Georgia Magazine - July 2023 - 32

GEORGIA Cooks
Create a fruit salad bar
This needs no recipe, and you can use your favorite fruits.
Start with a base of watermelon cubes and grapes. Most people
don't have allergies to these fruits.
Have younger kids cube watermelon with plastic knives,
wash berries, tear mint leaves, crumble a block of feta cheese
and drain mandarin oranges. They love to plate ingredients.
Older kids can slice kiwis, cube mangoes, cube fresh
mozzarella cheese, slice bananas, slice peaches and make an
easy topping/dip. They also can help the younger kids carefully
skewer the fruit for a fun presentation.
Choose your favorite yogurt and juice flavors for this dip.
Any combo works well.
CHEF CARLIN'S HONEY GINGER DIP
Teens assemble fruit tarts at a summer library program.
Create a fruit tart bar
Simple tarts can be filled and topped with your choice
of ingredients. Mini chocolate chips mixed into an orangeflavored
filling is a great combination.
Younger kids can wash blueberries, grapes and
raspberries; place mini chocolate chips in a bowl; and tear
mint leaves.
Older kids can make the filling, slice strawberries and
bananas, and toast and chop nuts.
CHEF CARLIN'S MINI FRUIT TARTS
1/2 cup cold heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Zest of 1 lemon plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice (also can use lime
or orange juice)
2 packages mini filo tarts (I like the Athens brand, found in the
frozen food section)
Toppings of choice (see notes above)
Using a hand mixer, beat cream and vanilla until slightly
thickened. Add cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon zest
and juice. Beat until well-combined. Refrigerate this filling
until ready to assemble the tarts.
While the filling chills, open the filo shells. Arrange on a
serving platter when ready to fill. They thaw very quickly.
Use a piping bag or spoon to fill the tart shells. Add
desired toppings. Makes 30.
1 cup vanilla, lime, lemon or orange yogurt
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon lime juice, lemon juice or orange juice
Whisk the ingredients together. Dollop on fruit salad.
Makes about 1 cup.
Create a taco bar
Taco bars are fun for the whole family!
Younger kids can help open packages and plate the flour
tortillas, corn tortillas or hard taco shells. Let them dish up
small bowls of sour cream, red salsa and green salsa. Then they
can wash and tear lettuce and tear off fresh cilantro leaves.
Older kids can help brown the meat or cook the proteins;
grate cheddar, pepper jack or Colby Jack cheeses; dice
tomatoes; slice (while wearing gloves) fresh or pickled
jalapeños; chop olives; and slice green onions.
Middle schoolers often are considering vegetarian options,
so meat substitutes and tofu are good options for taco bars.
CHEF CARLIN'S TACO FILLING
1 pound protein of choice, such as ground beef, chicken, turkey,
meat-substitute crumbles, shrimp or tofu cubes
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 cup tomato sauce
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground
meat, if using, and break it up with a wooden spoon while it
cooks. Cook the ground meat fully, until it is browned and no
longer pink. If using shrimp, it will cook quickly; cook it until it
is opaque and pink. If using crumbles or tofu cubes, saute in the
skillet with about 1 teaspoon vegetable oil to reduce sticking.
Reduce the heat to low. Add the spices and tomato sauce.
Stir until the filling is coated in the sauce. Allow to simmer for
5 minutes. Serves 6.
32 Georgia Magazine July 2023
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Georgia Magazine - July 2023

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