Just Peachy

Puffy clouds, bright blue sky and crisp, clean air means fall is approaching our corner of southwestern New Hampshire.  This is the time of year when the gatherer in me takes over and I can't stop!  I'm in my squirrel mode picking, gathering, foraging, freezing, drying, canning, fermenting, cooking and eating.  Phew, it's no wonder I fall asleep with the sun.

It's been a banner year for peaches at Alyson's Orchard, and a few weeks ago I came home with half a bushel of "seconds".

Who can resist these tree ripened beauties?

Sticky Rice with Mango

Last weekend, at an Asian market, I came across these perfectly ripened "champagne" mangoes, and their fragrance brought back memories of mango picking after a monsoon rain.

Anne Michelle's Aunt's Pilgrim Ice Cream

After a recent ice storm left us without electricity for several days, we found ourselves whiling away our time at a local restaurant, along with others who were also whiling away their time. In one conversation a friend recounted her fondness for her Aunt’s Pilgrim ice cream. She told me it was made with chunks of oranges, cranberries, and walnuts, mixed with sugar and sour cream, then put into the freezer to become semi frozen and served as a side dish.

I love family recipes, and this one intrigued me. I thought such a combination had to be good and so I set out to make my own version of Anne Michelle’s Aunt’s Pilgrim Ice Cream.

I started with three navel oranges, removed the zest and set it aside, peeled the oranges and cut them into rough chunks. I put the oranges in the bowl of a food processor along with the zest, one cup cranberries and half a cup walnuts.

I pulsed about five times, poured the whole thing into a large bowl, added 12 oz sour cream and 2/3 cups sugar. Mixed until sugar was dissolved.

Put the bowl in the freezer until semi frozen.

Served as a side dish

or as a light dessert.

This was super easy to make and turned out to be creamy, tart and sweet. The tartness of the cranberries, the freshness of the oranges and the nutty walnut came together to make a light, cleansing and addictive treat.

Coconut Custard

As Thanksgiving approaches all thoughts are on food, and if you’re looking for something fun and different for your dessert table, try this coconut custard from my youth.

It’s made with coconut milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt. Traditionally the custard is steamed, but sometimes it's baked and, on very special occasion, it’s steamed inside a pumpkin. For the holidays, I like to steam the custard in Buttercup and Sweet Dumpling squashes. It’s always a hit and a good conversation piece for any holiday gathering.

Sweet Dumplings and Buttercup squash filled with coconut custard

Recipe:

13.5 oz can coconut milk

5 large eggs

1 cup sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp salt

2 buttercup squash, or four sweet dumplings, or a combination

Special equipment: Chinese bamboo steamer or other steamer

Make custard:

In a blender mix the first five ingredients until smooth, set aside.

To steam in squash containers: slice off the top quarter of squash to make a lid, put in steamer. Hollow out the seeds from the squash bottom, wrap it in foil and put in the steamer.

Wrapping the squash in foil prevents it from cracking

Pour custard into squash, fill it to about 1/4" from the top, steam, covered, until squash is tender and custard is firm, about an hour to an hour and half, depending on the size of the squash. Cool and refrigerate until ready to serve. Slice and serve at room temperature.

To bake: pour custard into a 9.5 x 13.5 x 2 inch pan and bake in 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes to an hour, until the middle is firm. Cool and refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut into squares and serve at room temperature.

Happy Thanksgiving!