We debuted this recipe last week and immediately fell in love. We are always splashing orange blossom water in whatever feels right, and this combination was incredible. Usually we are sticklers for real organic cane sugar to be used in our mojitos, but the honey and orange blossom together are fabulous. There is no exact recipe that we follow, so these are the guidelines:

Use a scotch glass or other sort of tumbler.

Pour 1 to 1 1/2 ounces of rum (we use brown rum in our mojitos), such as Flor de Cana, into the tumbler.

Add 1 ounce Honey Syrup (see below) and stir.

Use 2 limes or 3-4 key limes (rinse them well under hot water), and juice them all you can into the glass. Toss in the rinds. Mash with the back of a spoon or another utensil to release the oils from the skins.

Add a splash (about 1 T) orange blossom water and stir everything together.

Add ice and top off with sparkling water. Stir once more and serve with a few torn mint leaves.

Makes 1 glass.

To make the Honey Syrup: heat up about 1/2 cup of honey in a small saucepan with 1/4 cup water. Stir over low heat and simmer slightly for about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. This just makes the honey more liquid and able to dissolve into the drink.

This salad is called the Gypsy salad because it is a melange of flavors, textures and ideas from around the world.  Blood orange, arugula, and fennel from Europe mix with jalapeno and avocado from Mexico.  Cumin, mint, and dates from the Middle East come into play as well.  Many of these ingredients, like dates, have traveled from their origin, and are now part of new cultures.  It is like us, a gypsy that never stops traveling.  The measurements are not exact, we trust that you add how much you want of each ingredient, and enjoy the journey that it takes you on.

Ingredients

1 fennel bulb, trimmed and outer layer removed (if bruised)

1 handful of baby arugula

1 handful of dates, pitted and sliced in quarters

a few kalamata or Moroccan black olives, pitted and sliced

1/4 of a jalapeno pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1 avocado, halved and pitted

1 sprig of mint

Small handful of parsley

a handful of fresh walnuts, roughly chopped

2 blood oranges (you can substitute regular oranges or cara caras here also)

1 lime (kaffir limes welcome!)

1-2 Tablespoons sherry or rice wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Pinch of cumin and salt

Slice the fennel in half lengthwise, and then thinly slice each half horizontally.  Transfer to a bowl and combine with the arugula.

Add the sliced dates and olives. 

Thinly slice the jalapeno.  If you are sensitive to heat, finely mince it, but if you like more of a bite, slice it in small horizontal strips.  You only need a 1/4 of the pepper or so.

Roughly chop or tear the herbs and add to the bowl. 

Keep the avocado meat in the skin and score with a knife in long vertical slices.  Use a spoon to get under the meat and scoop out the slices over the salad bowl. 

For the dressing, zest the oranges and the limes with a zester or microplane over the salad bowl.  You will only need a little bit of the lime zest and about 1/2 of one of the orange's zest.  Slice off the top and bottom of the oranges, removing the skin and pith.  Next place the oranges, one at a time, on the cutting board and slice off the skin and pith (without going to deep!) to reveal each segment.  Working over another small bowl, slice out each orange segment carefully, allowing the juices to fall into the small bowl, and then add the segments to the larger salad bowl.  When you have finished slicing the oranges, squeeze out any excess juice into the small bowl.  Juice the lime into the bowl as well.  Stir in the cumin, vinegar, and olive oil and whisk to combine (you can just do this with a fork). 

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. 

Add the crumbled walnuts. 

Serves 2. 

This salad works as an appetizer, but it also goes beautifully on top of grilled fish like tuna or mahi mahi, or atop a grilled chicken breast. 

Peaches are a great texture to include in Latin recipes in the summer, as their texture is a good substitution for mango. And although they are sweet, they have a nice acidity that makes them go well in savory recipes also. The juices of the peaches and vegetables in this salsa mix together with the vinegar and oil to create a delicious mixture that is irresistible. We love this on grilled fish, with chips, or alongside quesadillas. It is best made 100% local.

Ingredients:
2 ripe peaches, medium dice
¼ cup cucumber, peeled, medium dice
¼ cup red onion, small dice
2 spring onions (white and pale green parts), thinly sliced
1 medium tomato, medium dice
1 tsp. jalapeno pepper, minced
Small handful of fresh herbs such as mint, cilantro, and parsley
Rice Wine Vinegar
Splash of Olive Oil
Salt to taste

Toss all of the peach, tomato, cucumber, onion, chile, and herbs together in a bowl. Pour in the vinegar and oil, and season to taste with salt.
Makes about 2 cups.
Fun additions: halved ground cherries, scallions, colorful bell peppers, and mint!

The addition of preserved lemons to a classic guacamole gives this dip a surprising kick!

1 preserved lemon, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon lemon brine
2 large hass avocados, pitted
½ lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons cilantro, roughly chopped
1 sprig mint, roughly chopped
Pinch of smoked paprika

Pulse all of the ingredients in a food processor, until all of the ingredients are combined but not completely smooth. Makes about 2 cups.