Honey Blaze Nectarines

The perfectly named HONEY nectarines are sweet and juicy with a high Brix rating. Nectarines, like their furry cousins peaches, most likely originated in China over 2000 years ago. They were cultivated in ancient Persia, Greece and Rome and more recently, in Great Britain in the late 16th or early 17th centuries. Nectarines were introduced to America by the Spanish and today, California grows over 95% of the nectarines produced in the United States.

Ben & Jerry's new flavors

Ahhh, ice cream and summertime. Check out the new flavors from Ben & Jerry's: Bonnaroo Buzz: Coffee & Malt Ice Creams with Toffee Chunks & a Whiskey Caramel Swirl; my favorite Late Night Snack: Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with a Salty Caramel Swirl & Fudge Covered Potato Chip Clusters; Red Velvet Cake: Red Velvet Cake Batter Ice Cream with Red Velvet Cake Pieces & a Cream Cheese Frosting Swirl; and Cluster Fluff: Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Caramel Cluster Pieces, Peanut Butter & Marshmallow Swirls.

Think Local: Madre Chocolate

Locally made in Honolulu, Hawaii, Madre Chocolate, is made with cacao purchased directly from an organic farm cooperatives in Mexico and Hawaii and crafted in small batches. The processing preserves a high level of healthy antioxidants and provides a rich delightful flavor. Try unique flavors like Chipotle Allspice and Hibiscus.

Did you know?

Lychee trees can live for more than 100 years.

Did you know?

Figs provide more fiber than any other common fruit or vegetable.

Fresh & Organic: Apricots

Very rare organic Blenheim variety! Hailed as the world's most popular apricot, the Blenheim apricot, an early season variety, has been grown in the Santa Clara Valley region of California since the early 1900s. Now available at Mana Foods, the Blenheim is both sweet and tart with an intensely aroma of honeysuckle. Don't let this tiny package fool you, it is packed with flavor and loaded with Vitamins A and C.

Ema Datchi : Bhutan's National Dish

One of my favorite things about my two trips to Bhutan was the abundance of Ema Datchi, or chilies in cheese, the creamy, spicy national dish of the country. It varied from region to region in spiciness and some having added tomatoes or extra garlic. Several local cooks told me the method for making the dish but finding the proper cheese in Hawaii was a challenge. A mild farmer’s cheese, sometimes yak, sometimes cow, is what they told me but none of the cheeses I tried at home worked. On line searches showed recipes with Danish feta but it did not melt to the desired creaminess nor did it taste quite right. But finally I found the answer. Laughing Cow. After reading the label I realized that the ingredients are not as bad as one might suppose for a processed cheese. The great thing about it is that it melts beautifully and the final product tastes just like Bhutanese Ema Datchi. Served over Bhutanese red rice it is just the thing to bring me back to the tiny Himalayan country that I love.

Ingredients:

½ lb. jalapeno chilies, sliced lengthwise into strips and seeded (I use a variety of chilies in order to vary the heat. Poblano, Anaheim, Serrano, etc.)
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 ¾ cups water
2 tbsp. oil
3-5 cloves garlic chopped
1 tomato, diced
6 wedges Laughing Cow original cheese (there are 8 in a package)

Instructions:

Combine chilies, onion and water in pot and add oil. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes or until chilies are getting tender. Add tomatoes and garlic and simmer another 10 minutes. Add cheese to mixture stirring until smooth, simmering for another 3 minutes. I kind of mash the cheese with a fork to break it up. Serve over Lotus Foods Bhutanese red rice.

Article and photo by Marie DeJournette