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Lustrous, fragile, and intensely flavored, raspberries can be enjoyed fresh, in sauces, in desserts, preserved in jams and jellies, in beverages, and even in flavored vinegar. Raspberries grow on thorny, woody three-foot stems or canes which die back after the fruit is harvested. Delicate white flowers ripen into raspberries, which are actually aggregates of several small individual fruits or drupelets, each with its own hard tiny seed. These drupelets surround a central core, which distinguishes the raspberry from the blackberry. When a ripe raspberry is picked, the white central core will pull away from the fruit and remain on the plant, leaving a telltale depression in the berry. The core of the blackberry will come away with the fruit. As a member of the bramble family — whether red, black, yellow, orange, amber, or white — all raspberries defend themselves somewhat ferociously with thorns. If you do pick your own berries, choose fruits that are completely ripe; berries do not ripen after picking. When buying raspberries at the store or farm stand, select plump fruits with good color. Avoid tightly packed containers of berries, which may be soft or too ripe. Extremely perishable, raspberries have a shelf life of only a day or two. Refrigerate berries and wash very gently immediately before use. Raspberries are high in fiber, rich in vitamin C and potassium, and have about 50 calories per cup. Raspberries freeze easily. Simply spread the berries in a single layer onto a cookie sheet for several hours. Store frozen berries in a zipper plastic bag in the freezer until ready to use. Fresh Raspberry Sauce (Raspberry Coulis) Chicken Sauté with Raspberry Vinaigrette Serves 6 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 3 Tbs. chilled butter, cut into small pieces 6 cups sliced peeled peaches (about 2-3/4 pounds) 2 tsp. lemon juice 1 cup fresh raspberries 1 Tbs. granulated sugar 1 Tbs. cornstarch Cooking spray 2 Tbs. raspberry coulis (recipe below) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl, and cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine peaches and lemon juice in a large bowl; toss gently to coat. Add raspberries, one tablespoon granulated sugar, and cornstarch; toss gently. Spoon fruit mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray; drizzle coulis evenly over fruit. Sprinkle with crumb mixture. Bake 45 minutes or until lightly browned. — Adapted from Cooking Light, July 2000 Fresh Raspberry Sauce (Raspberry Coulis) Makes 1 cup Use a flexible rubber spatula to push the pulp through a sieve. Continue to press until all that remains is a tablespoon of stiff, clumped-together seeds. Vibrantly colored and intensely flavored, raspberry coulis is great over fresh fruit, cake, ice cream, or cheesecake. 1 pint raspberries 3 Tbs. sugar 2 tsp. strained fresh lemon juice Purée all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing firmly with a rubber spatula. Stir in a little more sugar or lemon juice, to taste, if needed. Serve at once, either at room temperature or chilled, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. —Joy of Cooking Chicken Sauté with Raspberry Vinaigrette Serves 4 Enjoy this easy and delicious chicken with rice pilaf and a salad of summery greens. 1 Tbs. olive oil 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 cup Raspberry Vinaigrette (recipe below) 1/4 cup fresh raspberries Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add chicken breasts and cook until nicely browned, about 8-10 minutes. Turn chicken and cook the other side, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate and keep warm. Add vinaigrette to skillet, stirring and scraping the browned bits into the sauce. Heat gently. Return chicken to skillet, turning pieces to coat with sauce. To serve, place one chicken breast on each of four plates. Spoon any remaining sauce over chicken. Garnish each piece with a few fresh raspberries. Makes 2 cups Raspberries, sherry vinegar, and a touch of lemon juice make one of the most luscious vinaigrettes. Use the vinaigrette to dress a fruit salad composed of thin melon and banana slices, a green salad with walnuts, or use as a lovely sauce for sautéed chicken (recipe above). 1-1/2 - 2 cups raspberries 2 Tbs. sherry vinegar 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup best-quality olive oil Pinch freshly grated nutmeg Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Purée the raspberries in a food processor. Strain through a sieve to remove the seeds and return the purée to the food processor. Add the vinegar and lemon juice and process to blend. With the machine running, pour the oil through the feed tube in a thin steady stream. Season with nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. — The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook Crème Brûlée with Raspberries Serves 2 2/3 cup fresh raspberries 3 Tbs. granulated sugar 4 tsp. cornstarch 1 cup 1 percent low-fat milk 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1 Tbs. low-fat sour cream 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 4 tsp. brown sugar Place 1/3 cup raspberries in each of 2 (6-ounce) ramekins or custard cups. Combine granulated sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Bring milk mixture to a boil over medium heat; cook one minute, stirring constantly. Gradually stir one-fourth of hot milk mixture into egg; add egg mixture to remaining milk mixture, stirring constantly. Cook two minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. Add sour cream and vanilla; stir well. Pour mixture evenly over raspberries and chill at least four hours. Preheat broiler. Sprinkle each serving with 2 teaspoons brown sugar. Place ramekins on a baking sheet; broil custards 2 minutes or until brown sugar melts. Serve immediately. —Best of Cooking Light’s Classics, 1998 Delicious, simple, healthful, easily prepared — this Scandinavian-style fruit pudding is a great everyday family dessert, good for breakfast or brunch, or perfect company fare when served in clear glass dessert cups or stemware. The fruits are barely cooked, glistening jewel-like in the deep scarlet, translucent kissel. 2 cups Concord grape or raspberry juice 1/4 cup sugar, or to taste — depending on the sweetness of the juices 3 Tbs. potato starch or cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup grape or raspberry juice 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced, or 20 oz. frozen unsweetened whole strawberries 3 cups fresh or 12 oz. frozen whole raspberries 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract Whipped Cream In a nonreactive saucepan, combine the juice and sugar. Pour the dissolved potato starch mixture into the saucepan and slowly bring it to a simmer on medium-high heat, about 10 minutes. As soon as it begins to simmer, stir for about 5 minutes, until the cloudy juice becomes clear. Refrigerate for a least 20 minutes. Serve chilled, either family-style in a bowl, or in individual dessert cups or glasses topped with a dollop of whipped cream. —Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites |
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