Lavender, Grapes, Baked Cheese, Stinky Papaya - Oh My!

Some sort of strange Baked Cheese, Sweet Potatoes, Grapes, Maradol Papaya, NY Strips

The strange "baked bread" cheese

Chopping fresh garden lavender to put in the lavender butter for the steaks

I thought I was really creative by mixing sweet potatoes, grapes, bacon and vinaigrette then roasting it.  After looking online, evidently it is done quite often - usually with sausage rather than bacon.

 

 

The Maradol Papaya.  I had big plans for a papaya salad, but once I opened this thing I could barely stand to be in the same room with it!   The smell was so off-putting that I checked online to see if it was maybe rotten.  Evidently, these guys don't smell like roses, or the normal Hawaiian Papaya I am used to.  It is a nightmare, so I have to use it!

 

Best way to a perfect medium rare steak - start with a super hot grill.

This is how I incorporated the nasty papaya.  I put it in the juicer with limes and made a vinaigrette.  Voila - Spinach salad with garden peppers, red onion, pecans and papaya vinaigrette.

Baked cheese.  Extremely tasty...and believe it or not did not melt on the high heat of the grill.

Grilled NY Strip with Lavender Butter and Baked Cheese; Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Bacon and Grapes