Every week at Abbott’s Glen clothing optional resort,  I create a new menu for our naturist guests.Some of the highlights from the weekend included a couscous dish with fresh mango, jalapenos, raisins & fresh herbs, sauteed in then mixed into cooked couscous with a squeeze of fresh lime juice.The recipe came from Marcus Samuelssons cookbook called The soul of a new cuisine. The food images coupled with warm & beautiful images of African women & children further draw you into this amazing book , exotic with unusual food parings & spices.

Each dinner served in our dining room over looking the pond, starts with a salad, reflective of the season.

Since my herbs are growing beautifully, we chose to make a batch of buttermilk herb dressing & ladle it over some fresh greens with grape tomatoes & kalamata olives. Dill was the pervasive herb & I was thinking it would go equally well over chilled pasta salad with grilled salmon or chicken.

The entree of grilled pork chops received a few hours of marination with a lovely combination of soy sauce, ketshup, fresh ginger, cinnamon, & olive oil. The chops were served with a fresh peach salsa. That paired beautifully with the spices in the marinated pork.

Dessert was a glass goblet filled with three berry trifle. Fresh berries, homemade custard, homemade sponge cake & a big dollop of chantilly cream had everyone wishing they had not eaten so much dinner. Nonetheless, when dishes were being cleared it appeared almost every guest ate all of their creamy decadent dessert.

Creamy Herb Dressing
1/4 cup fresh dill, Italian parsley, chives
3/4 cup good mayonaise(Hellmans)
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
couple dashes of hot sauce
In a food processor combine dill parsley, chives with mayo & process until herbs are shopped.
With motor running , slowly pour in the buttermilk & oil, then add vinegar, salt & pepper & hot sauce.
You may substitute buttermilk with sour cream.
If you don’t have chives, scallions work well too.
This is one of the favorite dressings I prepare here at the inn.

Makes about 2 cups, enough for 12 portions of salad.
Will keep 2 weeks.

Mango Couscous
1 cup couscous
2 Tbs. olive oil, divided
1 garlic clove, minced
1 mango peeled, pitted & and cut into 1 inch pieces(1 cup )
1 jalapeno chili, seeded & finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup of cilantro & parsley, roughly chopped
In a separate saucepan, heat 1 Tbs olive oil & pour in couscous. Stir for 3 ~ 5 minutes until starting to brown. Then add 1 1/4 cup of water & boil covered for 6 ~ 8 minutes. Remove from heat & keep covered.
Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over high heat. Add garlic, mango, and jalapeno and saute until mango begins to turn color slightly. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, couscous, tomato, raisins, lime juice and herbs. Stir & heat through. Season with salt to taste.
Can be served hot or at room temperature.
Serves 4.