This was the perfect quick, energizing lunch to share with my 9.5 month old baby. I am crazy about golden kiwi, in fact I think it’s my favorite fruit, having surpassed nectarines, cherries, and even berries. If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of trying them, the flavor brings to mind what it must feel like to eat sunshine. I know, I know- it’s a bit maudlin to say that, but seriously, that’s what I thought (and still do) when I first tried one. They don’t have the sour/ slightly bitter flavor of green kiwi, instead they are gently, not overly sweet and very refreshing.  And they are very, very good for you.

Makes one large serving (or a medium and small serving)

Ingredients

1/3 cup orange (or other) juice
2 heaping tbs plain yogurt
1 small handful almonds
1 ripe banana
1 peeled, thickly sliced golden kiwi
1 cup blackberries
ice- optional, if you like a really frozen drink

Combine all ingredients in a large glass suitable for an immersion blender or in a regular blender jar. Blend to combine. Enjoy!

Estimated total time to prepare & cook: one hour

Serves four as a main course, six as a first course.

Ingredients

3 tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1.5 liters/ 6 cups vegetable stock or water with 1.5 vegetable bullion cubes
1.5 c rutabega, peeled and roughly chopped (you may substitute 1 medium or 2 small peeled, chopped potatoes or sweet potato)
1 large carrot, peeled and quartered
1 head cauliflower, clean and separate into florets
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 -1/2 tsp cayenne powder (optional)
plus black pepper and paprika for garnish
parmesan cheese, sliced with a vegetable peeler

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil. Once hot, add the curry powder and salt. Stir in the onion and sautée for about five minutes. Stir occasionally to keep from burning. Add the garlic and continue to sautée, until the onion is golden in color and translucent. Add your vegetable stock (or water with bullion cubes) and bring to a boil. Once boiling add the rutabega and carrot. Turn heat down, but maintain a feisty simmer; cook until the rutabega is beginning to soften- about 10 or 15 minutes. Add the cauliflower, again bringing to a boil, turn the heat down and continue to simmer until it is soft. Remove from heat, add black and cayenne peppers. Blend until creamy with an immersion or regular blender. Taste, adding salt if you like. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with paprika and black pepper; add several slivers of parmesan to the top. Enjoy!

*As I’m very pregnant right now, I made this pretty mild, leaving out the cayenne and cutting back on the curry powder. And sadly, no accompanying glass of wine. Sigh.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9 x 5 x 2 3/4 loaf pan with a piece of parchment or waxed paper, and butter the paper. Lightly dust the pan with flour, shaking out the excess.

Separate 1/3 of an apple. Slice lengthwise into thin slices, sprinkle with lemon juice and set aside. Dice the remaining apples into 1/4 inch pieces. Melt the 2 1/2 tbs of butter over low/ medium heat, reserve ½ tbs for later; add the 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Add the diced apples and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently until the apples are golden and slightly drier. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and the sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, and vanilla extract; beat until smooth. Add the sour cream and beat to combine. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together, add to the butter mixture in three batches, stirring with a wooden spoon until just combined. Beat the egg whites in a bowl until they hold soft peaks. Stir a third of the whites in to the batter to combine. Fold the remaining whites into the batter with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not over mix. Fold the fried apples into the batter. Scrape into the prepared pan. Lay the sliced apples lengthwise across the top, brush with melted butter and dust the entire top with cinnamon and sugar.

Bake for 35 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake 45 minutes longer (checking after 35 minutes, and again at 40 minutes) or until pound cake is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for at least 1 hour before turning it out of the pan (if you don’t wait it will sag in the middle). Then place it back on the rack and allow it to cool completely. Serve alone, with whipped cream spiked with cinnamon or fresh vanilla ice cream. Yield: 1 loaf.

My taste tester approves.