'FIESTA FARE' for BODY & SOUL ~ RED or WHITE SANGRIA / CHICKEN & BLACK BEAN GUACAMOLE TOSTADAS / COCONUT FLAN

"First flowers on the table; then food."

~ Danish saying

~ Rembrandt tulip

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Garden's Note : These modern day tulips, named after the famous Dutch painter, are reminiscent of the flamed-shaped streaked 'broken' color color tulips selling for astronomical sums when Rembrandt was a young man during the tulip mania craze that gripped 17th century Holland.

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RED or WHITE SANGRIA

~ Delightfully refreshing during or after a warm sunny day. Enjoy the infused fruit wedges as an after treat.

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1 bottle fruity red (Beaujolais or Zinfandel)

or dry white wine

1 cup fresh orange juice

juice of 1 fresh lemon

juice of 1 fresh lime

2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier Liqueur or Calvados

3 Tbsp. Cointreau or Triple Sec

1 orange thinly sliced

1 lemon thinly sliced

1 lime thinly sliced

Cherries, grapes, apple slices optional

sparkling water or lemon-lime soda like 7-up

mint sprig for garnish

• Pour wine large glass pitcher. Stir in orange, lemon and lime juice, Grand Marnier, and Cointreau. Add fruit slices, cover and refrigerate several hours.
• To serve, pour over ice in tall glasses and top with sparkling water or soda. Serve with a sprig of fresh mint. (6 servings)

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CHICKEN & BLACK BEAN GUACAMOLE TOSTADAS

~ Fast and easy especially made with rotisserie chicken

(adapted from April 1994 Bon Appetit)

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3 large pitted ripe avocados

juice & zest from 1 lime

1 rinsed and drained can black beans

6 chopped green onions

Tabasco shots to taste

coarse salt & freshly ground pepper

4 cooked shredded chicken breast halves

or 4 cups shredded chicken

2 chopped and seeded tomatoes

4 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

2 tsp. ground cumin

juice of 1 lime

8 crisp tostada shells (corn tortillas)

4 cups shredded lettuce

1 1/2 cups crumbled goat cheese (Montrachet or feta)

Good fresh salsa

• Place avocado in bowl. Add lime juice & zest and mash until almost smooth. Mix n beans and green onions. Season to taste with Tabasco, salt & freshly ground black pepper.
• combine shredded chicken, tomato, cilantro and cumin. Season chicken to taste with lime juice, salt & pepper.
• Arrange tostada shells on chilled plates. Top with lettuce, guacamole and chicken mixture. Sprinkle with goat cheese. Spoon salsa over and serve. (6-8 servings)

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COCONUT FLAN

~ Another creamy coconut treat (from Cooking Light)

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1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

Pam cooking spray

2 Tbsp. dark rum

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

4 large organic eggs

1 (14-oz) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk

1 (14-oz) can light coconut milk

• Preheat oven to 375-degrees.
• Combine sugar and water in heavy saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Continue cooking 3 minutes or until golden, stirring constantly. Immediately pour into 8 (6-oz) custard cups coated with cooking spray, tipping quickly until caramelized sugar coats bottom of cups. Cool completely.
• Combine rum and remaining ingredients, stirring with whisk until well blended. Divide egg mixture evenly among prepared custard cups (about 1.2 cup each).
• Place cups in 13x9- inch baking pan.; add hot water to pan to depth of 1-inch. Bake for 30 minutes or until center barely moves when custard cup is touched. Cool completely in water bath. Remove cps fro pan, cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Loosen edges of custards with knife or rubber spatula. Place dessert plate upside down on top of each cup and invert onto plates. Drizzle any remaining caramelized syrup over custards. (8 servings)