Ingredients:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 pears, peeled, cored, and chopped (about 2 cups)
2 cups short grain rice (such as Arborio)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup dry white wine, warmed
5 cups simmering chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

Method:

Heat butter in large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add pears and cook until lightly browned and softened, about 3 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside.

Add rice and thyme and cook 3 minutes, stirring well to coat with butter.

Add wine to pot, raise heat to high, and bring to a boil. Simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring, about 3 minutes.

Add hot broth to pot, 1 cup at a time, allowing liquid to fully absorb before adding each subsequent cup, stirring. Continue adding 1 cup at a time, stirring, until rice is creamy but not mushy (while still al dente). The entire cooking time will take 40 to 50 minutes.

Remove from heat and add cheeses and reserved pears, stirring until well incorporated; season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Source: Risotto Recipe.

1 lb of rhubarb.
1 1/2 cups of strawberries, thinly sliced.
1 1/2 cups of sugar.
2/3 cup of flour.
1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon.
1/4 teaspoon of cloves.
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg.
Pie crust.
2 tablespoons of butter.

Preparation method:

Slice the rhubarb into about 1/3-inch slices.

In a bowl, combine the sliced rhubarb and strawberries.

Mix together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg; stir into the fruit.

Allow to stand for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour into the unbaked pie crust and top with butter.

Make a lattice top crust and bake on the lowest shelf of your oven at 375F for 35-40 minutes.

Source: Rhubarb Recipes.

1 sheet of frozen puff pastry.
3 cups of strawberries, hulled and sliced.
1 lb of rhubarb, thawed if frozen, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces.
2 cups of sugar.
2 tablespoons of cornstarch.
3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon.
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg.
3 tablespoons of all purpose flour.
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, cut into small pieces.

Method:

Preheat your oven to 400F.

Bake the puff pastry sheet according the directions on its packaging.

In a mixing bowl, combine the strawberries and rhubarb.

In another bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and flour.

Fold the dry ingredients into the strawberry and rhubarb mixture.

Stir in the unsalted butter and toss.

Transfer the fruit mixture to a buttered deep 9-inch baking dish.

Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until the fruit is bubbly.

Spoon the fruit mixture onto baked puff pastry sheet and serve.

Source: This recipe came from the tart recipes collection.

3/4 lb of cod fillets.
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste.
1 cup of Champagne.
1 whole stem of fresh tarragon.
1/4 cup of whipping cream.
1/4 lb of seedless green or red grapes, halved.

Method:

Rinse the fish fillets in cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

Lightly butter a shallow baking dish and a piece of foil just large enough to cover the dish.

Lay the cod fillets in the dish, folding the thin tail ends under for even thickness.

Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat your oven to 350F.

In a saucepan, combine the Champagne and tarragon.

Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer for 1 minute.

Carefully pour the hot liquid over the fish fillets; cover with the buttered foil and bake until the fillets flake easily at the thickest part, (about 3-5 minutes depending on their thickness).

With a spatula, carefully remove the fillets from the liquid and transfer to paper towels. Cover with foil in order to keep warm.

Pour the liquid back into the saucepan, add the cream and bring to a boil.

Simmer until the sauce is thick enough to just coat the back of a spoon (about 5 minutes).

Discard the tarragon, stir in the grapes and taste the sauce for seasoning.

Arrange the fish fillets on individual plates, spoon the sauce over and serve immediately.

Source: Grape Recipes.

1 1/2 teaspoon of chopped shallots.
1 garlic clove.
1 teaspoon of oil.
2 cups of blackberry pulp.
2 teaspoons of honey.
1 whole clove.
1 teaspoon of cardamom.
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced.
1 1/2 cups of Port wine.
4 lamb chops.

Instructions:

Saute the shallots and garlic in hot oil until translucent.

Mix the blackberry pulp, honey, clove, cardamom, and jalapeño; then add the port.

Reduce to half, then add the add remaining ingredients.

Grill the lamb chops for about 4 minutes each side for medium.

Serve with sauce.

Source: Blackberry Recipes.

¾ cup of low-fat sour cream.
6 tablespoons of confectioners sugar.
1/3 cup of dried cranberries.
1/3 cup of orange juice.
½ teaspoon of orange zest.
1 ½ kiwis, peeled and mashed with fork.
2 fresh mint sprigs, to garnish.

Directions:

In a suitably sized bowl, blend the sour cream with 3 tablespoons of the confectioners sugar. Reserve.

Place the dried cranberries in a small saucepan with the orange juice and 2 tablespoons of the sugar.

Gently cook the cranberry mixture over medium-low heat until cranberries swell, and liquid thickens and reduces (about 5 mins).

Stir in orange zest. Reserve, and allow to cool completely.

Mix the mashed kiwis with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. Reserve.

Divide the sour-cream mixture into 2 bowls.

In a separate bowl, reserve 2 tablespoons of cranberry mixture.

Blend the remaining cranberry mixture into one of the sour cream mixture bowls.

In another bowl, reserve 2 tablespoons of kiwifruit mixture.

Add the remaining kiwi mixture the second of the sour cream cream mixture bowls.

Divide the cranberry/sour cream mixture evenly between 2 clear wine glasses.

Cover each with a tablespoon of reserved kiwi mixture in each glass.

Cover each with a tablespoon of reserved cranberry mixture.

Cover each with the kiwi/sour cream mixture.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Garnish with fresh mint sprigs.

Source: This is based on a recipe found on the kiwi recipes collection website.

List of ingredients:

4 ripe medium pears.
1 1/2 cups of water.
1 cup of hazelnuts, lightly toasted and peeled.
1 cup of sugar.
1/2 cup of maple syrup.
2 cinnamon sticks.
3 tablespoons of hazelnut liqueur.
3 tablespoons of melted butter.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Prepare the syrup by simmering sugar, maple syrup, water and cinnamon sticks for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the hazelnut liqueur.

Add the hazelnuts and allow to soak for 4 minutes.

Strain off the liquid and pour it into an 8-inch square baking dish.

Roughly chop soaked hazelnuts and spread on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Toast in the oven for about 7 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, prepare the pears by peeling them, cutting in half and coring.

Pour the syrup over pears.

Roast the pears for 20 minutes or until they are soft when pierced with a tester.

To serve, place pear in a bowl, drizzle syrup over top and sprinkle with hazelnuts.

Source: http://www.hazelnutrecipes.org/hazelnut-roasted-pears.html

1 cup of figs.
1 cup of toasted coconut.
¾ cup of nuts.
1/3 cups of crystallized ginger.
1 cup of powdered sugar.
2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
¼ teaspoon of salt.

Method:

Combine the figs, nuts, salt, and ginger onto a chopping board.

Chop finely.

Place the lemon juice in a bowl and add the chopped fruit combination and stir.

Knead mixture into a paste on a board coated with powdered sugar.

Roll out thinly.

Cut dough into 1 inch squares.

Stack together in layers of three and sprinkle the coconut between the layers.

Source: Fig Recipes.

8oz self raising flour.
Pinch of salt.
2oz butter.
1oz sultanas.
1oz caster sugar.
5 Fl oz milk.

Preparation Instructions:

Heat the oven to 220C/Gas 7.

Lightly grease a baking sheet/tray.

Mix together the salt and flour, then rub in the butter.

Fold in the sultanas, sugar and then the milk to create a soft dough.

Move to a floured work surface and knead.

Pat out to create a round about 2cm thick.

Use a 5cm cutter to make small rounds and place on the baking sheet/tray.

Knead together what is left of the dough and create more scones to use it all up.

Brush the tops of the scones with a small amount of milk.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until risen and golden.
Cool on a wire rack and serve with butter and a jam of your choice.

Source: http://www.sconerecipes.co.uk/sultana-scones.html

1 pound of gooseberries.
1 ounce of butter.
Sugar, to taste.
1/2 pint of double cream.

Method:

Top and tail the gooseberries, rinse and drain them, then put them in a pan with the butter.

Soften the berries over a low heat for about 5 minutes. Once they are soft, mash them lightly with the back of a spoon.

Season with sugar, to taste.

Whip the cream until firm and fold it in to the gooseberries.

Chill before serving.

Source: http://www.gooseberryrecipes.org/gooseberry-fool.html