Shiny Top Cobbler

5 cups frozen fruit ( berries, peaches, rhubarb)

1½ Tbs lemon juice

3 cups sugar (divided)

⅓ cup butter, cut in small pieces

2 tsp baking powder

2 Tbs cornstarch

2 cups flour

1 cup milk (whole preferred)

1 tsp salt (divided)

1½ cups boiling water

Spread fruit in well greased 9x12 baking dish. Sprinkle with lemon juice and set aside. 

Stir together until well blended, flour, 1½ cups sugar, milk, butter, baking powder, and ½ tsp salt.Batter will be thick. Sprinkle this over the fruit, spread to the edges and set aside.

In a bowl mix together the remaining ingredients: 1½ cups sugar, cornstarch, and ½ tsp salt. Sprinkle this over the batter. Pour boiling water over all.

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour, or until golden brown and glazed. save warm or cold

Serves 12

Fruit Salad

2 cups cubed fresh pineapple

2 cups thinly sliced strawberries, tops removed

1 cup thinly sliced peeled kiwi, about 3 kiwis

2 cups seedless red grapes

1 cup clementine orange segments (3)

2 cups blueberries (1 pint)

DRESSING:

¼ cup honey

1 orange

1 lemon

½ tsp vanilla, optional

Zest and juice the lemon and orange. Combine 2 Tbs each of both lemon and orange juices. Add 1 tsp each of the zests. Add the honey and vanilla, if using. Stir well to keep the honey from settling on the bottom.

Prepare the fruit. Wash and completely dry the fruits (or else the dressing won't stick to it). Cube the pineapple into bite sized pieces, thinly slice the strawberries, peel and inly slice the kiwis, remove grapes from stems, peel and segment the clementines. If time allows, chill this before dressing.

Combine all the chilled fruit in a large bowl/ Drizzle dressing on top. Toss gently to coat. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate to allow flavors to meld. Stir again before serving.

Serves 8

Winter Fruit Salad

2 cups clementine oranges, peeled and segmented (about 3 or 4)

2 pears, diced

2 apples (Fuji or Honeycrisp), thinly sliced with peels left on

5 kiwis, peeled and diced

¾ cup pomegranate arils

DRESSING:

¼ cup honey

1 large lemon

1 large orange

1 tsp poppy seeds

Fresh chopped mint, optional

Refrigerate all the fruit beforehand so the salad is cold and refreshing.

Zest and juice the lemon to get 1 tsp zest and 2 Tbs juice. Zest and juice the orange to get 1 tsp zest and 2 Tbs juice. In a jar combine juices, zests, honey, and poppy seeds. Shake well.

In a large open bowl or platter, combine the clementines, diced pears, sliced apples, and diced kiwis. Pour on the dressing, adding just enough to coat the fruit. You may not need all of it. Gently toss to mix.

Sprinkle pomegranate seeds, and fresh mint (if using) on top. Serve right away. This is best enjoyed within 1-3 hours. Leftovers do not keep well.

Italian House Salad

DRESSING:

⅓ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

⅔ cup salad oil

⅓ cup red wine vinegar

1 tsp dried Italian seasoning 

1 tsp dried parsley

¼ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp pepper

⅛ tsp salt

SALAD:

1 large head red leaf lettuce, torn

1 can (14 oz) quartered artichoke hearts, drained

1 can (6 oz) pitted ripe olives, drained

4 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 small red onion, thinly sliced*

8 oz provolone cheese, shredded

Whisk together the dressing ingredients.

Place the lettuce in a large open bowl, adding the remaining ingredients. Toss gently to coat.

Serves 6

*To reduce the bite in red onions, put the sliced onions in a container large enough for the onions to move around. Cover with cold water and set aside for 15 minutes or so. Drain the water and repeat the procedure 3 more times. If time allows, chill the onions before using.