Lighter Lunches: Fruit & Cheese

When New England enjoys its first warm days, I happily anticipate the foods of summer that will soon arrive. However, in the meantime I start changing my diet by fixing myself lighter meals. One of my favorites is fruit and cheese, paired with some sort of substantial bread.

Today, I had a juicy pear, sliced, made into a sandwich on French bread with melted brie. For eye appeal and crunch, I added a handful of fresh watercress. It made a perfect spring meal.

Pears and brie are just one of several well-known combinations. Apples and cheddar are another. But have you ever tried melon and goat cheese? How about figs and goat cheese, with a dab of honey thrown in? Strawberries, grapes, and peaches also pair up well with mild cheeses.

To really enjoy the combined flavors and textures, make sure that your cheese is at room temperature and your fruit just slightly chilled. Serve on a bread with some substance, otherwise the juice from the fruit will turn your bread to mush.

Joys of the Season: Clementines

Clementines are easy to peel and easy to eat

I hate to see the end of summer and the disappearance of all the fresh summer vegetables. However, that disappointment is quickly forgotten after I taste my first  clementine of the season. These little citrus fruits, relatives of the mandarin orange, are relatively new to this country. They really became popular only in the late 90's, after bad weather ruined a lot of the Florida citrus crop. Their origin is unclear, with both Algeria and China claiming credit for the fruit, but their popularity is growing.

This week, I bought a few clementines from Peru, and they were delicious. All are a bit larger than I'm used to, but the ones I tasted were both sweet and incredibly juicy. What makes clementines such favorites is that the skin zips off effortlessly, and the fruit is usually seedless, which makes eating and clean-up simple. Low in calories and high in Vitamin C, they are downright virtuous food.

The clementine season usually lasts well into January and often February, so you have plenty of time to stock up on these little gems. Today, they come from all over the world, including South America, California, and Spain. Choose fruits that feel heavy for their size and that have shiny, unblemished skins. Even though I live alone, I usually buy them by the boxful. I keep a handful at room temperature and store the rest in the refrigerator. They are the perfect antidote to grey skies and dry air.

Flashy Food

Admit it: sometimes you want to prepare a dish that looks great but is really easy to prepare. Years ago, my daughter Kate gave me just such a recipe, which she learned at Earlham College. The ingredients are simple: sugar cookie dough (your own or the type that comes in a roll); 8 oz. cream cheese; 2 TBSP sugar; dash vanilla; sliced fruit; jam.

Assembly is also simple. First, get your cream cheese out of the fridge so it softens. Now spread the dough on a greased pizza pan or other flat pan. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes, or until it turns pale brown. Let it cool. When it's cool, beat the cream cheese until soft. Then add the sugar and vanilla. Spread over the crust.

Now comes the fun part. Slice plump fruit but leave small berries whole. I used kiwis, Granny Smith apples, and strawberries, but you can also use bananas, blueberries, peaches, or anything but citrus, which curdles the cream cheese. Arrange the sliced fruit over the cream cheese, pressing it in slightly. Now melt a few TBSP of jam in a saucepan. I used apricot, but almost any jam works. Strain it and add a tsp of water to thin it slightly. Spread this over the fruit and chill for at least an hour. The glaze keeps the fruit from drying out and makes it sparkle.

This is a great dessert to bring to a potluck dinner, because it never fails to attract attention. It looks wonderful and is very tasty. (Not as great as the made-from-scratch fruit tart, with a shortbread crust and pastry cream filling, which the same daughter once made for my birthday, but that is more of an undertaking.)