What Are Loquats?

Loquats are lovely, flavorful, juicy and incredibly sweet fruits. I recently was lucky enough to enjoy a large quantity of them, fresh from a tree at Aunt Danielle’s house. You may recall that Aunt Danielle is the expert Vietnamese cook who taught me how to make phở (Vietnamese beef noodle soup). She just bought a house in San Jose, and the previous owner had planted loquat trees. The tree produces so much fruit that she begged us to take some home. She didn't have to ask twice! The girls and I were eating them right off the tree and we brought several pounds home!
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Strawberries with Balsamic Syrup Recipe

At first, it might sound unusual to pair balsamic vinegar with fruit, but you'll be pleasantly surprised when it's reduced and sweetened with a little sugar. The intense, complex flavor really enhances the fruit. I made a sweet balsamic syrup and drizzled it over fresh strawberries that I had previously mixed with pure balsamic vinegar.

It's a great dessert to serve on hot days and as a bonus, it's healthy! Of course, the sweet balsamic reduction could be used on different sweets such as, frozen yogurt, ice cream or any fruit tart. When other varieties of fruit are in season, such as peaches, try grilling them and then adding the balsamic syrup. They're delicious!

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Dragon Fruit Salad

Dragon fruit (trái thanh long in Vietnamese) is an exotic fruit that has a very unusual appearance. The outer skin has a fuchsia color with green leaves and the flesh is white with seeds that are reminiscent of kiwi. The texture of dragon fruit is creamy and it has a subtle aroma of banana and ripe, soft pear. When fully ripened, the skin peels off as it would from an avocado.

I made a very simple fruit salad, using the Vietnamese Jaina dragon fruit variety, spearmint from our garden and agave nectar. The agave enhances the sweetness, and the mint lends a nice contrast of color and flavor. I served the fruit salad during a dinner party. Everyone was intrigued by the fruit, so it did double duty as a conversation starter.

If you ever travel to an Asian country, don't forget to ask for dragon fruit or pitaya. The last time I had dragon fruit was on my trip to Vietnam. I had no idea that this particular tropical fruit was cultivated in America. A couple of weeks ago I found it in an Asian market in San Jose. The salesperson told me dragon fruits are now grown in Florida, due to its humid and warm weather, which is similar to Vietnam. Quite honestly, the ones grown in the US are good but the ones in Vietnam are just exquisite and so much more flavorful. No sweetener necessary!

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Tarte Tatin aux Pommes (Upside down Apple Pie)

 Tarte Tatin sounds like a fancy dessert, but really, it's just an upside down caramel apple tart. I made a simple tart shell using dough called pâte brisée. Instead of filling the shell though, I placed slices of apples that were cooked in a caramel sauce into the mold and then covered them with the tart shell. The tarts then went into the oven to cook the shell. 

You really should eat these treats almost as soon as they come out of the oven. To plate, just flip each mold and the apples will now be on top. If you wait too long, the caramel will harden and it will be difficult to unmold.  If you flip the tart out and let it sit, the crust will get soggy. This has never been a problem at my house because the smell of freshly baking apples always manages to gather the entire family in the kitchen.

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Hachiya Persimmons: Incredibly Unique, Incredibly Delicious

When Hachiya persimmons are ripe, they're divine. When they're not, there are few things that taste worse. I remember as a child going to the farmers' market with Papa when Hachiya persimmons were in season. We would buy them by the case. I couldn't wait for them to ripen, but like many things in life, patience was rewarded. We would speed up the process by placing a banana and an apple with the persimmons in a paper bag. Everyday, I would come home from school, stick my hand in the bag and check to see if the persimmons were ready. I knew they were ready to eat when they felt like they would fall apart in my hand.
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