SUMMER IS BLUE

 Blue as in blue fish. From the enormous bluefin tuna (atún rojo) to tiny fresh anchovies (boquerones, bocartes) and including a delicious array in between—swordfish (pez espada), albacore (bonito del norte), frigate mackerel (melva), skipjack (listado), bonito, mackerel (caballa), horse mackerel (jurel), trout (trucha), amberjack (pez limón), and sardines (sardinas)—their best season is summer. (Salmon also is a blue fish, but I’ve intentionally omitted it from the list because it is represented in Spanish markets solely by farmed fish from Norway.) 

Not all blue fish are blue. Although many are deep blue to silvery-blue, some such as red mullet (salmonete) are not. Blue fish are fatty fish whereas white fish, such as cod, are lean. Blue fish are especially rich in omega 3, the fatty acid that is known to be protective of heart health. They have deeply forked tails in contrast to lean fish with rounded tails.

In Spain, the almadraba tuna fishing season is just ending. The almadraba is a very ancient way of fishing tuna. The Phoenicians, who colonized southern Spain more than 3000 years ago, devised a system of capturing the tuna as they migrated from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. The almadraba nets, forming long chambers, like a series of corrals, are anchored to the bottom. Tuna swimming through on their migration to spawn in the Mediterranean are trapped in the nets. Fishermen in boats pull the nets into a tightening circle, until the huge fish are trapped in the middle. The men gaff them and haul them on board. It is an amazing sight.

The following recipe for grilled tuna with a red wine sauce might be made with any variety of tuna. The fish, cut in steaks or cubes, can be grilled medium-rare, especially apt for bluefin, or slow-cooked right in the sauce.

Tuna steak is grilled on a plancha, grill pan, served with red wine sauce and potatoes.

Red wine sauce with diced vegetables complements the meaty tuna steaks.

Too rare for you? Grill the tuna a little longer for medium.

Grilled Tuna with Red Wine Sauce

Atún a la Plancha con Salsa de Vino Tinto

Moroccan preserved lemons add a briny accent to the sauce. If not available, substitute a spoonful of capers. The tuna can be grilled on a plancha, a heavy grill pan, or, in full summer mode, on a gas or charcoal grill.

Thick-cut tuna steaks are best.

Serves 4.

3 tablespoons olive oil + more to sear the tuna

1 cup chopped onions

½ cup diced carrots

2 cloves chopped garlic

1 cup diced mushrooms

½ cup diced zucchini

1 cup peeled and diced tomatoes

½ cup red wine

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chopped preserved lemon (optional)

Chopped parsley to garnish

Pine nuts, toasted, to garnish (optional)

4 tuna steaks, each 6-8 ounces

Heat the oil in a skillet on medium and sauté the onions and carrots until onions are softened, 5 minutes. Add the garlic, mushrooms, and zucchini and continue frying 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, turn up the heat and cook until tomatoes are reduced slightly. Add the wine and salt and pepper to taste. Cook the vegetables until the carrots are tender and liquid reduced, 10 minutes. Stir in the lemon, if using. 

Season the tuna with salt and pepper. Lightly oil a grill-pan (plancha) or heavy skillet and place on high heat. Grill the tuna steaks to desired degree of doneness (1 minute per side for medium rare). Serve the tuna accompanied by the wine sauce. Garnish with parsley and pine nuts.

Get it on with summer blues:

Grilled Tuna with Onion Confit.

Cantabrian Fishermen's Stew (Sorrupotún)

Grilled Albacore with Crumb Toppin.

Basque Albacore and Potato Stew (Marmitako).

Poke Bowl with Albacore.

Fresh Anchovies Marinated in Vinegar (Boquerones en Vinagre).

Lemon-Marinated Fried Fresh Anchovies.

Grilled Sardines.

Horse Mackerel, Biscay Style.

Fisherman's Wife's Mackerel with Vegetable Pisto

Bonito with Olive Sauce.

Roasted Whole Bonito.

Swordfish Brochettes.

***   ***   ***

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain, will be published August 12, 2025! See Meatballs with Backstory for more about what’s in the book and to view several of the page spreads. See advance reviews at Advance Praise for Flavors of al-Andalus. 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)

$39.95 hardcover: Available in print and e-book in August 2025

 Pre-order on IndiePubs

Promotion ends soon! Use PROMO CODE HIPPO40 for 40% off through June 30 on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.

***

Pre-order on amazon

SPEAKING OF BEANS—

 

Green beans with chorizo and potatoes.

Green beans from the garden were featured in my salad recipe last week. This week I’m cooking beans with chorizo, an easy main dish or side. 

No beans about it--

Speaking of beans, let me tell you that in my new cookbook, FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain, there are no recipes for beans, neither green beans nor pintos, haricots nor limas. Why not? 

There were no beans in al-Andalus, Moorish Spain, the Islamic kingdoms of Iberia between 711 and 1492.  These legumes, of the family Phaseolus vulgaris, native to Mexico, were brought back to Europe on Columbus’s second expedition to the New World in 1493.  

Other legumes—chickpeas, lentils, black-eyed peas, fava beans, and peas were consumed in Moorish Spain. Interestingly, two of the words for “bean” in Spanish, alubia and judía, come from Moorish times. The Arabic name for the black-eyed pea, lubia, came to be used for all beans when they eventually became available in Spain. The word judía actually means “Jewish,” possibly because the Sephardic people of Spain favored the “beans” of the day, black-eyed peas. (Oh, by the way, there are no recipes with potatoes or chorizo in the new book either.) See below for more information about  FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS. 

*** *** ***

Green Beans with Chorizo

Judías Verdes con Chorizo

Serve the bean-chorizo combo as a side dish, here with fried fish (rosada).

Or finish cooking the fish in the sauce with the beans.

Wide, flat green beans, such as Romano (variety pictured is Helga), if available, are best for this recipe. But it can be made with any bean variety. The chorizo can be dry-cured or raw. For a vegetarian version, omit the chorizo, use additional olive oil, and 2 teaspoons of pimentón (paprika). As a main dish, the beans are good garnished with quartered hard-cooked egg.

Pre-cook beans 2 minutes.

Serves 2.

4 ounces green beans

Salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 ounces chorizo, chopped

½ cup chopped onion

1 clove chopped garlic

½ cup grated tomato pulp (1 tomato)

Freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of oregano

1 cooked potato, cubed (optional)

Fillets of fried fish (optional)

Top and tail the beans and cut them into short (2-inch) pieces. Cook in boiling salted water 2 minutes. Drain and refresh the beans under cold water. Set them aside.

Heat the oil in a pan and fry the chorizo, onion, and garlic on medium heat until onion is softened, 5 minutes. Add the tomato pulp, salt and pepper to taste, oregano, and the potato, if using. Cook until tomato is reduced to a sauce, 5 minutes. Add the par-boiled beans to the mixture and reheat them, 2 minutes. If desired, add fried fish to finish cooking with the beans. 

*** *** ***

The fish pictured above is rosada, "pink fish," popular in Spain although it is not fished locally. For more about rosada see this recipe for Fried Fish Sticks.

More green bean recipes:

Salad with Green Beans and Purslane.

Green Beans in Garlicky Sauce.

Green Beans with Tomatoes.

Sauté of Green Beans and Cherry Tomatoes.

Green Beans and Ham Sauté

Rice with Chicken and Green Beans (Arroz con Pollo)

*** *** ***

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain, will be published August 12, 2025! See Meatballs with Backstory for more about what’s in the book and to view several of the page spreads. See advance reviews at Advance Praise for Flavors of al-Andalus. 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)

$39.95 hardcover: Available in print and e-book in August 2025

 Pre-order on IndiePubs

Use PROMO CODE HIPPO40 for 40% off through June 30 on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.

***

Pre-order on amazon

GARDEN SALAD (and First Look at New Cookbook)

 

First look at my new cookbook!

 I just received an advance copy of   FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain! My new cookbook will be out in August. See below for how to pre-order. 

Flavors of al-Andalus has a section of Suggested Menus, giving you ideas on how to use the recipes in home entertaining, holiday, and family meals. Pictured are foods for a tapas party with flavors of al-Andalus.

I´ll be cooking from the book in the coming weeks. Today, though, it's salad.

I´m headed to the garden for lunch. Looks like all the ingredients for a salad—the last of the cauliflower and some puny carrots; the first of the green beans, lettuce and cherry tomatoes. I´m using the tail-end of onions and potatoes that were pulled up a few weeks ago. There are even a few kale leaves that escaped the last soup pot. My extra virgin olive oil comes from olives I picked myself. Oil plus a squeeze of lemon fresh from the tree are all the dressing needed. 

Crisp lettuce, starting point for today's salad lunch.

Fresh green beans! Love this wide, flat variety.

A few dinky carrots, a small cauliflower, onions, potatoes, cherry tomatoes. Lemon juice instead of vinegar and house extra virgin olive oil for the dressing.

Except for the eggs and canned tuna, I picked my salad from the garden. 

More salad ideas:

Lettuce Salad with Everything.

Spanish Mixed Salad (Ensalada Mixta).

Escarole Salad with Cod (Xató).

*** *** ***

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain, will be published August 12, 2025! See Meatballs with Backstory for more about what’s in the book and to view several of the page spreads. See advance reviews at Advance Praise for Flavors of al-Andalus. 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)

$39.95 hardcover: Available in print and e-book in August 2025

 Pre-order on IndiePubs

Use PROMO CODE HIPPO40 for 40% off through June 30 on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.

***

Pre-order on amazon

SPEAKING OF LAMB--

 

Succulent lamb braised on the shank bones with glazed shallots.

Last week I posted a recipe for lamb riblets taken from my forthcoming book, FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain. While I’m on the subject of lamb—I just happen to have a freezer full of various cuts from a lamb we butchered in April. Lucky me. Lamb is my most favorite meat of all. 

This week, while no one else is at the table, seems like a good opportunity to cook two small shanks. The recipe comes from Canal Cordero, “the lamb channel,” an online site dedicated to promoting Spain’s superb lamb. Canal Cordero offers, besides information about lamb, a recetario, an all-lamb cookbook (in Spanish), with recipes both traditional and cheffy for many different cuts. This recipe for lamb shanks is adapted from that site.

Red wine gives depth to the sauce.

Lamb Shanks Braised in Red Wine

Zancarrones de Cordero Guisado al Vino Tinto

I used two very small (5-ounces each) lamb shanks, serving one—me. The recipe given is for larger shanks to serve two persons. I substituted shallots (chalotas) for the small onions (cebollas francesas). I used olive oil in place of butter for the glazing.

Two small shanks to serve one.

Serves 2.

2 lamb shanks, each 8-10 ounces 

Salt 

Freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 leek, chopped

½ cup chopped carrot

10 cloves garlic, peeled

Sprigs thyme and rosemary + additional for garnish

1 bay leaf

1 cup red wine

1 cup lamb or chicken stock + more as needed to thin the sauce

12 small onions (about 1 pound), peeled

1 cup water

1 tablespoon sugar or honey

Sprinkle the shanks with salt and pepper and let them come to room temperature. 

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a heavy pan and brown the shanks on all sides. Remove them. Add the onion, leek, carrot and garlic. Sauté gently until onion is softened, 5 minutes.

Return the shanks to the pan. Add the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf. Add the wine and cook off the alcohol, 1 minute. Add the stock. Cover and cook gently until the lamb is very tender, about 60 minutes.

While the lamb is cooking, place the onions in a small pan with the water, 2 tablespoons of oil, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and cook until onions are very tender when tested with a knife, about 15 minutes. Uncover and raise heat to cook off any remaining liquid and slightly glaze the onions. 

Remove the shanks from the pan. (If desired, the meat can be removed from the shank bones). Discard the herbs. Saving a few pieces of carrot for garnish, press the remaining vegetables and sauce through a sieve. Discard the solids. Return the sauce to the pan and add enough additional stock to make a sauce the consistency of gravy. Reheat the shanks in the sauce. Serve the lamb shanks with the onions and sprigs of fresh herbs. 

More recipes for cuts of lamb not leg or shoulder:

Lamb Shanks with Prunes.

Lamb and Bean Stew.

Lamb Necks with Quince.

Lamb Riblets in Garlicky Sauce.

Shepherds' Lamb Stew.

And, because it's grilling season:

Marinated and Grilled Leg of Lamb.

Whole Wood-Fire Roasted Lamb.

*** *** ***

COMING SOON!  My newest cookbook, FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain, will be published August 12, 2025! See Meatballs with Backstory for more about what’s in the book and to view several of the page spreads. The book has garnered advance reviews. See those at Advance Praise for Flavors of al-Andalus. 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)

$39.95 hardcover: Available in print and e-book in August 2025

 Pre-order on IndiePubs

Use PROMO CODE HIPPO40 for 40% off through June 30 on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.

***

Pre-order on amazon

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS-

 "This is a fascinating book about history but not stuck in time. Janet is a time traveler, telling us stories about the past but always making them relevant, bringing the world of al-Andalus—a region very close to my heart—to our kitchens today."

--Chef José Andrés

I am so honored to receive these words, an advance review of my book, FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, from José Andrés, chef, restaurateur, humanitarian, and friend. They will appear on the back cover of the book along with brief reviews from other writers on food and history. 

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain (back cover)

José Andrés, a Spanish-born chef who has restaurants all across the United States, is founder of  World Central Kitchen, a non-profit organization that provides food relief in disaster areas. 

I am grateful to all those who took the time to read the advance release of FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS and pass along their thoughtful comments. I especially appreciate the praise from Nawal Nasrullah, whose English translation of a 13th century Andalusí cookbook by Ibn Razīn al-Tujībī, was one of my primary references in writing this book. The beautiful photo of the Alhambra, Granada, the last of the fabulous palaces of the Andalusí era, is by Julio Sevillano. 

In FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS I didn’t set out to recreate those 13th century recipes, but rather to track their legacy in the cooking of today. The 120 recipes in the book are dishes you might find in modern-day Spain, in a tapas bar in Sevilla, at a village fiesta, or on the dinner table in a pueblo home. It is the story of the Muslim influence on the cooking of Spain today.

This following recipe from Granada is a garlicky stew that is usually made with kid-goat.  A dish of Morisco heritage, it's what I always ordered at a venta on the road to the Sierra Nevada (Granada). The Moriscos were former Muslims who stayed on in their towns and villages, keeping their language, religious practices, mode of dress, and food customs after the fall in 1492 of the last Muslim kingdom of Granada. 

The principal change to the recipe in the ensuing centuries has been the addition of dried red peppers and pimentón. Here’s the Andalusí version.

Lamb Riblets in Garlicky Sauce

Carne en Ajillo a la Moruna

The Morisco influence is still very strong in the cooking of upland areas of Granada and Almería. The Muslims of al-Andalus did not use much garlic in their cooking, as the Prophet Mohammed instructed followers not to eat garlic before entering the mosque. However, since neighboring Jews and Christians cooked with a lot of garlic, Muslims gradually acquired a taste for it—another instance of the culinary fusion of the era. 

Ajillo means “a little garlic.” In Spanish, the diminutive also denotes affection or, tongue in cheek, the opposite of “small.” Sometimes using “just a little garlic,” actually means it’s lots and lots! Most recipes cooked “al ajillo” are simply food sautéed in olive oil with lots of garlic, whole or chopped cloves like the famous tapa gambas al ajillo, shrimp sizzled in oil with garlic. Here fried garlic is crushed with almonds to make a flavorful sauce. 

In the traditional version, the lean, tender meat from kid-goat (choto, chivo, cabrito) is hacked into pieces, bones and all. A good substitute is lamb riblets or even small lamb chops.

Serves 4.

2 pounds lamb riblets

Salt

¼ cup olive oil

4 garlic cloves

¼ cup blanched and skinned almonds

1 slice bread, crusts removed 

½ teaspoon coarse salt

¼ teaspoon peppercorns

1 clove

¼ teaspoon saffron threads

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ cup white wine

2 inch cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

Parsley to garnish

Pomegranate arils to garnish (optional)

Sprinkle the meat with salt and let it come to room temperature.

Heat the oil in a cazuela or large skillet. Add 3 cloves of unpeeled garlic. When they begin to sizzle, add the almonds and bread. Fry until they are lightly browned on both sides. Skim out the garlics, almonds and bread.

Place the pieces of meat in the oil on medium heat and fry them slowly, turning to brown on all sides.

Crush the coarse salt, peppercorns, clove and saffron in a mortar. Add the cumin. Stir in the white wine and mix well. 

Peel the 3 cloves of fried garlic and remaining raw garlic. Place them in a blender container with the almonds, bread broken into pieces, and ½ cup of water. Blend until smooth. Add the spices from the mortar and blend again.

Pour the mixture from the blender over the meat. Add the cinnamon stick, bay leaf and ½ cup more water. Mix the sauce with the meat. Taste for salt. Simmer, uncovered, until the meat is fork-tender, about 45 minutes. Add additional water if necessary to keep the meat from scorching. The sauce should be the consistency of gravy. 

Let the meat set 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley and, if desired, pomegranate. 

***   ***   ***

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)

$39.95 hardcover: Available in print and e-book in August 2025

 Pre-order on IndiePubs

Use PROMO CODE HIPPO40 for 40% off through June 30 on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.

***

Pre-order on amazon

EXUBERANT SPRING FRUITS

 

Loquats (nísperos) on the tree.

Does the scent of strawberries excite you? Does the burst of color from a bin of cherries make your heart beat faster? How about the golden glow of a basket of loquats? What? You don’t know about loquats? These could be your new springtime love.

I took a bag of loquats to give away to the chicas in my aerobics group. The Brits had never tasted loquats!. The Spanish turned them down—they’ve already got more locally-grown loquats than they can eat. The Moroccan women grabbed them up with delight! 

 

Easy to peel.

Let me tell you more about loquats (Eriobotrya japonica, nísperos in Spanish). Native to China, they arrived in Spain, via Japan, in the 19th century. A semi-tropical tree, the loquat thrives in the provinces of Alicante, Murcia, Granada, and Málaga. The yellow fruit is the size and shape of a large egg. It has a smooth, tough skin that is easily peeled—just strip it off with your fingers.

Split in half, the loquat reveals one, two, or three dark, nearly black pits. The flesh is yellow-orange to pale yellow. Loquats ripen earlier than apricots and, like apricots, they have a very brief season. 

The loquat is tangy-sweet, as juicy as a ripe peach (although not fragrant like peach). It could substitute for peach, raw or baked in a pie. 

Once cut up, loquats will oxidize and darken. To prevent this, cover them with cold water. You can add salt (1 tablespoon for 4 cups water) or lemon juice (3 tablespoons for 4 cups water), but plain water works just as well. 

I’ve made loquat chutney, loquat mousse, and the best ever spring fruit salad. The birds can have the fruits that remain, hanging just out of my reach.

Ingredients for chutney with loquats.

Loquats are a good fruit to use in making spicy chutney. Use the recipe here, substituting cut-up loquats for the mangos.

Loquat mousse made with gelatin.

To make the mousse: Cook 3 cups cut-up loquats and ¼ cup water with 3 cardamom pods and a strip of orange peel for 10 minutes.  Soften 4 sheets of gelatin in cold water. Squeeze out the water and add the gelatin to the cooked fruit and stir to dissolve. Discard the orange peel and cardamom husks. Place the fruit in a blender with 1½ cups of canned coconut milk or evaporated milk. Sweeten to taste with sugar, honey, or non-caloric sweetener. Chill the mixture. When partially set, beat it to make it fluffy and ladle into 6 (1/2-cup) dessert cups. Chill. 

An exuberant fruit salad for springtime.

Springtime Fruit Salad 

Ensalada con Frutas de Primavera

Use any combination of in-season fruits—loquats, strawberries, apricots, cherries, melon, watermelon, raspberries, peaches, blueberries, grapes, figs. I combined strawberries and loquats with kiwi and orange. While kiwis and oranges are not actually in season, they are available year-round. Citrus complements loquats. Combine fruits in any proportion to make approximately 4 to 5 cups sliced fruit. Make a syrup using jam and sweet Sherry instead of sugar. 

Serves 4 to 6.  

¼ cup strawberry jam

¼ cup oloroso Sherry

¼ cup water

1 ½ cups sliced strawberries (about 8 ounces)

1-2 sliced kiwis

1 large orange, peel grated and sections removed

2 ½ cups sliced loquats 

1-2 tablespoons lemon, lime, or sour orange juice

Whipped cream or Greek yogurt (optional)

To make a light syrup, combine the jam, Sherry, and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. If desired, strain the syrup and discard solids from the jam. Cool the syrup.

In a fruit bowl, combine the sliced strawberries, kiwis, and loquats. Grate the orange peel over the fruits, then peel the orange and separate the sections. Add them to the bowl. Squeeze the remaining membrane to extract all its juice. Add the juice with the lemon, lime, or sour orange juice. Gently combine the fruits. Either mix the syrup with the fruits or serve it separately for each person to add as desired. Serve with cream or yogurt, if desired.

Loquats stand in for mango in this chutney.

More recipes with loquats;

Loquat-Spinach Salad with Cheese.

Loquat Mousse (This version with egg.)