Check out a tasty twists on these summertime favorites from Guilford Technical Community College’s Culinary School

JAMESTOWN, N.C. (WGHP) — On this Recipe Wednesday, we’re featuring the sweet fruits of summer. Shannon Smith stops by GTCC’s Culinary school to learn how to make these delicious dishes:

Italian Meringue Homemade Marshmallows

Step 1:

Prepare sheet pan for the marshmallows by foiling the pan and completely coating it with a thick layer of graham cracker crumbs.

Step 2:

Bloom gelatin in water and vanilla and let sit for 5 to 7 minutes.

Step 3:

Bring to a boil and cook to 243 degrees. Add bloomed gelatin to the cooked syrup once removed from heat. Stir until the gelatin is dissolved.

Step 4:

When the gelatin has been added to the sugar syrup, start to whip egg whites until stiff peaks are formed. Do not overwhip. Gradually add sugar syrup into whites in a slow steady stream and mix for 5 to 10 minutes or until cool.

Step 5:

1 cup milk chocolate chips

Once cooled and right before you pipe or spread out the marshmallows, fold in the chips. Make sure the mixture is cooled enough or the chips will melt.

Spread or pipe the mixture on pan into desired sizes/shapes, roll around to coat thoroughly in the crumbs, and allow to cool and firm up.

Peach, Blackberry, and Ricotta Salad

Ingredients:

4 ripe peaches, cut into 1/4″ half slices

1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and sliced about ¼” thick

2 cups diced pink tomatoes

2 T finely chopped fresh basil

2 T finely chopped fresh mint

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pint whole milk ricotta

1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

1 T finely chopped fresh oregano

½ T finely chopped fresh thyme

Directions

On a baking sheet, toast almonds in a 350° oven until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Cool.

In a bowl, combine peaches, blackberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, basil, mint, lemon juice, and oil. Season with salt and pepper and gently toss to combine.

Place some ricotta on a plate. Drizzle with honey, sprinkle with some lemon zest and season with a little salt.

Top the ricotta with the peach and blackberry salad. Garnish with cheese, oregano, thyme, almonds, and drizzle of olive oil.

Watermelon Granita

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds cut watermelon

Procedure:

Be sure and use a good ripe, seedless watermelon. You will need about a 2 to 2 1/2 # melon. Trim away the peel and any white parts of the melon. Then cut into roughly 1″ sized chunks to get around 1 1/2 pounds cut watermelon. Place in a blender.

Finely zest the lime, then squeeze the juice into the blender. Add the granulated sugar and salt and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed, until completely pureed.

Pour and push the mixture through a fine strainer to extract all the liquid into a deep container. Discard any solid pieces.

Place in a 9 x 13 pan flat in the freezer. Every 10-20 minutes, use a fork to scrape through the frozen parts to break them up. The granita is ready when the mixture is fluffy and slushy-like, with no more liquid at the bottom, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours total freezing time.

Serve or transfer the granita to an airtight container and place it in the freezer. Before serving, stir vigorously with a fork.

Peach Plum Galette

Ingredients:

1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

4 peaches, cut into thin slices

4 plums, cut into thin slices

2 Frozen Puff Pastry sheet – thawed

Preparation:

Combine cornstarch, lemon zest, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl and toss to combine. Add the fruit and toss gently to coat.

Beat the mascarpone with the lemon juice and sugar to soften.

Place the puff pastry dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment, dusting the bottom with a little flour. Spread ½ of mascarpone mixture per pastry sheet in a thin layer. Arrange fruit mixture on top of the cheese in a neat pattern, leaving a roughly 1-2″ border. Be careful not to get too much juice in the pastry as it may make the dough soggy.

Fold edges of dough up and over fruit, pleating as needed. Lightly brush the pastry with egg wash and sprinkle with the sugar evenly.

Place galette in oven and bake until the crust is golden brown, fruit is softened, and juices are bubbling, roughly 20–25 minutes. Let galette cool slightly and serve warm with fresh whipped cream or ice cream.

Makes 2.

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