[1] A chocolate cream pie with a raspberry cream top (recipe below, photo © Driscoll’s).

[2] This is the right month to find well-priced raspberries (photo © MorgueFile).

[3] Chocolate wafer cookies are crushed for the crust (photo © Nabisco).

[4] A raspberry tart with a coconut crust. Here’s the recipe (photo © Lottie And Doof).

[5] A Linzertort is a shortbread crust filled with raspberry preserves (photo © Mackenzie Ltd).

[6] Raspberry pie with a flower crust. Here’s the recipe from Driscoll’s (photo © Driscoll’s).

For a previous year’s Raspberry Cream Pie celebration, we published a classic French raspberry tart (see Pie Vs. Tart, below): a shortbread crust filled with creme patisserie and topped with raspberries. Here’s the recipe.

 
> In addition to Chocolate Raspberry Pie, check out five more raspberry pie recipes below.

 
 
RECIPE: CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CREAM PIE

This recipe one-ups a simple raspberry cream pie: It’s a chocolate cream pie topped with raspberry cream (photo #1).

Prep time is 25 minutes plus chilling.

Ingredients For The Crust

 
For The Filling

 
For The Raspberry Purée

 
For The Topping

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the crust. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the crumbs and sugar in a medium bowl and stir in the butter until evenly blended. Press the crumb mixture firmly on the bottom and up the sides of a 9-1/2-inch pie plate. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool.

2. MAKE the filling. Whisk together 1/2 cup milk and the cornstarch. Set aside.

3. BRING the remaining 1-1/2 cups milk, sugar, cocoa and salt just to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Stir the cornstarch mixture then add to the milk mixture in saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Once mixture is at a boil and quite thick, cook 1 additional minute. Remove from the heat.

4. MELT the chocolate and stir it into the melted chocolate and vanilla.

5. SPOON the filling into the cooled crust. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming (personally, we like the skin!). Chill at least 4 hours or overnight.

6. MAKE the raspberry purée. Purée 1/2 package of raspberries in the food processor fitted with metal blade (the other half is used for garnish). Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Discard the seeds. Stir the sugar into the purée until dissolved.

7. BEAT the heavy cream and sugar until stiff peaks just form. Stir in the vanilla. Spread the whipped cream topping on chilled pie. With a small spoon (an espresso spoon is great) drop small amounts of raspberry purée onto the whipped cream. Use a toothpick or sharp knife to swirl the purée into the whipped cream (see the 4th photo). Garnish with the remaining raspberries.
 
 
MORE RASPBERRY PIE RECIPES

What’s the difference between cream and creme? Just the spelling.

Creme is an Americanization of the French word for cream, crème (pronounced KREHM), most likely adopted to make a dish sound more special.

But why mispronounce another language’s word for cream? Unless it’s a French recipe, such as Coeur à la Crème or Crème Brûlée, stick to cream.
 
PIE VS. TART

We made a raspberry cream tart instead of a pie? What’s the difference between a pie and a tart? It’s interesting enough that we created an article about it. Check it out!

For a quick visual, compare the first two photos at the top of the page.
 
 

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What more crunch in your summer salads? Toasted croutons and chow mein noodles have long served that purpose. But in recent times, tortilla chip strips have become the modern touch. We have a recipe to make your own, below.
 
 
OTHER CRUNCHY OPTIONS

You can also add slices of bell pepper, bok choy, carrot, celery, fennel, kohlrabi, radish or water chestnut; florets, and stalks* of broccoli, and cauliflower; and even nuts (try cashews).

Romaine is the crunchiest lettuce; you can substitute or add shredded cabbage.

But one ingredient we’ve been enjoying lately is fried tortilla strips.

It had not been top-of-mind for us until the lightbulb turned on as we were crunching on the Skinnylicious Mexican Tortilla Salad at The Cheesecake Factory. These strips are more flavorful than chow mein noodles and most packaged croutons.

We asked ourselves: Why don’t we use them on every salad?

We headed to the supermarket and found bags of fried tortilla strips, from Fresh Gourmet’s slender Tri-Color Tortilla Strips to Mission’s standard strips that are wide enough for dipping.

But you can easily make your own, simply by cutting corn tortillas into strips and frying or baking. The only difference is that yours will be fresh, warm, and all-natural. Bonus: You can control the amount of salt.

There’s nothing better than homemade tortilla strips, warm and fragrant from cooking. They’re made the same way as tortilla chips; just in a different shape.
 
 
RECIPE: FRIED TORTILLA STRIPS

Ingredients

 
Plus

 
Preparation

1. STACK the tortillas. Cut them in half, then crosswise into thin strips (you can use a pizza cutter). Line a baking sheet with a double thickness of paper towels, for draining.

2. POUR 3 inches of oil into a 4-5 quart pot. Clip the thermometer to the pot and heat the oil over medium-high to 350°F. Test the oil with a drop of water from the tap. If it sizzles, it’s ready; if it splatters, it’s too hot. Turn off the heat for a few minutes.

3. ADD half of the tortillas to the oil carefully—that oil is hot!—and use a wire skimmer or slotted spoon to stir often so they don’t burn. The strips should be submerged in the oil until golden brown (about 3 minutes).

4. REMOVE the tortillas with the skimmer or a slotted spoon, allowing the excess oil to drain back into the pot. Spread the strips on the paper towels to drain, and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

[2] You can make your strips long as in the first photo, or short like these (photo © Heather H. | Food.com).

[3] Add pizzazz with beautiful colored tortilla chips (photo © Ramiro Valencia Fotografía).

This option brushes the tortillas with seasoned oil, before stacking and cutting.

 
COMBINE the oil and spices; brush one side of each tortilla with the mixture and proceed with steps above.
 
Oven Variation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F.

2. SPRAY a baking sheet with cooking spray and spread the strips, trying not to let them overlap. Sprinkle with salt.

3. BAKE for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
 
 
USES FOR TORTILLA STRIPS

In addition to a salad garnish, try them on:

 
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*There’s no reason to toss the bottom stalks of broccoli and cauliflower. The reason people do is because we’re accustomed to eating the “pretty” florets. The stalks are just as delicious—and they’re the parts used to make fancy purées. We cut them into coins and steam or roast them.
 

[1] Raspberry-White Chocolate Cheesecake (photos #1 and #2 © Driscoll’s Berries).

[2] [2] A half-pint of raspberries.

[3] You can use white chocolate chips or chop up a white chocolate bar (photo © Lake Champlain Chocolates) .

[4] Almond flour makes a delicious crust, and it’s also gluten free (photo © Webstaurant Store).

[5] Better food stories carry Bob’s Red Mill brand almond flour (photo © Bob’s Red Mill).

[6] Raspberries growing on the bush (photo © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog).

July 31st is National Raspberry Cake Day: time to get out the cake pans and make a selection.

With these yummy recipes, the choice isn’t easy! We’re starting off with a No-Bake Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake, but there are more raspberry cake recipes below.

> The history of raspberries.
 
 
RECIPE: NO-BAKE RASPBERRY WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE WITH ALMOND CRUST (GLUTEN-FREE!)

These recipe is from Driscoll’s, which supplied most of the recipes above to show off their delectable raspberries.

It uses an almond flour crust, which is wonderful and happens to be gluten-free. However, if you don’t want nut flour, use your favorite cheesecake crust.

Prep time is 40 minutes plus 6 or more hours of chilling time.

> The history of cheesecake.

Ingredients For 16 Serving)

For The Filling

 
For The Crust

 
For The Garnish

 
Plus

 
Preparation

1. MAKE the crust: Combine the almond flour, sugar, cocoa, and melted butter in a bowl until evenly blended. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and refrigerate.

2. PLACE the chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepot of simmering water to melt chocolate. Stir constantly and be careful not to let any water or steam get into the chocolate. Set aside and let cool as you complete the next steps.

3. COMBINE the cold water and gelatin in a small saucepan and heat over low, stirring just until gelatin is dissolved.

4. BEAT the cream cheese, sugar, and dissolved gelatin in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium, until evenly blended.

5. CHECK the temperature of both the cream cheese mixture and melted chocolate. They should be at the same temperature to continue. Then, mix a few tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture into the melted white chocolate until it looks shiny and smooth. Gradually add the white chocolate mixture to the remaining cream cheese mixture, mixing until blended. Divide the mixture evenly into 2 bowls.

6. BEAT the heavy cream in a separate bowl, to stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream into one of the bowls of the cream cheese mixture.

7. PURÉE 1 package of raspberries in a blender or food processor. Strain (sieve) and discard the seeds; you should have about 1/2 cup purée. Stir the purée into the second bowl of cream cheese mixture, until evenly blended.

8. POUR the whipped cream mixture into the cake pan and spread evenly. Spoon the raspberry mixture on top of the whipped cream mixture and gently spread it evenly. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

9. UNMOLD: Briefly wrap a warm, wet kitchen towel around the pan for a short while before opening the latch. This prevents the cake from sticking to the sides. A hairdryer also works.

10. USE a vegetable peeler to make white chocolate curls from the chocolate bar. Place on top of the cheesecake with the remaining raspberries.
 
 
MORE RASPBERRY CAKE RECIPES

 
And the easiest options of all: pound cake topped with:

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

Large croutons are a main ingredient of the salad, rather than the small American-style croutons used as garnish.

Panzanella, the Italian word for bread salad, is a Tuscan-style bread salad made with a loaf of day-old (or older) bread, cubed into large croutons and tossed with vinaigrette or other dressing to soften it. Chopped salad vegetables are then added.

The translation we have found for panzanella is “bread in a swamp,” the swamp being the vinaigrette or water in which it was soaked. While crusty Italian loaves were used in the original, you can use any bread from baguette to challah to semolina raisin to sourdough.

While today’s recipes can be rich in ingredients, the peasants who originally made it foraged to pull together vegetables from the garden—cucumber, onion and tomato—and possibly purslane, a salad green that grows wild.

Early recipes were heavy on the onions, the cheapest ingredient to pair with the bread. When there wasn’t enough oil to spare, the bread was moistened in water.

Today, this peasant dish is a popular first course for all in Italy. It doesn’t appear often on menus of U.S.-based Italian restaurants. That’s too bad, because it’s a dish worth knowing.

So today’s tip is: Make a panzanella. As long as you have vinaigrette- and bread, you can create the salad from anything. It‘s a great way to use up anything in the pantry or fridge, including leftovers.
 
MIX & MATCH PANZANELLA INGREDIENTS

 
RECIPE: SIMPLE PANZANELLA SALAD

In our home, summer isn’t summer without lots of panzanella salad. Made with the season’s produce bounty, it‘s a refreshing summer dish that takes just minutes to whip up.

This recipe from Sunset Growers represents the original, simple salad, made glorious by the freshest ingredients.

It’s been made better-for-you by substituting the standard rustic bread for a whole wheat loaf.

Ingredients

 
 
__________________
*Trader Joe’s sells these reddish brown-green tomatoes (see photo at right). The idea is to provide color contrast as well as flavor.

[1] In panzanella, Tuscan bread salad, croutons are a main ingredient, not a garnish (photo courtesy Sunset Growers). [2] A truly sophisticated take from Beauty & Essex restaurant in New York City: Croutons like fat piano keys are lined up and topped with salad and octopus. [3] Half kale, half croutons, with accents of apple and bacon (the recipe from FoodFaithFitness.com). [4] Kumato tomatoes (photo by River Soma | THE NIBBLE).

Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Place the bread cubes and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large bowl. Toss to fully coat the cubes. Place the cubes onto an ungreased baking sheet and toast until crispy (about 15-20 minutes), tossing every 5 minutes. When the bread is done…

2. COOL slightly and then return it to the large bowl with the crushed garlic. Toss gently to distribute garlic evenly. Set aside.

3. STIR together in a large salad bowl the cut tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, onion and half of the salt.

4. MAKE the dressing: Whisk together the mustard, vinegar, black pepper and remaining salt until fully combined. Continue to whisk briskly while slowly drizzling in the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil.

4. ADD the bread to the salad bowl and toss the vegetables lightly. Add all of the dressing and toss again to coat all ingredients. Set aside for 10-12 minutes, tossing occasionally. Add the basil and toss lightly to distribute it evenly before serving.

MORE PANZANELLA RECIPES

Whip up cheesecake bars for National Cheesecake Day, July 30th.

These were developed for the U.S. High bush Blueberry Council by Emily Hobbs of Ozark, Missouri. There are many more great blueberry recipes on the website.

A layer of crunchy crust, followed by fluffy whipped cheesecake topped with toasted almonds and blueberries? Say no more – I’m yours! These Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars are so good you’ll be licking your fingers for every last bit. Because you cut them into squares, Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars are great to pack for a picnic, dinner at a friend’s, or a family road trip.
 
 
RECIPE: BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE BARS

Ingredients For 24 Bars

[2] Fresh-picked blueberries (both photos courtesy U.S Highbush Blueberry Council).

Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Grease a 13-by 9-inch baking pan.
2. SOFTEN ½ cup of the butter and combine it with ½ cup granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until fluffy. Add 2 cups of flour, the baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt. Beat until crumbly.

3. TRANSFER the crumbs to the baking pan and pat to make an even layer. Bake for 10 minutes until the surface is dry but not browned. Meanwhile, in the same mixer bowl…

4. BEAT the cream cheese, the remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar, lemon zest and juice, and almond extract until fluffy. Beat in the eggs until combined. When the crust has baked…

5. SPREAD spread the cheesecake mixture evenly over the top and bake 20 minutes until the cheesecake has set.

6. STIR together the brown sugar, remaining ¾ cup flour, cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Cut the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter into ½-inch pieces and add to the brown sugar mixture. Work the butter into the mixture with a pastry blender or your fingers until uniform crumbs have formed. Stir in the almonds.

When the cheesecake layer has baked…

7. SPRINKLE the blueberries and crumb mixture over it and bake 20 minutes until the crumbs have browned. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate at least 2 hours until the cheesecake is firm, before cutting into 24 bars.
 
 
THE TWO TYPES OF BLUEBERRIES