The pluots have been exceptionally sweet and flavorful this year. What the heck is a pluot?? A pluot is a relatively new fruit (introduced in 1989) that is a complex hybrid of a plum and an apricot. Pluots have high sugar content and a smooth skin, similar to a plum. In fact, they have a higher percentage of plum in their makeup than of apricot. The flavor is super sweet and absolutely fantastic.

Pluots come in several varieties – Dinosaur Eggs, Dapple Dandy, Flavor King, Flavor Queen, Flavor Supreme and Flavor Rosa. My personal favorite is the Flavor King, followed by Flavor Queen and then Dapple Dandy. The season for the pluot peaks in July and August, but you can normally find them in Northern California from May through October. They are a great source of Vitamin A.

Enjoy them raw or try them in a Fresh Fruit Crisp.

Peppers are in full season right now and they are absolutely delicious! I love all kinds and colors of peppers – mild, hot, red, orange, yellow, purple, green. However, one of my favorites for roasting is the piquillo pepper. This pepper has a long red pod and is thick and meaty. The skin peels off easily when roasted and steamed in a paper bag. It holds up well during the roasting process and is very easy to stuff (or just slice and add to your favorite recipe).

To roast, totally blacken either directly on a gas burner on your stovetop or else on a barbeque grill (takes about 5-10 minutes per pepper). Then place the blackened pepper inside a paper bag, close the bag and let it steam for about 10 minutes until it is cool enough to handle. Then simply slide the skin off, take the stem end off and remove the seeds from the inside. You will love the texture and the flavor of these roasted peppers!

I love the floral fragrance of warm apples. This is a very simple recipe that combines a little honey and cinnamon (if desired) with the apples. It is a great side dish for breakfast.

Ingredients
2 medium-large apples, peeled, cored and cut up
2 T honey
1 t cinnamon, if desired

You will also need:
Paring knife
Small skillet with lid
Spoon

Instructions
Place the cored, peeled and chopped apples into a small skillet. Add the honey and stir well to combine. Cook, covered, over medium heat until the apples are tender. (Depending upon the type of apples used, you will have either apple sauce texture or the apples will remain chunky.)

Stir in the cinnamon, if desired, and serve while warm.

Serves 2.

The rhubarb in my garden is growing like crazy this year! I planted it a couple of years ago because I wanted to see if it would grow (it does!). Rhubarb has very large leaves that grow at the end of each edible stalk. The stalk averages about 18 inches in length and mine turns a nice red color. Note that the leaves of the rhubarb plant are poisonous so don’t eat them – only eat the stalk.

When I harvest my rhubarb, I look for stalks that are full of moisture. If they are starting to dry out, I discard them because they have likely lost some of their flavor and texture. To harvest, first I break off the stalk near the base. Then I cut off the leaf and discard it. I cut the stalk into 1/2 inch pieces and wash the pieces in cool water. You can keep rhubarb in the refrigerator for a couple of days in a sealed plastic bag before using it, if necessary.

One of my favorite recipes is my Rhubarb Galette. It is full of rhubarb with a bit of Meyer lemon juice and cinnamon. And quite tasty!