Nectarine Salsa

Recipes by Rj of Urban Table

Photo Styling & Art Direction by Traci of Urban Table

Photography & Art Direction by Heather of Heather Gill Photography

Eating a freshly picked Nectarine, right off the tree and the juice running down your arm, ahhh it just doesn’t get any better!!!

The dog days of summer are here, so get your hands on these juicy lil gems and try our MDF recipe of the day.

Nectarine Salsa

2 cups diced nectarines

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1/4 cup diced red onion

2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

1 1/2 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons minced seeded jalapeño or Serrano pepper

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup diced peeled avocado

In a medium size bowl combine nectarine, bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno and salt.  Mix to combine and gently stir in avocado.

This salsa works well on fish, chicken or pork and it is very versatile.  We made a big bowl of it over the weekend and just enjoyed it with tortilla chips.   As with almost all stone fruit recipes this would work with peaches, mangos or cherries.  If you plan on making ahead, we suggest you combine the avocado and a bit more lime juice at the last-minute to serve.

Clean:

We try to use fruits and vegetables when ever possible that are 100% organic so we don’t have to worry about trying to wash off harmful pesticides.  With organic,  just a good rinse and rub under cold running water to remove any dirt, will do the trick.

Select:

Peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots and other stone fruits that are not purchased local tend to be shipped to the grocery store unripened.  To determine if your fruit needs to ripen a little longer just press gently near the stem of the fruit, it should dent if its ripe.  If you get a few hard ones just store them uncovered on the counter for a couple of days.  My Grandmother used the kitchen windowsill, that always seemed to speed up the process.

Store:

If you choose to keep them around for a few more days, they are best stored uncovered in your refrigerator’s crisper drawer, here they can usually last for up to a week.

Cook:

Stone fruit is delicious by itself, these incredibly versatile drupes interchange beautifully, a recipe for one is a recipe for all!

Those of you that are familiar with urban table’s line of products know we make several chutneys and mostardas.  For most of the year we use dried fruits, however, whenever we can jump on the FRESH bandwagon, we do so!   Here are two simple recipes from The New York Times that will add freshness and liven up your backyard bashes.

chutney:   Combine 1 1/2 pounds chopped fruit, 1/3 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup water in a skillet and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until just tender, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Taste; add 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, 1-teaspoon curry powder, a pinch of ground cloves, more sugar if needed and fresh orange juice to taste.  Simmer, reducing mixture to desired thickness. Partly cool, then stir in 1⁄4 cup each raisins and toasted nuts (like macadamia), and serve.

mostarda:  Combine 3/4 pound dried fruit, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in a skillet and bring to a boil.  Add 1 minced shallot, 1 tablespoon minced candied ginger, 3⁄4 cup white wine, 4 1/2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar and 2 to 3 teaspoons each Dijon mustard and butter.  Simmer until jam-like, 15 minutes or more. Taste; add more sugar if needed.  Cool and serve.

Modern Day Forager

Related Article:

Spicy Nectarines

Fresh Tomato Bloody Mary Mix

Recipes by: Rj of Urban Table

Photo Styling & Art Direction by: Traci of Urban Table

Photography & Art Direction by: Heather of Heather Gill Photography

Welcome to tomato week!

Tomatoes signal the start of summer for me.  As a child growing up in Central California we had a bounty of food all around us.  I remember always having fresh corn and tomatoes during the summer.  My favorite way to eat those succulent tomatoes was on open faced sandwiches.  We would toast the bread, just a little.  Sometimes spread a little mayonnaise or mashed avocado, then add the fresh sliced tomatoes and maybe some lemon cucumbers from my grandma’s garden, sprinkle with salt and eat!  The juice would be dripping down my arm.  We always had to eat outside on the porch so we wouldn’t make a mess, but we didn’t mind, it was the best porch, full of good food and great company!

Thank you for joining us for tomato week, we hope you enjoy it!

Our beloved bloody mary is so much more than just spicy tomato juice and vodka.  It is savory, hearty and briny.  We encourage you to think outside the box for your garnish, say no to celery sticks!

We used red and green cherry peppers, pickled brussel sprouts, aka frog balls and flowering dill.   Not your usual suspects and loaded with flavor and a good swift kick to balance out the drink.

Fresh Tomato Bloody Mary Mix

5 pounds of chopped fresh tomatoes (we like to use at least 3 different types)

1 bay leaf

1 chopped shallot

1 seeded and chopped red bell pepper

1 cup of kale

1 jalapeno

2 chopped carrots

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

6 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce

1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh horseradish

2 teaspoons Sriracha

2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

1. In a non-reactive large stockpot, cook tomatoes and bay leaf over a medium heat.  As you cook crush tomatoes with a potato masher.
2. Place shallot, red bell pepper, kale, jalapeno and carrots in a blender (food processor, we love the Vita Mix here) and puree.
3. Pour the puree into stock pot with tomatoes and add celery seed.
4. Simmer, for about an hour.
5. Remove bay leaf.  If you prefer smoother less seedy juice you can force mixture through a sieve or food mill.
6. Add lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, horseradish, Sriracha, black pepper and salt.
7. Pour mixture into an airtight container and chill for 2 to 24 hours (gets better with time)

Modern Day Forager