Easy Fruit Appetizers

MILWAUKEE - Alisa Malavenda shares some easy, fun fruit appetizers to squeeze the last drops out of summer! 

Frozen Peach Bees Knees 
1.5 oz of gin 
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T plus 1 t honey
4-5 big slices of fresh peaches put in the freezer
1 C ice
Lemon or fresh peach slice for garnish

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth 
Pour into cocktail glass and garnish 

Marinated Cantaloupe 
1⁄2 cup honey
2 t. whole black peppercorns, crushed
1 slightly under ripe cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced
2 basil leaves plus 1 thinly sliced
Flaky sea salt
Prosciutto (cooked in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes until crisp)
Mozzarella or Burrata cheese 

Whisk honey, black pepper, and 1 cup boiling water in a bowl and allow to cool. In a zip lock bag or 9" x 13" baking dish.
Add cantaloupe; toss to coat. 
Refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
Drain and discard excess syrup from cantaloupe . 
Arrange cantaloupe on a plate, place cheese in the middle.
Sprinkle with thinly sliced basil, pinch of salt and crispy prosciutto 

 

Tomato and Peach Bruschetta with Hot Bacon Dressing
6 slices of cooked bacon, chopped 
¼ c good olive oil, plus more for bruschetta
2 T champagne vinegar (or you can also use white balsamic) 
1 T honey
¼ C basil, chiffonade (cut into ribbons)
Crushed chili flakes, salt and pepper to taste
1 baguette
1 log goat cheese, at room temperature or if you don’t like goat cheese you can use whipped ricotta
2 peaches sliced or chopped 
1 cup of multi-colored cherry tomatoes, halved

Put the oil, vinegar, honey, chili flakes, salt and pepper in a jar and shake. 
Stir in warm bacon.
Brush your sliced baguette with olive oil and either grill or broil toast or grill on both sides. 
In a bowl toss the peaches and tomatoes with a few tablespoons of dressing, spread the cheese over the warm bread. Top with the peaches and tomatoes and drizzle with dressing.
Top with chiffonade (ribbons of basil)

Watermelon "Pizza"

Watermelon 
Pickled onion 
Pickled jalapeno 
Crumbled feta cheese
Basil leaves and balsamic glaze 

Slice a slab of watermelon into a round and then triangles to mimic a pizza
Scatter onion and or pickled jalapeno, crumbled feta cheese, torn basil leaves.
Serve like a pizza with balsamic glaze on the side for serving 

Balsamic Grapes and Cipollini and Roasted Sausage 
1.5 lbs. sweet Italian sausage links 
1 T olive oil
1 t crushed red pepper flakes
Cipollini onion or 1 large onion
1 clove of garlic minced well
2 T butter, unsalted
1-1/2 lbs. red seedless grapes (about 3-3.5 cups)
About 6 T balsamic fig vinegar (you can buy this or make it at home with balsamic and dried figs cooked with a little honey until thick and syrupy)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees In a big sauté pan, add oil until almost smoking. Add sausages just to brown. Remove to a paper lined plate. In the same pan, add onions, garlic and chili and stir until you dislodge all the brown bits stuck to the pan. Cook until golden about 5 min. Remove from pan and set aside.

In the same pan used for the onions. Melt butter and then add grapes toss to coat all the grapes with the butter, with tongs return the sausages to the pan. Push them down into the grapes and cook for another 3 minutes. 

Add the onion /garlic mixture and give it a good stir. Place everything in a roasting pan and cook in the preheated oven for 20-25 min. Remove the sausage and grapes to a plate, place pan on the stove and add the vinegar to deglaze, scrapping up all the brown bits on the bottom. Cook until thick and syrupy. While the sauce is cooking, slice the sausage. Pour syrup over the plate and serve.

Shrimp Ceviche with Summer Fruit 
1 LB shrimp, boiled until just pink
2 limes, juiced
1 lemon, juiced
Splash of tequila
2 c melon, diced small (watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew or other)
1 Small red or white sweet onion, diced fine
1 jalapeño or half a serrano, seeded and minced
¼ c fresh cilantro, rough-chopped
A few mint leaves, rough chopped
Pinch each salt and pepper, to taste
1 T extra virgin olive oil
Watermelon Cups or Grilled Avocado, halved and Tajin or Dukkah for seasoning (Optional)

Combine all except avocados or watermelon cups and optional seasoning. Taste and adjust seasonings.
If using, Rub split avocados with a drizzle of olive oil. Mark briefly on hot grill. Or cut out a watermelon cup and hollow.
Divide shrimp ceviche among avocado or watermelon cups, topping with a sprinkle of seasoning, as desired. Serve immediately.