easy recipes – StyleNectar

Food, Health, Nutrition & Wellness, Nutrition & Beauty, Style

ultimate rustic caramel apples w chocolate ganache

+ a simple no-fuss way to serve them at parties!

raw vegan caramel apples

Oh. my. goodness. These Rustic Raw Vegan Caramel Apples might be my favorite thing I’ve ever eaten to date… WOW! Like you’ve got to make these asap. So simple. So incredibly delicious. MMMMMMmmmmmmm.

Let’s just say I’ve ALWAYS had a thing for caramel… and this raw vegan version is way yummier! Smear it all over a crisp apple, roll it in your favorite toppings and then drizzle chocolate ganache all over – the ULTIMATE!

Forget that these are healthy, they taste BETTER than anything you’ve ever had. Forget that they’re filled with amazing nutrition and life force that is going to make you feel and look phenomenal, cause the pure utter enjoyment in every bite is enough on its own. Crisp, juicy apple wrapped in thick, gooey caramel, with a light crunch of chopped walnuts and dark, dark chocolate ganache. Again, I’ve gotta call this treat food fit for the Gods.

And a treat…

Perfect for Autumn, for kiddos, and wonderful for entertaining too! These Rustic Caramel Apples slice right up with ease for display on your favorite platter. Trust, they won’t last long!

mind-blowing raw vegan caramel apples w chocolate ganache

I almost skipped over how unbelievable these Ultimate Rustic Caramel Apples are for our bodies, minds and spirit… because they’re so darn delicious I don’t want anyone to be turned off thinking, if they’re so healthy how can they taste so great? However, here’s the thing…

Amazing flavor, ultimate health, pure joy and our highest potential beauty & vitality need not be mutually exclusive!

These Caramel Apples are enzymatically alive, containing all the power of life force, and they also happen to be incredible immune boosters thanks to the raw coconut nectar and oil. Coconut nectar is low glycemic (with a GI of 35), gluten free, dairy free, non- GMO, vegan, contains 17 amino acids, minerals, B-vitamins, vitamin C and has a nearly neutral pH. Unprocessed coconut products such as the coconut nectar and oil used in this recipe are brimming with health and immune boosting power including :(1) (2)

Heart Health: the healthy short chain and medium chain fatty acids along with large amount of lauric acid protect against heart disease.
Reduction of Sweet Cravings: insulin secretion & utilization of blood glucose is improved while the healthy fat in coconut slows down any rise in blood sugar helping to reduce hypoglycemic cravings.
Improved Digestion: Absorption of nutrients including vitamins, minerals and amino acids is supported while many symptoms and inflammatory conditions associated with digestive and bowel disorders are improved.
Quick Energy Boost: Coconut is utilized by the body to actually produce energy rather than to store it as body fat.
Promotes Healthy Thyroid Function: and helps to relieve symptoms of chronic fatigue.
Immune Booster: coconut is Hypoallergenic and contains Antibacterial, Antiviral, Antifungal & Anti-parasitic healing properties.

1) http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org

2) http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/a-new-look-at-coconut-oil/

Please enjoy these beautiful and delicious, high vibration Rustic Raw Vegan Caramel Apples with the freshest most amazing flavor that also feeds our highest potential health, beauty and vitality!

RECIPE for RAW VEGAN RUSTIC CARAMEL APPLES w CHOCOLATE GANACHE (Makes 4-6 apples)

INGREDIENTS

4-6 clean, medium sized apples, stems removed
4-6 clean sticks from your yard (or use popsicle sticks) for handles
3/4 of a cup finely chopped walnuts (preferably sprouted & dehydrated- plus they taste SO much better this way!), coconut or your fav other toppings

Raw Vegan Caramel

1/2 cup liquified extra virgin coconut oil (to liquify: set a glass bowl over a small pot of boiling water, add coconut oil & stir til melted) Alternatively, you may sub equivalent dates or date paste which does make for easier adherance onto apple – I just love the taste of the coconut oil- tho both are super yum!
1/2 cup raw nut butter (such as almond, cashew, sunflower or pepita butter)
1/2 cup raw, organic coconut nectar
4 pitted dates
1/4 tsp vanilla powder
1/4 tsp himalayan salt

Raw Vegan Chocolate Ganache

1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil liquified
1/2 cup cacao or carob
1/2 cup nut butter
1/4 tsp ceylon cinnamon
1/4 tsp himalayn salt
a few drops of stevia to taste

METHOD

To insert the apple “handles” with ease, first make a slit about 1/3 the way down in the top middle of each apple with a sharp knife, then insert the sticks. Find a small platter and place a sheet of parchment or wax paper on it. You will be placing your apples on this during preparatin to catch excess caramel and chocolate. Place apples in the freezer for 10 minutes as this makes it easy for the caramel to adhere.
Blend together the caramel ingredients til smooth & creamy. Set in freezer to cool for 5 minutes while preparing chocolate ganache.
Whisk together the chocolate ganache ingredients until smooth and creamy. The mixture should not be overly runny, so adjust the amount of nut butter as necessary, slightly thicker is best for easy application. Set aside on the counter at room temp.
Remove apples from freezer and place on your platter. If any of them are unstable, slice a small piece off the bottom to stabalize. Remove caramel from freezer as well & give it a stir to loosen it up a bit.
With a small metal spatula apply the caramel to each apple, placing each apple on your platter as complete. Put the platter of caramel slathered apples back into the freezer for 5 minutes to set a bit. Don’t worry if some of the caramel slides down. Just pat it back up with your finger tips. We’ll be covering these babies up with your choice of toppings in a minute and they’re RUSTIC!
Remove apples from freezer once again & take this opportunity to patch any spots where you may want to add a bit more caramel. Roll in your choice of finely chopped nuts, coconut etc. Pop back in the freezer for 10 minutes.
Remove the apples from the freezer. Whisk your chocolate ganache to be sure it’s well incorporated, and then drizzle it about your apples. (If you happen to have a squeeze top bottle use it for even simpler ganache application. Alternatively, place the ganache into a freezer bag, snip the TINIEST of little snips off the corner and then squeeze out the ganache using the freezer bag like a pastry bag.) Once complete, pop apples back in freezer for 5 minutes to set. Then move to fridge for permanent storage.
For entertaining, slice the apples as shown and arrange on your favorite platter.

**Leftover caramel? Use it as a dipping sauce or smoothie topper! Leftover ganache? Pour into little molds (or onto a wax paper lined surface) & pop into the freezer for instant raw chocolates 🙂

Do you have any holiday classics you’d like to have me upgrade to a vegan or raw version? Let me know in the comments!

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All Love,

Juliane

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Food

Better than Dairy Nut Milks

Fresh homemade Almond Milk: the creamiest, freshest milk you've ever had.

Originally, I began this post with all the amazing benefits of drinking homemade Nut Milks. However, since I absolutely adore making them for how fabulous they taste – let's lead with flavor! We're talking creamy, richness like you won't believe. And, while the subtle, sweet, mellow flavor of nut milk alone is very satisfying, there is a whole range of sweeteners from dates, honey, maple syrup or figs, and flavors such as cinnamon, cacao, vanilla powder, or whatever you choose to add, to customize them in even more amazing ways! Prepare them as rich & creamy as you like, simply by adjusting the amount of filtered water you add. So pure. So good.

Homemade Nut Milk is delicious enough to have for dessert! Warning: You may have trouble stopping at just one glass 🙂

Nothing beats a straight up jar of creamy, rich Almond, Brazil Nut or Walnut Milk (Recipes & variations below). However, Nut Milks are extremely versatile and can also be used for morning cereal, smoothies, hot chocolate, soups, for fabulous raw vegan ice-cream (Strawberry or Peaches-n-Cream anyone?) and even in baking and cooking as swap outs for dairy. Basically anwhere we may have used a dairy milk we can substitute Nut Milks!

Fresh Brazil Nut Milks and Macadamia Nut Milk standing by!

Nuts and seeds are an excellent source of protein as well as being rich in phytonutrients, minerals, fiber and antioxidants such as selenium and vitamin E. One of the best ways to prepare nuts and seeds is to make these delicious, enzyme-rich nut milks.

Nuts should be pre-soaked for 8-12 hours before blending in a heavy duty blender such as a Vitamix, to neutralize enzyme inhibitors, enabling excellent digestion, and to reduce phytates, increasing mineral availability. Sprouting is an excellent (optional) 2nd step which cultures the nuts adding a rich source of probiotics to the nut milk. Sprouting is done by simply draining the soaked nuts then adding to a sprouting jar or colander for another 8-12 hours, and finishing with a thorough rinse.

The freshly made, completely raw and live, preservative-free nut milks we make in our own kitchen will far exceed the taste and nutrition of commercial nut milks and stay fresh for five or six days in the fridge. These delicious recipes are as simple to make as their variations are endless. I've even included instructions for no-soak-required instant nut milk too!

A bottle of freshly made Sunflower-Hemp Milk. Sooo good! And amazing for our bodies too!

The pristine, yumminess of these delicious Nut Milks will have us hooked at first sip… while the myriad benefits replacing dairy has on our health are a huge added bonus. These milks really can do the body good!

**Do enough research on dairy and you'll likely shift away from it. Feel free to check out this video in which I discuss the body's pH and dairy's role in creating acidic conditions (dairy is acidic post mobilization) causing osteoporosis and other highly undesirable outcomes (an acidic body being a magnet for disease). Read more here. If the health implications of consuming dairy aren't impetus enough to limit our consumption, the unfortunate experience the poor cows go through (read about that here) and all the icky stuff that makes it into the end product- which I just deleted cause it's that gross so you can read about that here - probably will.

Nut milks really can do the body good :)

The pulp that remains from strained nut milk can be used in raw crackers, cookies or as flour for crusts of desserts. Creamier nuts such as cashews and pecans, blend right into smooth milk, no straining required, making them even easier to prepare. Of course, 15 second instant nut milk is easiest of all. No matter how we make them, the end results are full of beautiful, luscious flavor and goodness for our body, mind and spirit!

Enzyme & probiotic-rich, living foods create healthier, brighter, energetic bodies!

Recipes for Almond Milk, Walnut Milk & Brazil Nut Milk

(For probiotic-rich, cultured, nut milk, add the optional sprouting step after soaking by simply draining the soaked nuts then adding to either a sprouting jar (& turning a few times over the 8-12 hrs) or to a colander for 8-12 hours.)

Ingredients

4 cups filtered water
1 cup raw, organic almonds soaked 8-12 hours, rinsed well & drained (or Brazil Nuts soaked 2 hrs, or Walnuts soaked 6 hrs, both rinsed well & drained)
5 or 6 pitted dates (or 2 Tbsp maple syrup or 3 Tbsp raw honey)
vanilla powder to taste (or 1 Tbsp vanilla extract)
Optional: coconut butter, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp cloves & sea salt to taste added to step 2 below.

Method

Blend 2 cups water and 1/2 cup almonds or walnuts in Vitamix for 1 1/2 minutes. If using Brazil Nuts blend for 1 minute.
Add the remaining 2 cups water, 1/2 cup nuts, dates and vanilla and blend for another minute (1 1/2 minutes for Brazil nuts). If using Optional ingredients add them at this step too.
Strain through a nut milk bag and store in a glass container in the refrigerator.
Enjoy!!

*Creamier nuts such as cashews and pecans (soaked first) blend right into smooth milk, no straining required.

~

Recipe for 15 Second Instant Nut Milk

Ingredients

2 cups filtered water
2 or 3 heaping tablespoons raw nut butter (any kind you like from almond, cashew, pepita and walnut!)
3 or 4 pitted dates (or maple syrup, raw honey etc.)
vanilla powder or vanilla extract to taste
sea salt to taste

Method

Blend all ingredients in a Vitamix until smooth and enjoy!

~

Are the leaves on the trees where you live? Here on the East Coast the leaves seem to be doubling in size by the day. Usually all the leaves are out by May 7th!

What else is going on in your part of the world? It's been pouring like crazy for a couple of days here… the birds & plants are quite pleased 🙂

All Love,

Juliane

Thank you for visiting!

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Food, Health, Nutrition & Wellness, Nutrition & Beauty, Style

Cheezy “Steak Fries”

Cheezy "Steak Fries" in all their glory

Who says "fries" have to be deep fried potatoes? These Cheezy "Steak Fries" are simply delicious. They deliver on so many levels. For starters, they're just beautiful to look at. Then you pick one up… biting into that yummy, cheesy coating amped up with the perfect kick of spice, enjoying the fantastic contrast of their ever-so-sweet interior – crisp & juicy – a beautifully unexpected pairing to their deliciously complex jackets. Satisfying and addictive. Yes, such a combo exists. As in, every time you open the fridge you'll be smiling at that other half of jicama, knowing you'll be turning it into another platter of Cheezy "Steak Fries" the very next day.

What to serve with your Cheezy Fries? I like them alongside a side salad or this thick, creamy milkshake 🙂 Now those are amazing combos we can feel great about!

This recipe has been submitted to Jacqueline at Tinned Tomatoes for June bookmarked recipes & to

the Root Vegetable No Waste Food Challenge at Turquoise Lemons.

Recipe for Cheezy "Steak Fries" (1 large serving or 2 small)

Ingredients:

1/2 large jicama
1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 ounce (2 Tbsp) sesame seeds
1 ounce (2 Tbsp) pepitas
braggs sea kelp delight seasoning
a few shakes of dried garlic
few shakes cayenne
himalyan salt to taste (don't be shy tho!)
turmeric
black pepper
nutritional yeast powder (if you have nutritional flakes instead of powder, just add the flakes to your spice grinder along with the pepitas.)
smoked paprika for garnish

Method:

Remove the outer peel of the 1/2 jicama. Slice into thick fry shapes as pictured above.
Place fries in a large bowl and toss with 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil until well coated.
Place 2 Tbsp sesame seeds into a spice grinder and pulse or whiz until fine. (It's important to grind the sesame first by itself as sesame tends not to grind up when amongst other larger stuff.) Dump sesame into a separate, medium bowl. Next, add pepitas, several shakes of braggs kelp seasoning, dried garlic, cayenne, himalayan salt, turmeric & black pepper into spice grinder and whiz until fine. Pour into the medium bowl with the ground sesame. Stir a liberal amount of nutritional yeast into the bowl until all the ingredients are well combined to create your cheesy coating.
Pour the cheesy mixture into the large bowl containing the fries and toss until well coated. Garnish with a little dried paprika if desired – it adds that toasty, browned affect + more yum flavor!
Save any extra cheesy coating for the other half of jicama the next day. Or use as a delicious salad topper!

Enjoy!

Have you started any Spring activities yet this year? We've been planning and preparing the garden. Jim has made it look amazing! We're doing lots of new things this year from dandelion greens, (yes, that's right- for juicing. Plus the tops are the richest plant source of lecithen. No more shelling out big bucks for dandelion greens at the grocery) purslane and nettles plus a flowering wall of nasturtiums. I've been envisioning the nasturtium wall for a few years now and am SO excited we're finally doing it. We'll be using the nasturtiums as our substitute for cleansing cilantro since these two plants have similar properties and flavor, however, the nasturtiums are so much more beautiful and incredibly easy to grow! I'm absolutely fascinated by living food nutrition, wildcrafting, and the beautiful recipes one can make with these highly nutritious, wild edible and medicinal plants. Feel free to check out Turtle Lake Refuge in Colorado, for a look at their awesome celebration of the connection between personal health and wild lands. Meantime, back at the ranch here this Spring, the weather has been quite all over the place, with a gorgeous snow fall just three days ago and 6o's expected this weekend.

Do you have any gardening plans?

What are your favorite Spring activities?

All Love,

Juliane

Thank you for visiting!

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Food

Valentine’s Day Treats

In honor of Valentine's Day I've revived a few StyleNectar favorites to delight in with our loved ones! Four delicious treats to show your Valentine (and feel free to be your own Valentine!) how very special they (and you!) are. Just click on the names to link up to each recipe and enjoy. All so simple to prepare, the hardest part will be choosing between…

The Silky-smooth, Sweet-tart richness (think cheesecake baby) of Lemon Bavarois with Rasberry Syrup

A gorgeous, layered Sexy Chocolate Covered Strawberry Shake, which combines the sexy super food maca, known for its aphrodisiacal qualities, with decadent chocolate and luscious strawberries.

Fresh, organic berries topped by a luscious, honey-sweetened mousse via the Triple Berry Parfait with Cashew Cream!

Last but not least: the pure, blissful, chocolate decadence of The Happy Shake is sure to please…

Of course the best part is not only are these treats fabulously delicious and phenomenal for you, they'll leave you feeling emotionally uplifted, energized, healthy and beautiful! All the pleasure. None of the guilt. Now that's my kind of Valentine's Day indulgence 🙂

Which treat will you make?

Happy Valentine's Day !

XX

Juliane

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Food

Green Tomato Pave with Pistachio Relish & Sweet Tomato Fondue

Green Tomato Pave with Pistachio Relish & Sweet Tomato Fondue

Admittadly, I considered posting only the pictures of this luscious dish. It was that delicious, fresh and beautiful. Couldn't it possibly stand alone with no words to accompany?

I'm having SO much fun cooking Raw Vegan Cuisine, learning a ton, working with new ingredients, techniques and tools, making many ingredients by hand… and continuing to feel amazing changes in my spiritual, mental and physical well being.

Green Tomato Pave with Pistachio Relish & Sweet Tomato Fondue is a recipe by Matthew Kenney, James Beard Award nominated chef and co-founder of the upscale, sexy, award winning raw vegan cuisine restaurant in New York City, Pure Food & Wine. This dish encapsulates what I love about Raw Cuisine: light, intoxicatingly fresh ingredients, bursting with delicious flavors. To be absolutely cliche, it's summertime on a plate.

Enjoy:-)

Green Tomato Pave with Pistachio Relish & Sweet Tomato Fondue

Green Tomato Pave with Pistachio Relish & Sweet Tomato Fondue (Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

TOMATOES

8 large green tomatoes (green tomatoes are firm & slice easily, I picked a couple with spots of pink blush on the skins, lo & behold they were both beautiful green and red in the centers!)

SWEET TOMATO FONDUE

1/4 cup olive oil
3 cups chopped tomatoes (heirloom if possible)
1/4 cup agave
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons himalayan or celtic sea salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup bail, julienned, plus more for garnish

PISTACHIO RELISH

1 cup pistachios
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon himalayan or celtic sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Method:

TOMATOES Thinly slice tomatoes on a mandoline into 1/4 inch slices.

SWEET TOMATO FONDUE Blend all ingredients except basil in a high-speed blender until smooth. Stir in basil.

PISTACHIO RELISH Pulse all ingredients in a high-speed blender until well combined but still chunky. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

FINISH Alternate layering 3 to 4 tomatoes with Pistachio Relish. Drizzle with Sweet Tomato Fondue, serving remaining Fondue in small bowls alongside with soup spoons. Garnish with more Pistachio Relish and a few pieces of fresh basil. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Green Tomato Pave with Pistachio Relish & Sweet Tomato Fondue

You may also enjoy: First Spring Harvest… a cool, zippy refrigerator snack!

Food

Dearest Pasta Alfredo… it’s been way too long!

Pasta Alfredo

In case it wasn't obvious, I am overwhelmed with enthusiasm about the Raw Vegan adventure I embarked upon 3 1/2 weeks ago. I do not exagerate when I say it's as if I started some amazing miracle meds … I suddenly have tons more energy, my moods are even keel and happy (er, I'm actually ecstatic most of the time) any cravings I once had for unhealthy foods have dissapeared (and been replaced for cravings for my new Raw Vegan fare) and last but not least this food is outrageously delicious! I have so many awesome recipes I want to share, I'm busting at the seams… not to mention I can't wait to introduce my dehydrator, sprouting trays and other new friends. Good times.

Alas, today is about a simple, delicious dish I haven't had since those good old college days when I worked as a hostess at Amici's Italian Restaurant– Pasta Alfredo. I remember the first day I watched Eric (the chef & owner) prepare pasta alfredo; a stick of butter, a cup of cream, some salt & pepper and not much else all tossed together with fettucine and poured into a single serving pasta bowl. Yikes! I'd had no idea 'til then what exactly it took to create one of my favorite items on the menu and ever since it's been one of those dishes I never eat…

Until now!

Enter Spiralizer

The fantastic little tool in every Raw Vegetarian kitchen which turns a simple yellow squash (my fav) or zucchini into a plate of spaghetti awaiting whatever delicious toppings your heart desires, in this case a heaping serving of

Creamy. Ooey-gooey. Luscious.

Alfredo Sauce.

Comforting. Delicious and so very light and fabulous for you all at the same time.

Please enjoy!

Freshly made Zucchini Spaghetti for Pasta Alfredo

Recipe for Pasta Alfredo (serves 4)

Pasta

2 large yellow squash (my fav) or zucchini (peeled for a closer to pasta affect, or leave peel on for added color)

Alfredo Sauce

2 cups raw cashews
4-5 tablespoons lemon juice
1/1/2 cups water
1/8 cup olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic
3-4 tsp. Braggs Liquid Aminos or gluten free tamari
3-4 tbsp. nutritional yeast
1-2 tsp. Celtic or Himalayan Sea Salt or to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp. pine nuts &/or a few julienned basil ribbons for garnish

Cut zucchinis in half (otherwise pasta strands will be veeerrrry long), then, using a Spiralizer tool, create spaghetti pasta strands. Place in large bowl and set aside.
Place all the sauce ingredients into a heavy duty blender (such as a Vitamix). Blend into thick cream. Add more water if needed to create preferred consistency. Check seasonings and adjust to your taste.
Pour alfredo sauce over the pasta noodles and toss to coat.
Place into serving bowls and garnish pinenuts &/or julienned basil ribbons if desired.

Enjoy!

Pasta Alfredo awaiting devourment

You may also enjoy: Beach Babes or Blueberry Coconut Smoothie

Food

Chilled French Carrot Soup w/ Lemon-buttered Farfalle

As promised here is the delicious Chilled Carrot Soup with Lemon-buttered Farfalle recipe I made from our garden's prolific carrot harvest… It's a lovely French recipe combining cool, luxuriously silky, sweet, carrot puree with unctious lemon-buttered pastas tossed in fresh dill.

THE perfect light yet decadent meal for this hot, steamy weather.

Chilled French Carrot Soup w/ Lemon-buttered Farfalle

Chilled Carrot Soup with Lemon-buttered Farfalle

(Serves 6)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter (separated)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion chopped
1 pound carrots peeled and sliced into coins (if they're baby carrots don't peel)
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
4 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups farfalle pasta
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice (separated)
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

Method:

Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sautee until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the carrots, honey and nutmeg and continue to sautee for another 10 minutes.
Add the chicken stock, bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes until the carrots are softened.
Puree the liquid using an immersion blender or in a Vitamix for the silkiest, smooth result possible. Stir in 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice into the soup. Chill for a few hours or overnight.
Prior to serving, cook the farfalle pasta to package directions. Drain and return to pot with 1 tablespoon of butter and stir to coat. Add the fresh chopped dill and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to the pasta and combine.
Ladle the chilled carrot soup into shallow serving bowls. Divide the dilled pasta amongst the soup bowls, mounding a small amount in the center of each bowl.

Enjoy!

Chilled French Carrot Soup w/ Lemon-buttered Farfalle

PS. Don't forget to check out StyleNectar's convenient Recipe Index!

Philosophy/Meditation/Spirituality

Until Next Time, Nantucket ~ Part I

It's been a few weeks since my last post because we've been away on vacation. In addition to sharing a few vaca snaps with you, I have a delicious new recipe you'll love for a Chilled French Carrot Soup with Lemon-buttered Farfalle which I'll share in my next post.

Our vacation was spent in beloved Chatham, Mass (Cape Cod) and Nantucket, a part of the world where the weather is always mild and the sunlight ever clear and bright. We adore the salty sea breezes, beautiful sandy beaches and silver, cedar shingled houses covered in climbing pink roses with hydrangeas galore and the lushest of English gardens.

We biked and we hiked, Jim fly fished and I sketched (lot's of material for upcoming paintings!). We strolled lazily through beautiful art galleries, window shopped and frequented The Bean (our favorite Nantucket coffee house) a couple times a day. Dining on Nantucket is absolutely fabulous. So much so that we simply allowed ourselves to steep in the romance of beautiful, fresh flavors and wonderful ambiance rather than bothering to photo-document it all. Just a few of our favorites are Company of the Cauldron, Oran Mor, Pearl, Lola 41 and Toppers. All amazing.

Meanwhile, miles away back at the home front, our garden was going into overdrive, providing us a bounty of fresh produce to help keep us light and cool for the hot, steamy weather that welcomed us home (think 95+ and high humidity). Jim brought in beans, peas, jalapenos, ruby beets, herbs and gorgeous baby collards, red leaf lettuce, beet greens and nasturtiums (DELISH in salads) plus six pounds of beautiful baby French carrots… I'm sure I'm forgetting some things too!

Our abundance of carrots resulted in a delicious Chilled French Carrot Soup with Lemon-buttered Farfalle I'll share in my next post… The perfect, light meal for this hot, steamy weather.

~

Nantucket and Chatham Snapshots ~ Part I

Stay tuned… I'll be sharing a few more snaps with you soon!

(As always, click images for a better, larger view)

Bye for now… I'll be sharing a few more snaps with you soon!

PS. Check out StyleNectar's convenient Recipe Index!

Food

Spring Spinach Pesto + a few Garden Snaps

Pesto has always been a special favorite of mine… as though its ingredients were terribly rare or difficult to prepare… it's that luxuriously delicious. Fortunately, as pre-packaged versions don't at all measure up to homemade, it's quite simple to make. Pesto can be customized to whatever is in season- or growing in your garden as the case is with me- nothing needs to be measured precisely… all you need is a trusty food processor and you're ready to go.

Last weekend Jim harvested a TON of fresh spinach from our garden, half of which I boxed into leftover stay-fresh spinach boxes I'd saved from the market (for our delicious morning green smoothie) the other half I made into an amazing Spring Garden Spinach & Chive Pesto. I absolutely LOVE spinach pesto -even better than basil or arugula versions. I made a large enough batch that we couldn't use it all immediately so I froze the bulk in ice-cube trays then popped the cubes into a ziplock freezer baggie. Great trick! Now we have Spring Pesto on hand whenever we need it- which er, seems to be every day suddenly…

Slathered on sandwiches

Tossed with a beautiful gluten free pasta

Starring in a potato salad

Smeared on gluten free toast/crackers

Tossed with grilled vegetables…

Jim… I think it's time to harvest the rest of that spinach! We're already running low on our Spring Pesto supply:)

Below, I thought I'd share a few bonus snaps (please click them to enlarge for better, larger view) from the garden which is more and more breathtaking by the day! We've been enjoying collard greens, spinach, radishes and herbs so far this Spring with lots more on the way… purple potatoes, fingerlings, peas, carrots, beets, squash, melon, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers & eggplant! My husband has created the most magnificent world of beauty just outside our kitchen door.

Spring Garden Spinach & Chive Pesto frozen in ice-cube trays & popped into a freezer baggie!

Spring Garden Spinach & Chive Pesto

Ingredients:

8 cups fresh spinach packed (or substitute arugula, flat leaf parsley or basil)
1 cup fresh chopped chives (to help food processor out a bit)
3/4 of a cup walnuts and pinenuts (or substitute your favorite combo of nuts)
fresh vegan Parmesan
2 or 3 cloves garlic coarsley chopped (to assist food processor)
juice of 1/2 lemon- or an entire lemon- suit your taste- provides a beautiful freshness
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil– or more to create desired texture
sea salt to taste
fresh cracked pepper to taste- just a wee bit

Method:

Pulse the greens and chives together in your food processor until the bulk of the spinach is reduced greatly.
Add the toasted nuts, cheese, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil and pulse until you achieve a desirable texture.
Season with sea salt and a WEE bit of fresh cracked pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

The Land of Spinach

Deep within the Land of Spinach

Empty Spinach rows following Jim's record holding Spinach harvest… no worries, there is more growing to the right of this photo.

"Big Red", Jim's trusty wheelbarrow

Beet Greens

The Land of Beets

The Land of Carrots

Deep within the Land of Carrots

Purple Potato Blossoms ~ yes, the potatoes will be purple too!

Baby Peppers growing up near the gorgeous Land of Beets

The Land of Swiss Chard

Sun-drenched Pea

What are your favorite Springtime veggies?

Are you growing anything edible in your yard this year?

Food, Style

Prosciutto Wrapped Melon Bites

Prosciutto wrapped Melon Bites – Food styling by Juliane Porter. Photo by my beautiful friend, Aimee McNamee

With warmer weather now in full swing, I was thrilled when I recently spotted the first organic melons of the season back in the market. Time to share my beautiful little appetizer recipe for Prosciutto Wrapped Melon Bites. This mouthwatering combination of fresh, sweet melon wrapped in salty, Italian ham is always a hit! You can create a gorgeous platter by using contrasting jeweled party pics to hold each delectable package in place. In addition, I love using a combination of classic white porcelain, clear glass and/or shiny silver bowls as serveware for parties. The look is clean, allowing the gorgeous colors of the food to pop rather than being muddled amongst too many other colors.

Oh… and don't forget to serve Prosciutto Wrapped Melon Bites with these delicious Limoncello Cocktails ~ they're the perfect compliment!

Enjoy!

Recipe for Prosciutto Wrapped Melon Bites

Ingredients:

1 Canteloupe, peeled, cored and cut into 1" bite sized chunks
2 packages thinly sliced prosciutto (about 8 slices), sliced into long strips

Method:

Wrap each melon cube with a strip of prosciutto and secure with a jeweled party pic
Serve chilled

Question of the day:

What are some of your favorite warmer weather foods?

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