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ByBrigitteMoran and Shannon Lovelace-White AgriculturalInstituteof Marin California produces roughly 95 percent of the nation's apricots, and this time of the year our local farmers mar- ket abounds with these native-born beauties. If you are a regular shop- per you likely already know that there are a great number of apricot varieties available at the market, each with their own slightly unique fla- vor profile. Varieties also vary in size, texture and harvest periods (ranging from early May to late July). Independent of the va- riety, apricots are an ex- cellent source of vita- min A and C, potassium and fiber. Besides being enjoyed fresh or dried, apricots are commonly used for jam, tarts and compotes. Apricots make a delicious base for savory sauces and glazes, pairing beauti- fully with chicken, pork, even tofu. Like other stone fruits, apricots are also delicious served fresh off the grill with whipping cream, ice cream or a soft cheese like mascarpone. Simi- larly, apricots can be en- joyed roasted. Zuni Café chef Re- becca Boice shares a fa- vorite recipe — roasted apricots stuffed with al- mond frangipane. "Apricots and almonds have a natural affinity," Boice says. For a savory starter, Boice likes to serve these stuffed apricots along- side a salad of radicchio and shaved fennel with a simple sherry vinai- grette, so "the sweet of the apricot cuts the bit- ter of the radicchio." For a yummy dessert, follow the lead of Zuni Café's pastry chef and serve these topped with cherries and creme anglaise — think melted vanilla ice cream, Boice says. "When selecting apri- cots for roasting, firm, slightly green apricots work well. They can hold up to the roasting and the brown sugar from the almond stuffing adds sweetness." Wondering about a wine pairing for this el- egant yet simple recipe? Boice recommends a sau- vignon blanc or a not-too- sweet riesling. The Farmers Market Beet is provided by the Agricultural Institute of Marin (AIM) . Each column features a seasonal ingredient and recipe from or inspired by a local chef/ restaurant. Call AIM at 415-472-6100. FARMERS MARKET BEET Apricots,from sweet to savory Roastedapricots stuffed with almond frangipane 8apricots,golfball-size 1ounce almonds, toasted 2tablespoons packed brown sugar ¾ ounce unsalted butter Pinch salt Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a food processor com- bine almonds, brown sugar and salt. Grind until al- monds are a coarse texture with some fine dust. Add butter to food processor and pulse until combined. Set aside. Wash and dry apricots. Split in half and remove pits. Fill each apricot with about 1teaspoon almond mixture, depending on size and personal preference. Place stuffed apricots in baking dish and put in oven. Roast for about 15minutes. Remove from oven when apricots have slightly so - ened and almond filling has lightly browned. Serve warm out of the oven or later as a snack. RECIPE Zuni Cafe's frangipane- stuffed roasted apricots pair well with sauvignon blanc or riesling. COURTESY OF ZUNI CAFE By Heather Shelton hshelton@times-standard.com Friday is National Doughnut Day — 24 hours set aside to celebrate this popular deep-fried, sweet treat. My earliest introduc- tion to doughnuts — or at least what I thought were doughnuts — was actually a Cajun fried biscuit called "gonflos." My Great-Grand- mother Rita, and later my Grandma Bernice, served these tasty bites regularly for breakfast in their Loui- siana kitchens. I recently made these fried biscuits for the first time after finding the rec- ipe in my grandmother's cookbook. Unlike dough- nuts, they are not round, but square, and they are not sweet until you add some sweetness — powdered sugar or syrup, most often — to them. They were very simple to make and used the most basic ingredients. I hope you enjoy them. "C'est si bon," as Great-Grandma Rita used to say. Gonflos A La Rita INGREDIENTS 2cups flour 2teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt ¾ cup whole milk Vegetable oil, for frying DIRECTIONS Mix ingredients until a dough forms and then place the dough on floured wax paper. Roll dough out until it's about a 1/2-inch thick. Cut into squares and then cut a slit into the middle of each square. Carefully put uncooked dough into hot oil. Fry sev- eral biscuits at a time until light brown. Drain on a paper towel. There are several ways to serve these Cajun "dough- nuts." While still hot, generously sprinkle either powdered sugar or a sugar and cinnamon mixture on top or cover the warm bites with cane syrup. Makes about 12biscuits. FAMILY RECIPE Breakfast can be so sweet HEATHER SHELTON — THE TIMES-STANDARD These Cajun "doughnuts," which are actually more like biscuits covered with powdered sugar or syrup, were regularly served in Cajun kitchens. When you go into a bar or restaurant do you ever get the feel- ing that you're play- ing an adult version of Mad Libs? Many of the cocktail lists around here have some- thing — or somethings — on them that read like this: [insert local landmark name], [in- sert old-time drink name] made with [insert local li- quor], a dash of [insert es- oteric liqueur, the weirder the better], hand-crafted with [insert citrus of some kind] and garnished with [insert anything candied] served over a [insert a ran- dom three-dimensional shape] ice cube. If that isn't enough there is always one ingredi- ent that you've never ever heard of, but that the menu creators seem to take for granted — as if everyone al- ready knows what a "shrub" is. Here are three of the big- gest offenders, all appearing on cocktail lists near you. Simplesyrup Simple syrup is really that, the simplest of syr- ups. Equal parts water and white sugar are combined, brought to a boil and then cooled. By increasing the ratio of sugar to water you can produce progressively thicker syrup. Sometimes fresh fruit is added, giving the syrup both added fla- vor and color. Since sugar doesn't dissolve readily in liquor, simple syrup is of- ten used in cocktails to add sugar without adding grit. Quite often you will also see the word "macerated" used in connection with simple syrup, especially with fruits. It means noth- ing more than "soaked in." Sometimes the name of a specific sugar is also used in conjunction with simple syrup resulting in a descrip- tion that reads like this: tur- binado simple syrup with macerated cherries, or, as I like to say, cherries in sugar water. • A famous drink using simple syrup: The mint ju- lep is made with bourbon, simple syrup, mint and crushed ice. Gommesirop Just a fancy way of say- ing gum syrup. Gum Ar- abic is a thickener made from the sap of the acacia tree. It is used much like the more readily available guar gum. Added to liquid sim- ple syrup in its powdered form, it produces a more oily, more slippery viscous fluid. Some people find that it has a slight yet oddly fa- miliar "spice" taste. No sur- prise, since gum Arabic is used to make the glue on the back of lickable postage stamps. • A famous drink using gomme sirop: Invented in San Francisco in the 1800s, the pisco punch consists of pisco (Peruvian unaged brandy) pineapple juice, lime juice and gomme sirop. Shrubs A shrub was originally a fruit liqueur made from rum or brandy, and con- taining the rinds and juice of citrus fruits combined with sugar. In the golden age of cocktails (1850 to 1920) the shrub morphed into a drinking vinegar syrup used to make cock- tails. Before you ask, "Vin- egar in cocktails?" consider that vinegar is an acid and many cocktails are noth- ing more than a combina- tion of sugar and acid — the margarita, the lemon drop, the caipirinha, the daiquiri, among them. A shrub just replaces the cit- ric acid with acetic acid. In fact vinegar and water has been used as a thirst quencher since Roman times. The Bible says that Jesus was offered "drink- ing vinegar" mixed with herbs while hanging on the cross by Roman soldiers (not as a mockery but as a form of relief). It was the lemonade of its day. Today's popular kom- bucha tea is really a vin- egarized green tea that is slightly fermented, or in other words a tea shrub. It also helps to think of a shrub as a gastrique (a sauce of vinegar and cara- melized sugar used on des- serts) for cocktails. Shrubs often incorporate some sort of fruit flavoring along with the vinegar. For instance a green apple shrub would consist of diced green apple, vinegar and water. Simple, sharp and delicious. • A famous drink using a shrub: Well, there isn't one. This just goes to show that not all "classic" products produce a "classic" drink that will stand the test of time. Jeff Burkhart is the author of "Twenty Years Behind Bars: The Spirited Adventures of a Real Bartender," as well as an award-winning bartender at a local restaurant. Follow him at www. jeffburkhart.net and contact him at jeffb@ thebarflyonline.com. BARFLY Just what is in that fancy cocktail? COURTESY DREAMSTIME A mint julep is a classic drink made with simple syrup. SUSAN TRIPP POLLARD — BAY AREA NEWS GROUP Shrubs such as these made with strawberry, blood orange and tangerine, are gaining in popularity. There is always one ingredient that you've never ever heard of, but that the menu creators seem to take for granted — as if everyone already knows what a "shrub" is. 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