The Fruit Company

Duck is perhaps one of the most under used poultry and also perhaps one of the most intimidating if you’ve never cooked it before. It’s just not something that we eat a lot of here in the U.S. People think it’s too fatty, or are afraid to eat it a little pink with all of the preconceptions we have about chicken, but this recipe, a twist on the French classic, Duck a l’orange, is deliciously rich and yet exotically familiar.

Using blood oranges instead of a traditional navel orange here adds an interesting twist and a beautiful color to the finish sauce. Blood oranges, also being slightly tarter than some oranges also help to counter balance the richness of the duck breast.

I deviated from the traditional recipe slightly by using white balsamic vinegar in my version of the orange sauce. I liked pairing the sweetness of the balsamic, but used white as to preserve the beautiful deep red color of the blood orange juice. Any light and fruity vinegar would work though. I’ve used sherry vinegar here and even a good quality apple cider vinegar would be excellent. During the reduction the vinegar really mellows out and you get hints of acidity without all of the acrid quality that raw vinegar sometimes has.

Even against the wow factor that duck has, the sauce is really the star of this dish. It elevates a special occasion meal even further with ease. Make a larger batch and use the leftovers to top steamed vegetables or roasted squash. The sauce is subtle enough to pair with poached chicken, but bold enough to stand up to a grilled steak.

Finally, the supremed orange wedges and toasted pistachios add little jewels of color and bursts of flavor to every bite.

Crispy Duck Breast “A L’orange” with Blood Oranges and Toasted Pistachios

(serves 4)

1/2 c sugar

1/4 c white balsamic vinegar

2 T orange zest

1 lg. shallot, minced

2 c blood orange juice

1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

4 duck breasts, 10 oz. ea.

4 T butter, cold

2 oranges, supremed

1/2 c toasted pistachios

Salt & Pepper to taste

- In a medium dry sauce pan brown sugar until it liquefies and turns a light amber color. This will happen quickly at the end, so be careful not to burn it.

- Into caramelized sugar mix in vinegar, shallots, orange zest, orange juice, and broth. Bring mixture to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium high. Continue to simmer until sauce   thickens to the consistency of maple syrup, about 25-30 minutes. You will have approximately a cup of liquid left in the pot.

- Meanwhile, score the skin of your duck breasts, creating a cross hatch pattern with a knife, going as deep as you can into the skin without cutting the meat of the breast. This will help the duck fat to render and also assist in creating a crispy breast. Season liberally with salt and pepper.

- In a large preheated on high, place the duck breast skin side down into the dry pan. Sear on this side for approximately 8-10 minutes, or until the skin has crisped and browned. Before flipping your breasts, remove and drain excess oil from the pan. Flip and return duck breasts to pan cooking for an additional 6 to 8 minutes to desired doneness, 125 degrees for medium rare, and 130 for medium, allowing duck to rest on a warm platter for 10 minutes before slicing.

- Slice breast on a slight diagonal and return to warmed platter, mixing any run off juices into your reducing sauce.

- To finish the sauce, remove the reduced mixture from the heat and slowly stir in your cold butter in 1 T increments. This will further thicken your sauce and add richness and sheen.

- Spoon warm sauce over sliced duck and garnish with reserved orange supremes and toasted pistachios.

About the Author
A former baker, chef, caterer, and a forever foodie, John is now a writer and essayist, who has written for newspapers and magazines across the country, and enjoys spending his spare time traveling and collecting bow ties.

Thai is one of my favorite cuisines to eat, and one reason it’s so awesome is that the flavors of a Thai curry are so easy to achieve at home.  It’s simple enough to throw together midweek, but feels special enough to make when you have guests coming over.

This recipe for pineapple curry is particularly fun with the unexpected addition of the pineapple, which robust sweetness pairs perfectly with the robust curry spices. Using tofu makes it a great option for vegetarians and the roasted tofu adds a whole new dimension of texture and flavor to the tofu that even meat lovers will appreciate.

Still, one of the great things about a curry is its versatility. You could just as easily make it a chicken (or turkey) curry with leftovers you may have laying around the house or substitute any or all of the vegetables for your favorites. I sometimes like to use kale, broccoli, or fresh green beans in my curry for added color and nutrients, but you could also use whatever you might happen to have around the house.

In my recipe, I used a mixture of trumpet and shitake mushrooms, but button mushrooms still add lots of flavor and canned straw mushrooms are an excellent option to add authenticity.

The galangal root in this recipe also adds to the authenticity and is becoming more widely available in larger grocery stores. If you’ve never worked with it before, it really brings that “Thai restaurant” flavor to your home curries. However, it should be noted that galangal is simply a flavor enhancer and is not meant to be eaten. Cut it thinly to maximize flavor extraction, but large enough that the pieces are easy to fish out. Some places have dried galangal root. If this is the case, use about ½ c of it and steep it for 10-15 minutes in one of the cans of coconut milk that you’ve heated in a microwave safe bowl or in a small saucepan. When stepped, strain out the galangal, leaving you with a flavor infused coconut milk.

The addition of fish sauce is another great flavor boost of authenticity, but if you wanted to make this completely vegetarian or just don’t have any fish sauce available. Soy sauce or salt to taste could be substituted.

Pineapple Curry with Roasted Tofu (serves 6-8)

Roasted Tofu

1, 14 oz. package extra firm tofu

2 T vegetable oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 450°F
2. Cut tofu into 1 ½ in cubes. I usually cut the tofu block in half horizontally and then 4×5, making a total of 40 little cubes.
3. Place tofu on a parchment lined (or well greased) cookie sheet.
4. Drizzle on oil and salt and pepper to taste and toss lightly to evenly coat
5. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown on all sides, about 15-20 minutes, stirring once midway through roasting.

Pineapple Curry

2 T vegetable oil

4 large shallots, sliced thinly

4 cloves garlic, minced or grated

2 in. piece of ginger root, grated

3-4 in. piece of galagal root (sometimes called thai ginger) cut thinly crosswise into large “coins”

¼ c red curry paste

2 medium carrots, sliced thinly on the diagonal

2 tomatoes cut into a large dice

2, 8 oz. cans bamboo shoots

1 lb. wild mushrooms

1 baby pineapple diced (about 3 cups)

3, 13 oz. cans coconut milk

14 oz. roasted tofu

1 lg. red pepper, sliced

3 T fish sauce (optional-salt or soy sauce may be substituted)

½ c cilantro roughly chopped

1        c basil roughly chopped

-In a large pot in a small amount of vegetable oil sauté shallots, garlic, ginger, and galangal on medium high heat until lightly browned and aromatic.

-Stir in curry paste continuing to cook the mixture while coating the other aromatics, about 3-4 minutes, being careful not to burn.

-Stir carrots, tomatoes, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, pineapple, coconut milk, and fish sauce, and bring just to the boil.

-Once achieved, partially cover the pot, reduce heat to a slight simmer, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

-Add in roasted tofu, and red peppers and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

-Just before serving, stir in cilantro and basil and serve on steamed rice.

About the Author
A former baker, chef, caterer, and a forever foodie, John is now a writer and essayist, who has written for newspapers and magazines across the country, and enjoys spending his spare time traveling and collecting bow ties.

Almost nothing beats a fresh mango. Still, I’m always looking for ways to incorporate mangoes into my cooking that go beyond fruit salad. But with all that there is to do this time of year, I rarely feel like doing anything too complicated, while still keeping in mind that I want to make things feel special for my family and friends. Both of these mango recipes are a delicious and easy way to infuse your cooking with tropical yet familiar flavors that feel special and that anyone can enjoy.

I like to have both on hand to use as an everyday condiment.

The chutney is especially easy to make a huge batch of, can it, and have it available all year long, or to give away as gifts this holiday season. Each of these recipes snazzy up the humdrum of our everyday cooking and are great to make a weeknight meal extra special for all of those surprise holiday guests.

Use the mango salsa as is in all of the ways you would use a traditional salsa: burritos, tortilla chips, or as an easy salad topping.

Top turkey sandwiches or crackers and cheese with your own homemade mango chutney.  An easy and delicious holiday appetizer is to take your favorite cracker and spread with either a little cream cheese or goat cheese then top with chutney. Turn up the spice or make it milder to compliment nearly any dish.

My favorite thing about both of these recipes is that especially with the busyness of the season, both are extremely easy to make and turn baked fish, grilled chicken breast, or a roasted pork loin into something extremely special and worthy of a holiday meal at a moments notice. You probably already have all or most of the ingredients to make both of these concoctions at home, and you know if you’ve ever tired to purchase mango chutney or salsa at the store the exorbitant expense of even a small jar. Make your own for less than half the price and with knowing each of the quality ingredients you put in yourself – easy homemade deliciousness without all the preservatives.

Smoked Paprika and Lime Infused Snapper with Mango Two-ways

Fresh Mango Salsa

3 mangoes, medium in size, cut into a small dice

½ r. onion diced

3 scallions

1 medium red pepper, cut into a small dice

1 jalapeno minced small

½ c chopped cilantro

1 T garlic, minced

2 Limes, juiced

¼ c Extra Virgin Olive Oil

-Mix all ingredients in a medium sized bowl.

-Allow salsa to sit for at least an hour or preferably over night for flavors to marinate.

Spicy Mango Chutney

4 c mango, diced in 1 in. cubes (approximately 4-5 medium sized mangoes)

1 ½ c sugar

¾ c apple cider vinegar

1 medium onion, diced

¾ c golden raisins

1 in. ginger, grated or finely minced

1 t mustard seeds

½ t crushed red chili flakes

1 cinnamon stick

6 whole cloves

½ t salt

-Heat sugar and vinegar in a large saucepan on medium heat until sugar is just dissolved.

-Stir in remaining ingredients, turn heat to high, and bring mixture to a simmer.

-Reduce heat to low and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally until mixture reduces and syrup thickens to a jam- like consistency.

-Allow mixture to cool to room temperature, and use within 2 weeks or preserve in clean mason jars using your favorite canning method!

Smoked Paprika and Lime Infused Snapper

4 Snapper Filets (or other mild white fish) 6 oz. each

1 Lime, juiced

1 T Smoked Paprika

2 T Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

-Check fish for pin bones. You can ask your fishmonger to do this for you.

-Drizzle on olive oil and limejuice and sprinkle on salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Rub seasoning over fish and allow to permeate while the fish coming to room temperature, 20-30 minutes. Do not over marinade.

-Pre-heat a large nonstick sauté pan on high until it just reaches the smoke point. Sear each fillet in a small amount of olive oil for approximately 3 minutes on each side. Do not over   crowd the pan. You may have to do this in two batches. Fish should still be slightly opaque in the middle and will continue to cook after you take it off the heat.

- Serve with jasmine rice, garnish with chopped cilantro, and top with fresh mango salsa or spicy mango chutney (or both!).

About the Author
A former baker, chef, caterer, and a forever foodie, John is now a writer and essayist, who has written for newspapers and magazines across the country, and enjoys spending his spare time traveling and collecting bow ties.

If you are having trouble finding the perfect gift this holiday season, below are some choices for every type of recipient on your list. Christmas is coming, let us help you get all of your gifts picked out!

If you are planning the office party, sending gifts to valued clients, or just wanting to get your boss something special, these gifts have something for everyone.

Choose the Festival of Fruit with over 19 pounds of crisp apples, fresh pears, juicy citrus and cool tropical pineapple. Or the Dried Fruit and Nut Tray, perfect for entertaining with its dried mango, kiwi, and pineapple among Colossal Pistachios and classics such as dried apples, pears, and apricots.

To make a bigger impression choose the Mountain of Gifts. Complete with fresh fruit, cheese, crackers, sausage and chocolates, it is sure to be a hit.

Whether you are sending your love via mail or visiting for the holidays, these classic best-selling gifts are a great addition to any family gathering.

Enjoying these gifts is the perfect way to spend a snowy evening gathered around the fire after a fun filled day.

For the fruit lover in your family there is no better gift then one of ourHarvestClub™ monthly fruit clubs.

With four different clubs from the Americana and Deluxe, to the Organic and Exotica you are sure to find something for everyone’s tastes.

With all of the family and friends around this time of year, I like having a holiday fruitcake without any alcohol in it around for everyone to be able to enjoy. Traditionally, the rum or brandy in a fruitcake is what keeps it moist and prevents it from spoiling, making it possible for you to keep it on your counter all season long, so this recipe employs a few tricks to help keep your fruitcake delicious for weeks, but believe me, once people have a slice, it won’t last that long.

The recipe’s first key to making a long lasting fruitcake is to only use dried fruit. Some recipes use sautéed apples, applesauce or canned pineapple. By using only dried fruit the cake is less likely to spoil. The mix is also completely to taste and so you can increase flavors or substitute something less traditional like dried blueberries or cherries, keeping in mind to keep the volume similar. I’ve even replaced the nuts in it completely with more dried fruit when I knew there were nut allergy concerns.

The second trick to keeping your fruitcake fresh and moist is by coating it completely with a glaze. I’ve used a maple glaze here, because I think the flavors is very reminiscent of the holidays and pairs nicely with the oranges and other spices, but if maple isn’t your cup of tea try substituting some orange juice or just some heavy cream. Keep in mind that because certain liquids like orange juice are less viscous than maple syrup you’ll have to reduce the quantity slightly. The final product should be about the consistency of molasses.

Applying the glaze in several layers in what allows you to get it on thicker and therefore create a greater barrier on your cake to keep the moisture in and the air out.

I almost always double the recipe, because while it does have a few ingredients, it’s so easy to make and will last all season long, so it’s perfect to keep around the house for unexpected guests or as a last minute take along as a gift or to a party.

You may have noticed that I use paper cuffs to bake the cakes in. This is completely optional and not necessary, but I like the ease of clean up, and it’s an easy way of gifting the cakes to others or bringing a loaf to work or church without then having to worry about getting your loaf pan back. Just wrap the cooled cake, glazed and placed back into the paper cuff with cellophane and a bow, and you’re ready to bring a confection that is sure to please.

The Fruit Company :Orange Spiced Fruit Cake w/ Maple Glaze (Alcohol Free)

Ingredients:

Cake Batter

1 c butter

1 ½ c sugar

¼ c molasses

4 eggs

3 c all purpose flour

2 t salt

1 t baking powder

1 t ground nutmeg

1 t ground cloves

1 t ground ginger

1 T ground cinnamon

1 c orange juice

Fruit & Nut Mix

2 c raisins

1 c craisins

1 c dates, roughly chopped

1 c candied cherries (red, green, or a mix of the two)

1 c candied pineapple chunks

½ c candied orange peel

½ c candied ginger, chopped fine

2 c pecans (or walnuts if you prefer)

Maple Glaze

4 c confectioners sugar

1 c maple syrup

½ c butter, melted

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 300°F

-Make cake batter by first creaming butter, sugar and molasses in a large bowl with a hand mixer, first on low speed then increasing speed as ingredients become more combined. When mixture is completely incorporated and becomes slightly pale in color, beat in eggs, one egg at a time, incorporating next egg after the previous egg has become absorbed by the mixture

-Meanwhile, combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl, whisking flour spices and baking powder until completely combined.

-Combine wet and dry ingredients in sections, pouring dry into wet in thirds, alternating with a third of orange juice at a time, until just incorporated. You don’t want to over mix.

-Fold in fruit and nut mixture.

-Fill 4 well greased small loaf pans (approximately 2.5”x 7”x 2”) 4/5 of the way full.

-Place pans onto cookie sheet (for ease) and bake at 300°F for 1 ½ hours or until a toothpick just comes out clean. Cake will still look slightly underdone, but will “set” as it cools.

-Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a rack, approximately 2 hours or overnight

-Meanwhile, combine powdered sugar, maple syrup, and melted butter in a medium bowl until completely smooth.

-Carefully unmold cakes and place on wire racks on a cookie sheet. Pour over half of the maple-glazed mixture, allowing the cookie sheet to catch the drips beneath the wire rack. Allow glaze to set for at least one hour and then repeat with the remaining glaze, again allowing glaze to set for at least one hour, or preferably overnight.

About the Author
A former baker, chef, caterer, and a forever foodie, John is now a writer and essayist, who has written for newspapers and magazines across the country, and enjoys spending his spare time traveling and collecting bow ties.

As the fall season settles in and rain, storms, leaves, windy nights and the brisk mornings become normal, many often refer to this as a dreary time of year.  If you reflect on the Summer fun had and the warmth enjoyed its easy to see why. But once we grow accustomed to this season it soon becomes a time spent with loved one, cherishing the good experienced and focusing on the things that matter the most.

Between the rush of shopping and ads blanketing your television, its easy to find stress in it but if we stop and look at the core of what fall entails we find it to be a time of thanks.  As a company that focuses on being a outlet to share emotion we find great joy in helping you express warm sentiments to each other.

We hope and wish you  safe travels throughout the break and a Happy Thanksgiving from our families to yours!

This recipe looks like it has a lot of steps (and it does), but the steps are all fast and easy and if you start with a premade crust, your pizza will be done in no time. However, before you go straight to using a store bought crust, let me spend a second convincing you of how easy it is to make it at home, especially if you have a kitchen aid. You literally just put everything in the mixer and blend. If you’re really lazy (as I often am), you can even let those last two minutes of kneading happen in the mixer. I also always use the mixing bowl to let the dough rise in. I just take it out for second, oil the bowl, replace and rise.

Whenever I make pizza dough, I almost always also make a double batch and then par bake the left over dough and freeze it for later use, it’s like having “store bought” pizza dough at home and ready to use all the time. You can also make the dough ahead and store it in your fridge covered in an oiled bowl or a storage bag for up to two days. If this is still too much work for you, I recommend asking your local pizza joint to buy some fresh dough from them. You can usually get some for a few bucks, and the results are totally worth it.

For this recipe, I do par bake the dough, since the topped pizza doesn’t have to stay in the oven for very long, but for traditional marinara sauce pizza, I just use the dough in it’s completely raw form.

As for the two sauces in the recipe, both are fascinatingly simple, in one you just blend all the ingredient, and the other, you let sit on the stove for a little while, while your pizza is baking, and both sauces are excellent to have on hand. I always make homemade pesto in the summer months when basil is abundant, but during the winter, I like to use arugula, which stays relatively inexpensive and is easy to get all year long. The peppery flavor is perfect with the sweet pears and I spoon it on fresh to get the full impact of the arugula. The sauce is also great to use like traditional pesto on pasta, or to top roasted potatoes, spread on to sandwiches, or spooned onto roasted chicken, fish, or a good steak.

The honey balsamic reduction is just as versatile, and I often use it to jazz up grilled chicken or to top bruschetta or roasted veggies.

Once you have all the pieces ready, it really is just assemble and bake. The ingredients are few and simple and so each one really shines. You get the smoky notes of bacon and creamy tartness of the goat cheese with the bright peppery arugula all there to support the sweet complexity of the Comice pears.

This is an easy recipe to have in your back pocket for a quick meal to have for guests, and the bacon can easily be replaced with toasted walnuts for an equally delicious vegetarian option. The walnuts and pears are so good together, that it’s sure to please even your most devout carnivores.

Comice Pear and Goat Cheese Pizza with Arugula Pesto and Honey Balsamic Glaze

1 large pizza crust

1 large Comice pear, thinly sliced

12 oz. goat cheese crumbled

8 oz. thickly sliced bacon, cut into 2 in. squares (about 5-6 slices)

(or 1 c toasted walnuts, for a vegetarian version)

1 c. Arugula Pesto

3-4 T Honey Balsamic Glaze
Preheat oven to 475°F

Prepare a 14 or 16 in. pizza pan by lightly coating with cooking spray or scantly dusting with cornmeal

Roll out pizza crust thinly  and place on prepared pan.

Par bake crust for 4-5 minutes on 475°F

Meanwhile,  cut bacon into large 2 in. pieces and cook on medium high heat until lightly browned, but not cooked completely. Bacon will continue to cook and further crisp in the oven.

Once crust is par baked, crumble on goat cheese then evenly place on the bacon and thinly sliced Comice pears.

Baked at 475°F for 7-9 minutes or until cheese is slightly browned and pears are golden around the edges and roasted through.

Remove from oven and let cool for a minute before spooning on arugula pesto and drizzling on the honey balsamic glaze.

Pizza Dough: makes 2, 14 -16 in. thin crust pizzas

1 T (or 1 package) or dry yeast

½ c warm water

1 t. sugar

3 – 3 ½ c All Purpose Flour

2 t salt

¾ c milk

¼ c olive oil

Mix yeast, warm water, and sugar in a small bowl and let proof for approximately 5 minutes or until the yeast starts to bubble.

In a medium sized mixing bowl or in a kitchen aid with a dough hook or similar appliance with a dough attachment, blend flour and salt, then after yeast is proofed, mix in remaining ingredients starting on low to medium speed, then increasing to a faster speed till all ingredients are well combined or until the dough forms a ball and begins to slightly pull away from the sides.

Remove from the bowl onto a slightly floured surface and knead for a minute or two.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for about an hour or until the dough has approximately doubled in size.

After the dough has risen, punch it down, divide in two and it’s ready to use.

Arugula Pesto: makes approximately 2 ½ c of finished pesto

2 c packed arugula (approx. a 5 oz. container)

¾ c extra virgin olive oil

½ c freshly grated parmesean

½ c toasted pine nuts

2 T lemon juice (about half of a large lemon)

1 small clove garlic

salt to taste

Wash and dry your arugula well. Even a few teaspoons of water left on the leaves will substantially water down the flavor of your pesto.

To toast the pine nuts, place nuts in a dry sauté pan on medium high heat shaking or stirring the nuts continuously until they are lightly browned in color and their aroma intensifies.

Place all ingredients except the olive oil into a blender or food processor (I prefer a food processor), and pulse while drizzling the olive oil in a slow but steady stream.

You are looking for a smooth, but not liquid consistency. The sauce should be of medium thickness, adjust with more or less olive oil (or lemon juice) to your desired consistency.

Honey Balsamic Glaze:

1 c balsamic vinegar

¼ c honey

Place ingredients in a small saucepan and on medium heat reduce by half.

The sauce will thicken as it reduces and should coat the back of a spoon when done. Be careful when it’s cooking not to get it on your skin as the reduced sugars in both the honey and balsamic will act like caramel and can stick to and burn your skin.

The reduction will thicken more as it cools and you may need to reheat it on low heat before using if it thickens too significantly.

About the Author
A former baker, chef, caterer, and a forever foodie, John is now a writer and essayist, who has written for newspapers and magazines across the country, and enjoys spending his spare time traveling and collecting bow ties.

We at The Fruit Company are so very thankful to all current and former members of the military that have served the United States of America!  Thank you Veterans!

We at The Fruit Company wanted to just take a minute and wish you all and your families a wonderful fall.  As the leaves start to dance off the trees and the colors change, enjoy the time shared with loved ones and friends as we enter into a festive time of year filled with the lighting of the fireplace, hot chocolate and the sprinkling of rain.

I love the onset of fall – the leaves start turning, the orchards begin to fill with fruit, and the crisp autumn air gives me an excuse to break out my grandmother’s old quilts. But the start of fall also means that school’s started again, the busyness of the holidays are starting to begin, and the mourning of the freshness of summer.

During any seasonal transition there’s always so much to do, and so I like the ease of this recipe. Besides a little bit of chopping and the dressing (which you can make ahead and keep on hand for this and other salads) it’s a fast dump and mix recipe, impressive enough to make for guests, but easy enough to have any day of the week. Packed with veggies and protein, I’ll have 2 or 3 of the lettuce cups as a light but filling lunch, or add in some steamed white or brown rice to make it a complete dinner. It’s also a great make a head appetizer for a dinner party. Just keep the filling and lettuce cups separate till you’re ready to serve. The flavors only get better with time.

I’ve discovered, it’s also a great “add-in” recipe that you could add-in or substitute any leftover vegetables you might have around the house. The Asian pears are a great subtle background flavor for almost anything – red peppers, cucumbers, radishes, avocado – while still holding their distinct sweetness and crispness. Try substituting peanuts or crispy wonton strips for the almonds, or serving the whole mix on a toasted baguette smeared with a little Brie instead of in the lettuce cups. The possibilities are nearly endless. And when I don’t want to grill my own chicken, I’ve been known to just pick up an already roasted one at the grocery store and use that or even left over flank steak as a way to make the recipe even faster and easier.

Beside the ease, fun, and unexpected flavor profiles, I also love this recipe, because it’s a last harbinger of summer. There will be time for roasted apples and freshly pressed cider in the months to come, but while I can, I like extending the brightness and vigor for just a little bit longer as I make my way into fall.

Chicken & Asian Pear Slaw in Lettuce Cups with Sesame-Ginger Dressing (serves 2)

Dressing:

¼ c rice vinegar

1 T grated ginger

2 T soy sauce

1 T fish sauce (if you don’t have fish sauce, add another T of soy sauce)

2 T sesame oil

1 T vegetable or canola oil

1 T honey

½ t red pepper flakes (optional)

Slaw Ingredients:

1 lg. Asian sliced thinly

1 grilled chicken breast shredded – a scant 2 cups

1 lg. carrot julienned

3 scallons sliced on the diagonal

¼ c slivered almonds (reserve a few for garnish)

1 head Boston or butter lettuce washed, dried, and divided into “cups”

sliced avocado for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl (we’re just going to use the same bowl to toss our slaw in) place all dressing ingredients together and mix. I’ve found that using a microplane or the smallest side on any boxed grater will give you the best results with your ginger. When mixing, the dressing will remain “broken” and not imulsify, that’s the way it should be.

2. Prep all salad ingredients, slicing each thinly. To julienne the carrot, first cut the carrot into a manageable length, then into small “planks”. Then stack 3 or 4 planks at a time and cut across length wise.If you have the time, try toasting your almonds by putting them in a small sauté pan for a few minutes on medium high heat until they’re lightly browned and intensify in scent.

3. Mix ingredients together with the dressing, and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes for the flavors to marry while you prep your lettuce. While washing, make sure to dry the leaves thoroughly as to not water down the dressing.

4. Fill each lettuce cups generously with about half a cup of the slaw, garnishing with some of your reserved almonds and some sliced avocado and additional sliced scallion if desired.

About the Author
A former baker, chef, caterer, and a forever foodie, John is now a writer and essayist, who has written for newspapers and magazines across the country, and enjoys spending his spare time traveling and collecting bow ties.