Food Fest Gets Fruity

The Friday Morning Food Festival gets fruity on The Early Show's Plaza. People tend to consider fruit merely a snack. But fruit is a versatile ingredient that can complement every course.

Patricia Yeo, the executive chef of AZ, a restaurant in New York City, offers ideas for appetizers, while Chef Peter X. Kelly who owns several restaurants in New York's Hudson Valley region provides recipes for entrees.

No meal is complete without dessert. Chef Marc Meyer from Five Points gives us a sweet taste of Pavlova. Paul Greene, the bartender from Five Points restaurant, has ideas for creative fruit drinks to toast with over dinner.

The Recipes:

Appetizers From Patricia Yeo

Balsamic Roasted Cherry And Arugula Salad
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh cherries, pitted (Bing cherries have the best color)
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
1/2cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup farmer's cheese
2 tablespoons heavy cream
4 to 6 cups arugula
8 slices sourdough bread

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 500 degrees.
   
2. In a roasting pan, toss the cherries, shallots, vinegar, and canola oil together. Season with salt and pepper and roast until the cherries start to blister and soften, about 10 minutes.
   
3. Lift the cherries out of the pan with a slotted spoon and reserve. Pour the juices in the pan into a bowl and whisk in the olive oil and mustard.
   
4. Mix the farmer's cheese with the cream.
   
5. When ready to serve, place the arugula in a large bowl.
   
6. Toast the bread.
   
7. Toss the arugula with some of the vinaigrette (the greens should be evenly but lightly coated) and season to taste with salt, pepper, and more vinaigrette if needed.
   
8. Divide the greens on serving plates and sprinkle cherries on top.
   
9. Spread the toast with the cheese mixture and divide on the plates.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups pineapple juice
1 cup chopped fresh ginger (no need to peel it)
4 dried Thai bird chiles
2 fresh jalapeno chiles
4 quails, tunnel boned ask your butcher to do it for you
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup rice flour or all-purpose flour
4 cups canola oil

Method:

1. Combine the juice, ginger, dried chiles, and fresh chiles in a heavy pot.
   
2. Simmer until reduced by 3/4; you should have about 1/3 cup of syrup.
   
3. Strain out the ginger and chiles and set the syrup aside in a large mixing bowl. (The recipe can be made up to this point and kept refrigerated up to 3 days in advance.)
   
4. Pat quail dry and season all over with salt and pepper.
   
5. Lightly dredge with flour.
   
6. When ready to serve, heat the oil in a deep, heavy skillet until very hot but not smoking, about 375 degrees. (Or heat the broiler to high.) If you don't have a deep-frying thermometer, test the temperature by tossing in a small piece of bread. If it floats to the top and immediately starts to turn golden brown, the oil is hot enough.
   
7. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, fry the quail until well browned on both sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Lift the quail out of the oil and shake off any excess. (Or broil the quail until crusty, turning once, about 5 minutes total.)
   
8. Toss the quail in the syrup until well coated, then transfer to a serving platter.
   
9. Serve as soon as possible.

Ingredients:
2 cup grilled squid rings
1/4 cup finely chopped lemongrass
1/4 cup finely chopped kaffir lime leaves (or substitute zest of 1 lime instead)
2 jalapeno finely diced
1 red pepper julienne
1 red onion, julienne
1/2 cup mint leaves, chiffonade
Juice of 4 limes
1 Cup canola oil
2T fish sauce
1/2 cup lemongrass vinaigrette
1 cup each diced melon cut into 2-inch dice (use different melons for variations in color, texture, flavor)

Method:

1. Toss all the ingredients together except for 1/4 cup of lemongrass vinaigrette and melons.
   
2. Allow the squid to marinade for at least half an hour. Arrange the melon in a checker board pattern then put a heaping pile of the squid salad over the melons. Drizzle some lemongrass vinaigrette on the salad and garnish with micro greens or herbs (like cilantro, chives and scallions)

Ingredients:
1 stalk lemongrass, tough top and bottom parts trimmed off and discarded
2 slices ginger (do not peel)
1 shallot, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeno chile, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce (page 000)
Freshly squeezed juice of 2 limes
About 1/2 cup canola oil

Method:

1. Thinly slice the lemongrass and place in a food processor. Add the garlic and ginger and pulse just until coarsely ground. Add the shallot and jalapeno and process until finely ground.
2. Pour the sugar into a medium-size heavy saucepan and turn the heat to medium-high. Cook, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon, until the sugar melts and turns amber, about 5 minutes. Add the lemongrass mixture and cook, stirring constantly (the mixture will seize up at first and then smooth out), for 1 minute. Carefully pour in the fish sauce and simmer to blend, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. When cooled, whisk in the lime juice, and then canola oil to taste. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Herb Smoked Lobster With Red & Yellow Watermelon Salad
Serves Two

Ingredients:
2- 1 1/2 lb Lobster
2 Sprigs Each Fresh Herbs
Rosemary
Thyme
Tarragon
Chive
Sage
Oregano
Salt & Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Method:

1. Fill a pot large enough to hold the lobsters with water, bring to a boil.
   
2. Plunge lobsters into boiling water and cook for 3 minutes.
   
3. Remove lobsters from the water and cool under cold running water.
   
4. Split each lobster in half lengthwise and crack each claw to expose the meat.
   
5. In a pan or pot with a tight fitting lid large enough to hold the lobsters, sprinkle all the herbs in a pile on the bottom of the pan.
   
6. Season the lobsters with salt & pepper.
   
7. Drizzle lobsters with extra virgin olive oil.
   
8. Place the pan with the herbs over medium-high heat. When the herbs start to smoke place the lobster in the pan over the smoking herbs.
   
9. Place the lid tightly on the pan and allow the lobsters to smoke for 3-4 minutes, until heated through.
   
10. Remove the lobsters from the pan and arrange them on the serving plates with the watermelon salad.
    
11. Drizzle the lobster meat lightly with extra virgin olive oil and serve.

Method:

1. Remove the rind from the watermelons
   
2. Cut the watermelon into 3-inch logs
   
3. Stack the logs alternating colors to form a box on one side of the serving plate (leaving room for the lobster)
   
4. Sprinkle the watermelon with the toasted cumin seeds, then the goat cheese, then the extra virgin olive oil, then the salt and then the snipped chives.

Ingredients:
1 double cut veal rib chop (approx. 20 ounces, trimmed to 1 bone)
2 tablespoons of butter
2 ounces of Madeira
1/2 cup of veal stock (or canned chicken broth)
4 Georgia peaches
1/4 pound of quartered mushrooms
3-4 fingerling potatoes (scrubbed)
1 baby artichoke (trimmed)
6-8 cloves of roasted garlic
10 pearl onions (peeled)
1/4 cup of shelled fava beans
1/4 cup of shelled English peas
6-8 asparagus spears (cut 2-inch lengths)
1/4 cup of carrots, zucchini, yellow squash (cut in small dices)
2 sprigs each fresh thyme & sage
Salt & pepper

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
   
2. Place peaches on an oiled cookie sheet and rub each peach with olive oil and sprinkle each with salt and pepper.
   
3. Place peaches in a 400-degree oven and roast for 15-20 minutes till skin is blistered and peaches are very tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
   
4. Cut top from each peach and, using a spoon, scoop out pit.
   
5. Leave 2 peaches whole and dice the other 2 peaches. Set aside.
   
6. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Have ready a bowl filled with ice water.
   
7. For the artichokes, trim the tough outer leaves and base from the artichokes. Place them in boiling water for about 10 minutes, until tender. Remove from pot of water and place them in bowl of ice water. Cut artichokes in quarters or 1/8ths. Remove chokes and reserve.
   
8. Place pearl onions in boiling water and blanch them for 3 minutes.
   
9. Refresh them in ice water and set aside.
   
10. Put shelled fava beans in boiling water for 1 minute.
    
11. Remove them from boiling water and place them in ice water.
    
12. Slip skins off the fava beans. Set aside.
    
13. Place shelled English peas in boiling water for 30 seconds.
    
14. Remove them from boiling water and place them in ice water.
    
15. When cold, remove from water and set aside.
    
16. Repeat the blanching method for the asparagus, carrots, zucchini and yellow squash. Remember to just blanch them until tender.
    
17. Place scrubbed fingerling potatoes on baking sheet.
    
18. Sprinkle with salt & pepper and drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil.
    
19. Place in oven and roast for 20 minutes.
    
20. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
    
21. The Potatoes should still be quite firm. Cut them into 1/2-inch dice. Then set aside.
    
22. Roast 1 head of garlic. Reserve 5 to 7 cloves. Save the extra roasted garlic in a covered container for another use. Roasting the Veal:
    
    • Place a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat.
      
    • Season the veal chop on both sides with salt & pepper.
      
    • Place the veal rib chop in the pan and cook over medium heat for 4 minutes. Turn the chop over and continue cooking on the other side for 4 more minutes. The meat should be well bronzed.
      
    • Add quartered mushrooms, diced peaches, artichokes, fingerling potatoes, roasted garlic and pearl onions to the pan. Place the fresh thyme and sage on top of the veal chops and place the pan in the preheated oven.
      
    • Roast the veal and vegetables for 12 minutes.
      
    • Using a kitchen towel or oven mitt, remove the pan from the oven. Remove the veal from the pan and place it on a cutting board. Allow the veal to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
    For the vegetables:
    
    • Place the pan with the vegetables on high heat and sauté the vegetables that were cooked with the veal for 1 minute.
      
    • Add the Madeira and the veal stock (or chicken broth) to the pan. Reduce by half and add all other vegetables: peas, fava beans, asparagus, carrots, zucchini and yellow squash.
      
    • Add 1 tablespoon of butter (cut in small pieces) to the pan.
      
    • Swirl the pan to incorporate the butter. Spoon the vegetables and sauce onto 2 warm dinner plates. Place 1 whole roasted peach on each plate, slice the Veal and lay it over the vegetables.
      
    • Serve and enjoy.

Mixed Berry Pavlova
Serves 4

Ingredients for meringue:
350 grams egg white
90 grams sugar

Ingredients for berries:
2 cups, cleaned in-season berries, like blackberries, raspberries or strawberries.
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
Juice from half a lemon

Ingredients for whipped cream:
1/2 cup cream

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degree. Slowly whip the egg whites until they turn opaque, then add the sugar and whip until stiff.
   
2. Scoop out four dollops of the egg white mixture on to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake until set, approximately 8 to 10 minutes.
   
3. When they come out of the oven make a depression in the center of each meringue and let cool to room temperature. (May be done in advance.)
   
4. Toss the berries with the tablespoon and a half of sugar and the lemon juice, and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
   
5. Whip the heavy cream until light but slightly stiff
   
6. To assemble: Place a meringue in the center of each plate and spoon 1/4 of the whipped cream into the center of each. Top each with 1/4 of the berries and little of the juice the berries have exuded and serve.

Ingredients for strussel dough:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 pound butter, room temperature
1/2 pound brown sugar
Pinch of salt

Ingredients for fruit filling:
3 pints blueberries
5 peaches, sliced
zest of one lemon
2 lemons, juiced
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon flour
1/4 calvados
1/2 tablespoon butter

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. For the struesel dough: combine the ingredients in a large bowl and mix with a pastry cutter or two forks until the dough just comes together, but is still crumbly.
   
2. For the fruit: combine the peaches, blueberries, lemon zest and juice, sugar, flour and calvados in a large bowl and let stand for 10 minutes before assemble the crumble.
   
3. Rub the inside of a 9x9x1 1/2 inch ceramic pan thoroughly with the extra butter, than pour in the fruit mixture, and top with enough struesel dough to cover. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the juice from the fruit starts to bubble through the crust. Allow to cool and serve.

Ingredients for pastry:
3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup cold butter, cubed
3 eggs
Pinch of salt

Method:

1. Combine dry ingredients in the bowl of a standing mixer. Pulse with the paddle attachment to mix.
   
2. Add the cold, cubed butter and process just until combined. Should resemble the texture of oatmeal. Add eggs and process for one minute more. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill.
   
3. Take 3/4 of the dough out of the refrigerator to make the individual shells, reserve 1/4 to make the lattice after the tart is assembled.
   
4. Roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness and line four small individual tart pans.

Ingredients for filling:
5 cups of cherries, pitted
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
1 tablespoon of flour
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 egg yolk, beaten
Splash of cream
Powdered sugar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Combine in a bowl and allow to rest for 10 minutes, before filling lined tart pans.
   
2. To assemble and bake: roll out the reserved pastry dough and cut into strips. Layer each individual pie with the strips of cut pastry in a lattice pattern.
   
3. Combine the beaten yolk and splash of cream and brush the top of each pie with the mixture. Dust each with a sprinkling of powdered sugar and bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and crusty. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Watermelon Agua Fresca
Serves 10

Ingredients:
8 cups peeled, seeded and cubed watermelon
Fresh lime juice, to taste
1/4 cup sugar, or to taste
About 2 cups water
Ice cubes

Method:

1. In a food processor, process half of the watermelon until smooth. Add half of the limejuice and half of the sugar and mix well. Pour the puree into a large pitcher. Repeat with the remaining watermelon, limejuice and sugar and add to the pitcher.
   
2. Stir well and add water to thin to the desired consistency.
   
3. Refrigerate until well chilled. Taste and add more lime juice or sugar, if needed.
   
4. Serve in glasses over ice cubes.