I met Peter the day after Christmas at The Market in Anacortes, WA. He was passing out samples of this salsa with a cashew-crusted chicken breast seasoned with his personal spice blend. Chef Peter had a bad experience with a computer once — so bad that he no longer has one, nor a website. So I cannot properly direct you to Chef Peter, his spices, or other recipes of his, but I can share with you a smashing spicy, fruity pico de gallo recipe that would pair well not only with cashew-crusted chicken but grilled whitefish (halibut! mahi-mahi!) or tossed in grilled or steamed shrimp. You may also wish to fold it into a quesadilla or place a spoon of it atop brie and crackers for New Year’s hor d’oeuvres.

• 1 cup dried, unsulfured apricots
• 1 fresh pineapple – slightly unripe (rock hard – no soft spots)
• 2 Braeburn apples, peeled and cored
• 1 red pepper, cored and seeded
• 4 jalapenos, stems, seed, and veins removed (keep veins for a little more heat, seeds for extra heat)
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 1/2 cup honey or agave nectar
• 4 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 pinch salt

Peel and core pineapple. Dice all produce into tiny pieces. Mix with lime, honey and salt. Refrigerate until chilled and stir in cilantro just before serving.

This pumpkin butter was really easy to make and resulted in a tasty spread that I am donating to a craft fair to benefit Shakti Rising. Who says you have to pay for gourmet?

Some uses for this fabulous spread:

• On toast (with cream cheese – an  absolute favorite in my dairy days)
• Swirl with cream cheese and serve with bread or crackers for a holiday party
• As a topping on vanilla ice cream
• Thin with water or apple juice and drizzle over waffles, french toast, or pancakes
• As a sauce for baked apples
• Stir it in yogurt for breakfast, top with chopped walnuts
• Use instead of pumpkin in pumpkin muffins
• And whatever else your imagination can create (reply below with your ideas!)

Behold — the pumpkin butter:

• 15 oz. canned pumpkin
• 1 cup organic applesauce
• 1/3 cup sucanat
• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. freshly grated ginger
• pinch of cloves (up to 1/8 tsp)
• 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a small pan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Mixture will splatter – be careful! Upon boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally as mixture thickens.

When mixture is very thick, remove from heat and let cool.

While spread is cooling, bring a large pot of water to a boil and boil jars and their lids to sterilize.

Spoon into tight-sealing jars and keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

This ginger jam recipe is POTENT! I plan on using it on cashew butter rice bread sandwiches in the morning, since my supply of ginger spread is no longer being offered at Trader Joe’s. While sampling it during cooking, I realized it will also do nicely whipped into cream cheese, swirled into cheesecake, or layered between spice cake.

Makes 1 12 oz. jar.

3/4 cup Finely chopped peeled ginger
1 Apple peeled – cored and finely chopped
(note – no need to chop ginger and apple if using a Vitamix)
3/4 cup Sucanat (dehydrated sugar cane juice) or date sugar
1 cup Water

Combine all ingredients in a Vitamix or food processor – process until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan, place over medium heat and cook until the mixture begins to bubble. Stir consistently until it reaches a jam-like thickness, about 30 minutes.

Top Produce Ideas

1. Fresh Berries in Yogurt
2. Frozen Berries as Ice Cubes!
3. Grilled Asparagus Spears
4. Fresh Watermelon Juice!
5. Serve mango sorbet in half a cantaloupe

Ricotta Fruit Dip!
Ricotta cheese pairs well with the sweetness of fruit and offers a decent dose of protein to slow blood sugar response. This makes a great easy snack for work or after school! Provides 8 grams of protein per serving!

• 1/3 cup low fat ricotta cheese
• 1/2 tablespoon sucanat or maple syrup
• 1 tsp. finely grated orange peel
• 1 tbsp. orange juice
• 1/2 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt (Cascade Fresh or Nancy’s)
• Assorted fruit of choice

In a food processor or Vitamix, mix ricotta, sweetener and orange juice and peel. Mix until smooth. Stir cheese mixture into the yogurt. Cover and chill up to 24 hours. Serves two (accompanied with assorted fresh fruit).