Summer Fruit Crisp

The best summer desserts to me take advantage of summer’s bountiful ripe berries and stone fruits and are not too fussy. This one is easy enough to pull together for any occasion, anywhere, even (preferably) at a little rustic cottage. Roll up your sleeves and combine your favorite summer fruit with a simple oat topping. The oven’s magic will turn the fruit jammy and aromatic and the topping crisp; what could be more perfect on a summer evening? It’s delicious served with a scoop of ice cream but is lovely as is, especially if shared with good friends & family. Enjoy!

Cherry Phyllo Tartlets with Lemon Mascarpone Cream

A while back, I made some phyllo tartlets with some of the first fresh strawberries of the season and loved them for both their flavor and ease. I recently made some with cherries, after cooking them slightly and making a simple syrup from their juices. The tart-sweet cherries combined with the lemon mascarpone cream reminded me of a cheesecake, and the crisp phyllo gave it a great crunch. Just three bites and I was reaching for another one…

Rainy Day Mixed Berry & Spice Bars

I made these berry and spice bars hoping they would be chewy & crisp, the kind of bars we could pack on a picnic or bring along for a walk in the forest. They instead turned out crumbly and gooey, best eaten right at home, which is what we did during a rainy afternoon yesterday. I’m still on the lookout for a packable & crisp fruit bar for our outings (do you have a good recipe to share?), but these tasty, crumbly ones with jammy fruit oozing out the sides made for a sweet afternoon of nibbling. They’re also a great way to use up a stash of frozen fruit, which I did, to make room for berry-picking season.

Green Grape & Strawberry Elderflower Sparklers

We all know that staying hydrated is essential to good health, and this is especially so as the days get longer and warmer and we’re more active. Are we all getting eight glasses of water a day? I know that I, for one, struggle to get this minimum recommended amount of water on a daily basis. So, here’s a refreshing, hydrating drink that makes it all easier: fruity elderflower sparklers! Consider this less a recipe and more of a little tickler to spark your creative ideas on how to stay hydrated and enjoy some refreshing drinks! What’s your favorite way to hydrate?

Come check out Fiesta Friday #10 (it’s an especially rocking party this week) and Happy Friday, everyone!

Strawberry Phyllo Tartlets with Lemon Mascarpone Cream

Crispy phyllo shells, lemony mascarpone filling, fresh strawberries — and the best part is that these little treats couldn’t be simpler. Great for a spring get-together, and you can mix up the topping with other seasonal fruit for an even more colorful presentation. Enjoy!

Summer Fruit & Herb Smoothies

I’ve been thinking lately about fruits and herbs, and their compatibility, after reading the intro to The Flavor Bible. The book describes how scientists can now analyze the cell structure of foods and determine whether they pair well together. It turns out that popular pairings like tomato and basil, or lamb and rosemary, have similar cell structures. Funny how science just confirms what the human palette intuited.