Blushing Sangria

I was in my local supermarket yesterday, and they had a special promotion for a rose Pinot Noir, and a description saying how great it tasted chilled on a summer afternoon. I have not bought rose wine for a long time, so I purchased a bottle, and started thinking how much more popular rose wine is in Europe. Many of my friends here in the US have indicated to me that rose wine was wine you would drink in college (as if it hadn't quite made it to red and white wine status), and that is probably why I have never been offered rose wine at anyone's house.

The recipe I have for Sangria suggests substituting the red wine for rose because it makes it a lighter, fruitier drink. The Spanish mixture of iced wine and fruit makes a refreshing summer beverage, and the fruit can be varied to whatever is on hand. It would be ideal for a summer barbecue or beach party.

Ingredients

• 1 orange, sliced and seeded
• 1 lemon, sliced and seeded
• 2 plums, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
• 1 peach, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
• 6 strawberries, halved
• 6 seedless grapes, halved
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier
• 1 cup fresh orange juice, plus more as needed
• One 750-ml bottle chilled rose wine

Method

1. In a pitcher, combine the orange and lemon slices, plum and peach wedges, strawberries, grapes, and lemon juice.
2. Sprinkle with the sugar and toss to combine.
3. Add the orange liqueur and let stand at least 1 hour.
4. Stir in 1 cup orange juice and the wine.
5. Add more orange juice to taste, if required.
   
6. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, or until chilled.
   

Moroccan Black Olive and Orange Salad

Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food is becoming more and more popular, not only as a main course, but as a side dish, or appetizer.

A typical example of this is hummus, which as little as five years ago, was unheard of by many people and is now offered as an appetizer in at least two of the pizza chain restaurants here in Southern California.


With this in mind, and looking for something to pair with the heartier-style meals that are typical of this time of year, this Moroccan Black Olive and Orange salad makes an ideal accompaniment to many meals. It is light and refreshing and can be either an appetizer or a side dish.

Serve it in our elegant white serving tagines to add an elegant and exotic touch to your meal.

Moroccan Black Olive Orange Salad Ingredients

• 4 Navel Oranges
• 1 Cup Pitted Oil-Cured Black Olives
• 1/4 Cup Red Onion, Thinly Sliced
• 1 Teaspoon Fennel Seeds, Crushed
• Sea Salt
• Red Wine Vinegar
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 Cup Torn Mint Leave

Method

1. Peel the oranges and with a paring knife, carefully scrape off as much of the white pith as possible, without tearing the fruit.
2. Slice each orange crosswise into 3/8th-inch thick slices.
3. Arrange the slices on a platter, slightly overlapping each one.
4. Scatter the olives and the onions over the oranges.
5. Season everything with the fennel seeds and salt.
6. Splash the vinegar and drizzle olive oil over the salad.
7. Place the mint on top.
   

Fancy Food and Peaceworks

The great thing about going to Food Shows is that you not only have the opportunity to find out about, and sample, some wonderful food from all over the world, you also learn that the common love of food overrides any issues involving race or religion. The New York Fancy Food show featured food produced in all regions of the US, Europe, Asia, and Africa - some of the vendors were seasoned producers and others were new companies from developing countries just starting out. It was also great to see the large number of companies promoting Fair Trade and organic produce.

One of the exhibitors we came across was PeaceWorks International who were promoting a selection of food products from different regions of the world, and educating people about of their mission. The concept of their organization is that they are a not-only-for-profit organization, and they believe that people working together under conditions of equality learn to shatter cultural stereotypes and humanize their former enemies. In fact, the PeaceWorks Foundation has fostered co-existence between many regions of conflict, proving the theory that when people work together striving to co-exist and prosper, amazing things can happen!

PeaceWorks currently does business with Israelis, Palestinians, Egyptians, South Africans, Turks, Indonesians and Sri Lankans and they have created some unique and exciting specialty foods using all natural, fresh ingredients. Some of the products we came across were Kind Fruit and Nut Bars, a health food bar from Australia made from whole nuts; Indonesian Bali Spice, a women-owned company producing sauces, seasonings and noodles that create a fusion of Indian and Thai flavors; Meditalia Pestos and Tapenades. These Mediterranean flavors are created through a partnership between Arabs and Israelis. PeaceWorks have proved that they can build and sustain a profitable company while doing a little good in the world, so who can complain about that?