Prosecco-Lime Jelly with Nectarines and Blueberries

Finally, it's the home stretch for my finger and this incredibly bulky bandage/splint that I've been wearing around for the past two weeks--the bandages come off tomorrow! (and permanently, I hope).  And, at last, I'll be able to cook and bake and wash dishes again in the kitchen, shower without a plastic bag over one hand, hold my camera, properly take notes in class and not have them look like a kindergärtner's chicken scratch, play vibraphone and piano--all of these little things for which we totally take our hands for granted.  (And, not to mention, walk around without having people stare at my bandaged-up middle finger. Even the proprietress at a local Chinese bakery today stared at my finger while I was fishing out change and asked accusingly, "What did you do to your hand?" --oh, the Chinese sense of privacy!)

Anyways, whilst I await anxiously these last hours prior to my finger's freedom, I wanted to share a recipe that I made a few weeks ago--just in time for you all to use up the last of the summer fruits before they disappear altogether from the markets!  This is such an incredibly simple and yet super sophisticated recipe that I stumbled upon when I was browsing for random recipes online, and it's a great way to enjoy fresh fruit with just a little bit of a twist: prosecco-lime jelly with white and yellow nectarines and blueberries.

This dessert really takes eating fresh fruit to a whole new level.  Here you have crunchy summertime nectarines and succulent blueberries encased and suspended in a delicately-jiggly, just-tart-enough, and just-sweet-enough prosecco-lime jelly.  The jelly melts in your mouth and just lightly coats the fruit with ephemeral whiffs of white wine and hints of lime reminiscent of the last lingering moments of summer we're having now that September's right around the corner.  And having the jelly truly transforms the experience of eating fruit, too: I made some small, portable servings and took them to the office, watching as people were fascinated and enchanted by the magical combination of fruit hovering in the surrounding jelly.

Now, I'm off to contemplate what the first dessert I should make after regaining use of my right hand is.  Suggestions???


Read on for the recipe...

Lemon-Oregano Shortcake with Blueberries and Lemon-scented Quark

I absolutely love it when people gift me home-grown fruits and vegetables and herbs.  I have something of a black-brown thumb, and the only things I've ever managed to keep alive are mint, lemons, and--under threat of my mom's admonishment--orchids.  So, because I can't produce my own bountiful crop, I love it when people share theirs with me.  But, I have to admit, when this big bag of dried home-grown oregano landed in my hands (a gift from one of R's aunts), I was a bit perplexed.  I mean, what am I going to do with all of this oregano?

Oregano is definitely one of the herbs that I utilize the least. Beyond oregano in your basic spaghetti sauce and chili, I've never given oregano much more thought, instinctively preferring rosemary or thyme or even sage instead (btw, did this song just pop into anyone else's head? Obviously Simon & Garfunkel didn't know what to do with oregano, either! ).  But after scratching my head for a few weeks and seeing all of these fresh blueberries over-running the local farmers' markets, I figured that I could put a spin on one of my favorite classic lemon-thyme and strawberry combinations with lemon, oregano, and blueberries.  And I was right-- these lemon-oregano shortcakes with lemon-scented quark and blueberries were dead on delicious.

[Note: Quark is a German cheese, reminiscent of cream cheese yet oh so much creamier! I use it for both savory and sweet applications.]

The dried oregano gives these shortcakes an incredible fragrance that complements the sweetness and--dare I say it?--plainness of the lemon and blueberries, adding just that perfect extra touch to make you take one bite and come back for a second.  The creaminess and sharpness of the lemon-scented quark and the delightful bursts of blueberry piled on top really work with the ultra-flaky lemon-oregano shortcake underneath, too.  And, this dessert is so incredibly fast and easy to make (a welcome change after last week's time-consuming s'mores cakelettes!), making it the perfect, everyday dessert for breakfast or tea-time.  Yes, this one goes fabulously with tea.

This very blue and yellow dessert actually comes at a rather serendipitous time for me, today being the start of school at the institution I'm visiting this semester, whose colors just so happen to be blue and gold!  Ah, don't you just love it when your desserts and food perfectly reflect your life?

Anyways, I still have most of that huge bag of dried oregano left--for sure I'll be making some more of these shortcakes as soon as my finger heals and for as long as blueberries are in season.  But, please share! how would you use dried oregano?



Read on for recipe...