Apricot Sorbet Redoux

The apricot sorbet was amazingly simple to make, delicious and under 50 calories per serving.

I did make some adjustments to the original recipe. For every six apricots I blended, I added 1/8-1/4 cup of sugar to the mixture. The photos show the progression of the dessert.

1. Remove pit from apricots
2. Place apricots in blender
3. Puree the fruit until smooth
4. After freezing the mixture, scoop the sorbet into serving dishes topped with mint garnish.

Easy Apricot Sorbet

I purchased 5 pounds of apricots for a terrific price. Very ripe apricots. And I needed a quick and easy recipe that didn't require heat. It's just too hot in Michigan right now and I don't need to compound that by turning on a stove. That meant making jam was out of the question.

What to do?

After searching the web I found an easy recipe for Apricot Sorbet.
Puree' the apricots in a blender. Place the mixture in a freezer safe container. Remove when frozen and garnish with sprigs of mint.

This is my kind of recipe. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Cucumber and Peach Salad

An unusual combination of peaches and cucumbers melds well with mint and lime juice for a refreshing summer salad. I adapted this recipe from the Johnson Company's "Right@Home" web site for a cucumber and mango salad. Peaches are almost as sweet as mangoes. And I substituted chives for onions and topped the salad with salmon. Yum-a-lish!

• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 large peaches cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 large cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• a bunch of chives cut finely
• 3 Tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 cup sliced mozzarella cheese
• 3 oz. of Alaskan Salmon

In a small bowl, mix the sugar, cumin, lime juice, salt and olive oil. Set aside. In a medium-size bowl, mix together the peaches, cucumbers, chives and mint. Toss with the dressing and place the salad on a serving platter. Sprinkle with cheese and salmon on top of the salad.

Wild Sumac in Michigan

While riding my bike, I spotted a grove of sumac trees. Not certain if this is the edible variety or poisonous version. I learned recently that Middle Eastern cultures use a type of sumac to flavor some of their food. Michigan has a large population of people of Middle Eastern descent and I have seen people picking the flowers and fruit from these plants.

Name This Flower

I found this flower growing in my yard. Does anyone know the name of the plant?

Growing Allium from Seed - It Can Be Done

This is a photo of allium I grew from seed pods. When one of my neighbors threw away the spent flower last year from their allium, I retrieved the seed pods, placed them in the freezer for 4 weeks and planted the seeds in late November. The photo shows the result. The soil is compacted, not very rich, yet the allium grew. It can be done.

Deep Red Iris

A co-worker and his wife were updating their yard and tossing out lots of plant material. Sight unseen, I dug up perennials and donated them to various non-profit organizations. And I kept a couple of irises. That was two years ago. Take a look at the beautiful burnt red color iris with a bit of yellow on each flower petal that finally emerged this spring. The flower buds look black.

Did you notice puppy is in one of the photos? She's patrolling the yard.

Human Hair Needed for Louisiana Oil Spill

You read correctly, human hair is needed to soak up the oil off the Mississippi River Delta. Scientists proved that hair is more effective at soaking up oil and containing it than plastic buoys. Tell your hairdresser or barber to send washed, clipped hair to Matter of Trust. This organization also takes donations of fur and animal hair, but studies have shown that human hair works best. Who couldn't benefit from a shampoo and trim? And you would indirectly help clean up the Louisiana Gulf Coast environmental spill.

New Tulip Variety

Hybrid flowers have a tendency to revert to their original strain after a while. That's what must be happening to my red tulip. It usually just has yellow at the base of each petal. The photo shows the daring tulip with the yellow swash. Hope it comes back next year.

Sowing Peas Today

After a weekend of rain in southeastern Michigan, I decided it was a good day to sow peas into the soil. This year I selected Burpee's, "Wando" variety. The company claims it is cold and heat tolerant. You never know what Michigan's weather will deliver. That's why I planted these peas. I'll plant more next week and then the following week so I'll get a steady crop. Sometime in late July, I'll sow more seeds for a fall harvest. Let's hope the rabbits stay away from my yard.