Happy cows give happy milk, and these California girls graze on green grass under blue skies. If you’re a cow, there’s nothing better. Add the finest local, sustainable and organic ingredients—from the cage-free eggs to strawberries grown down the road. Avoid preservatives, stabilizers, or additives of any kind.

The result: ice cream that tastes fresher, more vibrant and creamier (the ice cream now has more than 18% milk fat).

The company is under new management (also a family), the ice cream is even better than we remember. Perhaps that’s because one of the owners is an executive chef-restaurateur, and the other is a veteran of winemaking (who grew up eating McConnell’s). They used their palates to fine-tune the classic recipes and create quite a few others.

They also spent the better part of two years modernizing the equipment and production process.

Chocolate With Raspberry Jam.
Photo courtesy McConnell’s.

And they’re taking their updated line on the road: The brand is branching out nationwide. Look for it in specialty food stores and upscale supermarkets.

The flavors change seasonally, but a representative sample includes:

If you can’t wait for the ice cream to show up in your local store, you can order it from the website. For the person who has everything, send it as a gift!

For more information, visit McConnells.com.

She puréed blueberries, kiwis, mango, pineapple, strawberries and watermelon to make rainbow pops.

When you make your own, you may choose to follow the colors of the rainbow in order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. Here are some fruit choices:

Preparation

You’ll need ice pop molds. Most wide pop molds make only 6 pops. We found one that makes 10 ice pops for not much more money ($18.80 plus free shipping). For all the work you’ll put to make rainbow pops, make as many as you can, whether it’s buying two 10-pop molds or borrowing extra molds from friends.

1. PURÉE the individual fruits and chill them. Make the darkest layer (violet) first, and work your way up to red at the top. NOTE: When you’re making separate colored layers, it’s important to freeze each layer until set so the layers won’t bleed into each other.

2. TO REMOVE: Set the mold halfway deep in warm water for 30 seconds, or until the pops begin to release. If you want to remove only a few pops, wrap those individual molds in a kitchen towel dampened with hot water.
 
*We recommend straining the seeds, which tend to create a “polka dot layer.”
  

Peaches and Prosecco: What could be more refreshing?

For National Bellini Day, June 23rd, we were inspired to look for the ripest peaches we could find, even though peak peach season is not yet upon us.

In the off-season, you can buy frozen peach purée or (surprise!) baby food puréed peaches.

Fresh or frozen, you can make the peach purée a day or two in advance of your brunch or cocktail party. Well-chilled purée from the fridge is ideal.
 
Below:

> Bellini cocktail recipe.

> The history of the Bellini.

> What is Prosecco?

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The different types of sparkling wine.

> Why you should have a Champagne re-corker.

> The year’s 100+ cocktail and spirit holidays.

> The year’s 9+ Champagne and other sparkling wine holidays.

> The history of individual cocktails, spirits, and other foods.
 
 
RECIPE: FRESH PEACH BELLINI COCKTAIL

Ingredients Per Drinks

 
Preparation

Plan on two peaches for the cocktail. Cut a wedge from one peach, unpeeled, for the garnish. Peel and purée the remainder of the two peaches. The riper the peaches, the better they are for the purée; but you need a ripe-but-firm peach to slice and notch for the garnish.

1. POUR 2 ounces of the purée into a flute, tulip or other stemmed glass. Increase the amount of purée for a sweeter and less alcoholic drink.

2. ADD a squeeze of fresh lemon.

3. TOP with chilled Prosecco. You don’t need to stir, but if you want to, do it just once, very gently, so you don’t break the bubbles.

4. GARNISH with a peach wedge.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF THE BELLINI COCKTAIL

While many people use Champagne to make a Bellini, the original recipe, created in 1948 by Giuseppe Cipriani, head bartender at Harry’s Bar in Venice, is made with Prosecco. The dry, sparkling Italian wine is lighter than Champagne—and much less expensive.

Even if money isn’t an issue, save the Champagne and its complex, yeasty, toasty and mineral-chalky flavors, for sipping straight.

The peachy color of the cocktail reminded Cipriani of the color of the robe of St. Francis of Assisi in a painting, “St. Francis In The Desert” (sometimes called “St. Francis In Ecstasy”) by Giovanni Bellini, commissioned in 1525. Cipriani named the drink in Bellini’s honor. If you’re a Bellini lover and in New York City, the painting is in the collection of the Frick Museum.

Some sources report that the original Bellini was made with white peach purée. White peaches were plentiful in the area and were often marinated in wine as a dessert.

If you can’t find white peaches, don’t worry. When mixed with the Prosecco, the flavor difference between white and yellow peaches is indistinguishable. And yellow peaches provide more of the color for which the drink was named.

[1] A Bellini made with fresh summer peaches (photo © Martini & Rossi).

[2] Prosecco’s traditional bottle shape (photo © Mionetto).

[3] Use whatever glasses you have (photo © Gelson’s Markets).

[4] Instant Bellini from Trader Joe’s, bottled and ready to quaff (photo © Trader Joe’s).

Prosecco is the quintessential summer sparkler: light-bodied for hot weather drinking and sufficiently affordable—most bottles are $10 to $12—to enjoy regularly.

Hailing from the Veneto region of northeast Italy, Prosecco is the name of the village where the Prosecco grape—now known as the Glera grape—originated. Other local white grape varieties, such as Bianchetta Trevigiana, can be included in the blend.

The wine can be frizzante—just slightly fizzy, sometimes bottled with a regular cork to be opened with a corkscrew—or spumante—very fizzy, bottled with the mushroom-shap cork and wire cage* used on Champagne bottles.

The wine is often labeled Prosecco di Conegliano Valdobbiadene, after its appellation.

The history of Prosecco is not well documented. Until recently, there were different theories about its origin.

Now, it is believed that the first Prosecco was created in 1868 by Antonio Carpene, who subjected still white wine of the area to a second fermentation, which produced the bubbles.

In general, the wine of Prosecco has been linked to a wine made at the time of Roman Empire, in a town called Pucino.

It, like Prosecco, was located in the hills that surround the Gulf of Trieste [source]. (The town no longer exists, but the surname Pucino, indicating a person from Pucino, is still going strong.)

Using grape DNA and archaeological evidence, it was more recently established that the grape called Prosecco was very similar to the older grape from the Pucino area, Glera. The grape called Prosecco is now called Glera.
 

[6] If you don’t have fresh peaches for garnish, a raspberry adds a nice pop of color (photo © Taste Of Home).
 
_________________

*Dom Perignon created an early version of wire caging on the cork. Manyt of bottles were lost during production because the cork on the bottle was unable to withstand the pressure of the effervescent Champagne. The added strength. In 1844, Adolphe Jacqueson made the cage (called a muselet in French) in the shape we know today. Here’s a further discussion.
 

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The recipes evolve S’mores graham cracker sandwiches into two fun variations: s’mores cones and skillet s’mores.

Use your favorite chocolate, milk or dark. We use Guittard or Valrhona wafers or chop up Lindt bars; but you can use chocolate chips or chocolate chunks.

Below, we have links to the history of S’mores and graham crackers, and many more creative S’mores recipes, from S’mores ice cream cake and cupcakes to cinnamon S’mores with a cappuccino cocktail.
 
 
RECIPE: S’MORES WAFFLE CONES

Ingredients

[1] S’mores waffle cone (photo © Reynolds Kitchen).

 
Preparation

1. STUFF the chocolate, marshmallows and graham cracker pieces into the cones, alternating to distribute the flavors.

2. WRAP in foil and heat the packet over a campfire or grill for 3-5 minutes.

3. REMOVE the packet carefully and allow it a few minutes to cool before unwrapping and eating.
 
 

RECIPE: SKILLET S’MORES (S’MORES FONDUE)

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PLACE the chocolate chunks in a skillet. Top with the marshmallows and place over the campfire or grill until melted.

2. REMOVE from the heat, ideally with a skillet handle pot holder.

3. DIP the graham crackers into the skillet s’mores.. Warn people to avoid touching the skillet!

Updated July 2026

Israeli salad (salat yerakot, vegetable salad*, in Hebrew) is a chopped salad most commonly made with tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. It can also include bell pepper, and onion.

Other ingredients, such as carrot and country-specific ingredients (more about that in a few paragraphs) can be added. A dash of sumac or za’atar (see below) is optional.

Israeli salad is a finely chopped mixture Despite its modern national name, it belongs to a much older family of Eastern Mediterranean salads rather than having a single, clear inventor.

In Israel, the ingredients are diced very fine, and it is a badge of honor among cooks to dice as finely and perfectly as possible. Chunkier versions appear in the U.S.

As a kibbutz tradition in Israel (and now ubiquitous at restaurants and cafés), Israeli salad is typically eaten for breakfast, along with a host of other options†. It is also served as a side dish at lunch and dinner, and added to pita along with falafel or shawarma.
 
Below:

> Recipe: Israeli salad.

> A breakdown of the ingredients.

> The history of Israeli salad.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> More cucumber recipes.

> The year’s 40+ salad holidays.

> The year’s 95+ vegetable holidays.

> The year’s 4 cucumber holidays.

> The year’s 12+ tomato holidays.

> The year’s 6 onion holidays.
 
 
RECIPE: ISRAELI SALAD

Truth be told, although an ideal Israeli salad is known for its fine, even dice, dicing is our least favorite kitchen task. So we make a medium dice, imperfect in every way, and it works just fine.

You can serve Israeli salad plain or with greens underneath; as a side dish; in a pita with hummus, falafel or both; and on a mezze plate with hummus, babaganoush, grape leaves, tabbouleh and tzatziki or labneh. Add feta and Kalamata olives for a Greek salad, and on top of that, add chickpeas for a Middle Eastern salad.

Ingredients

 
Plus

 
Unconventional Optional Plus

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE all ingredients together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste, along with the optional sumac and za’atar.
 
 
MEET THE INGREDIENTS

Persian Cucumbers

Persian cucumbers don’t require peeling. They were developed in 1939 on a kibbutz in northern Israeli; the local cucumbers were small and tasty but susceptible to rot and disease. The breeders hybridized them with cucumbers from China, India, Japan, Surinam and the U.S. to improve disease resistance; and crossed them with English and Dutch varieties to be seedless.

The result was a small, very flavorful cucumber with crisp, sweet, succulent flesh, a smooth, thin, edible skin and without developed seeds. [Source]

They range from four to six inches in length. In Israel, the variety was called Beit Alpha, after its birthplace. Some American growers called it a Persian cucumber or Lebanese cucumber. You can find them at farmers markets, higher-end supermarkets (we found them at Trader Joe’s). Or, buy Persian cucumber seeds,also called baby cucumbers, and grow your own.

Sumac

Sumac is ground from a red berry-like drupe that grows in clusters on bushes in subtropical and temperate regions. The dried drupes of some species are ground to produce a tangy, crimson spice. (One of the species not used is the poison sumac shrub.)

The word “sumac” comes from the old Syriac Aramaic summaq, meaning red. In Middle Eastern cuisine, the spice is used to add a tangy, lemony taste to meats and salads; and to garnish hummus and rice. The spice is also a component of the popular spice blend, za’atar, below.

Za’atar

[1] Israeli salad: cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley and scallions. It’s refreshing, low in calories, and good for you (photo: Angela Khebou | Pexels).

[2] Israeli salad: refreshing, low in calories and good for you (photo © Pushlama | iStock Photo).

[3] Persian cucumbers (photo © The Nibble).

[4] Za’atar is a spice blend, that is often sold finely ground. This blend contains sumac, golden sesame, and oregano, but blends vary. Here’s more about this staple spice of the Middle East (photo © Aromatiques).

[5] Sumac is an ingredient of some za’atar blends (most people would say, the best za’atar blends, contributing citrussy tang). The wild sumac bush produces deep red berries that are ground into a spice. Most Americans have only heard of one of the many species, poison sumac—a completely different plant (photo © Taste Of Home).

Traditional ingredients include marjoram, oregano, thyme, toasted sesame seeds, savory and sumac. Za’atar is used to season meat and vegetables, mixed with olive oil and spread on pita wedges or flatbread, added to hummus, and for a modern touch, sprinkled on pizza, especially ones with feta cheese.
 
 
ISRAELI SALAD HISTORY

Israeli salad is actually an Arab salad, adapted from a Palestinian country salad and popularized in the kibbutzes of Israel.

Despite its modern national name, it belongs to a much older family of Eastern Mediterranean salads.Its closest culinary relatives include:

 
The ingredients and style of preparation were already widespread in Palestine and neighboring areas long before the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.

Tomato-and-cucumber salads became especially common in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as tomatoes became widely grown on kibbutzim (the plural of kibbutz, communal settlements in Israel traditionally centered around collective agriculture).

Jewish immigrants to Mandatory Palestine‡ adopted and adapted local food traditions, including this salad. It later became a familiar everyday dish in Israeli homes, hotels, and kibbutzim, where it acquired the label “Israeli salad.” Its signature presentation is the very small, even dice of cucumber and tomato.

Thus, the Israeli salad is best understood as an Israeli version of a shared regional Levantine and Ottoman culinary tradition. Its roots are closely connected to Palestinian, Arab, Turkish, and broader Mediterranean foodways, while the name reflects its place in contemporary Israeli cuisine.

Variations include ancestral seasonings: chopped ginger and green chili peppers show India influences. Preserved lemon peel and cayenne pepper are popular with North African Jews. Bukharan Jews, who immigrated from Central Asia, dress the salad with vinegar only. A Persian variation substitutes mint for parsley.

___________________

*Israeli salad is also called salat katzutz (Hebrew for chopped salad) and salat aravi (Hebrew for Arab salad).

†The Israeli breakfast is a dairy meal (meatless), starting with eggs in different styles, including shakshouka (recipe), eggs poached in a spicy tomato. In addition to Israeli salad, other Middle Eastern dishes may be served, such as baba ghanoush (eggplant spread), hummus and labaneh, a thick-strained yogurt. The options continue with breads, cheeses and fish, such as pickled herring, sardines and smoked salmon; olives and fresh vegetables (cucumbers, green bell peppers, onions, radishes, shredded carrots, tomatoes).

‡Mandatory Palestine was a geopolitical entity administered by the United Kingdom under the terms of a League of Nations mandate from 1920 to 1948. It covered the geographic region spanning present-day Israel, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and Jordan
 
 

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