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Bing Cherry Salsa from Meatless Mama

In a bowl combine:

• 1 1/2 cups pitted, quartered bing cherries
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1/4 cup diced red pepper
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 of a jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced fine
• 1/2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1/2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• Sprinkle of black pepper

Notes from Meatless Mama: This salsa is one of my favorite things to make with fresh bing cherries. It is loaded with antioxidants and phytonutrients. It's colorful and pretty. Best of all, it tastes fabulous.

My recipe uses only 1/2 of a jalapeno pepper, because I do not like too much heat. Feel free to crank it up and add more if you like. Serve with tortilla chips, whole wheat pita bread, or add to a salad.

Biscotti w/Blue Cornmeal, Dried Blueberry and Pinon from Cafe Lynnylu

• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar (4-3/4 oz)
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup blue cornmeal
• 1 cup pinon (pine nuts)(4 1/4 oz)
• 1 cup dried blueberries (5 oz)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet (18 x 13-inch) with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, baking powder, and vanilla until creamy looking. When properly beaten, the egg/sugar mixture will be thick and lemon colored and drop in a ribbon from the beater.

Lower the mixer speed and add the flour and blue cornmeal, beating gently until incorporated. Stir in dried blueberries and pine nuts. Dough will be very wet. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and shape into a rough log about 14 inches long, 2-1/2 inches wide and about 3/4 inch thick. Smooth the top of the dough with a wet dough scraper.

Bake the dough for 25 minutes. With dried fruit and nuts, it may be necessary to bake an additional 5-to-10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on pan from 5-to-25 minutes. I let mine cool about 15 minutes. Spray with the water as in pointer step 1 (below). Let stand 5 minutes. This will soften the crust to make slicing easier.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Wait 5 minutes, then cut the biscotti on the diagonal into 3/4 inch slices using a serrated knife and straight up and down motions.(Pointer Step 2) If you slice the biscotti wider at the top than the bottom, they will topple over while baking the second time.

Set the biscotti upright on the prepared baking sheet 1/2 inch apart so the air can circulate.(Pointer Step 3) Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool. Store in an airtight container to preserve their texture. If the biscotti aren't as hard as you like, store uncovered overnight to continue drying. Biscotti can be stored at room temperature for two weeks; for longer storage, wrap airtight and freeze. Yield 14-16.

Notes from Cafe Lynnylu: A Southwestern twist on the traditional Italian biscotti, these crunchy little biscuits are comprised of blue cornmeal, dried blueberries and pine (pinon) nuts. Blue cornmeal has a sweet nutty taste and fine texture. The ground cornmeal comes from a variety of blue corn called the Hopi corn grown in the American southwest by the Pueblo Indians. Blue corn is one of the oldest varieties of corn and probably dates back to the Pre-Columbian era. Blue cornmeal is primarily blue gray to deep purple in color and can be used interchangeably with the more common yellow cornmeal.

Dried blueberries carry forward the blue theme and impart a chewy fruity flavor to the biscotti. Added crunch and texture comes from the another ancient food, the pinon (pine) nut. The authentic Southwestern pinon nut comes from Colorado pinon tree. Pine nuts are quick to go rancid, so buy fresh ones for this recipe.

Here are three important steps to guarantee success in baking and cutting the biscotti.
1. To keep the biscotti from crumbling after the first baking, spritz the baked dough lightly, but thoroughly with water taking care to cover the sides and the top. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing. This is an important step especially if your biscotti contains nuts and fruits.
2. When cutting the biscotti for the second bake, use a serrated knife and cut with a straight up and down motion. This steps ensures that the biscotti will stand up for the second bake.
3. Instead of flipping the biscotti over to bake a third time, stand them up on the prepared baking sheet so the air can circulate around them as they bake.

Blue Cornmeal Hot Cakes from pegasuslegend in Florida

• 3/4 cup blue cornmeal
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. white sugar
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 beaten egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder

In a medium bowl, mix together the blue cornmeal, salt and sugar. Stir in the boiling water until all of the ingredients are wet. In a big bowl , combine the milk, egg and melted butter. Stir the milk mixture into the cornmeal mixture. Combine the flour and baking powder; stir into the cornmeal mixture until just blended. The batter may be too thick; if so, add a little more milk until batter pours smoothly.

Heat a large cast iron skillet on outdoor grill if you have one or indoor on high, add oil or butter every new time. Pour about 1/4 cup for each pancake. When the entire surface of the pancake look dry and the bubbles are gone, flip over, until golden. Serve immediately with syrup or fruit and confectionery sugar.

Mango-Avocado Salsa from The Curious Domestic

• 1 ripe mango, diced
• 2 small avocados, diced
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• Juice of one lemon
• A little lemon zest
• Dash of garlic powder
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Chopped fresh cilantro

Mix everything together in a bowl. Store leftovers covered in the fridge.

Notes from The Curious Domestic: When I think salsa, I automatically think about tomatoes and tortilla chips. But "salsa" is really just a word for "sauce". They can be chunky or smooth, with or without heat, and use a variety of ingredients. This chunky salsa features mangoes and avocados. The flavour is fresh and bright, creamy and a little bit sweet. Chopped raw shallot adds a spicy little kick at the end. Super easy to make, very nutritious, and perfect for a summer picnic. Goes really well with pork or chicken, too.

Zesty Corn Salsa from Simply Scrumptious

• 2 cups frozen corn kernels
• 1/2 cup purple(red) onion, diced
• 1/2 cup plum tomatoes, de-seeded and diced
• 3 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 4 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 2-to-3 tsp. fresh garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt

In a small pan, quickly heat up the corn and teaspoon of butter. Just heat until the corn is no longer frozen and it is warm. Combine all the ingredients such as the onions, corn, and tomatoes into a bowl.

Drizzle lime juice all over the corn mixture and season with onion powder, salt, and pepper. Give the salsa a quick toss. Add the cilantro and garlic. Then toss once more. Add more seasoning or garlic according to your taste.

Chill for several hours before serving. Serve as a topping or as a dip with tortilla chips.

Zucchini Chips & Heirloom Tomato Salsa from Meatless Mama

Zucchini Chips
Wash, dry and slice zucchini into 3/8" slices. Dehydrate on 110 or in oven on lowest setting with door ajar until crisp. Store in an airtight container.

Heirloom Tomato Salsa
Combine: 

• 1/4 of a green pepper, diced
• 1/2 of a red onion, diced
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 3 heirloom tomatoes, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
• Juice of 1 key lime
• 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Chill at least 2 hrs. to let flavors mingle.

Notes from Meatless Mama: My dehydrator gets a workout this time of year with all of the fresh produce. Zucchini chips are simple to make. They are fun, raw, and healthy. They travel well and are great for lunches. Serve them with hummus, salsa or any other dip you enjoy.

My salsa is chunky, not overly hot, and it is cilantro-free. I think cilantro is vile and you'll never see a recipe here containing it. I used heirloom tomatoes from my mom's garden since mine are still not ripening. I especially love the yellow tomatoes!