Cooking and travel blog by Gerlinde de Broekert

Apricot Bliss and Roasted Apricot Sorbet

7/6/2018

Those of you who follow my blog know I love apricots. I love to bake with them, make dumplings with them, and my apricot jam is an all-time favorite among my friends and family. The year is 2018 and it has been apricot season for several weeks here in northern California. My friend at the farmer’s market sold me some delicious apricots. But not a whole crate like I used to get from a fruit stand in the Central Valley of California. But it was enough to have a week of apricot bliss.

My goal is to add a new apricot recipe to my blog every year. Originally, I had planed to make an Italian roasted apricot ice cream recipe I saw in a magazine called La Cucina Italiana. Unfortunately, I can't find the recipe. This is one of the reasons I have my blog, so that I always have access to my favorite recipes. I think of it as my own personal cookbook. I do like the apricot sorbet I am posting now. It’s easy to make and captures the flavor of apricots in a delicious way. Like most of my desserts, it is not too sweet, but the fruity tart flavor is a great substitute for the lack of sweetness. The apricots are roasted whole and the extra dried apricots contribute more flavor and sweetness.

Every year, I make apricot jam. It is a recipe from Alice Waters' beautiful book Chez Panisse Fruit. I tweaked the recipe for the jam, which I use when I bake, over ice cream, and perhaps a spoonful all by itself.
It is absolutely divine, click here for the recipe

With my surplus apricots, I made a delicious galette using my blueberry galette recipe. It uses almonds in the dough and for the bottom of the crust. This is an easy recipe that can be made with different fruits such as plums, peaches and more.
I happened to have some olalliebeeries that I added to my apricots.
Click here for the recipe.

My German apricot cake (Aprikosenkuchen} has always been well-liked and will be a real treat with the roasted apricot sorbet. The added marzipan in the cake really does the trick.
This is apricot bliss!
Click here for the recipe.

The apricot dumplings are my personal favorite because I happen to love dumplings. They are called Mariellenknödel in Austria and are considered a delicacy.
It is not just a dessert, it is a whole meal.
Click for the recipe here.

If you are looking for a light but very tasty meal, this apricot, shrimp and jicama salad is for you.
Click for the recipe here.

I made my apricot cobbler twice because it is my husband’s favorite.
Click here for the recipe.

review recipe for Apricot Sorbet

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Asparagus Frittata

5/31/2018

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If you want a meal that is ready in 20 minutes, this frittata is it. It’s a simple dish, yet full of flavor and somewhat elegant. Serve this with your favorite salad and you have a light, healthy meal for brunch, lunch or dinner. It makes a great leftover to take to work, as you don’t even have to heat it up. Frittata is arguably better at room temperature or cold. I just had the last piece for breakfast.

Think of a frittata as an Italian version of an an open-face omelette, a crustless quiche or scrambled eggs. Wikipedia tells me that frittata roughly translates to “fried”.

We have beautiful, fresh asparagus at our farmer’s market and I have been eating it roasted, steamed, and in salads. I also made a soup, but the recipe needs more work before I'll post it.

I love to talk about food wherever I am and am blown away by how many people tell me that they don’t cook. Maybe that’s why so many younger people have food allergies and digestive problems. I am not a scientist, so I don’t know, but it wouldn’t surprise me if there is a correlation between the two. Today's world is so hectic, and who knows, maybe I wouldn’t cook either if I had children, a full-time job, and a long commute every day. So for all you hard-working people out there, this is a recipe you can make.

view the recipe for asparagus frittata

Click here for a link to an older post for savory crustless muffins .

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Rhubarb Compote with Yogurt Cream and or Yogurt Mousse

5/7/2018

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When I was in Germany I came across these interesting recipes that I would like to share with you. It’s a yogurt cream that you can also turn into a mousse by adding gelatin. As soon as I was back in my kitchen at home I started to experiment with these recipes and I am happy to say that I am now ready to post them. You can adjust this recipe to your taste by adding more sugar or lemon zest. It is made in minutes, just remember it is not supposed to be sweet. Surprisingly, my husband likes both recipes and he really has a sweet tooth. One night, my other testers preferred the cream. Of course, you can just make the compote and eat it with ice cream. Whatever you choose, I hope you enjoy this treat as much as I do.

Yogurt Cream with Rhubarb Compote and Raspberries

The rhubarb compote is sweetened with apple juice and some sugar. Once the rhubarb is cooked the liquid is reduced to a syrup. This is a light and delicious spring dessert.

Rhubarb Compote

Rhubarb is a seasonal favorite both in Europe and North America. It is technically a vegetable, but is considered a fruit. Rhubarb stalks will show up in stores and the farmer’s markets from April to June. It comes in in different colors; the ones you find in a store are usually red, but it can also be pale green. It will taste the same despite the different colors. Rhubarb is extremely tart, and is normally cooked and often paired with strawberries or other fruit. Children in Scandinavia will dip the stalk in sugar and eat it raw. The leaves of rhubarb are poisonous, so don't eat them.

Yogurt Mousse with Rhubarb Compote and Raspberries

click here to preview the recipes for rhubarb compote, yogurt cream , and yogurt mousse

Here are some more rhubarb recipes from my previous posts click on the images for the recipes

A German Rhubarb, Strawberry , Meringue Cake

This Rhubarb Strawberry Hazelnut Crisp is easy to make and I love it, especially with ice cream.

Rhubarb, Strawberry, Hazelnut Crisp

And last but not least let's not forget Robert's delicious Rhubarb-Strawberry Pie

Rhubarb-Strawberry Pie

I hope all of you are well my friends and get to sit around the dinner table for a meal to share wherever you are.

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Apricot Bliss and Roasted Apricot Sorbet

Asparagus Frittata

Rhubarb Compote with Yogurt Cream and or Yogurt Mousse

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