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Summer Fruit Salad
When the summer fruit is this good, treat yourself to an indulgent yet healthy dish that hits all the right sweet, slightly savory, and tangy notes. Champagne vinegar is my preferred way to brighten up a mix of stone fruit, buttery avocado and mango, and blackberries. With its delicate, crisp flavor, it lends just the right amount of acidity. Torn basil leaves add an herbaceous quality. Then I finish it with beautiful sea salt flakes. All the flavors benefit from that little touch. After all, summer is better with a reminder of the sea. Ingredients 2 large nectarines2 apricots⅓ pound cherries¾ cup blackberries1 mango1 avocadoHandful fresh basil leavesExtra-virgin olive oilChampagne…
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Tomato Salad with Fresh Apricot Vinaigrette
Ripe heirloom tomatoes are at their finest when dressed simply, in this case with a fresh apricot vinaigrette. Paired with ricotta salata and basil, you have a light side dish that’s packed with flavor or a delicious lunch that makes use of the season’s best picks. Often people ask how I decide what to make for meals in any given week, knowing that the dishes I share with them on Thirsty Radish are what I’m enjoying at the moment. As I walk around the market, I’m guided by whatever looks freshest. In this case, brilliant yellow heirloom tomatoes caught my attention followed by other brightly colored varieties stacked in the…
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Chocolate Squares with Honeyed Apricots and Coconut
A dark pool of bittersweet chocolate, dried apricots dripping in honey, and a bit of salt sitting on the counter create a satisfying push and pull even before this confection comes together. Sweetness will be tempered. When the fluidity of stirred chocolate is interrupted by the addition of dried coconut, feel yet another pull – the disruptive change from smooth to speckled. Taste your way through this recipe as you drizzle, melt, and pinch to create tempting squares that invoke the Mediterranean and the tropics. The liquid confection is so delicious that you may need to remind yourself to spread it out and let it harden rather than eat it…