Cider’n’Cream-Roasted Olives

     Serves 4

    1 cup apple cider

    ½ cinnamon stick

1 cup mixed olives (with pits)

½ cup vanilla ice cream

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

½ tablespoon caramel sauce

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

Grated nutmeg to taste

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1½ sprigs thyme

¼ lemon, zested and juiced   

1. In small saucepan, heat cider with cinnamon stick.  Remove stick; combine cider and all other ingredients in 2-quart baking dish and bake at 400° F for 20 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Sweet and Spicy Nut, Grappa, and Pretzel Mix

Serves 8
1½ tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, divided
³⁄₈ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
¼ cup pecans
¼ cup blanched almonds
¾ tablespoon butter
¾ tablespoon Nardini almond grappa
1½ cups tiny unsalted pretzels
¾ tablespoon Pages Verveine du Velay Extra Liqueur
½ cup crispy rice cereal squares (such as Rice Chex)
¾ tablespoon Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
1 tablespoon maple syrup
¾ tablespoon lime juice

1. Preheat oven to 350˚.
2. Combine brown sugar, ½ teaspoon thyme, salt, cinnamon, and red pepper in a small bowl.
3. Combine pecans and almonds on a jelly-roll pan.  Bake at 350˚ for 10 minutes or until the nuts begin to brown.  Combine the pecan mixture and butter in a medium bowl, stirring until the butter melts.  Gently stir in grappa, pretzels, verveine, cereal, maraschino liqueur, syrup, and lime juice.  Sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over pretzel mixture; toss gently to coat.  Spread pretzel mixture in a single layer on jelly-roll pan.  Bake at 350˚ for 10 minutes, stirring once.  Sprinkle with remaining thyme.  Cool completely.

Pumpkin-Spiced Mushroom Chips

1 cup apple cider

1½ cinnamon sticks, divided

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1½ whole cloves

¼ cup canned pure pumpkin puree

½ ounce white rum

½ pound oyster mushrooms, stemmed

1. Simmer cider, 1 cinnamon stick, olive oil, and cloves for 5 minutes. Whisk in pumpkin. Strain; add rum and toss with mushrooms and remaining cinnamon stick, crushed. Spread on rack set on baking sheet. Bake at 400^o until crisp, about 35 minutes. Sprinkle with salt,

Drunken Blackbababerry Ghanoush

Serves 3

1 eggplant (¾ to 1 lb.)

2 mint leaves

2 blackberries

¼ cup nonfat plain greek yogurt

1 oz. gin

2 Tbsp. tahini

¾ oz. elderflower liqueur, such as St-Germain

¾ lemon, juiced

1 large clove garlic, finely grated

Dash of agave nectar (optional)

¹/₈ tsp. cayenne pepper

Salt

1 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley

Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

1½ large pitas

½ cup olives

1. Preheat a grill to medium. Prick the eggplant all over with a fork. Grill, turning frequently, until the skin is charred all over, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a cooler part of the grill and continue cooking until the eggplant is very soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool slightly.
2. Peel the eggplant and discard the skin and any juices. Mash the eggplant with a fork. Beat in mint, making sure to crush it to release its flavor; do the same with the blackberries. Beat in yogurt, gin, tahini, liqueur, juice, garlic, agave (if using), and cayenne; season with salt. Top with parsley and drizzle with oil.
3. Grill the pitas until warm; cut or tear into eighths. Serve with ghanoush and olives.

Blueberry Tzatziki

Serves 8 (serving size: about 6 tablespoons 1 teaspoon)

½ cup blueberries

¼ cup simple syrup

½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ cup grated peeled English cucumber (about ½ medium)

½ cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt (such as Fage)

1½ cups crushed ice

½ tablespoon chopped fresh mint

¼ cup rum

¹/₈ teaspoon salt

1½ tablespoons fresh lime juice

¹/₈ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a blender, and process until smooth. Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl, and discard solids.
2. Pat cucumber dry with paper towels. Combine cucumber and remaining ingredients in blender and process until smooth; cover and chill 1 hour. Serve with pita wedges or pumpkin bolani.

Garlicky Sparkling Lima Bean Sangria Spread

Serves 8 (serving size: 9½ tablespoons)

1 cup fresh lima beans

8 teaspoons fresh parsley leaves

½ cup cherries, pitted and halved

8 tablespoons water

½ cup blueberries

½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ cup raspberries

½ tablespoon olive oil

½ cup quartered small strawberries

2 teaspoons roasted garlic paste

¼ cup chopped nectarine (about ½)

¼ teaspoon salt

8 teaspoons brandy

¹/₈ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup apricot nectar, chilled

¹/₈ teaspoon hot sauce

½ (750-milliliter) bottle cava, chilled

1. Sort and wash beans; drain and place in a medium saucepan. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until tender. Drain.
2. Place beans and next 16 ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving with summer vegetable crudites, such as whole radishes, baby carrots, endive leaves, zucchini, and/or yellow squash strips.