Stone Fruit with Ginger-Lime Syrup

Stone Fruit with Ginger-Lime Syrup is ideal for brunch, and a fanciful summertime dessert, too.

Temperatures are reaching well over 100 degrees here in Los Angeles so I am always looking for recipes that are light and refreshing. Stone Fruit with Ginger-Lime Syrup is perfect for cooling off in the summertime heat.

This delicious and impressive recipe is from Jennifer Segal’s new book Once Upon a Chef, the Cookbook: 100 Tested, Perfected, and Family-Approved Recipes.

Jennifer’s 100 recipes will surprise you with their ease and bold flavors. Each recipe comes with a gorgeous photo and pro tip to up your kitchen game.

I recently met Jennifer at a meet and greet luncheon at Melissa’s Produce.

Here are a few delicious recipes we sampled.

Smoked Gouda & Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwiches pg. 78  – Roasted Swiss Chard with Feta pg.168 – Andouille Sausage & Shrimp Gumbo pg. 138 – Old-Fashion Ginger Spice Cookies pg. 250

Jennifer’s Swiss Chard with Feta had the right mix of flavors to balance out the slightly bitter green, enough that even professed chard haters will fall in love with it.

And Jennifer surprised us all at how easy and quickly this Pan-Seared Halibut with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil recipe came together during her demonstration. (If halibut is out of season you can use any other firm, white fish.)

Pan-Seared Halibut with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil pg. 123

I was inspired by her demonstration, so I tested these recipes at home.

Warmed Caramelized Onion & Gruyere Dip pg. 34

I used Hatch Sweet Onions that are grown in the same region as Hatch Chiles and they caramelized beautifully for this rich appetizer. Look for them in your local grocery store.

And I served this dip with pita chips. My guests gobbled this one down quickly.

Ahi Tuna Poke with Avocado pg. 42

I made this poke recipe in 4 oz. mason jars and took it to the Hollywood Bowl as part of our picnic. I LOVE that mason jars double as dishware!

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Burrata, Pesto & Pine Nuts pg.84 – Cauliflower Puree with Thyme pg. 162 – Kir Royal pg. 287 – Persian Lime “Key Lime” Pie pg. 247

I will make each of these dishes again, and many more from the book because each recipe offers a unique spin on the ordinary. For example, the key lime pie doesn’t have any eggs, and Jennifer’s rendition of scrambled eggs uses cornstarch in them for a fluffier texture.

And, not one recipe requires unusual equipment. Win-win, yum, yum.

Today’s Recipe: Stone Fruit with Ginger-Lime Syrup

I chose this recipe because stone fruits are in season right now. We all know how flavorful and juicy they are out of hand, and when you add them to a sweet and pungent ginger syrup, you have an elegant little dish that shouts simple summer fun.

Just boil the ginger, sugar, and water to make syrup. Strain, add the lime juice and refrigerate. Slice the fruit, add cooled syrup and fresh mint and you have yourself a refreshing dish for brunch or dessert. I put them in mason jars and served it at the Hollywood Bowl.

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Stone Fruit with Ginger-Lime Syrup

Seasonal stonefruit a delightful treat, but when you add this sweet and pungent ginger-lime syrup to it you now have an exceptionally refreshing and pretty dish.

Servings 4

Author Jennifer Segal

Ingredients

• 1 cup [240 ml] water
• 1/2 cup [100 g] sugar
• 1/2 cup [115 g] sliced fresh ginger left unpeeled
• 1/4 cup [60 ml] fresh lime juice from 2 limes
• 3 ripe peaches sliced
• 3 ripe plums sliced
• 3 ripe nectarines sliced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan over high heat, bring the water, sugar, and ginger to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium heatproof bowl; discard the ginger. Stir the lime juice into the syrup and then refrigerate until cool, about 1 hour.

2. In a shallow serving bowl, combine the sliced fruits and mint. Pour the cooled syrup over the fruit. Cover and chill for at least 45 minutes or up to a few hours. Serve the fruit and syrup in bowls with spoons.

Stone Fruit with Ginger-Lime Syrup is my new go-to summertime recipe. I am enjoying cooking out of Once Upon a Chef because I am learning lots of tips and twists that elevate dishes I have made before.

I think Jennifer’s recipes work because she has the authority of a professional chef and the practicality of a busy working mom. I love that she teaches you to improve your cooking one recipe at a time, with helpful tips on topics such as how to season correctly with salt, how to balance flavors, and how to make the most of leftovers. I am looking forward to trying the rest of her recipes
…and then, she paused for thought.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of Once Upon a Chef to cook with, as always, all opinions are my own.