Below are a few ideas using this week’s specials at the Monta Vista Market in Cupertino:
- STAR RUBY GRAPEFRUIT, GROWN IN CALIFORNIA- .49 EA
- HONEYDEW MELONS- GROWN IN MEXICO- .59LB
- ASPARAGUS, GROWN IN CALIFORNIA- 2.99LB
- GREEN BELL PEPPERS, GROWN IN MEXICO- 1.99LB
- RHUBARB, GROWN IN WASHINGTON- 2.99LB
- GRAPE CHERRY TOMATOES, GROWN IN MEXICO- 2 FOR $3
- PORTABELLA MUSHROOMS, GROWN IN WATSONVILLE CA- 4.99LB
- ROMAINE LETTUCE, GROWN IN CALIFORNIA- .99EA
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The first dish that came to mind when looking at the list above is:
Sliced Ruby grapefruit topped with a bit of balsamic vinegar and smoked salt
The strong sweet sour flavor of the grapefruit is matched with the strong sweet sour flavor of the balsamic vinegar. And the smoked salt removes just enough of the sharp sour of both while adding to the deep aged flavors of the balsamic vinegar.
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The second dish that came to mind is similar to the one above:
Fruit Salad w/Honeydew Melons, Cherry Tomatoes and Green Bell Peppers
This recipe is based on a watermelon salad I learned of ages ago: watermelon, red onions, balsamic vinegar, mint and feta cheese. Bell peppers and tomatoes are actually fruit, so they go well with other fruits especially melons because they have contrasting texture and colors yet have that watery sweetness of a fruit. Here’s what comes to mind for this one:
- 1 cup chopped melon (small bite-size pieces)
- 1/2 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
- 1 tbls diced green bell peppers
Options:
- Thinly sliced mint
- Splashes of balsamic vinegar or Umeboshi vinegar
- Smoked salt
- Feta cheese
- Diced red onions
- Thinly sliced dried figs
- Toasted (or raw) nuts, seeds
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The third dish that comes to mind is one that I created while doing a cooking demo at Monta Vista Market this past Sunday:
10-minute Rhubarb Strawberry stove-top Pie
This was a big hit, not only because of the flavors, but because of its simplicity, and there’s no added sugar(!). Here are the ingredients (all are available at MVM) and the process and several photos:
The ingredient list:
- 1 rhubarb stalk, sliced
- 1 cup water, or enough to cover the sliced rhubarb
- 1 tbls coconut oil (butter is best alternative if you do not have coconut oil)
- 2 cups chopped fruit (strawberries, kiwi, blueberries)
- 2 cups Pumpkin Seed Granola
Directions:
- In a saute pan, cover the sliced rhubarb with water. Bring to a low simmer, let cook for one minute and then discard the water.
- Add the coconut oil and chopped fruit to the rhubarb, cook for one minute or until the oil has melted, stir well.
- Spread the granola evenly on top of the fruit mixture, do not stir. Cover and let cook for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and serve hot, warm or chilled. People enjoyed this the best when it came to room temperature.
