with plastic wrap, and chill to set, for at least 4 hours or up to 1 day. Garnish with toasted coconut, lime wedges and/or a dollop of whipped cream.

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Pineapple Salsa

10 Tuesday Aug 2010

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Whip up crowd-pleasing party food with this fresh salsa recipe

compliments of Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets!

Happy Entertaining!

This is not so much a recipe as a reminder that no one should be eating salsa from a jar this time of year. Tomatoes are at their peak and if you know how to operate a knife you have all the skills necessary to whip up a batch of beautiful, fresh salsa. Add a bag of chips and you’ve got a party! I sometimes like to add a little extra sweetness to my salsa by adding some fresh pineapple. If you don’t have pineapple, peaches or mangoes make a fine substitute.

PINEAPPLE SALSA

Chop a couple of vine-ripened tomatoes, 2 or 3 scallions, and some fresh pineapple and toss into a bowl. Add a generous squeeze of lime juice and a handful of chopped fresh cilantro. Taste, adding more lime juice, cilantro, or salt, as desired. Serve with tortilla chips.

Here are some simple variations. Got a favorite salsa recipe? I’d love to hear from you.

• Omit the pineapple and add fresh corn kernels, rinsed and drained canned black beans, and a dash of cumin.

• Omit the tomatoes and add a diced cucumber and a little finely chopped seeded jalapeno pepper.

• Add chopped red or yellow bell peppers.

• Omit the pineapple and add a chopped avocado and a finely chopped seeded jalapeno pepper.

• Combine in a blender: ½ pound coarsely chopped tomatillos, a garlic clove, a tablespoon chopped fresh Serrano chile, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, 2 tablespoons water and a pinch of salt. Puree until smooth.

• Omit the tomatoes, add a little chopped green bell pepper and about ½  teaspoon minced (canned) chipotle chile in adobo sauce.

• Experiment with other fresh herbs. I often use thyme or basil in salsa. Sometimes I mix chopped red and yellow tomatoes, chopped fresh basil, quartered bocconcini mozzarella, and oil-cured black olives.  Is it still a salsa or has it turned into a Caprese-style chopped salad? Who cares! It’s delicious, fresh, a snap to make, and your guests will love it! However, you may want to drizzle this one with olive oil and serve it with crostini instead of chips.

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Peach Preserve Hors d’Oeuvres

04 Wednesday Aug 2010

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Showcase summer peaches with this easy recipe for homemade jam appetizers, compliments of

Elizabeth W. Gift Baskets!

Happy Entertaining!

PEACH PRESERVE HORS D’OEUVRES

Now don’t panic just because I said, “homemade jam.” We’re not going to be sterilizing jars, or scouring the supermarket for pectin, or any of that nonsense. This is a recipe for a simple, stovetop peach jam that celebrates summer’s bounty of fresh peaches. It pairs beautifully with cheese for party appetizers, but tastes equally good on breakfast toast. Store it in jars in the fridge for a week or so, or freeze it for longer storage.

Make the jam:

INGREDIENTS

4 pounds firm, ripe peaches (about 16 medium peaches)

6 cups sugar

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

  1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Working in batches, plunge the peaches into the boiling water for 1 minute or less. Remove peaches with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge into a large bowl of cold water. Slip the skins from the peaches, remove pits and finely chop.
  2. Place the chopped peaches, sugar and lemon juice in a large, heavy bottomed pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil mixture, stirring frequently, for about 30 minutes or until mixture is thick, fruit is clear and jam has jelled. (As the mixture thickens, you’ll need to stir more often to ensure that it does not stick to the bottom of the pot.)
  3. Remove jam from the heat, stir well, and skim the foam that rises to the surface. Pour into refrigerator jars or freezer containers.

Make the hors d’oeuvres:

Lightly brush small slices of rustic whole grain bread with olive oil. Broil for about a minute on each side, until crisp and lightly browned. Cut a garlic clove in half and rub the cut sides over the toast slices. Top each with a slice of mild, semifirm cheese. (I used a young Asiago.) Return to the warm oven for a few seconds to melt the cheese. Top with a teaspoonful of peach preserves and garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme. Serve immediately.

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