[1] Pineapple slices on the grill (photos #1, #2, #3 © Hello Fresh).

[2] Start with a ripe pineapple. (Note: Pineapples are typically picked when ripe and don’t ripen further, but smell the pineapple for an aroma).

[3] While only Diamond Jim Brady could dig through this stack, use the same toppings for a single slice.

[4] Add a slice of grilled pineapple to a BLT, other sandwich, or burger. Here’s the BLT recipe from Half Baked Harvest (photo © Half Baked Harvest).

Grilled pineapple has so many uses, from salsa, to salads (chicken, crab, green, shrimp) to skewers and the recipes below.

It’s a delicious with breakfast sausages or bacon, at lunch on a burger or sandwich, and as dessert at dinner.

One of our favorites: a pineapple ice cream sundae with a scoop of vanilla atop a grilled pineapple ring, caramel sauce, a bit of whipped cream or mascarpone, and some macadamia or pistachio nuts.

> National Pineapple Day is June 27th.

> The year’s 80+ fruit holidays.

> The history of pineapple.
 
 
RECIPE: GRILLED PINEAPPLE

Thanks to Hello Fresh for the recipe.

Ingredients

 
Garnishes

You can use more than one of these.

 
Preparation

1. LAY the pineapple horizontally on a cutting board, and use a sharp cook’s knife to remove the top by slicing about a quarter-inch below the base of the leaves.

2. STAND it upright and peel skin side by side, slicing down from the open top of the fruit. The sweetest parts are closest to the skin just behind the brown “eyes” you’ll find along the perimeter, so try to keep your slices clean to preserve all that flavor. Once peeled…

3. LAY the pineapple horizontally to chop off the base and cut fruit into rings by slicing straight down width-wise, thickness to taste. The fiber-rich core is edible, but lots of people remove it because it isn’t as flavorful or sweet. Use a small paring knife to cut it out of your rings, if you’d prefer.

4. OPTIONALLY MARINATE the pineapple. Place the rings in a big plastic bag a few hours before you plan to grill them, add a teaspoon of honey, tablespoons of melted butter, a dash of hot pepper sauce and a dash of salt. If you don’t want hot sauce, add a dash of cinnamon and a squeeze of lime juice.

5. SHAKE the bag to coat the rings evenly, and pop it in the fridge until ready to grill.

6. TURN the grill to medium heat. Use tongs to remove the rings from the bag and lay them on the grill, spreading so they don’t slip through the grate. Grill until char marks appear, about 2-3 minutes per side.
 

13 MORE GRILLED PINEAPPLE RECIPES

Start with a ham, turkey or other sandwich with a slice of grilled pineapple and honey mustard. A slice of grilled pineapple is also great on a burger. Then, move on to these:

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Our friend’s daughter is largely vegetarian, but she’ll eat an occasional piece of fish (which makes her a flexitarian—here’s the difference of these terms plus pescatarian, vegan and others).

So for July 4th weekend, we picked up a box of SeaPak Alaskan Salmon Burgers, which are available frozen at stores nationwide.

It takes time to make salmon burgers from scratch, but these frozen patties are just the thing for a busy occasion like grilling with guests.

Cook them for 2 minutes on each side on a pre-heated and oiled pan or grill. The goal is a crispy outside and juicy interior.

We like salmon bugers “rare.” Remember that the burger will continue to cook for a minute or two once removed from the heat source—and there’s nothing worse than overcooked fish.
 
 
MORE USES FOR SEAPAK ALASKA SALMON BURGERS

In addition to salmon burgers, decked out with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, cole slaw, and condiments of choice (that’s yogurt-dill sauce in photo #1), you can use the burgers:

[1] Dress a salmon burger like a beef burger. Ketchup works, but a yogurt-dill sauce is better. Here’s a recipe (photo © McCormick).

[2] Keep a package of salmon burgers burgers in the freezer, for family and guests (photo © SeaPak).

In addition to great salmon flavor, salmon burgers bring the numerous health benefits of salmon.

[1] (photo © Better Homes & Gardens).

[2] You can make curled vegetables look like a bouquet (photo © Canard Inc.).

[3] Here, a beet and goat cheese salad is graced with curled beets (photo © Triomphe | NYC [now closed]).

[4] If fiddlehead ferns are in season, definitely add some (photo Katharine Pollak | © The Nibble).

An easy way to turn a raw vegetable salad into edible art is to thinly shave/cut the vegetables with a vegetable peeler or mandoline, and soak them in ice water for about 20 minutes.

This will not only make the ribbons curl, but they’ll be crunchier, too.

And, some might say, they have more eye appeal—much more than a spiralized raw vegetable salad.

Are you game to try?
 
 
CHOOSE VEGETABLES THAT ARE EASY TO SHAVE

Choose vegetables that shave well.

We’ve used asparagus, beets, broccoli stalks (a great use for them!), burdock root, carrots, celery, celery root (celeriac), daikon and other large radishes, Jerusalem artichoke, jicama, kohlrabi, parsnip, scallions* and sweet potato†.

Shave them lengthwise, then place the pieces into a bowl of ice water. Keep the shaved vegetables in ice water until ready to serve.

You can serve the curled vegetables on a bed of greens, or by themselves.
 
 
RECIPE: CURLED VEGETABLE SALAD

We adapted this salad from one in Better Homes and Gardens.

Their recipe used cucumbers and radishes (photo #1). However, pick as many veggies to curl as you like, balancing beige-white vegetables with colored ones.

You can also add the jalapeno or not; and optionally, add

 
We’ve created a salad of greens and herbs. Use your favorite. We chose a baby lettuces mix and added baby arugula, basil, chives and mint. You can use crunchy romaine or any salad blend.

Ingredients

 
For The Dressing

 
Preparation

1. PEEL the vegetables as appropriate (e.g., carrots and cucumbers yes, asparagus and radishes no). Using a mandoline or a sturdy vegetable peeler, and cut them lengthwise into thin, ribbon-like strips. Aim for 3-inch lengths. You can elect to make them longer: The longer the strip, the less tight the curl. Try some test batches, e.g. two or three strips of each vegetable, to see what you prefer.

2. PLACE the strips in ice-water bath, and let stand until curly, about 20 minutes. You can keep them in the ice water until ready to serve. Then, drain and transfer to a paper towel and blot dry.

3. PREPARE the greens and herbs salad. Toss with the dressing (use as little dressing as needed to moisten) and add the cheese. Place in a bowl or on a plate.

4. TOP with the curled vegetables. Serve with a pitcher of extra dressing to pass.

*Rather than shave the scallions, we trimmed the ends, removed the bulb for other use, and pulled off layer by layer.

*Sweet potatoes can safely be eaten raw, although certain types of yams—and all white potatoes—are only safe to eat when cooked. That’s because raw potatoes contain a toxic compound called solanine.
 
  

Quick: What’s the first thing you think of when someone mentions Key limes? Key lime pie, most likely.

Smaller, rounder, less acidic more fragrant than their more traditional relative and with a thin, leathery skin, the Persian/Tahitian lime, the Key Lime is used in many tropical cuisines throughout the world.

It’s also known as the Mexican or West Indian lime—although it originated in the Indo-Malayan region of southern Asia.

Key lime juice can be used in place of regular lime juice in anything, from cocktails to salad dressings (including fruit salad, where just a squeeze will suffice), on chicken and fish/seafood, in marinades, sauces and soups.

It’s Key lime season: June through August (although National Key Lime Pie Day is September 26th and International Lime Day is March 10th). So check out the recipes below, along with these articles on Key limes.

Key limes didn’t originate in the Florida Keys, but they were brought there by Spanish and Portuguese explorers in the early part of the 16th century;.

> The history of Key limes.

> The history of Key Lime Pie.

> What are Key limes?

> The different types of limes.

> How to store lemons, limes and other citrus fruits.
 
 
KEY LIME RECIPES
 
Savory Recipes
A squeeze of juice will enhance the flavor of many dishes including:

 
Check out:

 
Sweet Recipes

From fruit salads to fudge and lemon curd, we love Key lime juice in:

 
Plus many more dessert recipes: cookies, cupcakes, frozen yogurt, ice cream and truffles.

Drinks

Use Key limes in any lime-accented cocktail: Caipirinha, Daiquiri, Dark and Stormy, Gimlet, Lime Rickey, Margarita, Mojito, Moscow Mule, Pisco Sour.

Squeeze it into sparkling water or a soft drink.

Don’t forget iced tea (especially herbal iced tea).

And certainly, don’t forget limeade:

[1] Just-picked key limes and their leaves (photo © Lena Kulybaba | Unsplash).

[2] Persian/Tahitian limes and the smaller, rounder Key limes. These Key limes have a yellowish peel because they ripened on the tree longer (photo Evan Dempsey | © The Nibble).

[3] Key Lime Pie (photo © Morton’s The Steakhouse).

[4] Key Lime Bars—better than lemon bars! (photo © My Baking Addiction).

[1] Papaya shave ice. The recipe is below (photos #1 and #3 © Melissa’s Produce).

[2] Here’s a second recipe for papaya shave ice, from Williams Sonoma (photo © Williams Sonoma).

[3] The strawberry papaya is the sweetest of the papaya varieties.

[4] Key limes are smaller and less acidic (sweeter) than the Persian a.k.a. Tahitian variety of supermarket limes. Check out the different types of limes (photo © The Nibble).

[5] At a shave ice shop, you’re likely to order multiple flavors and toppings (photo © Tao Group).

[6] Snow cones. See the difference between snow cones shave ice at right (photo © McCormick).

[7] Italian ice has a smooth texture, similar to sorbet (photo © Rita’s Italian Ice).

[8] Now that’s a sundae: Uji Kintoki, a Japanese shaved ice dessert from Matcha Cafe Maiko. Matcha shave ice topped with matcha soft-serve ice, adzuki (sweet red beans), shiratama mochi (rice balls), and a chestnut (photo © Matcha Cafe Maiko).

Before the end of National Papaya Month (June), we wanted to share a recipe that may motivate you to buy one: Papaya Shave Ice. It’s made in a blender with ice cubes.

In addition to the shave ice, there are more papaya recipes below.

> The difference between snow ice and shave ice.

> The different types of ice cream and other frozen desserts.

> The history of ice cream.

> The year’s 50+ ice cream holidays.

> Here’s how ice cream was made, 4,000 years ago.

> Make snow cones at home with the Little Snowie machine.
 
 
WHAT IS SHAVE ICE OR SHAVED ICE & ITS HISTORY

Snow cones made from snow and shaved ice are the oldest form of ice cream—if you substitute a bowl or cup for the cylindrical cone, which came much later.

The original “ice cream,” made in China some 4,000 years ago, consisted of flavoring snow with syrup (the history of ice cream).

Records indicate that a shaved ice dessert called kakigori was served in 11th-century Japan. It was made from ice harvested in winter and stored in ice houses: a luxury available only to the nobility and the wealthy.

Fast forward to the 19th century: With the ice-making technology of the Industrial Revolution, kakigori was finally affordable to the general public in Japan.

The first kakigori shop was opened in 1872. The ice was flavored with fruit syrup and optionally topped with adzuki beans and sweetened condensed milk.

The concept spread around the world: ice shaved from large blocks into a paper cone or cup, topped with syrup, became street-food fare. In the U.S., it took the shape of a snow cone.

Modern versions of Japanese shaved ice became very popular in the 50th state, and Hawaiian shave ice evolved to offer dozens of flavors (including some neon colors) and toppings galore.

The toppings went way beyond adzuki beans and sweetened condensed milk, to:

Chocolate chips, coconut flakes (plain and toasted), coconut milk, corn, dried cereal, evaporated milk, fruits, gelatin, gummy bears, Kool-Aid powder, marshmallow cream, matcha powder, mini rice cakes, mochi balls, Nutella, nuts, and seeds, Oreos, peanut butter, pickles, sprinkles, tapioca pearls.

Oh…and some whipped cream, if you’d like it [source and source].

Not enough for you? In Hawaii, a scoop of ice cream is often placed at the bottom of the bowl.

As to why Hawaiians call it shave ice instead of shaved ice:

The recipe was brought by Japanese immigrants to Hawaii. They shaved flakes off large blocks of ice, then topped them with sugar or fruit juice. In their Pidgin vernacular, the icy treat became known as shave ice, not shaved ice [source].
 
 
The Difference Between Shave Ice & A Snow Cone

The primary difference lies in texture and production: snow cones use crushed ice, resulting in a crunchy, coarse texture, whereas shave ice uses a machine to shave blocks of ice into fine, fluffy, snow-like flakes that absorb syrup better.

Snow cones are typically served in a cone-shaped cup, while shave ice is often served in a bowl or cup with a spoon. Shave ice is often served with toppings like condensed milk.
 
 
RECIPE: PAPAYA SHAVE ICE

Thanks to Melissa’s Chef Tom Fraker for this recipe. Chef Tom used the strawberry papaya variety, so-called because of its salmon-red to pink flesh. The strawberry papaya is considered to be the sweetest and most flavorful of the papaya varieties. But if you can’t find it, substitute any other papaya.

You can order strawberry papayas directly from Melissa’s.

Papayas are ripe when they are soft, like a ripe peach.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the simple syrup. Take equal parts of granulated sugar and water (e.g., 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water) and place them in a saucepan. Bring just to a boil, remove from the heat and let cool. You can use the remainder to sweeten cold (or hot) drinks. It dissolves without any effort.

2. MAKE the ice balls. Place enough ice in a blender to create your desired amount of shave ice balls. Blend the ice cubes until they form light and airy shavings. With your hands, form into as many shave ice balls as you would like. Place them in the freezer until you are ready to use them.

3. MAKE the topping. In a blender, add the papaya, lime zest, and juice. Blend until smooth and then strain the mixture into a bowl through a fine mesh sieve. Stir in the simple syrup. This makes about 1-1/4 cup shave ice syrup.

4. ASSEMBLE: Place the shave ice balls in your desired vessels, drizzle with the syrup and serve. You can use bowls, rocks glasses, wine glasses, Margarita glasses, Martini glasses—whatever you have.
 
 
SHAVE ICE, ITALIAN ICE, SNOW CONES: THE DIFFERENCE

What’s the difference between snow cones (photo #6) and shave ice?

 

MORE PAPAYA RECIPES

Note that you can easily substitute papaya for mango in most recipes.

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