RECIPES

Ingredients:

1/2 cup basil leaves

1 1/2 cups spinach leaves

1 red onion, diced

3 garlic cloves

1 fresh Peruvian yellow pepper, chopped (can be substituted with an orange bell pepper)

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1/3 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Crackers

70 g fresh cheese (optional)

30 g walnuts or pecans (optional)

Instructions:

Fry the onion and yellow pepper with oil, garlic, and walnuts until caramelized. Add salt to taste, the spinach and basil leaves.

Place the mixture in a blender and blend with the fresh cheese, pecans, crackers, milk, salt, and a splash of olive oil.

Pour the previously blended sauce into a pot and simmer for 5 minutes.

(delicious on bread, pasta, veggies, etc.)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bunch or 10-13 garlic scapes (about 1 cup chopped) 
• 1/2 cup packed basil 
• 1/2 cup walnut pieces 
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon) 1/2 cup olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a high-speed blender or food processor, add garlic scapes, basil, walnuts, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and pulse until combined. 
2. With the blender or food processor running, stream in the olive oil. Scrape down the sides of the blender and continue blending as needed until the olive oil is emulsified and the pesto looks uniform. 
3. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

(made with Raspberry-Apple sauce)

INGREDIENTS

4 ripe bananas, mashed

1 cup sugar

1⁄2 cup Apple sauce

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter and flour a 9 x 5 loaf pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together bananas and stir in sugar.  Let stand 15 minutes.

Add applesauce and eggs and beat well.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Pour the mixture to the loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before removing from pan, cool on wire rack.

(Courtesy of Rosio Lopez, Carmen Marshall’s sister from Peru - Makes 9-inch pie)

APPLE PIE

INGREDIENTS:

Dough:

2 ½ cups flour

½ teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons sugar

225 gr butter in pieces

1 large egg

2 tablespoons cold water

Filling:

6-8 homegrown apples

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup unsalted butter

2 tablespoons flour

a pinch of grated nutmeg

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

STEP BY STEP PREPARATION:

1- In a large bowl mix the flour, salt and sugar. Use your fingers to add the pieces of butter and mix all these ingredients.

2- Add the egg (lightly beaten). If you get tired, you can use a fork.

If the dough is getting warm, leave it in the fridge for a few minutes.

If you noticing that it is also getting dry, add the cold water little by little while mixing. But be careful not to pour it all at once, otherwise the dough may become sticky.

3- Divide the mixture in two, wrap it in plastic and put it in the fridge for at least an hour.

4- Meanwhile, make the filling. Peel and cut the apples (each half into 4 pieces). Put the pieces in a bowl and add the lemon juice, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Mix everything with your hand or with a large spoon.

5- In a frying pan over medium heat, mix the butter with the flour, add the apples and stir until the sugar is absorbed (for approximately 2 minutes). Cover the pan for 7 minutes so that the apples soften. Remove from the heat.

6- If it has already been an hour since you put the dough in the fridge, take it out and take one of the two parts to put the base of the apple pie. Stretch it in a circular mould up to the height of the edges of the mould. Place the apples on top and cover with the other part of the dough previously rolled out in a circular shape.

7- Once the filling is covered, you can make some X-shaped cuts on the top dough or, if not, you can cut it into strips and place them on the apple horizontally and vertically.

8- Put the apple pie in the oven preheated to 230º C for approximately 40 minutes.

(Courtesy of Rosio Lopez, Carmen Marshall’s sister from Peru - Makes 9-inch pie)

INGREDIENTS

Pastry for Single-Crust Pie:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. sugar
• pinch of salt
• 9 Tbsp. butter
• 1 cup ice-cold water

Filling:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ginger powder
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups squash puree (butternut or Hubbard)
• 1 1/4 cups evaporated milk or cream

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oven to 400 F. Prepare pie crust by cutting butter into cubes, and return them to the refrigerator for 15 minutes so the cubes are very cold. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar and salt. Add butter in cubes, and work with a fork (do not use your hands), incorporating until you get crumbs about the size of a pea. Add 1/4 cup ice-cold water. Mix with a spatula to form a ball of dough. If necessary, add more cold water by tablespoons. Knead gently about 10 times, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours before using.
2. Gently roll the dough around the rolling pin, and transfer it right-side up onto 9-inch pie pan. Unroll, easing dough into the bottom of the pie pan, and cook for 10–12 minutes, until lightly golden. In a large bowl, mix sugar, flour and spices. Stir. In another bowl mix eggs, squash puree and evaporated milk. Pour the liquids over the sugar mixture. Mix well. Fill the baked dough with the squash mixture. Bake for 45–50 minutes or until set.

1- Rinse them to remove any dirt.

2- Trim off both ends of the green beans and, if desired (to make them easier to store), cut them in half or into 2-inch segments.

3- Blanch the green beans before freezing them like this:

Put the washed, trimmed, and cut green beans into a pot of simmering water and cook for 3 minutes. Immediately transfer the green beans to a large bowl of cold water and ice (to stop the cooking process). Let the beans sit in the ice bath for 5 minutes.

4- Remove the green beans from the ice bath and spread them out in an even layer and pat dry with a towel or paper towel.

5- Place the green beans on a baking sheet in the freezer and let them freeze for 4 to 6 hours on the baking sheet to freeze them individually rather than in clumps.

6- Once the beans are frozen, transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 lb fry potatoes
• 1 tablespoon of ground garlic
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (for garnish)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oven to 400 ° F. 
2. Place the butter in a microwave-safe bowl and melt in the microwave on HIGH in 10-second bursts, stirring between bursts (30-40 seconds total).
3. Add the garlic and olive oil to the melted butter bowl.
4. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and dip them in the butter mixture making sure the potatoes are evenly coated. Transfer the potatoes to a baking sheet, arranging them in a single layer cut-side down. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place the tray on a rack in the middle of the oven.
5. Grill the potatoes until they are tender enough to pierce easily with a fork, and golden brown (about 25 to 30 minutes).
6. Serve garnished with parsley.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 muskmelon or cantaloupe
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 cup of water (optional)
• 1/4 cup sugar (optional)

Instructions

1. Remove the peel and seeds from the melon.
2. Cut the melon into small squares and put it in the blender.
3. Add the lemon juice, sugar, and water. Blend until you have the desired consistency.

Note: I put the muskmelon in the refrigerator before blending it to get a cold juice.

By Chef NETTIE COLON

(makes 1 ¼ quarts)

INGREDIENTS

3 cups heavy cream

1 ½ cups whole milk

1 ¼ cups sugar

4 to 6 ears of fresh SWEET CORN (decobbed)

Sea Salt

INSTRUCTIONS

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat the cream, whole milk, sugar, corn kernels, and corn cobs. Bring to a medium simmer, making sure that it does not boil over.  It should steep over medium to low heat at a soft simmer for about 15 minutes. Taste for corn flavor, add more to get the desired corn flavor.

Take out the cobs and let mixture settle and cool for a bit.  Once mixture is not piping hot, pour into blender (corn kernels included) and blend to a puree. Run mixture through a strainer. Press with the back of a spoon or ladle to get most of the liquid through the strainer.  Discard the solids and place the mixture in the fridge overnight. The colder the mixture, the better it will set in the ice cream maker.

Pour mixture into ice cream maker and follow the ice cream instructions.  Add a spritz of sea salt for brightness.

Wash and rinse fresh basil.  Use a food processor to coarsely chop basil leaves. To keep the basil from turning black in the freezer, add a drizzle of olive oil, and pulse to lightly coat the leaves with oil.

Spoon the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze. Transfer the frozen cubes to freezer bags and use them as needed.

8 strawberries

7 cups water 

1 cup white sugar

2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice

Place strawberries in a blender with a cup of water. Blend until strawberry chunks transform into juice.

Combine strawberry juice, the rest of water, sugar, and lemon juice in a large pitcher; stir until blended. Chill before serving.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 cups chopped rhubarb 
• 3 cups white sugar 
• 3 tablespoons grated lemon peel 
• 1 ½ cups lemon juice  

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine the rhubarb, sugar, and grated lemon peel into a large saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the sugar has dissolved and the rhubarb releases its juice and starts to break up about 10 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.  Pour the rhubarb mixture through a fine sieve, pressing out as much liquid as possible. 

RHUBARB TOPPING:

3 cups diced fresh or frozen rhubarb

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

BATTER:

6 tablespoons butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs, separated, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, optional

Combine brown sugar and butter in a small bowl. Spread into a greased 10'' springform pan - lined with parchment paper. Layer with rhubarb; sprinkle with sugar. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and sprinkle it over the rhubarb. Drizzle 1/4 cup melted butter over the top and set it aside.

In a small bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold into creamed mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time. Gently spoon over rhubarb.

Bake at 325° until cake springs back when lightly touched, 40-50 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. If desired, serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

* If you add some frozen strawberries or raspberries in addition, defrost a bit and drain so you don't have too much liquid.