Making your dishes and baked goods stand out may be as simple as adding a few gourmet seasonings, mixes or dressings to your repertoire. These items are often easily found at your local farmer’s market or specialty food store. Most of these foods are made with fresh, locally grown produce. A resident of Michigan, many of my favorite gourmet foods are made using some of Michigan’s most popular crops such as cherries and apples.
Michigan Cherry Salsa
One of my favorite food dressings is that of Michigan cherry salsa. It is great served with chips or crackers , however, this salsa is also useful in many other culinary ways. Use it as a meat relish, in quesadillas or as a tasty and gourmet style sandwich topping.
Gourmet Turkey Sandwich Recipe
Makes 2 sandwiches
Ingredients: 4 slices of bread, 8 slices of turkey, 2 slices of Swiss cheese, 2 tablespoons of mustard, 2 tablespoons of cherry salsa.
Preparation: This sandwich is best prepared grilled (like a panini). Once grilled, spread mustard on one slice of bread and cherry salsa on other slice.
Pure Michigan Honey
Honey can be used in a variety of ways to add flavor and sweetness to dishes. Replace sugar with honey in your baking, spread it on homemade biscuits, or serve over ice cream for a deliciously sweet dessert. Honey can also be a great meat marinade especially on chicken, turkey and ham.
Orange Honey Tea
Makes 1 cup
Ingredients: 1 mandarin, tangerine or wild orange flavored tea bag, 1 teaspoon of honey
Preparation: Fill your tea cup with hot water. Soak your orange flavored tea bag for five minutes. Sweeten with honey. This tea is delicious, soothing and relaxing.
Michigan Dried Cherries
Use dried cherries similar to dried cranberries or raisins. Mix them in your breakfast oatmeal, cookie mix, muffins, chicken salad or serve as a salad topping.
Sweet Chicken Salad
Makes 2 servings.
Ingredients: 2 cups of chopped chicken, 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, 1/2 cup of chopped pecans, 1/2 cup of dried cherries, salt and pepper to taste.
Preparation: Mix ingredients in bowl. Season to taste.
Apple butter is more of a spread than it is a butter. It can be used similar to a jam on biscuits or toast, or as a topping on pork chops, waffles or potato pancakes.
Apple Butter French Toast
Makes 4 serving.
Ingredients: 8 slices of bread, 1 cup of milk, 2 eggs, 1 drop of both vanilla and almond extracts, 1 cup of sour cream, 1 1/2 cups of apple butter, 1/2 cup of oil.
Preparation: Heat oil in cast iron or other skillet. Beat eggs, milk and extracts together in a medium sized bowl. Let stand for a minute. Immerse a slice of bread in liquid mixture (on both sides) and move over to heated skillet. Brown bread on both sides. Repeat until all eight slices are done. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and apple butter as desired.
