Summer Recipes

Ingredients

For the soup:

• 400g cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
• 3 spring onions, roughly chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Small bunch of tarragon
• Couple of sprigs of mint
• Small bunch of basil
• 100g California walnut halves
• 220g Greek yoghurt
• 30ml lemon juice (plus a little extra)
• 70ml extra virgin olive oil
• A pinch of salt and pepper

For the garnish:

• 8 ice cubes
• 2 radishes, thinly sliced
• 50g California walnuts, toasted
• Mixed herbs
• Salad leaves
• Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation:

1. Place all the ingredients for the soup into a blender and blitz until smooth, and then season with the salt and pepper, adding a little more lemon juice if you like.
2.  Pour the soup into four bowls and garnish with your choice of fresh herbs and leaves, sliced radishes, toasted walnuts and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
3. Pop one or two ice cubes in each bowl to keep the soup super chilled.

Ingredients

• Nonstick spray
• 1/2 cup light-colored honey
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon fine lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon coarse lemon zest / chopped lemon peel
• 1/3 cup minced California walnuts, lightly toasted
• 1Kg fresh summer stone fruit – any combination of peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, pluots, cherries, etc.
• Lovely mint leaves, for garnish

Preparation:

1. In a small bowl combine the lemon juice, zest, honey and peel, and beat for a minute or two, until combined. Stir in the California walnuts.
2. Pit and slice the fruit, and arrange it on a platter or on individual dessert plates. Spoon some sauce over or next to the fruit, then garnish with mint leaves. Serve right away.

Ingredients

• 1 cup California walnuts, soaked for 2 hours or overnight in water
• 2 1/2 cups walnut milk
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 4 teaspoons instant coffee
• 1 tablespoon MCT oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Garnish with chopped California walnuts

Preparation:

1. Drain the walnuts and place in a blender with walnut milk, brown sugar, maple syrup, instant coffee, oil, vanilla, and salt. Blend until very smooth. Cover and refrigerate until well-chilled.
2. Place into the bowl of an ice cream maker and freeze until firm.
3. Transfer it to a 1-quart container and store in the freezer.
4. Scoop into the bowls and garnish with chopped California walnuts.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup mango puree
• 1/2 cup ice cubes
• 3 cups curd
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup California walnut milk
• 1/2 cup mango ice-cream
• 4 tablespoons strawberry crush
• 4 tablespoons fresh mango diced

Preparation:

1. In a blender, churn together mango puree, California walnut milk, sugar, ice cubes, curd and mango ice-cream till it is smooth. Reserve till further use.
2. Take a few tall glasses and add a tablespoon each of strawberry crush at the base.
3. Top with the chilled smoothie.
4. Finally top with fresh diced mangoes.
5. Serve chilled.

How to make California walnut milk at home?
Soak a cup of untoasted walnuts for 2 hours in 2 cups of water. Strain and rinse walnuts well. Transfer to a blender with 1 cup cold water. Blend on high for a minute. Strain through a muslin cloth till you get an almost dry powdery mass in the muslin cloth after pressing the milk. Transfer in a glass jar and store in the refrigerator. This gives you 2 cups of home-pressed California walnut milk!

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon sabja/tukmaria seeds
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup falooda sev, cooked or soaked (depending on the variety used)
• 4 tablespoons rose syrup
• 2 cups California walnut milk
• 3 tablespoons California walnuts, chopped roughly
• 2 tablespoons candied fruits
• 1 cup ice cubes

Optional inclusions:

• 1/2 cup strawberry jelly
• 2 scoops vanilla ice cream

Preparation:

1.  Soak the sabja seeds in 1/4 cup water till they swell up.
2. In a glass, add rose syrup, followed by soaked sabja seeds and falooda sev.
3. Top with ice cubes, California walnut milk, candied fruits and walnuts.
4. Additionally, you may also top it up with jelly and ice cream.
5. Serve chilled.

Ingredients:

• 5 pieces dried kokum petals
• 1 cup California walnut milk
• Salt to taste
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 green chilly

Preparation:

1. Soak dried kokum in 1/4 cup of hot water for minutes.
2. Run all the ingredients in a blender jar with some ice cubes.
3. Strain and serve chilled.

Ingredients:

• 3 raw mangoes, medium sized
• 1/4 cup fresh mint
• 1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
• 1 cup California walnut milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons black salt
• 4 cups chilled water

Preparation:

1. Wash and dry the raw mangoes.
2. Roast the mangoes over direct heat for about 10 minutes till charred on the outside.
3. Cool them off. Peel the skin and use your hands to separate the pulp and the stone.
4. Take the pulp in a blender and add sugar, black salt, walnut milk, roasted cumin powder, mint.
5. Blend to make a smooth paste.
6.  Add chilled water and blend again for a minute.
7. Refrigerate for about 2 hours.
8. Pour in glasses and serve chilled.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup curd
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons blueberries
• 1/4 cup California walnut milk
• 2-3 tablespoons California walnuts, chopped roughly

Preparation:

1. In a blender pour all the ingredients, except crushed walnuts.
2. Blend till smooth and frothy.
3. Transfer into a glass and garnish with chopped California walnuts before serving.

Ingredients:

• 60 g walnuts
• 80 g brown rice (already cooked)
• 800 ml water
• Pinch of cinnamon or vanilla

Preparation:

1. Blend together all the ingredients and filter them in a fine strainer. It can be kept between 5 days and a week, in a refrigerated glass bottle.

Ingredients

• 130 g cucumber
• 1/ 2 teaspoon salt
• 150 g sushi rice
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar
• Juice and zest of 2 limes
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/ 2 teaspoon wasabi paste
• 250 g fresh tuna, cut into bite sized chunks
• 1/2 avocado, cubed
• 80 g California walnuts, toasted
• 1 green chilli, finely sliced and deseeded
• 1 pink grapefruit, peeled and segmented
• A handful of Asian micro herbs, or rocket leaves

Preparations

1. Slice the cucumber into 5mm thick rounds, place in a sieve and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt to draw out the water.
2. Wash the rice in a sieve under cold running water until the water runs clear. Cook over a high heat until tender, and remove the rice from the pan.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together the rice vinegar, mirin, sesame oil, soy sauce, caster sugar, lime juice and zest.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the mayonnaise and wasabi.
5. Spoon the rice onto two plates. Top with the tuna, cucumber, avocado, toasted California walnuts, green chilli, grapefruit and micro herbs or leaves. Spoon over the lime dressing and add a dollop of mayonnaise to each plate to serve.