Ciao, we are writing this post under the Tuscan sun. We have olive trees on the left side of our house, grape plants on the right, and rosemary, sage and lavender fields in our garden. And after one week here I think even Elsa’s got a scent of lavender coming from her skin.
We promised that we would blog from here, and even though the Italian P’s (Pasta, Patate, Pizza & Pane) have made our trip a little less wholesome than we are used to, we try to keep most of our dinners simple, with fresh vegetables on the bbq and different dressings and sauces.
Last night we finished our dinner with this classic Italian dessert, a macerated fruit salad with our own version of a honey zabaglione. The Italians vary the fruits according to season, we used different stone fruits and Cantaloupe melon. What makes the Italian fruit salad special is that it’s tossed with lemon juice and sugar (we used honey) and left it in the fridge for a couple of hours to let the juices and flavors come out.
Macedonia di Frutta
Serves 4
25 cherries, cut in half
6 apricots, cut in quarters
3 peaches, cut in thin slices
1/2 cantaloupe melon, cut in thin slices
juice and zest from 1 large lemon
2 tbsp raw honey
Honey Zabaglione
5 organic egg yolks
3 tbsp raw honey
1/3 cup / 80 ml dry white wine
3/4 cup / 180 ml organic yogurt
fresh lavender flowers
Making the fruit salad: Combine the fruit in a large bowl. Place lemon juice, zest and honey in a small bowl, stir around with a spoon and pour over the fruits. Toss gently, taste, and add more honey and lemon if desired. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Making the honey zabaglione: Whisk egg yolks with honey until blended in a large stainless-steel bowl. Set the bowl over simmering water and whisk until the mixture lightens in color and thickens, about 3-4 minutes. Add the wine and a couple of lavender flowers and continue whisking constantly until the mixture is pale, thick, and has expanded in volume, about 10 minutes. If the mixture curdles it’s too hot, remove it from the heat whisk it off for a few seconds.
When the zabaglione is light and fluffy, move the bowl to a larger bowl filled with ice water to cool the zabaglione quickly. When cool, fold in the yogurt. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
To serve, divide the fruit in 4 glasses or small bowls. Put a spoonful of zabaglione alongside. Sprinkle a couple of lavender flowers on top of it.
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