The pichuberry scientific name Physalis Peruviana. This fruit is native to Peru and has been closely aligned with the Lost Incan Civilization and Machu Picchu. It has many names and when looking for recipes you may have to search Cape Gooseberry, Goldenberry, Ground Cherry, and Uchuva.
In my small little town Safeway store I happened to come across this box of pichuberry. Experimental as I am, I bought it and did the “Google” to find out about it!
It is a miraculously versatile fruit/veggie that looks like a tomato but has a bitter sweet flavor. It’s wrapped in it’s own “paper” shell like a tomatillo, which they say helps it last up to 30 days.
So with the history lesson concluded, and on a Saturday morning I must confess, I tasted my alcoholic drink after perfecting my “muddling” and enjoyed it with a cracker and “pichuschetta”! Finished my breakfast of champions with a chili chocolate covered pichuberry. Now I bet you want the recipes. First off, not great measuring as I just stole ideas and tweaked and twinged!
The first one is simple. I took rich dark chocolate with a hint of chili and melted it in the microwave carefully. Next, take your pichuberry and carefully tear and fold back the “paper cover” to give it a wild hairdo and something for you to hang onto when you dip and eat. Next, simply dip your fruit in the chocolate. I placed mine on an upside down plate with a bit of non-stick spray.
Now while those are setting, let’s move into the drink!
It’s like a mojito to an extent and I’m sure you could use rum or tequila. Alas, I chose some grey goose vodka.
For our “pichujito” you will need mint leaves (I chose pineapple mint that I have growing wildly through my gardens) 2tsp of sugar, 4-5 washed pichuberries, 1 1/2 oz of alcohol (Grey Goose vodka).
Sparkling water or club soda (I like Canada Dry sparkling water)
Ice, something to “muddle” with. It can be a wooden spoon, ice cream scoop, just something that can smash your berries, mint and sugar.
So take your glass, add your sugar, berries and mint and muddle away, crushing, smashing, mulching your ingredients. Once you are satisfied and have relieved some stress muddling, add you vodka and muddle a bit more! Then, fill with ice and top with sparkling water and a garnish of mint! It truly is a refreshing light drink! Great on hot days!
Last, I bring you “pichuschetta”. I figured in my reading they said it was similar to a tomato, so a similar recipe to bruschetta with a few switches.
For this you will need green onions (perfectly ready in my garden right now), basil (again straight from the garden) and some fresh smashed garlic (which in the fall will be fresh from my garden! Haha), lime juice, and of course, our little pichuberries!
I halved and quartered the berries, chopped the green onion and julienned my basil.
For the garlic, I took a few bulbs on my cutting board and a bit of black truffle sea salt and mushed it together with the side of my knife, making a paste. Now to me bruschetta or pichuschetta is personal choice, more basil or less, lots of garlic or not, little lime juice, little salt. It’s your preference.
For my taste testing, I made 4 crackers with pichuschetta. I used 4 big basil leaves sliced (see picture), one green onion diced, 6 pichuberries diced, tsp of garlic, a good squeeze of lime juice and my salt was already with my garlic. Stir it all up and place on a cracker or grilled sliced french bread. Room temperature for any “schetta” is the best for flavors.
And there you have it, a meal, dessert and a drink with ancient pichuberries that are full of antioxidants, vitamins and they say great energy! So my inner cowgirl came out a bit Peruvian today, but it’s all about the try!
Your homework, cowgirls, is to create a meal, drink or dessert you never thought you could! And show me what you create!
Until next time girls, remember to “ride it like ya stole it! ” and “keep the fur side up and the steel side down!”
PS – Don’t forget to enter our calf naming contest. You have until Wednesday night!