Last summer, I discovered two absolutely delicious types of apricots, one is called Angelcot, the other Black Velvet. Both have become favorites of mine that I am happily enjoying again now that they are in season.

In North America, apricot season usually begins mid-May and continues into August. Novel fruits, like Angelcot and Black Velvet, are part of the Proprietary Class of tree ripened fresh fruits, so the season for this class of fruits is even shorter. If you have tried either variety, you know how delicious they are. Both are sweeter and more juicy than the traditional orange-skinned apricot, especially the Angelcot. It’s the juiciest of them all. If you haven’t yet tried either and you see them, snatch them up give them a try. They are truly wonderful and worth the slightly higher price.

While reading up on the various varieties of apricots, I learned that California produces almost 95% of the apricots grown in the United States. This is one of the many reason being a raw foodie in this state is such a joy. The sunny climate coupled with the abundance of fresh produce grown right here certainly caters to the ease of maintaining this lifestyle.

As much as I love these new varieties, I still adore those little orange-skinned apricots we usually see at the market, and I chose to use them to make the apricot jam for this recipe. You can any variety, but if you use Angelcot or Black Velvet apricots, just keep in mind they are much sweeter than the orange-skinned variety, so less sweetener is needed.

Apricots

Orange Apricots - these pretty orange apricots range in color from yellow to deep orange, and sometime the skin has red or rosy touches.

Black Velvet Apricots - are the result of a new cross blend of 50% apricots and 50% plums and is exclusively produced from Kingsbury Orchards in California.

Though it is classified as an apricot it has mostly the characteristics of a plum with a faint apricot taste. Its skin has a slightly fuzzy coat, which is probably why the word “velvet” is in its name. It has a tangy sweet flavor.

Angelcot White Apricot – New on the apricot scene, this white apricot was developed by a farmer located in California by the name of Ross Sanborn. These apricots have a distinct gorgeous shade of pale yellow and are succulently juicy.

Apricot Crumble Bars

Brazil nuts pair nicely with apricots, but feel free to use any tyep of nut or seeds for the base and for the crumble. A 9 x 9 dish/pan or smaller is an ideal size for this recipe, or use a different shape pan or form into the shapes you desire. These bars are great served as a yummy treat or as a dessert.

Brazil Nut Crumble

Place the brazil nuts, 1 cup of the shredded coconut [reserve the 1/3 cup shredded coconut for topping (see assembly)] and the dried apricots in a food processor and process until it resembles a crumbly meal. Add the remaining ingredients and process until well incorporated.

Makes about 2 cups, firmly packed

Fresh Apricot Jam

Place the apricots and agave in a food processor and process until smooth.

Makes 2/3 cups

Assemble

Place 1½ cups of the brazil nut crumble in a glass dish or metal pan of your choice. Mold the crumble into the bottom of a 9 x 9 dish/pan to form an even base, or use another pan form of your choice. Spread the apricot jam evenly on top of the base. Sprinkle the chopped fresh apricot evenly over the apricot jam, and then sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of brazil nut crumble and the 1/3 cup shredded coconut on top.

Chill in the refrigerator for an hour or more before cutting. Keeps refrigerated up to 5 days.

Makes 9 3-inch bars

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Sarma Melngailis is the proprietor and co-founder of Pure Food and Wine, one of New York City’s premier raw food restaurants. She is also the founder and CEO of One Lucky Duck, a company that produces and packages a line of raw food snacks, offers ingredients, supplements, kitchen tools, books, and many more organic and eco-friendly products and supplies.

Sarma has authored two raw food recipe books, the most recent contribution to the world of recipe books was released today, Living Raw Food.

In this interview, Sarma gives us a few great tips on running a successful restaurant, shares a few of the books that inspire her in business, she talks about her favorite kitchen gadgets, recipes, and more.

Enjoy the Interview…

Raw Epicurean: Tell us a bit about your background as a chef and at what point in your culinary career you became interested in raw living food?

Sarma Melngailis: I don’t really think of myself as a chef anymore. I’m not sure I ever did, in the professional sense. It was just something I did for a while, and something I love, but it’s not my background and I’ve moved away from the kitchen to focus on growth and the One Lucky Duck business.

After college I started out in investment banking, then private equity, then at a hedge fund of sorts, and then I finally left finance altogether and enrolled at the French Culinary Institute. In college while everyone else in my classes was reading The Wall Street Journal I was reading Gourmet and Food and Wine magazines. So it’s not surprising I ended up cooking. My mother was a professional chef, so I grew up in a food centric environment.

After cooking school I got into the restaurant business with a partner for a while and I spent a lot of time in the kitchen and working on creating dishes and menus.

A couple years later, in between projects, I ended up having dinner in a raw food café. I didn’t know anything about raw food. I ended up being totally intrigued. I was with the same partner, and we tried going raw as an experiment. After a few days we realized it was a permanent change. That first dinner at the little café was when I knew inside we were going to do a raw food restaurant—one that would be very different from that little café.

RE: Thankfully, Pure Food and Wine has successfully kept its doors open in the competitive New York food industry and during these tough economical times. What are 3 tips for running a successful restaurant?

SM: Do something different and do it well, so your guests leave wanting to tell other people.

Hire only really nice people and take really good care of them. In turn, they’ll give out good happy vibes that people can feel when they come in, and they’ll also take really good care of all the guests and feel as if the restaurant is their home too.

When things slow down even a little, that’s the best (and most important) time to shower guests with extras… extra food, extra attention, extra love. Always keep in mind that people are spending time and money to come to your place. Some people have traveled from far, planned way ahead, and it’s a special occasion for them. Treat everyone like it’s their special occasion.

RE: I think tattoos are cool. I like your duck tattoo. Did you get it before or after you created your company One Lucky Duck and does it symbolize something significant?

SM: Thanks. :-) I got it just before the online business launched. As soon as the logo was completed and confirmed, I realized it was the tattoo I’d been waiting for. I always wanted one but didn’t want to get just anything. I like the idea of branding myself with the brand of the company.

RE: What books have you read that have influenced the way you approach your business?

SM: Richard Branson’s books, I love him and he inspires me to be stubborn about what I believe in and my intuition. Speaking of intuition, I liked the book Blink by Malcolm Gladwell, it’s fascinating and very cool. I also really liked Danny Meyer’s book about the restaurant business, Setting the Table. His company has the hospitality thing perfected. And right now I’m reading all of Seth Godin’s books. I think he gives me courage to keep at it, and reminds me that it’s not only okay but a good thing to be different.

RE: If you were to open a new restaurant, where would it be?

SM: Tokyo. And London. This is something I’ve always known. Don’t ask me why. (Intuition I guess?).

RE: What are some of your favorite kitchen gadgets?

SM: Right now I’m all about everything ceramic. We recently added Kyocera ceramic tools to oneluckyduck.com and I love my ceramic knife, peeler, and mandoline slicer.

RE: Tell us one of your most amusing behind-the-scenes kitchen stories?

SM: The only thing I can think of is a home kitchen story. It comes right out of my new book (Living Raw Food) where I’m discussing the hazards of using a mandoline slicer if you’re over-confident and also drinking wine, like I was.

“With a mandoline, shredding and shaving takes only seconds. Just don’t shred your finger off! I did this once—sliced off the tip of my middle finger. Who uses the plastic safety guard? Oh yeah, it comes with a safety guard. I recommend using it. I should take my own advice. For the record, I was talking to, and looking at, a really cute boy while shaving fennel at home. These kinds of things are embarrassing when you’re supposed to be experienced in the kitchen.

As soon as I saw this small piece of my body sitting on the cutting board, I panicked and threw it in the garbage, quickly wrapped a dishtowel around my finger, and finished making our salad as if nothing at all unusual had happened. Then we sat down to eat and, of course, all the blood soaking through the towel gave me away. Anyway, the boy bandaged up my finger for me, and being the super-human, raw-food person that I am, it grew back and healed in no time.”

RE: I can imagine owning a restaurant keeps you extremely busy. When you do have time to prepare a meal, what specialty dishes do you enjoy making for yourself, family, and friends?

SM: I don’t end up having a lot of time and I have a tiny NYC apartment kitchen, so I don’t prepare much myself anymore. Just big salads. When I moved into this place, I gave boxes and boxes and boxes of cooking equipment away—pastry tools, mixers, pots and pans in every shape and size, all of it, I gave it all away. I still miss my chrome Kitchen-Aid, we had a special bond. Right now I have a Vita-Mix so I pretty much just make myself green shakes when I have time and my boyfriend gets banana cocoa shakes in the morning. Living right by the restaurant I don’t need to go far for good food. I’m lucky.

RE: Describe your most memorable raw food meal?

SM: It has to be the very first one. I went in with very low expectations and not knowing anything about raw food. I came out a changed person!

RE: What are some of your favorite hobbies?

SM: Good question. I don’t have any! That’s sad. But if I had more time I’d love to get more into photography. I love design too. One day I want to design clothes. I also want to learn more languages. I wish I could just insert a chip in my brain: one for Spanish, one for Japanese, one for German, etc.

RE: If you could be or do anything else what would you be or do?

SM: As much as I fantasize about lying in a hammock on a beach, there’s nothing else I’d rather do than what I’m doing now. It’s just what I’m here to do.

RE: What one word would you use to describe yourself?

SM: This is a hard question. The first thing that popped in my head was “tired” but that’s not good! Maybe determined. I’m asking my CFO on gchat right now and he said I’m too complex to describe in one word. Then he suggested genuine. I like that.

RE: What is the one thing about you few people know?

SM: This is hard too. I’m pretty open in my blog and tweets and writing. There is some stuff few people know that I don’t write about and won’t just yet. Only when it’s all over with and I can take a vacation and actually lie in a hammock on the beach and write my Richard Branson-esque memoirs.

RE: What have you accomplished that makes you most proud?

SM: I think building a business with 70 employees (so far) who are all amazing people and feel really good about where they work is what makes me most proud. It sounds corny but there’s just a lot of love in the restaurant and One Lucky Duck, and I like taking care of people. I also love running a business that gets really good food out there and makes people happy and healthier.

RE: If you could ask three famous chefs, who aren’t raw, to dinner at Pure Food and Wine, whom would you invite?

SM: That’s easy. Anthony Bourdain, Marco Pierre White, and Jeffrey Steingarten, preferably all at the same time. Except I would be so nervous I’d pee in my pants.

Steingarten isn’t really a chef, he’s a lawyer turned food writer. All three are very opinionated. I think they’d really like Pure Food and Wine, because it’s interesting, different, and most importantly it’s yummy. And we’re not pretentious about raw food or being vegan (in part because most of the staff aren’t raw or vegan). These three guys are hardly vegetarians. They mock vegetarians, which is all right. But they do know good food so I’d really want them to try this.

A lot of prominent people from the food world have eaten with us and still come back to the restaurant. Still, I’d freak out. I love them all. I’d have to drink a lot of raspberry lime sake tinis.

RE: I’ve had the pleasure of dining at Pure Food and Wine. The overall experience was incredible - the food [absolutely delicious], the atmosphere, the service, all top notch! In fact, I still have my souvenir, the receipt! Name some of your favorite dishes, savory and sweet, from the restaurants menu?

SM: Right now, because they’re in season, it’s the Squash Blossoms. They’re stuffed with spring onion and herb cashew cheese, with a salad of fennel, capers, and heirloom tomatoes. Yum. My favorite dessert right now is easily the Chocolate Passion Fruit Tart. It’s passion fruit curd in a chocolate tart shell with vanilla cream on top, fresh raspberries, and framboise pearls.

From One Lucky Duck Juice and Takeaway I love our Falafel. And for dessert, almond butter cup ice cream out of a pint container. And Mallomars. I eat those a lot. I also love our gingerbread cookies that we sell online at oneluckyduck.com too. Last year at the restaurant we had a sake cocktail made with fresh cantaloupe juice, lemon, and cilantro. Hopefully we’ll make that again this summer.

Many thanks to Sarma for taking some time from her busy schedule to participation in this interview and for contributing the cool tote and raw snacks for this giveaway, and a great big congratulations on the release of your book.

If you missed the book review and giveaway, or your number wasn’t drawn, here is another chance to receive Sarma’s newest book Living Raw Food.

William Morrow, An Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers has provided one [1] copy as a gift for one [1] Raw Epicurean reader. Thank you again!

And for those Raw Epicurean’s who love their raw treats, Sarma generously offers a lovely gift from One Lucky Duck! One [1] Raw Epicurean reader will receive a One Lucky Duck totebag and yummy snacks.

To be eligible to win one of these wonderful gifts, simply answer this question:

If you could pick one of the amazing raw food chefs to prepared a raw food meal for you, who would you choose?

One entry per person, please.

The drawing for this giveaway will take place Friday, July 3rd, and I will use my favorite random number picker to choose the winning participants. The winning participants will be contacted via email and an announcement of the drawing will be posted at the right sidebar, under the heading “Announcements”. Thank you in advance and best of luck to all who participate.

More about Sarma Melngailis

Visit Pure Food and Wine and One Lucky Duck

Raw Epicurean’s book review of Living Raw Food

Books by Sarma Melngailis
Living Raw Food
Raw Food Real World

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It’s been almost a year since I learned that Sarma Melngailis was due to release a new raw food recipe book. Eagerly I awaited its release and Viola! Now it is here. Her newest book Living Raw Food is a food lovers delight, and I say this with much enthusiasm as I flipped through its pages and scan the recipes.

Sarma and her talented team of chefs present us with 100 new raw vegan recipes, direct from the kitchen of Pure Food and Wine, New York’s famous raw food restaurant.

100 Delectable Recipes

The recipes featured in this book stem from the creative energy of some of the restaurants staff, from the chefs, pastry chefs, kitchen staff, bartenders, and sommelier, who all contributed something delicious. I think this collective collaboration is pretty cool and love seeing their creativity conceptualized and expressed in each recipe.

You will find each recipe categorized either in “Quick and Easy Raw Food” and “Off The Menu”. Each recipe is wonderful, but it’s the second half of the book “Off The Menu” that really peaks my interest. These particular recipes step it up a notch, which I find fun and look forward to making.

The best things about each of these gourmet recipes is that none are too daunting to make, the ingredients used are accessible, and anyone can prepare the recipes in this book with great success at home. I like that Sarma points out that “preparing raw food can seem daunting but the margin for fixable error is in fact much wider”. I absolutely love this other point she made [echoing my thought or was I echoing hers], “a person really doesn’t need to be highly experienced in the kitchen to prepare most of the recipes provided in this book.

I adore heirloom tomatoes and plan to make Heirloom Tomato, Fennel, and Avocado Pressed Salad with Caper Dressing, Pistachio, and Mint. I’m having a major thing for mushrooms lately so King Oyster Mushroom Calamari, and Chanterelle and Kalamata Olive Ravioli sound like winners to me. I love the flavor of citrus and on the dessert front Ricotta-Lemon Tart with Sweet Yogurt Cream sounds yummy, and I’ll have to blend up a batch of Sarma’s Favorite Green Shake.

Biodynamic Wine

This section of the book focus on beautiful drinks using biodynamic wine or organic sake as an ingredient and there is a brief overview of what biodynamic wine is and what the term means. Some raw foodist indulge in a little wine, some don’t. If you prefer, you can certainly omit the alcohol and substitute it with filtered water, organic tea, or something else to suite your personal preference.

The Images

Great images helps make a recipe book great, like eye-popping photos that showcase the recipes, and this book has plenty. As you make your way through the pages of Living Raw Food, you’ll find candid images of Sarma, the people who make up her staff, and captured scenes of the happenings in the restaurant. Looking at these images I get the sense there is a friendly bonding between the staff, it’s a family affair.

Everything Else About This Book

Besides all the delectable mouth-watering recipes, you’ll find lots of information, like the basics on the type of tools and techniques used, explanation of ingredients, and Sarma’s personal perspective and insights on raw living food and the lifestyle.

I have had the pleasure of experiencing Pure Food and Wine and would go again in a heartbeat. I would be there often if I lived in the vicinty. If you are like me and live far away from New York City, in my case about 2443.79 miles, yet you would like to savory the delicious tastes of the restaurant, this book all 376 pages, serves as the next best thing to being there, as well as being a great addition to your recipe book repertoire.

That being said, I am thrilled to offer two (2) copies of Living Raw Food. Many thanks to William Morrow, An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, for providing these books for this giveaway.

To participate in the drawing simply leave a comment below. On Tuesday, June 30th, I will use my favorite random number generator to pick two lucky winners. The winning participants will be contacted via email and an announcement of the drawing will be posted at the right sidebar, under the heading “Announcements”. Thank you in advance and best of luck to all who participate.

More about Sarma Melngailis

Visit Pure Food and Wine and One Lucky Duck

Raw Epicurean interviews Sarma Melngailis :: Coming soon on Tuesday, June 30th

Other raw food recipe books by Sarma Melngailis
Raw Food Real World

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I am quick to take advantage of summer’s bounty of berries. I adore each variety, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, but this wasn’t always the case with blackberries. I’m not quiet sure when my liking for blackberries blossomed. There is no defining moment, no particular meal containing this fruit that stands out in my mind. I suspect it just happened naturally. However my fondness of blackberries came to be, I have the feeling I will grow to adore these lovely berries more and more each season.

Some familiar name varieties of blackberries are marionberries, boysenberries, and loganberries, each of these berries are loaded with high levels of antioxidants, rich in fiber, and low in calories, carbohydrates and have no fat.

Which ever variety of blackberry you have on hand, from marionberries, boysenberries, to loganberries - will make this a delicious drink, blackberry breeze.

This drink is one refreshing way to savor the sweet taste of juicy blackberries. Whiz the ingredients in a blender and serve as an alternative breakfast drink, to accompany a Sunday brunch, or simply to get a dose of powerful antioxidants any time.

Blackberry Breeze

The stunning jeweled-toned color of this drink looks lovely in pretty stemware garnished with a slice of lemon or a single blackberry. To make more then 2 serving, double or triple this recipe to accommodate the number of serving needed.

Add all the ingredients in a blender container and blend until liquefied. Strain the blackberry juice through a fine mesh strainer, once or twice if necessary, to remove any seeds.

Note: This drink will separate, if it does just give it a stir.

Serves 2

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I love fresh ripe strawberries and could eat a good number of them, possibly a whole bowl full.

Other than eating them straight from the bowl, you might prefer to use these berries to make a simply flavorful recipe like Strawberry Salsa.

I was feeling adventurous and thought I would explore to option of pairing strawberry salsa with the rich creamy texture of avocado. The idea isn’t so far-fetched. Strawberries, like tomatoes, have a sweet-sour taste that pairs well with avocado. I couldn’t resist the urge to add to the mix a subtle hint of spiciness so I created a simple spicy oil-based cilantro vinaigrette.

Strawberry Salsa with Avocado Slices and Spicy Cilantro Vinaigrette

Strawberry Salsa

When shopping for strawberries they can be large or small in size but must be fragrant and a deep red in color. I used white onions, not yellow here for it’s clean, sharp onion flavor.

Gently mix all ingredients together in a bowl. This recipe can be prepared in advance. Keep refrigerated up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Yields 2 1/2 cups

Sliced Avocado Fans

Cut in half an avocado and removed the stone and skin. Take one half of the avocado and cut in into equal, making 1/8-inch vertical cuts but not completely through. Turn on its side or stand it upright and gently spread out the slices.

Spicy Cilantro Vinaigrette

Blend together all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Can be prepared in advance. Keep refrigerated up to 2-3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Yields about 1 1/4 cups

Strawberry Fans

Take a whole strawberry with top still attached, place on a cutting board with the hull side down. Make vertical cuts but not completely through, leaving the top part uncut. Turn the strawberry on its side or stand it upright and gently spread out the slices.

Assemble

Pour or drizzle desired amount of spicy cilantro vinaigrette on individual plates. Place avocado fans on top of the vinaigrette. Place strawberry salsa atop the avocado slices. Garnish with cilantro leaves, strawberry fans, and fresh ground black pepper.

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[Mentha]

The other day I hand-picked two big bunches of mint leaves that I purchased from the farmer’s market. I used most of the leave to make Mint Granite [see recipe below]. While I was busy picking the mint leaves and enjoying the wonderful minty aroma that perfumed the dining room, I was also busy thinking about the different varieties of mint wondering if one variety is better than the another for making tea or in recipes. My search for the answer lead me to discover an amazing number of mint plants that I had never heard of, hybrid plants with incredible flavors and fragrances.

Mint Varieties

Hold on to your garden gloves. The variety of mint is incredible! I was really amazed how many are available. Among the various varieties, mint offers a multitude of uses. Some mint is mild in flavor, and others are stronger, and not are well-suited for culinary use, and for this reason I list here what works well in the kitchen and what works best for drinks and to make tea.

Peppermint, spearmint, and pennyroyal are close relatives in the mint family. Spearmint and peppermint have several varieties within their group [Spearmint, English mint, and Vietnamese Mint; Peppermint, Chocolate Mint, Swiss Mint]. Others varieties within the mint family that I am familiar with are Water Mint and Pineapple Mint. Still there are many more captivating varieties waiting to be discovered and tasted.

Wonderful in recipes and as garnish: Banana Mint, Corsican Mint, Curly Mint, Ginger Mint, Grapefruit Mint, Berries and Cream Mint, Candied Fruit Mint, Candy Lime Mint, Citrus Kitchen Mint, Cotton Candy Mint, Jim’s Fruit Mint, Fruit Sensations Mint, Fruitasia Mint, Italian Spice Mint, Julia’s Sweet Citrus Mint, Marilyn’s Salad Mint, Oregano-Thyme Mint, and Sweet Pear Mint.

This isn’t a complete list, but I think this long list will keep all of us intrigued for now, and inspired to create new sensational recipes with these fun flavors.

Great for making tea and drinks: Apple Mint, Julia’s Sweet Citrus Mint, Korean Mint, Margarita Mint, Menthol Mint, Mojito Mint, Orange Mint [aka Eau de Cologne Mint and Bergamot Mint], and Wintergreen Mint.

Mint in the Garden

Doesn’t the extensive variety of mint make you want to try them all? I’m sure inspired. I would love to plant each type but have visions of an invasive take over of the entire neighborhood.

“Plant a little mint, Madame, then step out of the way so you don’t get hurt!” - British gardener

My mother, sisters, and I remember the time I decided to plant mint in the backyard. This perennial plant grows easy and flourishes in most conditions [though it prefers moist soil], and I thought it would make a great addition to our garden. I had no idea, at that time, how mint could take over a garden. The mint grow with ease and was left unattended. When exactly it happened I’m not sure but one day we went to the backyard to find this tenacious herb had nearly taken over the garden! It was everywhere and that wasn’t necessary a bad thing. We shared plenty of mint with our neighbor, family, and friends.

Mint grows well indoors and outdoors. You can grow mint right in your kitchen. If you plan to grow it outdoors, planting mint in containers is advised if you don’t want it to take over, and even when it’s planted directly into the ground it is a good idea to use some sort of restrainer system to restrain their roots. Once mint is established it is very difficult to keep it from spreading if the root system hasn’t been restrained.

If growing your own mint isn’t an option, your local farmer’s markets, and the produce section of health food and grocery stores will mostly likely carry it.

Nutritional Profile

Mint is a powerful antioxidant containing many vitamins and minerals, and easy to integrate into your daily diet. Fresh mint leaves contain:

Calcium | Copper | Fluoride | Folic Acid | Iron | Manganese | Phosphorus | Potassium | Selenium | Vitamin A | Vitamin C | Vitamin B1 [Thiamin] | Vitamin B2 [Riboflavin] | Vitamin B5 [Pantothenic Acid | Vitamin B12 [Cobalamins] | Vitamin C | Zinc

Selecting

Fresh Mint

Vibrant green mint leaves are what you want with leaves that are free from dark spots or yellowing.

Dried Mint

Look for dried mint of superior quality and freshness that is organic, non-irradiated and purchased from a reputable source.

Storing Mint

Sometimes I store fresh herbs in the refrigerator, but lately I’ve been placing some herbs, like fresh mint, in a glass of water that acts as a vase, and placing it in an area away from harsh sunlight, and from my experience it has remained fresher longer. Change the water daily.

If you prefer storing fresh mint leaves in the refrigerator, it should keep for several days if wrapped in a damp paper towel and place inside of a bag or container.

Keep dried mint in a tightly sealed glass container in a cool, dark and dry place. It should keep fresh up to a year.

Dry Your Own Mint

Have extra fresh mint you’d like to dry? Just lay it out in the sun or use a dehydrator to do the job. Once completely dry, store in a tightly sealed glass container in a cool, dark, and dry place [see Storing Mint].

Culinary Uses and Tips

All the different varieties listed above give clues to what flavors compliment mint. Mint does go well with fruits of all sorts. In the world of vegetables, mint tastes great combined with peas, cucumbers, carrots, eggplant, tomatoes, corn, green beans, sprouted legumes, zucchini, and many more veggies.

Chopped mint leaves are great in salads, fruit desserts, and beverages. It adds delicious flavor to sauces [like chocolate sauce], curries, cold and warm soups, beverages, and as garnish.

Some herbs and spices that work well with mint: basil, garlic, ginger, lavender, rosemary, sage, thyme, and marjoram.

Substitutes for mint in recipes: For savory recipes use fresh parsley or basil. For sweet or savory recipes use fresh basil.

This recipe for Mint Granita is adapted from Epicurious website.

Mint Granita

The cool burst of minty flavor makes this recipe a great palette cleanser between courses or serve it as a refreshing dessert or treat.

Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend. Strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve, twice. Pour the mint water into a shallow container and freeze. Every half hour or so, stir and crush any lumps. Repeat until evenly frozen, approximately 3-4 hours.

When ready to serve scrape the frozen mixture with a fork to fluff and loose into tiny ice granuales. Spoon into glasses or bowls and serving immediately.

Serves 4

Herb of the Month Giveaway

Each month we feature an herb, highlight its benefits, showcase it in a raw vegan recipe, and offer a monthly giveaway of an assortment of products featuring the herb of the month courtesy of our wonderful sponsor Mountain Rose Herbs.

At the end of this month June, a name will be drawn from the comment section of this post, and Mountain Rose Herbs will send an awesome assortment of products featuring Mint to the winning participant.

Thank you in advance for your participation and good luck!

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1. Lemongrass :: Herb of the Month
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June is an exciting month for summery fruit. It’s like a fruit paradise. When the warm and long days really start to heat up, I mainly think of food in terms of light, refreshing, cool, chilled, cold, and always fresh, organic, and local.

One of the fruits that gets me giddy for what summer has to offer is cherries. There’s nothing like a big bowl full of cherries, and if you can pick them straight from the tree, even better. How lucky you are if you have access to a cherry tree.

Sweet cherries are the type of cherries I’m most familiar with and I had only heard of sour cherries until I was introduced to them during my stay in Hungary. My mother-in-law has three cherry trees in her backyard, one regular cherry and two sour cherry trees. I don’t know much about the different varieties of cherries, but to my surprise, the sour cherries I tasted where so delicious and not too astringent or sour, but sweet. I preferred their taste to the sweet cherries.

I’m many miles away from those wonderful cherry trees that are loaded with fruit right now and to my knowledge, there isn’t a cherry tree that I can pick, but I can pick up cherries to enjoy at the much appreciated farmer’s market.

This soup recipe is my adaptation of my mother-in-law’s Hungarian recipe “Hideg Cseresznyeleves”, translation: “Cold Cherry Soup”.

Cold Cherry Soup with Fresh Mint

Fresh mint and cherries go well together, they make an excellent flavor pairing.

Garnish
Cherry halves
Mint

Prepare cashew cream. Rinse the cherries and remove stems and pit [I like to use a melon baller to do the job]. Add the pitted cherries, lemon juice and zest, cinnamon and cashew cream to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth. Place in the refrigerator at least one hour or more, until chilled.

Divide the soup among individual soup bowls. Place a mound of cherry halves in the center of the soup. Top with a mint sprig or julienne mint leaves.

Serves 2-4

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A close look at the inside of a green kiwifruit, isn’t it stunning…

… and the golden kiwifruit is just as gorgeous.

I don’t own an ice cream maker. I considered purchasing one but decided to pass on the idea and continue using a simple technique to make ice cream and sorbet until I find that perfect ice cream maker someday.

In the meantime, here is the technique. Prep and cut the fruit into small pieces, freeze it, and then process the frozen fruit pieces in a food processor with any other ingredients the recipe calls for, and serve or refreeze. That’s it! The food processor does the churning work for me.

I’ve made kiwi sorbet many times and each time I love it more and more. Both green and golden kiwifruit sorbet are light and refreshing, so good and healthy, loaded with vitamin C, and a great treat to enjoy anytime. Green kiwifruit has a tangy tartness while the golden kiwifruit has a sugary sweetness. I prefer my sorbet lightly sweetened, if at all. I used just enough agave nectar to do the job, though feel free to use more agave, or sweetener of choice, if you like yours on the sweeter side. I like the bit of crunch and the attractive appearance the black seeds give each scoop.

Green Kiwifruit Sorbet

I used the tangy tart citrus flavor of lime juice to compliment the tart flavor of the green kiwifruit and used lime zest to harmonize with the natural color of this sorbet.

Wash, peel, and cut kiwifruit into small pieces. Spread chopped kiwifruit pieces on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer until frozen. Place frozen kiwifruit pieces, agave nectar, lime juice and lime zest in a food processor and process until creamy. At this point you can serve immediately as a soft-serve sorbet or pour the sorbet into a container, cover with lid, and return to the freezer for about an hour or so to allow it to firm up or until ready to serve.

Serves 4

Golden Kiwifruit Sorbet

Citrusy lemon compliments and balances the natural sweetness of golden kiwi and the yellow sprinkles of lemon zest blend nicely with the pretty golden pastel color of this sorbet.

Wash, peel, and cut kiwifruit into small pieces. Spread chopped kiwifruit pieces on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer until frozen. Place frozen kiwifruit pieces, agave nectar, lemon juice and lemon zest in a food processor and process until creamy. At this point you can serve immediately as a soft-serve sorbet or pour the sorbet into a container, cover with lid, and return to the freezer for about an hour or so to allow it to firm up or until ready to serve.

Serves 4

* * *

Note: For those of you who own an ice cream maker, wash, peel, and cut the kiwifruit into small pieces and puree, along with any other ingredients called for in the recipe, in a food processor. Pour the kiwifruit puree into the ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a freezer friendly container, cover, and freeze until solid, at least 3 hours. Allow the sorbet to soften at room temperature about 30 minutes before serving.

Serving suggestions

• Scoop the sorbet into a glass or bowl and serve.
• Serve with kiwi slices or add color contrast using other fruit.
• Create a tropical sundae or banana split using kiwifruit sorbet

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