​Cherry season is here! I couldn't resist buying the biggest bag I could find. I came home with my fresh little delights and after eating way too many of them I went to work on coming up with a recipe to try and enhance Mother Nature’s perfection. That is no easy task as cherries are perfect just as they are and I didn't want to overpower their flavor. This recipe combines the snap of biting into a fresh cherry with the syrupy goodness of cooked cherries. Also, putting any thing on ciabatta is never a bad idea :)

Ingredients:
For cherry topping
3 cups cherries separated into 2 cups and 1 cup
1/2 vanilla bean
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp Kirsch (cherry liqueur)

For spread
14 oz ricotta con latte
1 vanilla bean
1 tsp chopped tarragon
1 tbsp honey
dash of pepper

​1 loaf ciabatta bread
drizzle of olive oil
1 tsp tarragon chopped

Topping
Rinse the cherries then cut them in half and pit them. Cut the vanilla bean down the center and scrape the seeds out. In a sauce pan combine 2 cups of the cherries, the water, sugar, vanilla bean pod and seeds. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 8 minutes. Remove the cherries and the vanilla pod from the pan with a slotted spoon and set cherries aside. Simmer the liquid until it reduces to a syrupy goodness, about 10 minutes. Remove from the flame and add the Kirsch. Light the Kirsch on fire with a long match to burn off the alcohol or you can return it to the stove and boil 4 minutes to cook the alcohol out. Return the cherries to the pan, stir well and set aside.

Spread
In a bowl combine the ricotta, vanilla bean seeds, tarragon, honey and a dash of pepper. Stir to combine. Set aside.

​Take the remaining cup of cherries and quarter them. Set aside.

Cut the ciabatta into slices of your desired thickness. Drizzle olive oil on both sides. Place on cookie sheet and put under broiler until lightly golden, flip and toast other side. Remove from oven. Spread the ricotta mixture on to the slices of bread, add the cooked cherries and put back under the broiler for 3 - 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the fresh cherries and a sprinkle of fresh tarragon. Serve warm.

Optional
I melted some white chocolate chips in the microwave and drizzled the chocolate over half of them. I couldn't decide which way I liked them better. Without the chocolate they are quite elegant, with the chocolate they are sweet and desserty! You might need to try them both ways but either way you will hopefully agree they are Mangialicious.

​We recently remodeled our bathroom and spent a lot of time in the house.  While Tonia was painting one Saturday I was feeling hungry and got inspired to create something new in the kitchen.  First I baked a blueberry pie from the blueberries left from breakfast, and then I looked to see what else I could make.  That was when I spotted mango in the refrigerator.  Hmmm? What to do with this?  I also had a bunch of cilantro staring at me and that was when it hit me.  I'll make salsa, but wait, I have no chips.  Then I remembered seeing Bobby Flay making biscuits earlier that morning on the Food Network and I thought, Mango Salsa Biscuits!  Two batches later, I had the perfect biscuit.  If you have never made biscuits before don't be afraid to try, this recipe is easy and the biscuits are Mangialicious.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp Cilantro chopped
1 hot pepper chopped – I use Hungarian hot
1 scallion chopped
1/4 cup grape tomatoes chopped
3/4 cup mango chopped
2 cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 stick butter cold
3/4 cup milk
 
Heat the oven to 450°F

Sauté the chopped pepper and scallion in a small pan with a very little olive oil until soft, remove to a bowl and let cool.  When cooled, add the chopped tomatoes and mango, stir together. 
 
Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, cilantro, salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse to combine.  Then take the cold butter and cut it into 8 slices.  Add the butter into the food processor and pulse 8 – 10 times.  The butter should be in little pieces.  Slowly stream in the cold milk until the dough forms a loose ball on the side of the processor bowl (dough will be soft and sticky).
 
NOTE:  If you do not have a food processor use a pastry blender/cutter or fork to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. 
 
Lightly sprinkle flour over a cutting board or countertop. Place dough on floured surface and add the cooled bowl of ingredients on top; gently roll into the dough by moving dough a quarter turn, repeat 10 times.  Do not over mix the dough.
 
On the floured surface, flatten dough evenly, using hands or a rolling pin, until dough is 1/2 inch thick.  If you would like a thicker biscuit, pat the dough to 3/4 inch.
 
Before cutting each biscuit, dip a 2 inch round cutter into flour to lightly coat it. Push the cutter straight down through the dough without twisting or turning. Cut the biscuits as close together as possible. On an ungreased cookie sheet, place biscuits about 1 inch apart for biscuits with crusty sides, or place with sides touching for biscuits with soft sides.
 
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

​The third time I made these biscuits I topped them with shredded chicken, cheese and enchilada sauce, they were amazing.  [I seriously agree, it was a "mangialicious" twist on chicken & biscuits! - Tonia]

​Jalapeno poppers are one of those things that I usually only get when I go out to eat at my local pizzeria or pub.  This year we were given four jalapeno plants for our garden.  Who knew that they would produce so many big, hot jalapenos!  So when I was trying to figure out what to do with all these peppers, of course poppers came to mind.  Also with Football Sunday quickly approaching these would make a great addition to our appetizers.

​I tried making these several ways to get the best taste and texture.  I went from different fillings to different breading, to baking, to frying and final came up with the perfect method so that you didn't have to :)  They are great for snacking, perfect for entertaining during the big game, and perfect for using up your plethora of jalapenos.  There’s no faster way to get a party started so here’s our version of this recipe…just in time for football season!

Fry the bacon until crisp.  Remove from the pan and let drain on a paper towel.  When cooled crumble or cut into small pieces.  Shred the cheddar cheese into a bowl and add the bacon.  Mix with your hands until it is well combined.
 
Take a pepper and open it up long way, fill with the cheese and bacon mixture and the squeeze closed tightly.  It will not stay closed all the way and that is fine.  Each pepper is a different size so I cannot say exactly how much cheese to put in each one.  Use your judgment to fill them completely but not coming out of the slit.  Repeat with the remaining peppers.
 
Next set up your work station.  Put the flour into a shallow bowl.  Put two of the eggs into another bowl and 1 cup of the Panko into a third bowl.  I worked in batches because the egg mixture gets thick with the double coating.  Roll the pepper in the flour, then dip the pepper in eggs, letting excess drip off, then coat with bread crumbs. Repeat coating with eggs and crumbs to form a second layer.
 
Do as many peppers as you can with the two eggs and add the other eggs one at a time as needed.  Same with the breadcrumbs, start with one cup and then add breadcrumbs as needed.  Set them aside on a plate until all the peppers are coated.
 
Heat oil in large skillet.  The oil should be about 3/4 to 1 inch high.   Working in batches, fry the peppers, turning to cook all sides until golden brown.  Approximately 5 to 6 minutes per batch.  Transfer the peppers to a baking sheet.  When all the peppers are done, place them in the preheated oven for 7 minutes. 
 
Remove from oven and serve.  These are best served with some Garden Salsa or even some sour cream.  

​We have more jalapenos than we know what to do with in our garden which is why it is great that you can freeze these poppers after they cool.  Just place them in a freezer bag and store them in the freezer until your next party.  Place them on a cookie sheet and heat in a 350° oven for 15 - 20 minutes.  They come out just as crispy as when they were first made.

​If you give them a try and think they are Mangialicious, take a picture and tag it #mangialicious on Instagram.  We would love to see them!