Recipe of the Week: Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

Nope, you didn't stumble into Bizzaro world. Yup, you read that title right. As it turns out, someone came up with the best idea since strawberries went ON your cheesecake. Why, oh why, didn't we think of this??? No time to dwell on that...let us just be thankful that someone did!

And while we're handing out thanks, we really must give a shout out to Twitter. We know some people are loath to get on board with the thought-truncating machinations of that most ubiquitos of social media options... but guess where we found this recipe? Seriously, we can no doubt live without knowing what Ashton Kutcher had for breakfast, but we're pretty sure we can't live without cheesecake stuffed strawberries! So thank you Twitter, thank you @localinseason and thank you @nutmegnanny!


Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

You need:

• 1 pound large strawberries
• 8 oz. block cream cheese
• 3-4 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (may also use almond or lemon, depending on your preference)
• Graham cracker crumbs

Directions:

1. Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of each strawberry
2. Remove tops and clean out insides, a paring knife works well
3. If you want strawberries to stand up-right for presentation, cut a bit off the bottom
4. Set berries aside
5. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla
6. Put cream cheese mix in a piping bag and fill strawberries (be sure let some 'overflow' the top
7. Put graham cracker crumbs on a plate
8. Dip tops of strawberries in the crumbs until fully coated
9. Enjoy!

Find more great fruit and produce recipes on Ruma's web site!

___________________________________________________

Always have fresh fruit on hand - join Ruma's Royal Fruit Club or purchase a monthly plan for a friend! Shipping is FREE

Recipe of the Week: Frozen Fruit Pops

New England or not, we think it's now safe to say summer is truly here. (If it snows next week, feel free to blame us.) One of the things we love best about this season is the amazing abundance of berries! Between the blueberries and the raspberries, it sure gets wild in our neck of the woods once the calendar flips to July.

This week we wanted to bring you a recipe that not only highlighted some of summer's best berries, but served as a tasty way to cool off. We think we've found it with these super simple ice pops - featuring three kinds of berries along with bananas and yogurt, they're also bursting with nutrition!



Frozen Fruit Pops

You need:

• 2 cups fresh blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and sliced bananas, mixed
• 2 cups plain or vanilla yogurt
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 8 small paper cups
• 8 popsicle sticks

Directions:

1. Place the berries, sliced banana, yogurt and sugar into a blender
2. Cover and blend until fruit is chunky or smooth, as desired
3. Fill paper cups 3/4 full with fruit mixture
4. Cover the top of each cup with a strip of aluminum foil
5. Poke a popsicle stick through the center of the foil on each cup
6. Place the cups in the freezer for at least 5 hours
7. To serve, remove foil and peel off the paper cup

Find more great fruit and produce recipes on Ruma's web site!

___________________________________________________
Always have fresh fruit on hand - join Ruma's Royal Fruit Club or purchase a monthly plan for a friend! Shipping is FREE

Recipe of the Week: Grilled Peaches

 IT. IS. ON!

We're talking about summer, we're talking about the grill and we're talking about peaches!

For a minute there it looked like we had entered into some strange weather wormhole and wound up back in November - but hey, that's New England  for you! Like the hardy breed we are, we hung in there and we're feeling pretty good about the prospect of some REAL summer weather sticking around for a bit.

And just to show we're serious, we're busting out a recipe that screams summer. Sure, these days you can get your hands on peaches for most of the year, but they never taste as good as they do in the summertime. Take it a step further and put that juicy little Georgian on the grill and it's like the culinary equivalent of the last day of school, the fourth of July, fireflies and dips in the ocean all rolled into one!

And, to top it all off, this one's as easy as a Summer breeze.


Grilled Peaches

You need:

• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black peppercorns
• 2 large fresh peaches, halved and pitted (don't remove skin)
• 2 1/2 ounces fresh crumbled blue cheese

Directions:

• In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the white sugar, balsamic vinegar and pepper
• Simmer until liquid has reduced by one half (it should become slightly thicker)
• Remove from heat and set aside
• Preheat grill for medium-high heat
• Lightly oil the grill grate
• Place peaches on the prepared grill, cut side down
• Cook for about 5 minutes or until flesh is carmelized
• Turn peaches over, brush tops and sides with the balsamic glaze and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes
• Transfer the peach halves to individual serving dishes, sprinkle with blue cheese and drizzle with remaining glaze

Find more great fruit and produce recipes on Ruma's web site!

___________________________________________________
Always have fresh fruit on hand - join Ruma's Royal Fruit Club or purchase a monthly plan for a friend! Shipping is FREE

Recipe of the Week: Succulent Grilled Pineapple

It doesn't seem possible but... sniff...  summer is winding down.

But, you know, even though there is nothing we can do to stop it, that doesn't mean we have to take it lying down... and neither do you! Get off that couch! Put on that apron! Now get out there and get grilling!! Oh, and bring a pineapple.

Succulent Grilled Pineapple

You need:

• 4 slices fresh pineapple
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons cherry brandy
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:

1. Combine honey, brandy and lemon juice in a glass dish or bowl and mix well
2. Add pineapple and coat well with marinade
3. Cover dish and marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour
4. Preheat grill to medium heat and lightly oil grate
5. Place marinated pineapples directly on the rack or in a basket and grill for about 10 minutes, turning, until pineapple is hot and caramelized

Looking for more great fruit recipes? Click here!

______________________________________________________

Always have fresh fruit on hand - join Ruma's Royal Fruit Club or purchase a monthly plan for a friend! Shipping is FREE!

Recipe of the Week: Nectarine Dream

Ahh, one of the true treasures of summer - the nectarine. All through the spring we dream about the time of the season when these perfect little fuzz-less peaches reach their peak. (What? Doesn't everyone dream about fruit?) Lucky for us, that peak comes in the dog days of summer when we are most in need of their juicy goodness!

Nope, there's nothing better than a ripe nectarine on a sultry summer day. Or so we thought.  Then we happened upon this week's recipe... a smoothie so delightfully dreamy, we went out and bought a hammock just so we could have a special place to enjoy it. Sweet dreams...

Dreamy Nectarine Smoothie

You need:

• 2 large nectarines, pitted and quartered
• 1 banana, cut into pieces and frozen
• 1 large orange, peeled and quartered
• 1 cup vanilla yogurt
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon honey

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth
2. Be all psyched that there was only one step and enjoy your smoothie!

Looking for more great fruit recipes? Click here!

______________________________________________________

Always have fresh fruit on hand - join Ruma's Royal Fruit Club or purchase a monthly plan for a friend! Shipping is FREE!

Recipe of the Week: Fresh Blueberry Scones

We woke up this morning thinking, as we often do, about breakfast. What to have? Cereal? Toast? Bagel? Not again. Boring. Blah. But we had a bagel anyway. Sigh. Then (when it was way past breakfast time) inspiration struck! It's blueberry season, and we should know, as Ruma's is currently rife with shipments of fresh Maine wild blueberries... this delicious little superfood is just the thing to perk up bland breakfasts!

Tonight the following recipe is being put into service so that tomorrow we can get excited about our morning meal! Homemade scones with fresh blueberries... mmmm... perhaps with a cup of tea... out on the veranda... with a little morning breeze whispering across the tips of the dewy grass. Okay, so it will probably be in the car on the way to work with a cuppa DD coffee - but it's still gonna be awesome!

Fresh Blueberry Scones

 You need:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter, chilled
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 3/4 cup half-and-half cream
• 1 egg
• White sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2. Cut butter into mixture of flower, sugar, baking powder and salt
3. Add blueberries and toss to mix
4. In a separate bowl beat together cream and egg and slowly pour into dry ingredients, stirring with rubber spatula until dough forms 
5. Knead just until dough comes together, 3 or 4 times; don't over handle the dough
6. Divide dough in half; on a lightly floured surface, shape each half into a 6-inch round; cut into 6 wedges
7. Sprinkle sugar, to taste, on top of wedges 
8. Bake on ungreased sheet for about 20 minutes

Looking for more great fruit recipes? Click here!


______________________________________________________

Always have fresh fruit on hand - join Ruma's Royal Fruit Club or purchase a monthly plan for a friend! Shipping is FREE!

Recipe of the Week: Fruity Salsa and Cinnamon Chips

Phew, it seems the heat has dissipated a bit - at least for now. So while we have this respite from oppressive weather we thought we might entice you to try a recipe that requires just a wee bit of oven use.

C'mon, you can do it - when you dip these crispy, delicious cinnamon tortilla chips in the cool fruity salsa we think you'll agree it's totally worth it!

Fruity Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

You need:

• 1 Fuji apple, peeled, cored and diced
• 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
• 2 kiwis, peeled and sliced
• 2 bananas, peeled and sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 6 (10 inch) flour tortillas
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• Butter or margarine to taste

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together Fuji apple, strawberries, kiwis, bananas, lime juice, 2 tbs white sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp nutmeg; cover and chill in refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
3. Spread butter or margarine to taste then sprinkle with 3 tbs white sugar and 1 tbs ground cinnamon on flour tortillas
4. Slice tortillas into triangles and place on baking sheet; bake for about 10 minutes or until crispy
5. Serve the warm chips with the chilled salsa

Looking for more great fruit recipes? Click here!

______________________________________________________
Always have fresh fruit on hand - join Ruma's Royal Fruit Club or purchase a monthly plan for a friend! Shipping is FREE!

Recipe of the Week: Keep Cool - Go Bananas!

In our ongoing quest to help keep you cool during this crazy-hot summer, we're pleased to bring you a REALLY simple recipe for a sweet frozen banana treat. Three ingredients. No complicated instructions. We're so there.





Banana Sorbet

You need:

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup mashed bananas (approximately 3 bananas - arms and faces optional)

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, stir together sugar and water
2. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and allow to cool
3. When the sugar syrup is cool, stir in bananas
4. Pour mixture into a freezer-safe baking dish
5. Freeze for 3 to 4 hours until set at the edges
6. Remove from the freezer and transfer to a mixing bowl, beat until smooth
7. Return to freezer until gently set, at least 2 hours

Looking for more great fruit recipes? Click here!

_________________________________________________________

Always have fresh fruit on hand - join Ruma's Royal Fruit Club or purchase a monthly plan for a friend! Shipping is FREE!

Recipe of the Week: Great Galettes

They sound all fancy, but in reality galettes are more like a "fancy-free" cousin to the traditional tart. In other words, this yummy dessert is easy to make!

Fresh Summer Fruit Galettes

You need:

• 2 (9 inch) refrigerated pie crusts
• 3 fresh peaches - peeled, pitted and sliced
• 1 pint fresh strawberries
• 1/2 pint fresh blueberries
• 4 tablespoons white sugar, divided
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
• 6 tablespoons turbinado sugar (aka raw sugar), divided
• Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Lay out one pie crust on a baking sheet lined with parchment or on a baking stone, leaving room for the second pie crust next to it
3. Mix the sliced peaches with half of the blueberries, 2 tablespoons of the flour and 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a bowl
4. Pour over one pie crust leaving a 1-inch border
5. Fold up the uncovered border over the edge of the fruit and pinch into pleats
6. Sprinkle the crust and fruit filling with 3 tablesppons of turbinado sugar
7. Lay out the second pie crust on the baking sheet
8. Mix the sliced strawberries, the remaining blueberries, 2 tablespoons of flour and 2 tablespoons of sugar in the bowl
9. Pour over second pie crust and form the galette as in step 5
10. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of turbinado sugar
11. Bake until crust is lightly browned, about 12 to 14 minutes
12. Serve warm or at room temperature topped with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream

Looking for more great fruit recipes? Click here!

__________________________________________________________

Always have fresh fruit on hand - join Ruma's Royal Fruit Club or purchase a monthly plan for a friend! Shipping is FREE!

Recipe of the Week: Fresh Fruity Salsa

No summer party is complete with out the chips and salsa! Try this fresh and fruity, sweet and salty take on everyone's favorite dip.

Fruit Fiesta Salsa

You need:

• 1 tomato
• 1 orange, peeled and segmented
• 2 kiwis, peeled and sliced
• 1 red onion, coarsley chopped
• 1 avocado, peeled and pitted
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 2 jalepeno chile peppers
• garlic salt to taste

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients, except garlic salt, in a food processor
2. Process using pulse setting until ingredients are finely chopped, but not quite smooth
3. Transfer to a medium bowl and garnish to taste with garlic salt

Looking for more great fruit recipes? Click here!

__________________________________________________________

Always have fresh fruit on hand - join Ruma's Royal Fruit Club or purchase a monthly plan for a friend! Shipping is FREE!