Southwestern Apricot Salsa

Servings: Not applicable
Time: 15 minutes
Difficulty: Simple
Fresh salsa is so tasty that it is great with less full flavoured foods. Use on BBQ meats, as a relish on a sausage or simply with cold meats to make lunch so much more interesting.

8 fresh Apricots (diced)
4 oz. red onion (finely diced)
1 oz. olive oil
1 oz. capers, chopped
1 oz. lime juice
1 oz. lemon juice
2 tsp.white wine vinegar
chopped Jalapeno pepper, minced
Tobasco (optional and only if you want it hotter)
1/2 tsp. lime or lemon peel, grated
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 oz chopped fresh herbs (basil or organo or sage)
White pepper, to taste
salt, to taste

1. Combine apricots and remaining ingredients in bowl, stirring gently.
2. Cover and refrigerate until served.

Sauces – Dressing

Honey-Apricot Dressing

Servings: Not applicable
Time: 15 minutes
Difficulty: Simple
Another great dressing with tangy sweetness. Great with almost all salads. What like to serve it with is stick cucumber, stick carrot (fine) and watermelon salad (equal quantities of each).

8 1/4 oz Unpeeled Apricot Halves
1 cup Dairy Sour Cream
1/4 cup Honey
1tbsp seed mustard
2 tbsp fresh herbs (optional)
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 dash Salt & white pepper

1. heat apricot in a pan with minimal water and stir occasionally. When apricot has melted into pulp take off the heat and add all the other ingredients except for the cream.
2. Let cool. When you are ready to eat whish in cream quickly and re-season with salt and pepper to taste.

Apricot Basil Dressing

Servings: 1 cup enough for a large communal salad
Time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Simple
A very simple dressing which is all the more impactful due to the simplicity of the ingredients. The first method produces a richer cream-type dressing in the tradition of blue cheese dressing. The second is a far lighter dressing which is visually very beautiful due to the specks of apricot which is felt on green leaf.

2 apricots
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. sugar
1tbsp fresh basil
1 /4 cup vegetable or olive oil

1. Combine 2 pitted fresh ripe apricots with the white wine vinegar and sugar in a blender. Blend for 30 seconds.
2. With blender still running, slowly drip in vegetable oil until thick and smooth.
3. Stop blender and add into blender fresh basil. Blend for 10 seconds.

Alternative method
4. Combine white wine vinegar and sugar in a blender. Blend for 30 seconds.
5. With blender still running, slowly drip in vegetable oil until thick and smooth.
6. Stop blender and add into blender fresh basil and teaspoon of French seed mustard. Blend for 10 seconds.
7. Place this mixture over finely diced apricots, stir and chill overnight to be used at anytime over next week.

Sauces – Glazes & Toppings

Apricot Basting Sauce

Servings: Not applicable
Time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Simple
For all types of meat but especially for lamb.

1/2 cup Apricot Jam
1/4 cup Apricots, Dried, Fine Chop
1/4 cup Dry White Wine
1 tbsp Honey
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

1. Heat all the ingredients over low heat, stirring occasionally, until jam is melted.
Its that simple. May add a touch of Tabasco if you want some more spice.

Fresh Apricot Dessert Topping

Servings: up to 6 pax
Time: 5 minutes
Difficulty: Simple
So incredibly simple it defies belief. Yet as you can see with the flame blasé it can look and taste wonderfully sophisticated.

2 cups sliced fresh apricots
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. apricot nectar or orange juice
Muscat dessert wine

1. Pit and place the fresh apricots in a blender. Place the sugar and nectar in. Start blending on slow. Add in wine until the desired consistency.
2. For a heavier flavour substitute the sugar with honey (but not flavoured honey).
3. May add either orange or lemon zest or peel to bring out ‘zing’.

Serving suggestions:
Use as a topping for sponge cakes, plain ice cream, frozen yogurt etc
Fancy dessert – Place one sponge cake on a large microwave proof plate. Scoop out from the middle a little sponge. Place sponge and sauce in a microwave and heat for about two minute. Working very fast, place a cup of brandy in the microwave for 30 seconds. Immediately that is in, on the hot sponge place several scoopes of ice cream and top the ice cream with the sauce. Sprinkle with zest. Take the hot brandy and set it alight in the cup. Pour cup on the outside of the sponge allowing the entire ouside of the sponge to flame blasé - serve immediately.

Sweet 'n' Spicy Onion Glaze

Servings: Not applicable
Time: 15 minutes
Difficulty: Simple
A very simple glaze with great piquancy and flavour. The apricot ‘lingers’ during the cooking and adds moisture particularly over an open fire.

1 can onion soup
1 tsp crushed garlic
20 oz (1 Jar) Apricot Preserves
6 oz vegetable oil
2 oz white or cider vinegar
2 tbsp French mustard
1 tbsp sugar or 2 tbsp honey
1 dash of tobasco or equivalent
Salt & white pepper

1. In small bowl, blend all ingredients.
2. Use as a glaze for chicken, spareribs, satay, kebabs, hamburgers or sausages.
3. Marinade the meat in the glaze.
4. Use the rest of the glaze by brushing it on during the last half of cooking.
5. Makes about 2 1/2 C glaze

Warm Apricot Topping

Servings: 4-6
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Not challenging
The only really tricky part is the caramelizing of the sugar – do not let it burn. Otherwise this ever so simple filling with complex favour is perfect for blander carbohydrate compliments.

1 pint water
12 oz. granulated sugar
8 oz. butter
2 oz. brown sugar
4 oz. orange juice
2 oz. lemon juice
2 oz orange liqueur
1 oz. apricot brandy
1/2 tsp. brown cinnamon
Fresh apricots

1. Combine water and sugar in saucepan. Cook over low heat until dissolved.
2. Increase heat and bring to boil. Cook 10 minutes until syrup has thickened.
3. Add butter and next 6 ingredients quickly. Stir for 1 minute then add apricots and cook until apricots are heated through.
4. Serve with french toast, crepes/pancakes, ice cream or with sponge fingers.

If you wish to keep for a later date add everything except the liqueur, brandy and apricots. When required heat through add the spirits and the apricots and proceed to enjoy.

Sauces – Nectar

Apricot Nectar

Servings: Makes 1.5 quarts
Time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: Simple
Very useful for a host of other recipes. Can be frozen in an ice cube tray and thus the exact quantity used without having to defrost a whole block.

1 quart apricots
1/2 cup sugar
1 quart water
1 Tbsp. lemon orange juice

1. Wash and pit fresh fruit.
2. Boil fruit and water for 5 minutes.
3. Strain off the liquid and add sugar and lemon juice and bring to a boil.
4. Makes 1 1/2 quarts.

Sauces – Other Conserves

Brandied Apricots

Servings: Not applicable
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Simple
Pickled apricots are an incredibly elegant way of complimenting meats and fowl dishes. The touch of brandy adds a very aromatic air to the fruit. Brandied apricots can be serve in a salad, or cold with meat pies or sliced into a sauce. The uses are only limited by one’s imagination.

7 lbs apricots (unpeeled, whole)
6 cinnamon sticks
4 lbs. Sugar (may be all or part brown sugar)
whole cloves
1 pint vinegar

1. Wash apricots and stick 2-3 cloves into each one.
2. Boil cinnamon sticks and vinegar together reducing the liquid by about a third.
3. Put apricots into this syrup and poach gently until soft, but not mushy!!
4. Pack into sterilized hot jars with one cinnamon stick in each jar.
5. Add 1 Tbsp. brandy to each pint of pickled apricots just before sealing - seal at once.
6. If you are going to use a preserving urn do not bother poaching the apricots as they will break up whilst in the urn.

Pickled Apricots

Servings: Not applicable
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Simple
Pickled apricots are an incredibly elegant way of complimenting meats and fowl dishes. They can be serve in a salad, or cold with meat pies or sliced into a sauce. The uses are only limited by one’s imagination.

7 lbs apricots (unpeeled, whole)
6 cinnamon sticks
4 lbs. Sugar (may be all or part brown sugar)
whole cloves
1 pint vinegar

1. Wash apricots and stick 2-3 cloves into each one.
2. Boil cinnamon sticks and vinegar together reducing the liquid by about a third.
3. Put apricots into this syrup and poach gently until soft, but not mushy!!
4. Pack into sterilized hot jars with one cinnamon stick in each jar- seal at once. If you are going to use a preserving urn do not bother poaching the apricots as they will break up whilst in the urn.