Coastal Cooking Online

Lest anyone think all I do is cook up preserves, it might  be useful to give some background on how versatile those jars can be. In spite of the cooking I do (and have done for years), preserves used to seem intimidating. Then diabetes hit a member of my immediate family. I was surprised to realize how much sugar is in everything, including salad dressing. Having cooked with wine over the decades, I began playing around with wines and fruit. First of all, I discovered soaking fruits or dried fruits in wine means little or no sugar is required for some very tasty treats. Then I started playing around with those little jars. My last blog included a recipe for Curried California Fruit Mince–this makes a very tasty dressing with a few additions and amazingly little time. The recipe for a full meal salad with dressing follows:

Curried California Fruit Dressing is a fast, easy recipe anyone can whip up in less than three minutes. You’ll need a blender.

Place all ingredients in your blender and liquify. Store in a clean, airtight jar in the refrigerator or serve immediately.

Sensational Syrah Salad is a meal in and of itself. To prepare, soak 3 ounces packaged, sundried tomatoes in 1/2 cup Falcon Nest 2003 Syrah.

It takes several hours for sundried tomatoes to rehydrate unless boiled, so you can begin soaking these in the wine in a clean jar first thing in the morning. I keep mine in the refrigerator. When dinner time rolls around, drain the sundried tomatoes (reserving the liquid for a later recipe), and in a large bowl, place the following:

*Note: my local grocer will confirm that I buy copious amounts of Babe Farms Continental Salad blend, though any organic baby salad greens will do.

Add dressing, toss lightly and serve with a glass of Falcon Nest 2003 Syrah (if possible) for a heart healthy, light meal. This recipe is enough to serve 4-6 people, depending on appetite. I bake bread nearly every day of my life and have an active sourdough starter… this salad is great with a slice or two of sourdough bread.

Have I mentioned dancing? Dance is terrific, fun exercise. I’ve an exercise bike gathering dust & rust in my garage plus a treadmill in my living room that’s very handy for stacking things on. Trust me, I understand how challenging it can be… life should be truly enjoyed, so eat great tasting food and dance!

Looking for something special to try? Falcon Nest Winery in east Paso Robles hosts a themed dinner party every month–March was an Italian Dinner dance, and April will be a Turkish theme. The April event will be complete with a professional belly dancer! This is particularly exciting to me, as one of my books (Every Child is a Genius) was translated into several languages and sold worldwide, with the most popular translation being… you guessed it… Turkish! So I started playing around with Falcon Nest’s 2003 Syrah. The recipe below is for Curried California Fruit Mince, which is very easy to prepare; the amount of curry spice can be increased or decreased to suit your taste.

*Note: I like Avila & Sons Farms Fruit Medley, which is available at our local Farmer’s Market or by contacting them at 13391 Fargo Avenue, Hanford, California, 93230. You can also call them at (559) 584-7156 or use the link.

Soak the diced, dried fruits for several hours or overnight in the juice, wine and water. I like to use a large, clean jar with a lid or a glass bowl covered with plastic wrap. Once the fruits have hydrated in the liquid, transfer the entire mixture to a large, nonstick pot, and begin heating to a low boil over medium low heat.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, blend the following:

Pour the blended sugar and spices over the heated fruit, stir, and continue cooking for 10 to 15 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. The fruit should become thick as it gently boils.

Meanwhile, prepare clean jars as described in my first blog. Spoon the fruit into clean, sterile jars, sealing tightly. Place well-sealed jars into a bath of boiling water for a few minutes (using tongs), place on clean towels or a cooling rack on the counter and allow to reach room temperature. This makes about six cups of mince, which will keep unopened in the pantry for several months.

It’s excellent spooned into store bought, bite sized pastry cups as a sweet & spicy party nibble, or served on the side with roasted lamb, chicken or pork.

As for belly dancing? I’m brushing up my skills with an instructional DVD, but I’ll leave it up to you if you want to give that a try. Hey, it’s great exercise and a fun way for me to work off some of my belly… not that I’m admitting to having one, of course.