Dinner Tonight

Wild Mushroom Parcels with Soft Polenta

2011-03-29T07:45:00.001-07:00

Here's another delicious recipe inspired by Ottolenghi's Plenty . I served this over soft polenta and am including that recipe below as well.

I love anise flavors and this has both lovely background flavor from the Pernod and forward flavor from the fresh tarragon. When you open the little package on your plate you're instantly met with a steamy anise vapeur. That paired with the earthiness of the wild mushrooms is a delight.

Enjoy!

Wild Mushroom Parcels:

Yields 4 servings

1/2 cup crimini mushrooms, stems removed, and sliced 3/8"

4 cups mixed wild mushrooms, sliced or torn rustically ( I used Hedgehog, Chanterelle, and Royal Trumpets)

1 TB fresh tarragon, chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

4 TB cream

4 TB Pernod (or other anise flavored liqeuer)

salt & pepper

4 sheets parchment paper, @ 9" x 12" each

kitchen twine

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Divide the mixture into 4 portions, placing 1/4 onto each one of the parchment sheets. Gather into a bundle and secure closed with the kitchen twine.

2) Bake the parcels on a baking sheet for about 20 minutes. Served closed and let your guests unwrap each parcel at their plate so they can experience the steamy anise vapeur. Spoon over the soft polenta, recipe below.

Soft Polenta:

Yields 4 generous servings

4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock

1 cup water

1 cup polenta

2 TB unsalted butter

1/2 cup grated Fontina cheese

salt & pepper

1) Bring the stock and water to a boil in a large pot. Add the polenta, in a steady stream while whisking constantly. Return to a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 25 minutes until the polenta is soft and creamy.

2) Off to the heat, stir in the butter, cheese, and salt & pepper to taste. Serve hot with mushroom parcels.

Watercress & Herb Salad with Pistachios & Orange Blossom

2011-03-27T19:36:00.000-07:00

What a revelation this salad is! I just received my copy of Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi in the mail. Truly the most inspiring book on vegetarian cooking I have seen in a very long time (maybe ever?!). I am so eager to make every one of these recipes that my blog might be heavy on the Ottolenghi for quite some time to come.

Already, my entire menu plan for this week is from the book. I could barely choose which recipes to make since I just want to make them all. Then I reminded myself that in fact I now own this book and I can take my time cooking my way through it.

This salad is one such recipe. So simple really, but the dressing is a revelation. Just adding a drop of orange flower water to an otherwise basic lemon juice and olive oil vinaigrette, makes such a world of difference. It somehow elevates it from 'everyday' to complex and mysterious. I hope you'll try it and agree.

Enjoy!

Watercress & Herb Salad with Pistachios & Orange Blossom:

Yields 4 servings

1 bunch Watercress, root ends trimmed

10 leaves fresh Basil

10 leaves fresh Mint

20 leaves fresh Tarragon

1/4 cup Pistachios, lightly toasted

For the dressing:

juice of 1 lemon

4 TB good extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp orange flower water

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and orange flower water. Drizzle in the olive oil, while whisking constantly, until emulsified.

2) Arrange the watercress and herbs on a serving plate. Sprinkle the pistachios over top. Just before serving, drizzle over a bit of the dressing (there will be some left over). Toss gently and serve.

Celery & Cilantro Salad

2011-03-15T08:41:00.000-07:00

This salad is one of those simple recipes that feels so new and fresh yet uses common ingredients that, if your refrigerator looks anything like mine, you generally have on hand. Celery is such a flavorful vegetable, especially the celery leaves which pack the most intense flavor. Sadly this vegetable often gets overlooked as an ingredient in its own right. Poor celery mostly finds itself relegated to the crudite platter. No longer! I invite you to try this recipe and appreciate celery in a whole new way.

I can think of a million different things to serve this with. Any kind of simply grilled fish or fish tacos would be perfect. Since this is a crunchy slaw-like salad, use it anywhere you'd otherwise serve a traditional slaw, for a lighter and unexpected take on a classic.

This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe in the April 2011 issue of Living.

Enjoy!

Celery & Cilantro Salad:

Yields approx 6 cups

4 medium ribs celery, sliced thinly on the bias

2 cups fresh cilantro leaves (picked from their stems)

1/4 cup dried cranberries (or golden raisins)

1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted

extra virgin olive oil

lemon juice

fleur de sel & freshly cracked black pepper

1) In a large bowl, combine the celery, cilantro, dried cranberries, and almonds. Sprinkle with salt & pepper and toss gently. Drizzle with lemon juice and good olive oil to taste. Toss to coat all ingredients.

Buckwheat Buttermilk Pancakes

2011-03-05T09:16:00.000-08:00

Two of my favorite things in one morsel of gluten free splendor. These are a scrumptious way to ease into a weekend morning. Buckwheat has a nutty, earthy character that is particularly wonderful with strawberries (photo). Counter to what the name might suggest, buckwheat has nothing to do with conventional 'wheat' and is naturally gluten free.

If you're not sensitive about gluten, just substitute 1 cup of regular all-purpose flour in place of the brown rice flour. I do think though that the brown rice flour gives these pancakes a delicate sweetness and a tender crumb that is very unique.

Enjoy!

Buckwheat Buttermilk Pancakes:

Yields 12-16, 4" pancakes

1 cup buckwheat flour

1 cup brown rice flour (or AP flour)

2 TB sugar

1 TB baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp quatre epices (or cinnamon)

2 large egss

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

1 cup regular low-fat milk

4 TB unsalted butter, melted

fresh strawberries, thinly sliced, for serving

pure maple syrup, for serving

1) In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (buckwheat through quatre epices). Make a well in the center and whisk in the wet ingredients (eggs through milk). Once well combined, whisk in the melted butter.

2) Heat a nonstick griddle to medium high. Brush lightly with melted butter. Spoon puddles of pancake batter onto the hot griddle and cook on the first side until bubbles form all over the surface. Flip and cook on the second side until just cooked through, about 1-2 minutes more.

3) Serve warm with fresh sliced strawberries, good butter, and maple syrup.

Baked Oatmeal

2011-02-27T16:27:00.000-08:00

Today was the second time I made this scrumptious baked oatmeal recipe. I must admit that I'm not a big fan of oatmeal in general. I find it a bit mushy; just not really my thing. Anyways, this recipe appealed to me since it was baked and packed with lots of crunchy nuts and seeds. I imagined it tasting more like a hearty breakfast crumble, which indeed it did, only much less sweet.

The first time I made the recipe pretty much exact and it was quite good but this time I changed it up a bit and I think it's about perfect now. This is such a simple and warming weekend breakfast that can be quickly reheated all week long for a healthy meal before work or school. That's just what I intend to do this week. I hope you will too.

Enjoy!

Baked Oatmeal:

Yields 1, 2 qt gratin dish (about 10-12 servings)

2 cups rolled oats ( I use certified gluten free oats)

1/4 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup toasted cashews, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp quatre epices (or the equivalent measure of white pepper, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 cup light coconut milk

1 cup low-fat milk (or almond milk)

2 ripe pears, cored and chopped into 1" pieces

1/4 cup fresh cranberries (if frozen, do not defrost)

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the oats, chopped nuts, sunflower seeds, cranberries, salt, and spices. Stir to combine.

2) In another small bowl, whisk the egg, maple syrup, coconut milk & milk to combine. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until all is well incorporated.

3) Spread the chopped pears and fresh cranberries in the bottom of a 2 quart baking dish. Pour the oat mixture over top and gently level with a spatula. Bake, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes or until the center is set and the edges are golden brown. Serve warm.

Whole Lemon Bars

2011-02-26T19:42:00.000-08:00

These are perhaps the best lemon bars I have ever eaten... ever. The recipe is adapted from the ever inspiring David Lebovitz's blog. I was attracted to the recipe right off, once reading that it used a whole lemon. I happen to adore lemon bars and grew up eating them all the time. My Mom was not really a baker, but she made a darn good lemon bar, which I always asked for at every special occasion. Needless to say, I've eaten a lot of them over the years. The older I got though, the more I found them increasingly too sweet for my taste. I find that now too, with nearly every lemon bar I have met in recent past. I think that's just what most people have come to expect from a lemon bar, a cloyingly sweet jelly-centered bar, with a doughy cookie 'crust'. So unfortunate.

I was thrilled to taste these and after practically inhaling the entire first batch on my own, I had to make a second batch just to make sure I really did like them as much as I thought I did. That it wasn't some fluke or something the first time.

Anyhow, they're fantastic. They have a bitter edge from using the whole lemon, pith and all, which I quite enjoy. The center is more of a lemon cream and not that jello-looking translucent center we've come to expect. The crust is golden and crispy. I used ground lavender blossoms in mine as well as grated lemon zest, for another layer of flavor.

Such a simple and pleasing treat these are. I hope they will become a staple in your bake-sale, tea party, summer luncheon, Sunday couch snacking while drinking tea.... repertoire.

Enjoy!

Whole Lemon Bars:

Yields 1, 9"9 pan (about 9 large squares)

For the crust:

1 cup flour ( I used organic brown rice flour)

1/4 cup sugar

pinch salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 TB grated lemon zest

2 tsp ground lavender blossoms

For the filling:

1 1/2 lemons ( I used 1 large Meyer lemon and 1/2 Bearss lime)

3/4 cup sugar

3 TB freshly squeezed orange juice ( I used blood orange)

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

3 TB unsalted butter, melted

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9"x9" brownie pan with cooking spray, then press in parchment to cover the bottom and sides of the pan.

2) In the bowl of a standing mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all the ingredients for the crust. Mix until the dough comes together. It will be quite soft. Press evenly into the parchment lined baking pan, using your fingers. Bake for 25 minutes or until the crust is evenly golden brown.

3) While the crust is cooking, make the filling. Cut the lemon in half and remove the seeds. Cut the lemon/ lime into chunks. Place the chunks into a blender, along with the sugar and orange juice. Let the blender run until the lemon is very well pureed. Add in the eggs, cornstarch, salt, and melted butter. Process until well combined and almost smooth.

4) Remove the crust from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Pour the lemon filling into the hot crust and return to the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the filling is just set in the center.

5) Let the bars cool for 15-20 minutes at room temperature, then finish cooling completely in the fridge. Using the sides of the parchment, lift the square out of the pan. Slice off the edges and discard. Then slice the bars into 9 equal pieces, about 2.5" x 2.5". Serve chilled. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Quick Chickpea Coconut Curry

2011-02-16T19:26:00.001-08:00

This quick dinner is my new favorite thing. Cooking a bunch of vegetables together with spices and legumes and serving it over long grain brown rice with cucumber raita on the side. Yumm.

I love Indian flavors but sometimes don't love eating in Indian restaurants. I often find the food served to be heavy and oily and when it's not, it's generally too spicy for me. I love making Indian food at home though since I can make it just how I like it... deep and savory, just spicy enough, hearty yet not heavy.

I'm hardly a traditionalist so I mix flavors I like together, in this case coconut and Indian curry spices. I know, coconut milk lends itself more to Thai curries but this really does work. Next time you're wondering what to make for dinner, adapt this flexible recipe to what you have on hand.

Enjoy!!

Quick Chickpea Coconut Curry:

Yields 4 servings

2, 15 oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed well (I like Eden brand)

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2" dice

2 ribs celery, chopped into 1/2" dice

1 bunch swiss chard, sliced into 1/2" ribbons

2 TB tomato paste

1 TB sherry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)

1/2 cup light coconut milk

1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable stock

2 TB olive oil

2 tsp yellow curry powder ( I like Morton & Basset curry powder)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp cayenne (or to taste)

1) In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, carrot, celery, salt & pepper and stir until the vegetables just begin to soften. Add the curry powder, cayenne, and cumin seeds, and stir until the spices are fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes. Add the vinegar, and stir to deglaze the pan. Stir in the chickpeas, chard, coconut milk, and vegetable stock. Cover the pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

2) Cook for about 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the liquid has reduced by about half. Serve over brown basmati rice with cucumber & yogurt sauce alongside.

Rosemary Olive Oil Cake with Chocolate

2011-02-12T15:35:00.000-08:00

This lovely olive oil cake is from Kim Boyce's book, Good to the Grain. It's a great book, one of the best I've seen about baking with alternative flours. That said, most of her recipes use all- purpose flour in combination with other flours, not strictly special flours. I rarely bake with AP flour at all, so have adapted the recipe to work with both spelt and gluten free flours. The recipe came out great with the substitutions but feel free to use whatever flour you prefer and/or have on hand.

I had a few problems getting the original recipe to bake properly and also found it was prone to collapsing once baked. I made some changes and in my experience it worked much better with a few adjustments. I've made those changes reflective in the recipe below.

I think this dessert has all the makings of a perfect finish to a special Valentine's Day meal. It's not overly sweet and although it does contain chocolate, it's hardly traditional. Also, it's very easy and fast to put together. It's best served at room temperature and keeps well on the counter for a few days, so it's perfect for making ahead.

Wishing you all much sweetness this Valentine's Day. May we use this 'holiday' as a reminder to appreciate those in our lives that we care most about, not only with hearts and flowers, but with kindness and gratitude each and every day.

Enjoy!

Rosemary Olive Oil Cake with Chocolate:

Yields 1, 9"x 3" x 5" loaf

2 1/4 cups flour ( I used white spelt, see * below for gluten free)

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

3 eggs, at room temperature

1 cup olive oil ( I used a full bodied extra virgin but nothing too special is necessary)

3/4 cup milk

1 1/2 TB fresh rosemary, finely chopped

5 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped into 1/2" pieces (I used 70%)

1) Preheat the oven to 340 degrees. Brush a loaf pan with olive oil. Separate the eggs, placing the whites in the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment. Place the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk in the milk, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and the olive oil into the yolks. Set aside. Beat the egg whites on high speed until foamy. Slowly drizzle in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.

2) Stir the flour, salt, baking powder, and rosemary together in a small bowl. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg yolk mixture, in 2 additions, until well combined.

3) Place 1/3 of the egg white mixture into the rest of the batter. Stir gently to lighten the batter, then fold in the remaining whites. Fold gently, lifting and turning, so as not to deflate the egg whites. When the batter is combined, gently stir in the chopped chocolate.

4) Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake at 340 degrees for about 55-60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Slice only when completely cool.

*To make this recipe gluten free, use 1 1/2 cups brown rice flour, 1/2 cup blanched almond meal, and 1/4 cup millet flour, plus 1/2 tsp xanthan gum.

Sweet Potato Scones with Blue Cheese & Dill

2011-01-30T11:42:00.000-08:00

These lovely little scones make a perfect partner for any kind of soup. I enjoyed them last night with my Spicy Tomato & White Bean Soup . I also enjoyed them this morning toasted with butter and marmalade.

These scones are packed with many layers of savory flavor. They have good piquancy from the blue cheese, smooth tartness from the buttermilk, and roasted sweetness from the sweet potatoes. This is a great recipe that I turn to often when I want a simple and flavorful homemade 'bread' that I can make quickly. I hope you'll make these often as well.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Scones with Blue Cheese & Dill:

Yields about 24, 2" round or square scones

2 medium orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" dice

1 TB olive oil

2 3/4 cups flour (I used unbleached spelt, see* below for gluten free)

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes

2/3 cup low-fat buttermilk, plus 1 TB

1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled (I used a buttermilk blue cheese)

1/2 cup mild gouda, grated (gruyere or fontina would also work well)

2 TB fresh dill, finely chopped

1) Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Toss the sweet potatoes with olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. Roast them for about 30 minutes until they're tender and just starting to caramelize. Set aside to cool.

2) In the bowl of a standing mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, salt, cayenne, and baking powder to combine. Add the butter and mix until the butter pieces are about the size of peas. Add the cheeses, dill, and buttermilk and mix until dough just starts to come together. Add in the sweet potatoes and mix until combined. The dough will be sticky.

3) Raise the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Turn the dough out onto a well floured board and roll out to 1/2" thickness. Using a 2" round or square cutter dusted in flour, punch out the scones. Re-roll the dough as needed. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, about 2" apart. Brush the tops of the scones with the remaining 1 TB buttermilk and sprinkle lightly with a coarse salt. Bake for about 20 minutes until the scones are puffed and golden brown on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

(*To make these scones gluten free, substitute 1 1/2 cups brown rice flour, 1/2 cup millet flour, 3/4 cup almond meal, 1/2 tsp powdered egg whites, 1/2 tsp xanthan gum, in place of the flour called for in the recipe. Use the rest of the ingredients as indicated above.)

Grapefruit & Meyer Lemon Marmalade with Rose Geranium

2011-01-28T08:12:00.000-08:00

I read recently that the legendary 'jamstress' June Taylor makes a meyer lemon marmalade with rose geranium. Ever since hearing that I have been obsessed with locating a recipe. Hers doesn't exist anywhere that I can find, nor does she have a book, so I adapted another recipe to include those same flavors.

I happen to love rose geranium although it's one of those flavors that if taken too far can end up tasting rather like soap. Though at its best the flavor is delicately floral with an intense perfume scent. I'm starting to see rose geranium used in many pastries and confections and it delights me that others are also starting to appreciate this lovely (and easy to grow) herb.

The jam came out absolutely perfect although I had many doubts during the process. It's very very lightly set but still definitely set. It's such a refreshing change from so many heavily jelled jams. The color is a lovely jewel toned, almost amber color, with a gorgeous transluscence.

Marmalade is not particularly mysterious to make but does take some time and is definitely a labor of love. The great thing about this one though is that it can be made in one day. Many recipes you'll find take at least two days. If you find yourself with a garden full of lovely citrus like me, do try your hand at this. The results are incredibly delicious and very satisfying.

Enjoy!

Grapefruit & Meyer Lemon Marmalade with Rose Geranium:

Yields about 7, 1/2 pint jars

5 pounds Ruby Red grapefruit

5 Meyer lemons

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2-3 additional lemons)

2 1/2 pounds sugar

10 rose geranium leaves

jelly bag or cheesecloth

powdered pectin- about 2 teaspoons

6-8 sterilized 1/2 pint jars and lids

1) Remove the skin from 4 grapefruits with a vegetable peeler. Cut the skin into 1/8" slivers. You should have about 2 cups. For the remaining grapefruits, slice off the ends so that you can just see the flesh. Using a sharp knife, slice off the peel and the pith and discard. Working over the pot you intend to use for making the jam, and using a paring knife, supreme the grapefruit segments, reserving the middle membrane (essentially the core of the fruit). Stop when you have about 5 cups of segments.

2) Remove the skin from 2 of the Meyer lemons and slice them into 1/8" slivers. For the remaining Meyer lemons, remove the skin and the pith and discard. Working over the pot you intend to use for making the jam, and using a paring knife, supreme the lemon segments, reserving the middle membrane (essentially the core of the fruit). Put membranes from the grapefruit and Meyer lemons in a jelly bag (or doubled up cheesecloth) and tie closed.

3) In a wide and deep pot, combine the grapefruit & lemon segments, grapefruit & lemon peel, and jelly bag filled with the membranes. Add the lemon juice and enough water (or juice) to equal about 2 cups total. Simmer until the grapefruit & lemon peels are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the jelly bag and set aside until cool enough to handle.

4) Working over a large bowl, squeeze the juice from the jelly bag. The juice will extract easily at first but keep squeezing and wringing it out until you extract 1/3 cup of pectin. Add the extracted pectin and the 2 teaspoons powdered pectin to the pot along with the 2 12# of sugar and the rose geranium leaves. Place over high heat and boil, stirring now and then, until marmalade is between 222 and 225 degrees and passes the plate test. (ie: spoon a little onto a frozen plate and put in the fridge for 3 minutes. If it thickens like jam, it's ready.) When the jam is done, fish out the rose geranium leaves and discard.

5) Meanwhile, put 6 sterilized 1/2 pint canning jars and lids on a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm. When jam is done, remove jars from the oven. Ladle jam into the hot jars, filling them as high as possible. Wipe the rims. Fasten the lid tightly. Process for about 15 minutes in a hot water canner. Allow the jars to cool until a seal is made on all the jars. Keep at room temperature up to 1 year.

Chard Cakes with Goat Cheese Sauce

2011-01-25T18:24:00.000-08:00

I always think of these as 'Esalen Garden Cakes' and they are a fixture in my memory from my years at Esalen. They were always made on changeover Monday when the 'new recruits' were receiving their one day of kitchen training as these could be made by the chef alone. My relationship to food was transformed at Esalen. It really was the heart of that community and it was where I was first able to experience the connection between garden and kitchen.

Never before had I tasted food that was so 'alive', harvested just hours before. Feeding a group of 300 on any given day is no small feat and overall the food was very simple but amazingly fresh. Most of the food is grown on the roughly 6.5 acres of organic farm located on the property. Working in that garden was magic. Growing food on a 'large' scale from seed to table was transformative. It definitely has inspired me in every way since and very directly set the tone for my two careers. First, in working with plants and now, in working with food.

I love these Chard Cakes, of course because of my memories surrounding them, but also because they're delicious. This is the kind of food I could eat every day... simple, seasonal, satisfying. You can of course make these with spinach, kale, or any number of greens depending on what you have on hand. I've adjusted this recipe from the original as printed in the Esalen Cookbook as I prefer the cakes with a bit more body. At Esalen these are usually served with a goat cheese and horseradish sauce. My goat cheese, dijon, dill sauce is below.

I hope you'll make this meal often.

Enjoy!

Chard Cakes (aka: Esalen Garden Cakes)

Yields 8-9 cakes

1/2 cup flour (I use unbleached spelt)

1/2 cup buttermilk

4 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 bunch chard, stems sliced into 1" pieces and leaves sliced into thin ribbons

olive oil for frying

1) Combine the flour, salt & pepper in a large bowl. Add the buttermilk and eggs and whisk until a smooth batter is formed. Stir in the chard leaves and stems.

2) Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Using a 1/2 cup measure, scoop up some of the chard and batter mixture and add it to the hot skillet. Cook until the eggs are set and bottom of the cakes are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip over and finish cooking on the opposite side. Serve warm with goat cheese sauce, below.

Goat Cheese, Dill & Dijon Sauce:

3 oz plain soft goat cheese (ie: chevre, at room temp)

1/4 cup sour cream or creme fraiche

2 TB Dijon mustard

1 TB fresh dill, finely minced

juice of 1/2 lemon

salt & pepper

1) Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir together until well combined.

Lemon Cloud Tart

2011-01-23T15:08:00.000-08:00

My favorite desserts are those that manage at once to be both light and rich. This does just that and it's the perfect flavor for the season.

It starts with a simple pate brisee tart shell that's filled with a puckery meyer lemon cream and a bitter-sweet marmalade. It's super simple to put together. Since I'm a baker, I generally have several frozen pastry rounds ready to defrost and roll out for last minute tarts such as this, but making it the same day is a snap too. Just give yourself enough time to chill the pastry before you bake.

This is a lovely fresh dessert that highlights the best of season citrus and is perfect for a casual weekend dinner.

Enjoy!

Lemon Cloud Tart:

Yields 1, 9" round tart (or 1 rectangular tart)

For the Pate Brisee Crust:

2 cups flour (I use unbleached spelt)

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

2 TB sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4-1/3 cup ice water

1) In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar & salt. Pulse briefly to combine. Add the cubes of butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, drizzle the water through the feed tube until the dough just starts to come together. Pulse a few more times until the mixture resembles a crumbly dough. Add a drop or two more water if needed.

2) Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead gently to bring the dough together. Pat into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or freeze for later use.

3) After the dough has chilled, roll out into a 10" round, with about 1/8" thickness throughout. Place gently in the tart pan and press carefully into the sides and bottom of the pan. Trim away any excess and return to the fridge or freezer for 20-30 minutes.

4) Heat the oven to 400 degrees. When the dough has chilled for the second time, prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork and bake for about 15-20 minutes until the crust is evenly golden brown all over. Set aside to cool completely.

For the Lemon Filling:

Juice and zest from 1 meyer lemon

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup lemon or orange marmalade (store bought or homemade)

sliced fruit or berries for garnish

1) In the bowl of a standing mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream, sugar, the vanilla extract, and the lemon zest to firm peaks. (Note- I generally whip the cream a bit beyond normal here so that when I fold in the lemon juice, the cream holds up.)

2) Juice the lemon. Slowly drizzle the juice into the whipped cream, while folding gently, until the juice is well incorporated. Set aside.

3) Spread the marmalade onto the cooled tart shell. Follow by spreading the lemon cream over top until the shell is completely filled. Garnish with sliced candied citrus or with fresh berries. Serve chilled.

Panade

2011-01-16T22:24:00.001-08:00

I clipped this lovely recipe from the New York Times this past summer although it's originally from the Tartine Bread Cookboo k. It's one of those great recipes that feels fresh and inventive but is endlessly adaptable based on your ingredients on hand at any given time. This is a dish that you make to clean out the larder, with day-old bread and whatever bits of veggies you have around. It's yummy, simple, comforting.... all the things I love at this time of year especially.

If you're not familiar with 'panade', I think it's very similar to a 'strata' or a savory bread pudding. It's essentialy a bread and vegetable casserole and let me just say... it's delicious!

One tip, I use 2% milk since it's generally what I have on hand. This works fine and makes for a lighter overall dish but it does leave a good bit of liquid in the bottom of the pot after cooking. So, I generally portion the whole dish up and store it in a different container, rather than in the cooking pot itself. If you use whole milk, you most likely won't have that problem.

Enjoy!

Panade 'a la Tartine':

Yields 6 generous servings

2 TB olive oil

4 TB unsalted butter

2 large leeks, finely sliced

6 cups milk

6 slices (or thereabouts) day-old country bread, sliced 1/4" thick

1# butternut squash, sliced 1/4" thick

1 bunch black kale, stems and thick ribs removed (or chard)

1 small head cauliflower, trimmed and sliced 1/2" thick (or broccoli)

3/4 cup fontina cheese, grated (or gruyere)

1/3 cup dried breadcrumbs

2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 tsp black pepper

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a 5 quart dutch oven or other oven-safe pot with a tight fitting lid (Le Creuset works great here), heat the 2TB olive oil. Add the leeks and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the milk, butter, salt, pepper & nutmeg, and bring to just under a boil. Remove from heat.

2) Meanwhile, place about 3 slices of bread in the bottom of the casserole (or enough to cover snugly). Place an even layer of butternut squash over top. Pour over 2 cups of the hot milk mixture. Place another 3 (or so) slices of bread on top and push down gently to compact. Place the kale over top, followed by the cauliflower. Press down to compact slightly. Pour the remaining milk mixture over top and place the lid on. Bake for 30 minutes.

3) Remove the lid and top with the grated cheese and the bread crumbs. Return the casserole to the oven, uncovered and cook about 40 minutes, until the dish is bubbly and the top is golden brown. Serve immediately or let cool and serve at room temperature.

*This dish keeps well for several days in the fridge. To reheat, place on an oven proof plate and reheat by drizzling over 1TB of cream and baking for 5-7 minutes at 400 degrees, until heated through.

Savory Cheese & Fig Jam Shortreads

2011-01-08T15:08:00.001-08:00

I first read about this recipe here and knew immediately that I wanted to try it. What's not to love.... pungent blue cheese, sweet fig jam in a little biscuit of a cookie. Yumm. I happen to have several jars of fig & lime jam that I made this past summer and this was a perfect place to use it.

I made a few changes to the original recipe with great results. These are really easy and strike that perfect blend of richness, spice, and sweet. I intend to eat several this evening while enjoying a glass of wine.

Enjoy!!

Savory Cheese & Fig Jam Shortbreads:

Yields about 24, 2" round cookies

1 cup flour ( I used unbleached spelt, brown rice flour is great too)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 oz grated cheese (I used a mix of blue cheese, gruyere, and sharp cheddar)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp cayenne

Fig preserves, about 1/4 cup

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. In the bowl of a standing mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all the ingredients, except for the fig jam. Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms (this can also be done in a food processor).

2) Turn the dough out onto a well floured board and gather into a ball. Roll the dough out to about 1/4" thickness. Using a 2" round cutter, punch out as many circles as you can. I got exactly 24. You can re-roll the dough as needed. Place the cookies about 1" apart on the lined baking sheets. Using your thumb or the back of a teaspoon, make a shallow impression in the center of each cookie. Fill each with a spoonful of fig jam.

3) Bake for about 15-18 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown around the edges and set in the center. Cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes. Serve at room temperature. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Savory Mushroom & Nut Loaf

2011-01-06T16:42:00.000-08:00

Ever since making this delicious dinner last week, I have been wanting share it with you. Problem is, I don't like the name 'mushroom & nut loaf'. I've been trying to come up with prettier names but none really describe well what it actually is. I've thought of calling it 'Gateau de Champignons et Noix', 'Rice Cake with Mushrooms', 'Vegetarian Meatloaf'.... none of which are any more appealing to me or descriptive to you.

Essentially, it's a delicious combination of mushrooms, brown rice, cheese, and chopped nuts bound with eggs and baked in a loaf pan. I'm generally not fond of vegetarian food that tries to look or taste like meat so I don't really like the idea of calling it 'vegetarian meatloaf', but at least that provides a familiar reference.

Anyhow, what I can say is that this was one of my favorite dinners I've made in a long while. It was hearty yet clean and had great depth of flavor & appealing texture. I would strongly suggest you give this one a go. It does require a fair amount of ingredients and some chopping work but it's truly well worth it. I served this with a simple store bought bbq sauce that I seasoned with a little lemon juice, plain yogurt, and a dash of Braggs liquid aminos.

Original recipe posted here and created by Victoria Pearson.

Enjoy!!

Savory Mushroom & Nut Loaf:

Yields 1, 9"x5"x2" loaf (about 8 slices)

2 TB olive oil

1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms

1 1/2 cups walnuts, toasted

1/2 cup raw cashews, toasted

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1/3 # shiitake mushrooms, finely diced

2 cups cooked brown rice

2 TB chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 TB chopped fresh oregano

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1 tsp chopped fresh sage leaves

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere cheese

1 cup cottage cheese

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9"x5"x2" loaf pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment. Butter the parchment.

2) Place dried porcini in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Reconstitute for 15 minutes. Drain liquid and reserve for later use. Finely chop mushrooms and set aside.

3) Chop toasted walnuts and cashews in the food processor until finely chopped.

4) Heat the 2TB olive oil in a saute pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add shiitake mushrooms and reserved porcini and cook until mushrooms are tender, about 5 more minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the rice, toasted & chopped nuts, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, eggs, Gruyere, cottage cheese, salt & pepper.

5) Spread mixture in prepared loaf pan and bake until golden brown and firm to the touch, about 1 hour. Let cool in pan about 20 minutes. Using the parchment paper, lift the loaf out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Slice into 1 1/2" thick pieces. Serve hot or warm.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-30T07:50:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all the very happiest of New Years! May 2011 be filled with many delicious meals enjoyed with friends and family. I wish for us all a peaceful world, a strong economy, and that we will all treat one another with kindness and respect.

This marks the first full year of my Dinner Tonight blog. It has ben a true pleasure sharing so many recipes with you (118 and counting!). I have many more delicious ideas and recipes to share with you in the coming year so please stay tuned. I hope you'll keep reading and share this blog with your friends and family. I will certainly keep writing and cooking and posting for you.

Before we get started with all the new recipes, I wanted to once again share with you my top 10 favorite recipes from this past year. Perhaps these might inspire some end of year feasting for you too. I'd love to hear from you as well and what your favorites have been.

Enjoy!!

Dinner Tonight's Top 10 of 2010 (in no particular order):

Buckwheat Crepes: http://dinnertonightblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/buckwheat-crepes-with-mushrooms-chevre.html - Why? Because I can think of few other foods that I could eat with such frequency. They're just so darn delicious.

Pizza Festa Romana- http://dinnertonightblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/pizza-festa-romana.html- Why? Because this pizza is simple and perfect and it reminds me of a magical night in Rome.

Roasted Carrots with Parsley, Mint, & Feta- http://dinnertonightblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/roasted-carrots-with-parsley-mint-feta.html- Why? Because they're so super easy and I can't think of anything that wouldn't be great to serve with them.

Vanilla Honey Lavender Ice Cream- http://dinnertonightblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/vanilla-honey-lavender-ice-cream.html- Why? Because it's my very favorite ice cream!

Grilled Fish Tacos- http://dinnertonightblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/grilled-fish-tacos_18.html- Why? Because second only perhaps to the Buckwheat Crepes, I could eat these practically every day.

Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce- http://dinnertonightblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/poached-eggs-in-tomato-sauce.html- Why? Because, this is another staple in my house and a super comforting, fast, and easy dinner.

Zucchini Crudi- http://dinnertonightblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/zucchini-crudi-pecorino.html- Why? Because it's so simple and fresh and it reminds me of summer.

Baked Butternut Squash Risotto with Kale- http://dinnertonightblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/baked-butternut-squash-risotto-with.html- Why? Because I'm delighted and obsessed with this new way of preparing risotto.

Quince & Apple Crumble- http://dinnertonightblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/quince-apple-crisp.html- Why? Because I'm a sucker for a good crumble. These are my favorite kind of desserts... fruit based and homey.

Salmon Chowder- http://dinnertonightblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/salmon-chowder.html- Why? Because it's my new 'go to' soup. It's simple and light and comforting all at the same time.

Dungeness Crab Cakes

2010-12-19T19:16:00.000-08:00

It's Dungeness Crab season here in the Bay Area and I think they're especially tasty this year. The crab has been super sweet and tender... really delicious. Tonight I made my favorite crab cakes that are packed full of crab meat with very little else. They're rich and delicious and allow the flavor of the crab to shine through. Best of all, they're super easy to prepare.

Tonight I served the crab cakes with a simple pea puree and a light yogurt sauce with mustard and capers. I've included the recipes for both below as well. A little sparkling wine and it's a proper holiday season dinner with no fuss.... truly 'Dinner Tonight Style'.

Enjoy!

Dungeness Crab Cakes:

Yields 4 large crab cakes

1/2# lump crab meat, picked clean

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs, plus more for coating (see * below for gluten free)

1 rib celery plus celery leaves, finely diced

2 scallions, finely minced

1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

2 large eggs

sea salt & freshly grated black pepper

olive oil for frying

1) In a small bowl, mix together the crab meat, celery & leaves, scallions, Old Bay seasoning, and 1/4 cup bread crumbs. Stir together to combine. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Add 1 egg and stir together with a fork until the mixture just holds together. Form the mixture into 4 equal sized patties.

2) In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg lightly. In another small bowl, add about 1/4 cup more panko bread crumbs. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. While the oil is heating, dredge the crab cakes first in the beaten egg and then in the bread crumbs. When the oil is very hot, but not smoking, add the crab cakes. Turn the heat to medium high. Cook the cakes about 3 minutes on each side until the outside is deep golden brown and crispy and the middle is heated through.

For the Pea Puree:

1, 10 oz bag frozen peas

1/4 cup vegetable stock

2 TB butter

sea salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

1) Melt 1TB butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the frozen peas and the vegetable stock and simmer until the peas are tender and very bright green, about 4 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender with the remaining 1 TB butter and puree until mixed but still a little chunky. Serve warm, with the crab cakes.

For the Yogurt Sauce:

1, 3oz container 2% plain greek style yogurt

1 TB whole grain mustard

2 tsp capers, drained

1) In a small bowl, stir together all the ingredients. Place a dollop of the mixture on top of each crab cake, just before serving.

(* To make enough gluten free bread crumbs for this recipe, grind up 4 slices of well toasted gluten free bread of your choosing in a food processor. Voila!)

Gingerbread

2010-12-17T19:36:00.000-08:00

I really look forward to a good gingerbread round 'bout this time of year. Now, procuring what I deem a 'good' gingerbread can be quite an arduous task. I often find myself disappointed by the restrained flavors in most gingerbread. They're just not spicy or gingery enough for my taste.

I really want to taste that gingery bite and all the deep richness of spices and molasses. This recipe is for just that kind of gingerbread. The cake itself is quite light but the molasses gives it a sticky indulgence. The color is that of dark chocolate and just perfect for a showering of snowy white powdered sugar. I can almost see those little plastic trees and woodland creatures adorning the cake. But I shall resist such kitschy temptations this one time, if only for the benefit of you, my readers.

I encourage you to make this cake before xmas. Trust me, you'll be glad you did!

Enjoy!!

Gingerbread:

Yields 1, 9"x13" cake

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup boiling water

2 tsp baking soda

1 cup unsulfured molasses (not blackstrap)

2 TB fresh ginger, grated

2 1/2 cups flour (I used unbleached Spelt)

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp five spice powder

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tsp ground ginger

2 large eggs, at room temperature

powdered sugar, for dusting

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9"x13" baking dish with nonstick spray and line the bottom and sides with parchment. Bring the 1 cup of water to a boil. Add the baking soda and stir to dissolve. Set aside.

2) In the bowl of a standing mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the fresh ginger, baking soda & water mixture, and the molasses. Mix to combine and scrape down the bowl. Add the flour mixture with the spices. Mix. Add the eggs, one at a time. Mix again to combine well.

3) Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan. When completely cool, invert cake onto serving plate and remove the parchment. Slice into 2" square portions. Dust the whole thing liberally with powdered sugar.

Gluten Free Mesquite Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-12-11T19:43:00.000-08:00

I have been interested in using Mesquite Flour for quite some time now. As I was recently challenged to come up with a recipe using this flour for a baking demonstration, I've been experimenting with lots of combinations of ingredients. It's really delicious. I'm almost surprised at how much I like it. That said, it's definitely a strong flavor. You would want to use it as part of a blend of flours, not exclusively on its own or I think it would overwhelm the finished item. It's similar to other strong ingredients like cumin, saffron, coconut... in that way.

Mesquite has a heady aroma, somewhat reminiscent of chestnuts and a deep earthy flavor. The color is a warm amberish gold and I think that almost describes the flavor too. It's divine and I think it's just perfect with chocolate.

This cookie recipe is simple and really highlights the unique flavor of the mesquite. These are definitely making it into all my Christmas gift tins this year. Please look for this unique ingredient. You'll be glad you did!

Enjoy!!

Gluten Free Mesquite Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Yields about 2 dozen

1 cup/ 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup superfine sugar

3 eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups brown rice flour

1 cup mesquite flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix until well combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the chocolate chips and mix briefly until evenly distributed.

2) Using a 1 TB size cookie scoop, dollop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Space cookies, about 2" apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges are just golden brown and the centers are still soft but just set. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

*Optional additions:

1) You can add 1/2 cup oats to the cookies. Just note that the cookies will be slightly drier and denser than without the oats. The may also be puffier and won't spread as much in the oven.

2) You can also add 1/2 cup of any chopped nut that you fancy. This will add some nice crunch to the cookies.

3) You can substitute 1/2 cup of the brown rice flour for another gluten free flour, like millet, almond, or sweet potato. If you're not gluten free, you can also use Spelt flour or All-Purpose Flour in place of the entire quantity of brown rice flour.

Salmon Chowder

2010-12-02T08:03:00.001-08:00

This recipe is from Lucinda Scala Quinn and is truly a comforting bowl of winter goodness. It's one of those wonderful recipes that manages to be both hearty and light at the same time. It really couldn't be easier too. Serve with a side salad and some crusty bread for dunking and you have a lovely weeknight meal, ready in no time at all.

Enjoy!

Salmon Chowder:

Yields 4 generous servings

2 TB olive oil

1 leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced

1 red onion, quartered and thinly sliced

3 small yukon gold potatoes. peeled and cut into 3/4" pieces

2 carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

2 ribs celery, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock

12 oz skinless salmon fillet, cut into 3/4" pieces

1/4 cup cream

2 TB chopped fresh dill

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) In a 5 quart dutch oven, heat the oil. Add the leek and onion and saute until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, potato, salt & pepper, and cook until the vegetables are just beginning to soften, about 4 minutes more. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Simmer 6-8 minutes until the vegetables are just tender.

2) Add the salmon and simmer until opaque all the way through, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cream, just to heat through. Add the dill, reserving a sprinkle for the top of each bowl when serving. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Serve hot, sprinkled with remaining dill.

*The lovely photo is from http://www.bbcgoodfood.com

Whole Grain Pasta with Pumpkin, Kale, & Sundried Tomatoes

2010-11-30T19:29:00.000-08:00

I think this just might be my new favorite pasta recipe. It's just perfect for this time of year, when the weather is chilly, and every day seems more busy and hectic than the one before. It's the perfect meal to tuck in to after one of 'those' days. Open a bottle of red wine, sit down next to the fire with a warm bowl of this baked pasta, and muster up the fortitude for another day.

Enjoy!!

Whole Grain Pasta with Pumpkin, Kale, & Sundried Tomatoes:

Yields 8 servings

1# whole grain penne ( I used Jovial Einkorn Penne Rigate)

1, 15 oz can pumpkin puree (NOT pie filling, use 100% pure packed pumpkin)

1 bunch black Kale, sliced into 1" ribbons

1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, finely chopped

2 TB buttermilk (or cream, sour cream, plain yogurt, creme fraiche...)

1/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

1/4 cup Pecorino cheese, grated

2 oz Chevre

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp red chile flakes

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water generously. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8-10 minutes.

2) While the pasta is cooking, chop the kale. To soften the kale ever so slightly, I tossed it in a large bowl with about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. The heat from the water will wilt the kale while adding some starch to your sauce. In the same bowl as the kale, stir in the pumpkin, sundried tomatoes, stock, buttermilk, 2 TB grated Pecorino, salt, pepper, & red chile flakes. Mix around to combine all of the ingredients. Add the drained pasta and stir to completely coat the pasta. Lastly, stir in the chevre.

3) Pour the entire mixture into a 9" x 13" baking dish. Sprinkle the top with the remaining Pecorino cheese and the sliced almonds. Bake, uncovered, for about 40 minutes until the pasta is heated through and the top is golden brown and crunchy.

2010 Cookbook Roundup

2010-11-28T11:57:00.000-08:00

It's getting to be that gift giving time again. The holidays are really sneaking up on me this year. It seems like just yesterday I was enjoying tomatoes from my summer garden and lingering over long dinners eaten al fresco. Now, suddenly it seems, I'm bundled up in scarves and hats and shopping to the din of carols surrounded by holiday decor.

It probably comes as no surprise that I'm a bit of a cookbook collector. I have hundreds of them and go through phases of cooking through a few intensely at one time and then revisiting favorites. I'm always looking for new ideas and inspirations and below are some my favorites from 2010. I'm separating them into cooking and baking lists. If you're looking for gift ideas for the cooks on your list, especially those bakers, some of these might make a welcome surprise under the tree:

Cooking:

Around my French Table, Dorie Greenspan: http://www.amazon.com/Around-My-French-Table-Recipes/dp/0618875530 - I can't seem to get enough of the wonderful & easy recipes in this beautiful book. This is definitely at the very top of my favorites list this year.

Super Natural Cooking, Heidi Swanson:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1587612755/heidiswanson-20- This is actually from 2007, but new to me this year. I'm a big fan of Ms. Swanson and her cooking approach is very similar to mine.

Nigella Kitchen, Nigella Lawson: http://www.amazon.com/Nigella-Kitchen-Recipes-Heart-Home/dp/1401323952- She's lovely and full of simple ideas. This is a great, completely approachable book for the home cook.

River Cottage Preserves, Pam Corbin: http://www.amazon.com/River-Cottage-Preserves-Handbook/dp/158008172X- For those of you interested in canning, both savory and sweet items, this is a wonderful handbook with both recipes and basics.

Baking:

Ready For Dessert: My Best Recipes, David Lebovitz:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/158008138X/davidleboviswebs

Good to the Grain, Kim Boyce: http://www.amazon.com/Good-Grain-Baking-Whole-Grain-Flours/dp/1584798300- This is a wonderful book on baking with whole grains. Creative and approachable recipes that are really delicious.

Laduree Sucre, English version, Phillipe Andrieu: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ladurée-Sucré-Recipes-Phillipe-Andrieu/dp/1902686713/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1290974984&sr=1-1- Such a beautiful book filled with classic Laduree recipes. Definitely one for the skilled amateur or professional. The English version is only available through UK booksellers but it ships to the US. I just received mine and I can't wait to start working my way through it.

Farmers Market Desserts, Hennie Schacht: http://www.amazon.com/Farmers-Market-Desserts-Jennie-Schacht/dp/0811866726- Very seasonal approach to simple, produce based desserts.

Tartine Bread, Chad Robertson: http://www.amazon.com/Tartine-Bread-Chad-Robertson/dp/0811870413- For all of you interested in bread baking, this is a great one from the oh so fabulous, Tartine Bakery, here in San Francisco.

Sarabeth's Bakery, From My Hands to Yours, Sarabeth Levine:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0847834085?ie=UTF8&tag=doriegreenspa-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0847834085

Apple Pie & Chestnut Pear Stuffing

2010-11-24T19:31:00.000-08:00

We have been enjoying all of our favorite Thanksgiving foods all week now. I think I've almost had my fill. Perhaps after just a couple more pieces of apple pie. It's my favorite. I made about a zillion pies this week for the bakery but this one (photo above) is all for us. I can't wait!

I have been making this Martha Stewart recipe for years and I just adore it. It's simple and perfect. I use my own special pie crust recipe which involves hazelnut flour and which I will share here one of these days, but hers is great too. My only other change to the original pie is that I always make apple pie with golden delicious apples. Yes, you heard right... golden delicious. They're by no means my favorite eating apple but they are absolutely perfect for pie. Really.

I also made stuffing this week, although perhaps 'dressing' is a more appropriate term since I don't actually 'stuff' it inside of a turkey... since I don't actually eat turkey. Some people find it surprising that I don't eat any turkey at all, even on Thanksgiving. I'm not militant about it, I just find all the yummy sides more interesting, so I generally stick with those. Anyhow, I followed the basic instructions for the previously mentioned Mushroom & Walnut Stuffing but added fresh pears and chestnuts in place of the mushrooms and walnuts. I happen to adore chestnuts so I work them in as much as I can this time of year.

Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving surrounded by friends and family and lots of yummy food! I, for one, am very thankful for your support of my little blog. I so enjoy sharing my passion for food and cooking with all of you. Thank you for reading!

Enjoy!

Cranberry Conserve & Vanilla Scented Sweet Potatoes

2010-11-22T19:41:00.000-08:00

As promised, I'm updating my previous post about Thanksgiving recipes with some of my own experiences and photos.

I made Ina's cranberry conserve today and I now remember why I make this every single year. I just love it. It's the perfect blend of sweet and tart, with emphasis on tart. The cranberries are like ruby red jewels in the sauce and it's lightly flavored with orange. I omit the raisins and walnuts, and lemon zest from Ina's original recipe. I also reduce the sugar as I love the natural tartness of the berries. I'm sharing my adapted recipe below.

I also made the Vanilla Scented Sweet Potatoes from Heidi Swanson's blog today as well. This was my first time with this recipe but let's just say that they are so incredibly divine I just can't even stand it! I mean really really really good. I doubled the original recipe and I could have eaten the whole entire thing, just by myself... but I held back... at least until breakfast tomorrow. You can refer to Heidi's recipe for this one. I didn't change a thing and neither should you. It's perfect!

I do hope both of these recipes will find a place at your table this Thanksgiving. Tomorrow is pie baking day for the bakery so I'll be sure to photograph some of those beauties and share them here with you as well.

Enjoy!!

Cranberry Fruit Conserve

Yields about 4 cups

1, 12oz bag fresh cranberries

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped

1 orange, zest grated and juiced

1) In a small saucepan, combine the cranberries, sugar, and water. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes or until the skins just begin to burst. Add the apple, orange zest and juice and continue cooking, about 10-15 minutes more.

2) Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate at least two hours or until well chilled. Serve chilled.

Thanksgiving!

2010-11-21T10:55:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving is far and away my favorite holiday of the year since it's really ALL about the food! I love the idea of a big long table surrounded with friends and family, and filled to the brim with abundant platters of food. No gifts, no tree ....just the food.

People seem to be especially sentimental about Thanksgiving foods and are often hesitant to to try new things at this meal in particular. It's rather beside the point IF they actually like the jello mold, the marshmallow topped sweet potatoes or the green bean casserole with crispy canned onions. That's just what they've always eaten on Thanksgiving and it somehow doesn't seem right if they don't have those things.

I also have many favorites that I make year in and year out to celebrate this holiday but I always try to introduce one or two new dishes each year. It's a nice way to mix things up a bit without losing the essence of the traditional feast that we all love.

Below, I'm sharing links to some of my very favorite holiday recipes. Some are my own and many come from various other sources, all of which I've made and adapted over the years. I plan to make several of these dishes over the next couple of days. As I do, I'll update the blog to share any changes that I make to the recipes and photos of my finished dishes.

This should get you started though if you're planning on doing some early week shopping in preparation for the big day. I can personally attest that all these recipes are winners and time tested in my own kitchen. I hope you'll enjoy them as well!

Happy Thanksgiving from my table to yours!!

Cocktails:

Side Car: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/11/the-sidecar-cocktail/ (this is, hands down, my all time favorite cocktail)

Pomegranate Ginger Champagne Cocktail:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/drink/views/Pomegranate-Ginger-Champagne-Cocktail-231270

Nibbles:

Gougeres: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/alain-ducasses-gougeres
Fresh Thyme Crackers: http://dinnertonightblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/thyme-crackers.html

Soups & Salads:

Pumpkin & Pear Soup: http://dinnertonightblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/pumpkin-pear-soup.html

Raw Tuscan Kale Salad: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/raw-tuscan-kale-salad-recipe.html

Wild Rice Salad with Citrus & Herbs:

http://dinnertonightblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/wild-rice-salad-with-citrus-herbs.html

Main Course:
Butternut Squash Lasagna with Basil Bechamel:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/butternut-squash-lasagna-recipe/index.html
Mushroom Tart: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/mushroom-tart

Sides:

Cranberry Fruit Conserve: http://dinnertonightblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/cranberry-conserve-vanilla-scented.html

Vanilla Mashed Sweet Potatoes: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/000589.html

Celery Root & Apple Puree: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/celery-root-and-apple-puree-recipe/index.html

Mushroom & Walnut Stuffing: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/mushroom-and-walnut-stuffing

Cauliflower Gratin: http://dinnertonightblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/cauliflower-gratin.html

Roasted Dumpling Squash with Maple & Sage:

http://dinnertonightblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/roasted-dumpling-squash-with-maple-sage.html

Breads:

Buttermilk Biscuits: http://dinnertonightblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/buttermilk-biscuits.html

Bubble Top Brioches: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2009/10/bubble_top_brioches

Desserts:

Double Crust Apple Pie: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/double-crust-apple-pie

Pumpkin & Chocolate Tiramisu: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/pumpkin-chocolate-tiramisu

Caramel Nut Tart: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/caramel-nut-tart

French Pear & Almond Tart: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/11/pear-and-almond-tart-recipe/

Cauliflower Gratin

2010-11-16T19:50:00.000-08:00

I get that not everyone loves Cauliflower. In fact, truth be told, it's not my favorite vegetable either. However, this recipe is changing my mind and I hope it will change yours too. It's just plain yummy and so so simple.

I think this would make a lovely Thanksgiving side or a side for any other day of the year, for that matter. It sort of reminds me of a dish my mom used to make growing up, except that my mom made hers with broccoli. I didn't love broccoli and her casserole got me to eat it and eventually I liked it. Now I love it. I think my relationship with cauliflower might be headed for the same fate.

I hope you love this simple recipe and make it often!

Enjoy!!

Cauliflower Gratin:

Yields 4 serving

1 medium head of Cauliflower, core removed and cut into florets

1/4 cup cream

1 TB flour

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

2 TB breadcrumbs

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

pinch red chile flakes

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the washed cauliflower florets along with the cream, flour, 2 TB parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and chile flakes in a small bowl. Toss gently to coat. Empty the contents into a 9"x 9" baking dish.

2) Bake for about 30 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender when pierced with a knife. Sprinkle on the remaining parmesan cheese and the breadcrumbs and return to the oven for about 10 minutes more, until the top is evenly browned.

3) Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

White Bean Stuffed Roasted Portobellos

2010-11-16T07:38:00.000-08:00

This is the kind of simple & hearty meal I love to sit down to after a busy day. It's a snap to prepare and is very healthy yet satisfying. I generally roast up several mushrooms and make more beans than needed so I can reinvent them the next day in hearty salad for lunch. Paired with some crunchy romaine and a lemony dressing, you have the perfect midday meal.

One of the great things about mushrooms of all types is their sponge-like quality. Portobellos are no exception. This recipe bastes them before roasting with a lemony dressing and they really soak up all that flavor which comes through nicely in the finished dish.

I hope this will become a weeknight staple in your house as it has in mine.

Enjoy!!

White Bean Stuffed Roasted Portobellos:

Yields 4 main course servings

4 medium Portobello mushrooms

2, 15 oz cans Cannelini beans ( I like Eden brand)

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs (or dry seasoned bread crumbs)

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

juice and zest from 1 lemon

3 TB olive oil

1/4 cup water

1 TB fresh thyme

salt, pepper, and red chile flakes to taste

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the stems and place the mushrooms stem side down on a lined baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, zest, and 2 TB olive oil. Sprinkle the mushrooms with salt & pepper and brush them with the lemon juice mixture. Roast for 15 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender.

2) Meanwhile, add the remaining 1 TB olive oil to a saute pan. Add the whole garlic clove to the oil and heat until barely golden brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Rinse and drain the beans and add them to the garlic and oil. Add the thyme, water, salt, pepper, and chile flakes to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook, until most of the water is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Remove the garlic clove and set aside.

3) When the mushrooms are cooked through, remove them from the oven and turn up the heat to 450 degrees. Flip the mushrooms so the gills are now facing up. Add 1/3 cup bean mixture to each mushroom cap. Sprinkle on 1 TB breadcrumbs and 1 TB feta per mushroom. Return to the oven and cook until the breadcrumbs are golden and the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes more.

Baked Butternut Squash Risotto with Kale

2010-11-02T22:31:00.000-07:00

I think I might be a late adopter of this baked risotto thing? It certainly wouldn't be the first time I was late to know about the latest and greatest new 'thing'. But now that I know, I am never going back. I shall not stir and stir and stir a pot of risotto ever again. I shall only whip out my dutch oven with tight fitting lid, bring ingredients to boil, and place in oven for 20 minutes, from here on out. Truly, that's it! And yes, it really does makes a creamy, dreamy pot of risotto. I didn't believe it would actually work until I tried it for myself. But now I have and dare I say, I do believe!

Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Baked Risotto with Tuscan Kale:

Yields 4 generous servings

1 TB olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 sprigs fresh thyme

2# butternut squash, diced into 1" pieces

1 1/2 cups arborio rice

4 cups vegetable stock

1 bunch tuscan kale, tough mid ribs & stems removed, sliced into 1/2" ribbons

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

salt, pepper, and red chile flakes to taste

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a 5 quart dutch oven, or other oven-safe pot with tight fitting lid, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the thyme, the rice, and a sprinkling of salt & pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until the rice is well coated with the oil. Add the white wine and stir until evaporated.

2) Add the butternut squash, the vegetable stock, and the kale. Cover and bring to a boil. Stir to combine ingredients. Place the covered pot in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Reserve 2 TB of the parmesan cheese for serving and stir in the rest. Season to taste with salt, pepper & red chile flakes. Sprinkle with reserved parmesan and serve warm.

Farro Salad with Orange Glazed Tempeh & Oven Roasted Grapes

2010-10-29T08:08:00.000-07:00

Although I generally avoid soy products, I really love Tempeh. There's something about the fermented flavor and the nutty texture that I have always loved. I generally just sear it with some tamari and olive oil and serve it over rice or in a sandwich. This time though, I took inspiration from one of my favorite blogs, 101 Cookbooks, and cooked it in a reduced orange sauce which makes for a lovely amber glaze and infuses the tempeh with wonderful flavor.

I served the tempeh over a simple farro salad with oven roasted grapes and wilted greens for a yummy one dish meal. If you have never roasted grapes, it's so easy and delicious. It brings an entirely different flavor to the grapes, somewhere between wine and raisins. For the wilted greens, I used a simple braising mix of baby kale, mustard greens, chard, and beet greens. The combination of everything together packs so much flavor into a very healthy meal. This salad makes for excellent leftovers as well and is great served warm or cold the next day.

Enjoy!!

Farro Salad with Orange Glazed Tempeh & Oven Roasted Grapes

Yields 4 generous servings

1 cup pearl farro (or barley or brown rice)

3 cups water

1/2 # seedless red grapes

5 oz braising greens

10 oz tempeh, cut into 2" triangles

juice of 3 oranges (@3/4 cup)

1 TB tamari

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1 TB mirin

olive oil

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

red chile flakes, to taste

1 oz pecorino cheese, broken into little chunks

1) In a small saucepan, bring the 3 cups of water and farro to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 35 minutes, or until farro is tender.

2) Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment (or foil). Place the grapes on the baking sheet in a single layer and toss with a bit of olive oil, salt & pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, until they're just starting to burst and some are shriveling slightly.

3) Heat a bit of olive oil in a nonstick saute pan. Add the tempeh and cook to sear the outside, turning frequently, about 2 minutes. Add the orange juice, the ginger, mirin, tamari, and red chile flakes. Cover the pan and simmer, until the sauce is reduced by about 2/3 and has formed a nice glaze over the tempeh, about 10 minutes. Set the tempeh aside.

4) In the same pan in which you cooked the tempeh, add the braising mix over medium high heat. Add a sprinkling of salt & pepper and cook the greens for about 2-3 minutes, until they are wilted and most of the liquid has cooked off.

5) Place the farro in a large serving bowl. Add the roasted grapes and tempeh with the orange sauce. Toss in the wilted greens. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and chile flakes. Brake up little chunks of pecorino and sprinkle over top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Roasted Dumpling Squash with Maple & Sage

2010-10-21T19:33:00.000-07:00

These lovely little dumpling squash make a perfect fall side dish. I often fill them with brown rice and braised greens and make a simple meal of it. However, I think they'd be equally beautiful on a holiday table. They're naturally so sculptural and the perfect size for a single serving. I've seasoned them here with a bit of maple syrup, fresh sage leaves, a sprinkling of red chile flakes, and the tiniest drizzling of cream to finish. All those flavors get absorbed into the flesh of the squash and make for yumminess in every bite.

Note- Dumpling squash are essentially round Delicata squash which would be a fine substitute if you can't find these. Acorn squash would be great here as well.

Enjoy!

Roasted Dumpling Squash with Maple & Sage:

Yields 4 servings

4 small round Dumpling squash, interior cleaned and seeds removed, top reserved for serving

1 TB extra virgin olive oil

1 TB pure maple syrup

1 tsp red chile flakes

8 fresh sage leaves

4 tsp heavy cream (or creme fraiche)

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment (or foil). Place the cleaned squash and the reserved tops on the baking sheet. Drizzle each cavity with a bit of maple syrup, olive oil, a sprinkling of red chile flakes, salt & pepper. Place 2 sage leaves in each squash. Roast both the tops and the seasoned cavity for about 45 minutes until the flesh is fork tender. Remove the sage leaves.

2) Preheat the broiler to medium high. Remove the tops from the baking sheet. Drizzle in 1 tsp of cream per squash and place them under the broiler for about 2 minutes. This will thicken the cream quickly and will blister the skin so it comes off easily when you eat the squash. Serve with the tops set ajar.

Apple Crostata with Hazelnut Crust

2010-10-18T16:13:00.000-07:00

Hazelnut meal is officially my new favorite ingredient. It's perfect to use right now as hazelnuts go very well with many fall flavors like pears, apples, squash, sage etc.... I used this same hazelnut meal in my butternut squash pizza recipe from a few posts ago. I found the hazelnut meal at my local natural foods store in the bulk section. Bob's Red Mill also makes one that is pre-packaged and available online. It's a bit pricey as it's purely just ground up hazelnuts but only a little bit is needed to impart excellent flavor and texture to your recipe.

This rustic crostata couldn't be easier. The dough makes enough to for two, 9" crostatas so you can freeze one for the next time inspiration strikes. This would be equally delicious with figs or pears. Serve with a little cinnamon flavored whipped cream and you have a simple yet elegant dessert, easy enough for any weeknight.

Enjoy!

Apple Crostata with Hazelnut Crust

Yields 1, 9" free form tart

For the dough:

2 cups flour ( I used white Spelt)

1/2 cup hazelnut meal

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

8 TB cold, unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into small cubes

1/4 cup ice water

For the filling:

3 medium apples

2 tsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch salt

1 tsp milk or cream

1) In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, hazelnut meal, sugar & salt. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, drizzle in the water through the feed tube until a loose dough forms. (Listen for a change in the sound of the machine just before the dough comes together. This will tell you that you're very close.)

2) Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead very gently, just enough to bring the dough together. Divide the dough in half and wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate one for at least 1 hour to use for this tart. Freeze the other for later use.

3) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll out the chilled dough to a 10" (approximate) circle. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Peel, core, and slice the apples into 12 slices per apple. Fan out the apples like the spokes of a wheel around the inner portion of the crust, leaving a 1-1 1/2" border around the outside. Sprinkle the apples with the sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Fold the edges of the dough up around the apples in a rustic way. You don't need to be fussy here. The whole point is that it looks rustic. Brush the outside of the crust with the 1 tsp milk or cream.

4) Bake for 30-35 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the apples are tender and bubbling. Serve warm or at room temperature with lightly sweetened cinnamon whipped cream.

Pumpkin & Pear Soup

2010-10-17T15:48:00.000-07:00

Welcome fall! I will say it was rather abrupt, how you arrived this year. One day it's 90 degrees outside and the next it's 60 and raining... literally. I would have liked a few more days of 70 degree weather, with that beautiful amber sunlight so unique to this time of year. However, I do welcome the cool weather as it's a great time to make all of my favorite foods!

I adore squashes, apples, pears, chestnuts, sage, cranberries, kale.... all the wonders of this time of year. Since this is my first fall with my own blog, I'm excited to share some of my favorite recipes with you. There will be plenty of favorites that I look forward to making every year (like this one) and many new ones too. This is a great cozy soup for any busy weeknight. It's silky and satisfying and beautiful too. I served it with grilled cheese sandwiches made with gruyere, sliced apples, and fresh sage leaves. So easy and so yummy.

Be sure not to skip the oven dried pears on top. They really add to the presentation and are super easy to make. This recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart from several years back. It's a go-to recipe for me this time of year. Martha is my favorite homemaking goddess, as anyone who knows me can attest.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin & Pear Soup:

Yields 6 generous servings

6 medium pears ( I used d'Anjou)

1 small sugar pumpkin (@ 2#), peeled and seeds removed, cut into 2" pieces

1 medium rutabaga, cut into 1" pieces

2 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, cut into 1" pieces

4 cups low sodium vegetable stock

1 sprig fresh sage

1 1/2 tsp coarse salt

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp red chili flakes

1 TB olive oil

1) Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, cut 2 pears lengthwise into paper thin slices. Arrange the slices in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake until pears are dry, about 1 hour. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

2) Meanwhile, heat 1 Tb olive oil in a large stockpot. Add the leeks and saute until softened, about 2 minutes. Peel the remaining 4 pears. Cut them in half lengthwise and core; dice into 1" pieces. Add them to the stockpot along with the pumpkin, rutabaga, sage, chili flakes, salt & pepper. Saute until vegetables are coated with oil and spices are distributed evenly. Add the vegetable stock, cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

3) Discard the sage and strain off about 1 cup of stock, reserve. Puree the soup in batches in a blender, or with an immersion blender until smooth. Whisk in the cream. If the soup is too thick, add back some of the reserved stock to reach the desired consistency. (I added only 1/4 cup of the reserved stock.) Season to taste with salt & pepper. Serve garnished with the beautiful dried pears.

Moroccan Spiced Vegetable Tagine with Crispy Chickpeas

2010-10-13T15:38:00.000-07:00

A tagine is a classic Moroccan stew, generally made with meat. I thought this would be a fun variation on that idea, using root vegetables as the primary component. The flavors are spicy and savory. The crispy chickpeas on top are divine... addictive actually.

I served this over brown rice but it would also be great over couscous. Don't be scared off by the number of ingredients listed in the recipe. It's just a simple stew after all, several different veggies and spices all tossed into one big pot and served family style. You most likely have most of the spices in your cupboard already. Use what you like and adjust the heat to suit your own tastes.

I also wanted to acknowledge that this marks my 100th post. That's a lot of recipes for a little over 9 months of blogging! I continue to be so thrilled to share my passion for cooking with you and the many easy recipes that I rely on every week. I hope the recipes continue to inspire you as well!

Enjoy!!

Moroccan Vegetable Tagine with Crispy Chickpeas:

Yields 6-8 servings

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp tumeric

3 TB extra virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced 1/2"

1 garlic clove, smashed

2 TB tomato paste

2 carrots, peeled and diced 1/2"

2 celery stalks, diced 1/2"

2 cups water

2 cups low sodium vegetable broth

3 medium orange flesh sweet potatoes (yams), diced 1"

2 medium rutabagas, diced 1" (or turnips)

1/4 cup brine cured green olives, pitted and chopped

1 whole preserved lemon (optional), finely minced (or juice and zest of 1 fresh lemon)

1/4 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh mint, finely chopped

cooked brown rice (or whole wheat couscous)

crispy chickpeas (recipe below)

1) Toast fennel, coriander, and cumin seeds in a dry pan until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a spice mill and process until finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl and combine with red pepper flakes, tumeric, and 1/2 tsp salt.

2) Heat olive oil in a 5 qt dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add toasted spice blend and tomato paste, stir. Add veg stock and water, sweet potatoes, turnips, olives, and preserved lemon. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, keeping pot partially covered. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes until vegetables are tender and stew has thickened slightly. Stir in 1/2 of the parsley and mint, reserving some for garnish. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

3) Spoon rice (or couscous) into a large bowl, making a well in the center. Spoon vegetable tagine into the center of the bowl. Top with reserved parsley and mint and scatter crispy chickpeas (recipe below) over top.

Crispy Chickpeas:

Yields 1 1/2 cups

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

pinch cayenne pepper

1, 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed, and dried well

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

*Note- It's important that the chickpeas are dried well in order to insure crunchiness. I find that spreading them out on paper towels and patting dry works well.

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry skillet until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a spice mill and process until finely ground. Place the chickpeas, olive oil, pinch of cayenne, salt, pepper, and ground spices in a small bowl. Toss gently to coat.

2) Transfer to a parchment (or foil) lined baking sheet. Roast in the oven until golden and crunchy, about 30-35 minutes.

Fig & Lime Jam

2010-10-09T20:07:00.000-07:00

We've had such a cool summer in NorCal that figs are just ripening now.... in October! What a wonderful way to stretch the summer just a little bit longer. I do enjoy fresh ripe figs but I also try to preserve a few for the colder months ahead. This jam is super easy and brightens the sweet flavor of the fruit, with just a spritz of lime.

I go through the extra step of processing the jars so they're safe to keep at room temperature for at least 1 year. However, you can just as easily skip this step and keep the jam refrigerated. It will last for at least a month in an airtight container.

I can think of lots of ways to use this tasty jam. Obviously it would be divine spread on toast with good butter; but it would also be great spooned over ice cream. I think it would be lovely with cheese and fruit or heated and used as a glaze for chicken or pork (that is, if I ate such things). It could also be spread on bread before making grilled cheese so that it melts with the cheese and makes the sandwich sweet and fruity. Be creative with your own use for this lovely little spread. I'd love to hear your ideas!

Enjoy!

Fig & Lime Jam:

Yields 5, 1/2 pint jars

2 1/2 # fresh figs (any variety)

2 cups sugar

1/3 cup lime juice

1) Combine all ingredients in a heavy saucepan and mash with a potato masher. Let stand at least 2 hours or overnight.

2) Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 35-40 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken slightly, stirring occasionally.

3) Place hot jam in sterilized jars and process 10-12 minutes. Or, if you're skipping the canning step, allow the jam to come to room temperature then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Butternut Squash Pizza with Hazelnut Crust

2010-10-07T15:15:00.000-07:00

This pizza has so many delicious fall flavors. The fresh sage and butternut squash not only look lovely but taste so yummy with the sharpness of the pecorino and the nuttiness of the hazelnuts. Of course you can change the toppings up to suit your taste. Pears and camembert would be wonderful as would wild mushrooms with leeks.

This is a great recipe, easy enough for any weeknight, that both kids and adults will love.

Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Pizza with Hazelnut Crust:

Yields 2, 9" pizzas

For the Hazelnut Dough:

2 TB extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the bowl

1 cup warm water (110 degrees)

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (one, 1/4 oz packet)

2 1/2 cups flour ( I used white spelt)

1/2 cup roasted hazelnut meal (I used Bob's Red Mill)

pinch salt

1) Stir together the water and the yeast in a large bowl. Let stand until bloomed, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in oil. Add flour, hazelnut meal and salt. Stir until dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead with floured hands until smooth and elastic.

2) Transfer to an oiled bowl. Cover bowl with plastic and place in a warm & draft free spot, until doubled in size. This should take about 1 hour. Divide into 2 balls.

For the Pizza:

Yields 2

1 small butternut squash, peeled and very thinly sliced

1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated

2 TB fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced

2 TB toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

2 TB extra virgin olive oil

coarse salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment (or foil).

2) Roll 1 ball of dough into a 9" round. Transfer to baking sheet and brush with 1 TB olive oil.

3) Arrange 1/2 of the squash on top, followed by 1/2 of the pecorino, and 1/2 of the sage, leaving a border around the edges. Bake for about 9 minutes until crust is golden and the squash is tender. Garnish with toasted hazelnuts and season to taste with salt & pepper.

4) Repeat with remaining dough.

*Adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Quince & Apple Crumble

2010-10-03T19:16:00.001-07:00

Fall has officially arrived and finally the weather feels like it should. Crisp mornings, golden afternoons, brisk evenings. This is the time of year when I really love to cook, even more than the rest of the year! I just adore the flavors of fall and the thought of a comforting meal, a good glass of wine, and a cozy evening indoors. What can I say, I'm a Cancer. It's in my nature to nest.

A wonderful surprise at today's farmers market were quince! Such gorgeous fruits, I love setting a big bowl of them on my table in lieu of flowers. They're sculptural all on their own. However, they usually don't last long just sitting there looking pretty as I just can't wait to cook with them!

This will hopefully be the first of several quince related posts in the coming days/ weeks. 'Tis the season for these beauties, after all. If you're unfamiliar with quince, this simple crisp is a nice introduction. Using them in combination with apples is classic but also really allows their distinct flavor to shine. They're often compared to an apple or a pear in flavor, but they are uniquely and deliciously their own.

Enjoy!

Quince & Apple Crumble

Yields 1, 8"x8" pan (about 6 servings)

3 medium Quince, peeled, cored, and chopped in 1/2" pieces

3 medium apples, peeled, cored, and chopped in 1/2" pieces

1 cup flour (I used Spelt)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

3 TB cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces

1 TB low-fat buttermilk

1 TB Calvados (or Cognac)

2 cups water

1/4 cup brown sugar

1) In a large saucepan, heat the 2 cups water and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Bring to a boil and add the quince. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside.

2) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 8"x8" baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to incorporate all the dry ingredients together. Add the butter, and combine with the dry ingredients, using a fork (or your fingers), until the butter is about the size of peas. Stir in the Calvados and the buttermilk. Finish mixing, enough to bring the mixture together slightly. It should form a clumpy, shaggy dough.

3) Add the diced apples and the poached quince to the prepared baking dish. Dollop the crumb mixture evenly over the top. Don't worry if it doesn't look perfect, it will spread out in the oven. Bake for 45-55 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is tender and bubbling. Serve warm with creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream.

If you can't find quince, you can substitute pears, in the same quantity here.

Summer Panzanella

2010-09-25T08:48:00.000-07:00

Leftover bread?... make Panzanella! I had a lovely loaf of hearth baked kamut and carrot bread on my counter for a few days too many. At the same time, I was doing a final gleaning of my tomato plants, before pulling them up to plant my fall garden. This seemed to me the perfect opportunity to make Panzanella.

You can really put anything in a bread salad. This time around I used fresh garden tomatoes, basil, parsley, olives, and ricotta salata. I often make it in the late fall with roasted mushrooms, onions, and apples. I sometimes make it in the spring with asparagus, fennel, and pea shoots with sheep's milk ricotta & lemon zest. Feel free to experiment with your favorite flavors and the flavors of the season.

Enjoy!!

Summer Panzanella:

Yields 6 generous servings

1 1/2# loaf of day old country bread (ciabatta, baguette, levain....), diced into 2" pieces

2# fresh tomatoes, cut into large dice

1 bunch fresh basil, roughly chopped

1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped

3 ounces ricotta salata cheese, cut into 1/2" dice

1/4 cup pitted nicoise olives, halved

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 TB extra virgin olive oil + more for toasting bread

coarse salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the bread into 2" pieces and place in a single layer on a a baking sheet. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Toss to coat all the bread cubes evenly. Place in the oven to toast until lightly golden brown, about 8- 10 minutes. Let cool slightly before assembling the salad.

2) Add the diced tomatoes to a large serving bowl. Add the chopped herbs and olives. Add in the toasted bread cubes, the vinegar, and the olive oil. Toss to coat. Add in the ricotta salata and season to taste with salt & pepper. Serve!

*Makes a lovely lunch or a picnic salad to enjoy the next day. This salad will keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator as well. The bread softens up with the moisture from the dressing and the tomatoes but it will still be quite delicious.

Ratatouille with Baked Farm Eggs

2010-09-24T19:03:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Martha for another yummy inspiration. All of my favorite flavors in one dish plus baked farm eggs. This is my idea of comfort food. I adore ratatouille, the simplest of cooked veggies packed with savory flavor and a hint of vinegar in every bite. Now is the perfect time to enjoy it with all the last of season eggplants, peppers, and zucchini that are so ripe and delicious.

This is a good way to end the week or a nice cozy meal to tuck into this weekend.

Enjoy!!

Ratatouille with Baked Farm Eggs:

Yields 2 servings

4 large farm eggs

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 garlic clove, smashed

1, 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes

2 medium zucchini, diced 1"

2 medium Japanese eggplant, diced 1"

1 medium bell pepper, any color, diced 1"

2 fresh bay leaves (or 1 dried)

2 sprigs fresh majoram (or oregano)

1/2 tsp red chile flakes

2 TB olive oil

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) Place the tomatoes in a 5 quart dutch oven or heavy bottomed stockpot. Break them up a little with a fork. Simmer the tomatoes, stirring occasionally, until they become thick and reduced by about 1/2. This should take about 20 minutes.

2) In the meantime, dice the eggplant and toss with 1/2 tsp salt. Place in a strainer set over a bowl. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

3) When the tomatoes have reduced, remove them from the pot and set aside. Using the same pot, heat 2 TB olive oil in. Add the garlic and the onions and saute until translucent. Add the drained eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes. Stir in the bay leaf, majoram, and red chile flakes. Season with salt & pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the vegetables are tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes.

4) Place 2 cups of ratatouille in an oven proof casserole dish (or 1 cup each in 2 individual dishes). Make indentations for the eggs and crack them on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the whites are fully set and the yolks are just set. Serve warm with a crusty piece of bread to mop up the vegetables and egg.

Tuna, White Bean, & Tomato Salad

2010-09-23T11:31:00.000-07:00

This is one of my most often made dinners, especially on those days when I'm short on time. I typically have all the ingredients for this salad in my pantry so I don't have to think too hard or make a special trip to the store. It's best if you can make the tuna and white bean mixture an hour or so before and chill it before serving. But, don't worry if you don't have time for that. It will still be great.

Make sure you seek out the best quality canned ingredients you can find. It really makes a huge difference in flavor. A few fresh veggies and tomatoes also go a long way here to brighten up this dish.

Enjoy!!

Tuna, White Bean, & Tomato Salad:

Yields 4 servings

1, 15 oz can Navy or Cannelini Beans ( I like Eden brand)

2, 3 oz cans line caught Tuna, packed in olive oil

1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced

4 radishes, thinly sliced

1, 5 oz bag pre-washed 'spring mix' lettuces

1 large tomato, sliced into wedges

2 TB red wine vinegar

2 TB extra virgin olive oil

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) Drain and rinse the white beans and add them to a small bowl. Drain the tuna, reserving 2 TB of the olive and add it to the bowl as well. Gently flake the tuna with a fork. Add 2 tsp of the red wine vinegar and season with salt & pepper. Stir to combine. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes- 1 hour, if possible.

2) When ready to serve, add the baby greens to a large serving bowl. Drizzle the lettuces with the remaining red wine vinegar & olive oil. Toss gently to coat. Add the sliced cucumber and radishes to the tuna mixture and stir to combine. Spoon over the salad greens. Add the sliced tomatoes and serve.

Grilled Eggplant, Tomato, & Mozzarella Timbale

2010-09-13T07:46:00.001-07:00

This is a simple yet impressive dish that can be prepared well in advance. In fact it's better if it sits in the refrigerator for at least a few hours before serving. The flavors exemplify the end of summer when tomatoes, eggplant, and basil are plentiful. I generally make this in an 8" x 4" ramekin/ souffle mold with straight sides but it would also be fine in a loaf pan or a springform pan. You can substitute flavors based on what you have in your garden and what you prefer. Roasted peppers or grilled zucchini would both be nice additions. These are some of my favorite late summer flavors.

Enjoy!

Grilled Eggplant, Tomato & Mozzarella Timbale:

Yields 6 servings

1 large globe eggplant, sliced into 3/8" rounds (about 12 slices total)

5 medium tomatoes (early girl or similar), sliced into 3/8" rounds (about 20 slices total)

3 large balls fresh mozzarella (ovolene size)

20 basil leaves

2 TB black olive tapenade

2 TB extra virgin olive oil

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp fennel pollen (optional)

1) Line your mold completely with plastic wrap. Make sure the bottom is entirely covered and the sides are lined, all the way to the top. Allow enough overhang for folding the plastic over the top of the dish.

2) Brush the eggplant slices with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Grill until tender, about 3-4 minutes per side. Set aside to cool.

3) When you're ready to assemble, place a layer of the grilled eggplant on the bottom. Arrange decoratively since when the dish is turned out, this will be the top. Add a layer of tomatoes and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and fennel pollen. Place a layer of mozzarella on top of the tomatoes, followed by a layer of basil leaves. Spread 1 TB of the olive tapenade over the basil. Repeat the layers, starting with tomatoes and ending with eggplant which will be the top layer in your mold.

4) Fold the plastic wrap over the top of the dish and press down firmly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

5) When ready to serve, fold back the top plastic wrap and place your serving plate face down on the top of the mold. Invert the mold onto a serving plate. Pull away the mold and peel off the plastic wrap. Slice into wedges (if using a round mold) or into slices (if using a rectangular mold). Serve chilled.

Buttermilk Biscuits

2010-09-11T11:47:00.000-07:00

I made these biscuits last night to serve with my Fresh Corn Chowder . They were great hot out of the oven, perfect for topping with butter and dipping in the soup. I just finished eating one for breakfast this morning, with plenty of butter and jam. It was equally delish at room temperature and was still light and flaky.

To flavor the biscuits, I generally toss in whatever herbs I have about. Sometimes I'll add chopped olives or sundried tomatoes. I've even added a bit of sugar and tossed in golden raisins and fennel seeds for a sweeter biscuit. The recipe is very adaptable and it's a good one to memorize as it's such a nice compliment for so many mains.

The most important thing to remember when making biscuits is not to overwork the dough. If you do, they'll be dense and tough. The dough should be shaggy and loose when you roll it out. I generally don't even bother with a rolling pin and just pat it into a circle with well floured hands. Once you get a feel for the dough and the optimal thickness, you might also find this an easier method.

Enjoy!

Buttermilk Biscuits:

Yields 8, 2.5" biscuits

2 cups flour (I use unbleached Spelt)

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

1 TB baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 large egg

2/3 cup low-fat buttermilk

Variations:

1/4 cup sugar plus 2 TB dried fruit (raisins, currants, cranberries...) & 1 tsp spices (cinnamon, fennel seed, 5-spice...)

1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, rosemary, thyme, chives...)

1/4 cup grated cheese (cheddar, parmesan, gruyere...)

1/4 cup chopped vegetables (olives, sundried tomatoes, roasted red peppers...)

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the butter and mix, either with a pastry blender, or with your hands, working quickly to incorporate the butter before it gets too warm. The butter should be about the size of peas.

2) In small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and the egg.

3) Add any of the additions above (herbs, cheese etc....), and the buttermilk & egg. Reserve about 1 TB of the buttermilk/ egg mixture for washing across the top of the biscuits before they bake. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry with a fork until you form a shaggy mass.

4) Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and gently knead a few times, taking care not to overwork the dough. Roll or pat into a 9" diameter round x 3/4" thick. Using a 2.5" round biscuit cutter, punch out biscuits and set them onto the prepared baking sheet. You can re-gather and re-roll the dough scraps to form the full 8 biscuits if needed.

5) Brush the tops lightly with the remaining egg and buttermilk mixture. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown and puffed. Serve warm or at room temperature with butter.

Fresh Corn Chowder

2010-09-10T16:55:00.000-07:00

Corn is very much in season now. It's sweet, and plentiful, and inexpensive.... a perfect time to buy several ears for this chowder. This soup is both satisfyingly creamy yet light at the same time. The sweet, distinctively corny flavor really comes through. The soup is actually quite low-fat and takes most of its creaminess from the pureed corn and the potatoes. It does contain some milk, but 2% or skim work quite well.

I'm serving this tonight with an arugula and raddichio salad featuring apples from our tree and toasted walnuts. I also whipped up a batch of buttermilk biscuits, some with chives and some with olives. They're so super easy, always flaky and delicious. I'll share that recipe here in the coming days.

Enjoy!

Fresh Corn Chowder:

Serves 6 as a main course

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 stalks celery (about 1/2 cup), diced

1/2 medium jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, diced

3 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced

6 ears corn (about 4 cups), kernels removed from cobs

3 cups vegetable stock

1 cup milk (low-fat is fine)

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground coriander

1/2 cup sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

2 TB parsley, chopped

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

2 TB olive oil

1) In a 5 quart stockpot or dutch oven, heat the 2 TB olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, celery, and jalapeno and saute until softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add the potato, salt & pepper and saute another 3 minutes until the potato is just beginning to soften. Add the stock and the milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook about 15 minutes until the liquid has reduced some and the potatoes are fully cooked. Add the corn and simmer another 3-4 minutes.

2) In a blender, puree about 2 cups of the soup. Stir the blended portion back into the remaining soup. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Sprinkle the top with cheese, fresh cracked pepper and fresh parsley.

*I completely forgot to take a photo before devouring this. This lovely photo is courtesy of Food & Wine Magazine. If any of you make this soup, please do take a photo and send it to me so I can use it here. Thank you!!

Apple, Yogurt & Olive Oil Cake

2010-09-09T08:38:00.001-07:00

I've adapted this recipe from the fabulous Cannelle et Vanille blog from which I always gather tremendous inspiration. Aran's photos are beautiful and her recent posts conjure up daydreams of France. Truth be told, it doesn't take much to get me dreaming of France, but that's another story.

This is a simple cake, the kind of cake you could put out with cheese and fruit for a weekend brunch, or that you could serve with caramel sauce and sauteed apples for a lovely fall dessert. I happen to love yogurt & olive oil cakes in general. There's something very 'french breakfast' about the yogurt cake, not too sweet & just the sort of thing that's perfect with a morning cup of tea. The olive oil keeps the cake moist but also has a fruity quality that's distinctly different from butter.

I chose to bake my cake in a 9" Savarin mold which is very similar to a bundt pan, which is what I'd suggest here, assuming you don't have a Savarin mold lying about. I think bundt cakes are so old fashioned and completely non-fancy and I love that. Don't worry that the batter will only fill the bundt pan about halfway. I've adjusted the baking time for that. You could just as easily make this in a loaf pan if you don't have a bundt pan. But, it does lead me to ask, why the heavens not?! Just go buy one already!

Enjoy!!

Apple, Yogurt, & Olive Oil Cake with Walnuts:

1, 6 oz container plain yogurt (low-fat or whole milk are both fine)

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

4 large eggs (room temperature)

3/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 cups Flour (I used unbleached Spelt)

1 TB baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

2 medium apples

2 tsp butter

3 TB sugar

1) Butter and flour the inside of a bundt pan or spray with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2) Slice one of the apples thinly. Heat 1 tsp butter and 1 TB sugar in a nonstick saute pan. Add the slices of apple and cook for about 1 minute on each side, just to soften slightly. Set aside to cool and then line the bottom of the bundt pan with the slices.

3) Dice the remaining apple and saute in the remaining butter and sugar. Set aside to cool.

4) In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugars, eggs, olive oil, and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and stir to combine. Fold in the chopped apples and the toasted walnuts.

5) Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a the cake is golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool in pan about 30 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate to cool completely.

Peach Galette with Lemon Thyme & Lavender Honey

2010-09-05T19:53:00.000-07:00

I was inspired by my dear friend Jodi for this recipe. Jodi is a very talented pastry chef and creator of a wonderful blog, Milk & Honey with beautiful photos, stories, and of course, wonderful recipes. Her recipe was for a 'cheery little peach galette' and it sounds divine. This is my take on the peach galette, using lavender honey, lemon thyme, & Amaretto. I generally love Amaretto's sweet almondy flavor with fruit, especially stone fruit.

It's Sunday and I was feeling less than energetic but happened upon some last of season beautiful peaches at the market this morning. As such, I went for a store bought puff pastry crust here. Jodi's pate brisee would be equally as delicious if you're feeling a little more 'do it yourself' than I was today. If you're using store bought Puff, look for the best all butter brand you can find. I like 'DuFour' and it's readily available at most good markets. Making a 'quick puff' of your own is truly easy as well and oh so satisfying. I'll share that recipe with you here one day very soon. For now....

Enjoy!!

Peach Galette with Lemon Thyme & Lavender Honey:

Yields 1, 10" galette

4 medium peaches, ripe but firm

1 tsp lemon thyme leaves

2 tsp Amaretto liqueur

2 tsp lavender honey

1/2 tsp fleur de sel

12 oz Puff Pastry dough, defrosted but cold

2 tsp heavy cream

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the peaches into 1/2" thick wedges. Place them in a bowl with the lavender honey and Amaretto. Toss gently to coat and allow to macerate for about 10 minutes while you prepare the pastry.

2) Lightly flour your counter or a cutting board. Roll out the puff pastry to a 12" diameter circle. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Arrange the peach slices in 'spoke fashion' (ie: loose concentric circles) in the center of the dough working out towards the edges. Leave about 2" perimeter around the edge. Fold up the sides loosely, in rustic fashion, so they just cover the outer edges of the peaches. Sprinkle the peaches with the fleur de sel and the lemon thyme. Brush the outer pastry crust with 2 tsp heavy cream.

3) Bake for about 35 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the peaches are tender, maybe slightly charred, and still hold their shape. Remove from the parchment while still warm and slide onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Serve at room temperature with ice cream or creme fraiche.

Rosemary Socca & Provencal Vegetable Ragu

2010-08-30T18:59:00.000-07:00

I'm new to Socca. In fact last night was the first time I'd ever tried it. I read about it recently on the ever fabulous, Patricia Wells's blog . After that I seem to be hearing about it all over the place so I thought it was time to give it a whirl. Socca is essentially a savory crepe made with chickpea flour. It's nutty and salty and crispy from frying in olive oil. It's commonly served in and around Nice, so I thought a provencal stew would be a fitting partner to round out the meal.

I spiced up my Socca with some fresh chopped rosemary and lots of cracked black pepper. I made the ragu with fresh tomatoes, capers, white beans, and olives. It had all the flavors of Provence and was perfect for mopping up with torn bits of the yummy Socca.

I hope you'll give this a try. If so, I have a feeling Socca is soon to become one of your favorites too!

Enjoy!

For the Provencal Vegetable Ragu:

Yields 4 main course servings

6 medium tomatoes (like Early Girls or Roma), cut into 1.5" pieces

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, finely minced

2 anchovy filets

1, 15 oz can Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 1.5" pieces

2 medium zucchini, cut into 1.5" pieces

6 sundried tomatoes, finely chopped

1/4 cup pitted nicoise olives, halved

2 TB capers, drained and rinsed

2 TB extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp Herbes de Provence

1/2 tsp red chile flakes

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) In a 3 qt stockpot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, and anchovy and saute until the anchovy melts and the vegetables are translucent. Sir in the Herbes de Provence, chili flakes, salt & pepper. Stir in the fresh tomatoes, zucchini, green beans, sundried tomatoes, and Cannellini beans. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and reduces by about 1/2. Depending on the juiciness of your tomatoes, this will take about 15-25 minutes. You're looking for the vegetables to be thick and stewy.

2) When the Ragu has reduced to your desired consistency, add the olives and capers and stir to combine. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Cover and set aside while you cook the Socca.

For the Rosemary Socca:

Yields 2, 10" crepes

1 cup Garbanzo Flour (aka Chickpea Flour)

1 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

1 TB fresh Rosemary, finely minced

1/2 tsp coarse black pepper

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, for frying

1) In a small bowl, whisk together the Garbanzo flour, rosemary, black pepper & salt. Add the water and whisk until smooth. This should look like a think pancake batter.

2) Heat 2TB of the oil in a nonstick skillet. When hot, add 1/2 of the Socca batter. Swirl around, like you would a crepe, to form a thin pancake. Cook over medium high heat until you can just see the edges start to brown, about 3 minutes. Flip the crepe over and continue cooking the other side until golden brown and crispy, an additional 2-3 minutes. Keep warm in a low oven while you repeat with the remaining oil & Socca batter.

* I served my Ragu with sliced avocado and a dollop of creme fraiche.

Pasta Salad with Arugula, Tuna, Tomatoes & Olives

2010-08-27T07:41:00.000-07:00

A delicious dinner and perfect for a busy weeknight. I make a lot of these main course salads during the week. It's a lighter way to serve pasta and it stretches the pasta so it makes dinner for two nights, which means less cooking during a hectic week. Also, it's a great way to use up those abundant garden tomatoes.

A quick word about tuna.... I use canned tuna here. If you also opt for the canned version, do look for line caught American Tuna. That ensures that dolphins and other sea mammals were not harmed in the tuna nets. Also, the fact that the fish is line caught means it's smaller, therefore containing less mercury. You could, of course, quickly sear a couple of fresh Albacore Tuna filets here instead and just break them into bite size pieces.

Enjoy!

Pasta Salad with Arugula, Tuna, Tomatoes, & Olives:

Yields 4 generous servings:

5 cups baby Arugula

12 oz medium spiral shaped pasta (Fusilli, Cavatappi, Gemelli)

2, 3.5 oz cans Albacore Tuna, packed in water (look for line caught, American Tuna)

1/2 cup nicoise olives, pitted and halved

6 medium slicing tomatoes, cut into wedges

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

1/4 cup Ricotta Salata, grated (or Pecorino or Parmesan)

juice of 1 lemon

1 TB white wine vinegar

1 TB dijon mustard

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add about 1TB salt and return to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 8-10 minutes depending on the size and shape.

2) Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, salt & pepper. Add the olive oil in a steady stream, whisking the whole time, until emulsified. Set aside.

3) Place the baby arugula in your serving bowl. Add the hot pasta on top of the arugula and toss together to wilt the greens slightly. Drizzle with about 1/2 of the dressing and set aside to cool. When ready to serve, toss in the olives, basil, tuna, and tomatoes. Pour over the remaining dressing and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and season with salt & pepper to taste. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Tomato Cobbler with Gruyere Crust

2010-08-25T07:30:00.000-07:00

This wonderful recipe, adapted from Martha, finally put a good dent in my cherry tomato crop. It uses 2#, the equivalent of about 3 baskets. It's so light and fresh, excellent served warm (for the best crust), but also surprisingly good served chilled as we did last night. It was just too hot to bear turning on the oven, even for a moment to reheat.

I served this cobbler with a shaved raw vegetable salad with a drizzle of lemon juice and olive oil. Paired with a chilled glass of white wine or rose and you have a perfect Sunday lunch or a light summer dinner.

Enjoy!

Tomato Cobbler with Gruyere Crust:

Yields 1, 10" pie

1 1/2 cups flour, plus 2 TB

1/2 cup chilled, unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1 1/2 tsp sugar

2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

3/4 cup Gruyere cheese, grated

1/4 cup ice water

2 # cherry tomatoes (about 3 baskets)

1 TB olive oil

2 medium leeks

1 clove garlic, crushed and left whole

1/2 cup chopped basil

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 large egg

1) To make the crust- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, 1/2 tsp sugar & 1 tsp salt. Add the butter, 1 tsp thyme, 1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, drizzle in the ice water, 1 TB at a time, until the dough just comes together. Pat the dough into a flat disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

2) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat a saute pan to medium high and add the olive oil. Saute the leeks and garlic, plus the remaining 1 tsp thyme until the vegetables are translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly. Fish out the whole garlic clove and discard. Stir in the basil.

3) In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, remaining 1 tsp sugar, salt & pepper to taste, and remaining 2 TB flour. Toss gently to coat all of the tomatoes with the flour and sugar. Add the cooled onion mixture. Transfer mixture to a 10" diameter pie dish.

4) Roll out the chilled crust into a circle that is 1" larger in diameter than your pie dish. Place the crust over the top of the tomatoes, tucking the sides in and under to seal. Brush the top of the crust lightly with egg wash (1 egg whisked together with 1 tsp water). Sprinkle crust with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Place pie dish on a foil lined baking sheet, to catch any drips. Bake for 45- 50 minutes until the crust is golden and juices are bubbling. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. This cobbler is best served slightly warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Tomato Salad, 3 ways

2010-08-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

If your garden is anything like mine, it's most likely overflowing with tomatoes right now. They were late to ripen this year here, since we've had such an unseasonably cool summer, but finally they've arrived, and in full force! They all seem to ripen at once so I've been eating tomatoes with practically ever meal lately. No complaints here though. They're one of my favorite summer treats and I can think of a million ways to use them.

I thought I'd share 3 of my favorite tomato salad recipes here today. Look for many more tomato ideas in the coming weeks as well.

Enjoy!

Classic Caprese Salad:

Yields 4 servings

3 large slicing tomatoes (beefsteak, marble stripe, purple cherokee....)

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (sweet 100's, sungold, yellow pear....)

fresh mozzarella, about 2 'ovolene' balls

12 leaves fresh basil, thinly sliced

2 TB basil puree (recipe below)

extra virgin olive oil

coarse sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) Arrange the sliced tomatoes on a serving platter and sprinkle with the whole (or halved) cherry tomatoes. Tear the mozarella into bite size pieces and arrange it around the tomatoes. Sprinkle over the sliced basil. Drizzle the basil puree over the tomatoes as well as the olive oil & salt & pepper, to taste.

Basil Puree:

yields about 6 oz

2 bunches basil leaves (@ 2 1/2 cups)

juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) In the jar of a blender, add the basil and lemon juice, and process until coarsely chopped. Scrape down the sides and add the salt & pepper. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil until emulsified. Scrape down the sides and process again for a few seconds until the puree is relatively smooth. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use.

-------------------

Tomato & Watermelon Salad:

Yields 4 servings:

3 cups seedless red watermelon, diced into 1 1/2" pieces

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (any color or variety)

2 large slicing tomatoes, cut into 6 wedges each

1/2 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1/2 ripe but firm avocado, diced into 1" pieces

1 small scallion, finely diced

2 TB basil puree (see recipe above)

juice of 1/2 lime

2 TB extra virgin olive oil

coarse sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) In a large bowl, combine the watermelon, tomatoes, sliced fennel, avocado, scallion, and lime juice. Drizzle in 1 TB olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt & pepper. Toss gently to combine.

2) Place salad in a serving bowl or on a platter and drizzle with the basil puree, the remaining 1 TB olive oil, and additional salt & pepper to taste. Serve chilled.

-----------------------

Tomato Salad with Fresh Corn, Stone Fruit, Lime & Jalapeno served in Avocado 'Bowls':

Yields 4 servings

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

2 small slicing tomatoes (like early girl or green zebra), diced into 1" pieces

2 small nectarines, diced into 1" pieces (like july red or fire sweet)

2 medium plums, diced into 1" pieces (like black beauty or elephant heart)

2 ears fresh corn, kernels removed from cob

1 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped

2 TB cilantro, finely chopped

juice of 1 lime

2 TB extra virgin olive oil

2 medium Haas avocados, ripe but firm

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) In a large bowl combine the tomatoes, stone fruits, corn, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice and 1 TB olive oil, salt & pepper. Toss gently to combine.

2) Slice the avocados in half and remove the pit. Using a spoon, carefully remove the avocados from their skins, taking care not to damage the outer flesh. Scoop out a bit more of the inner flesh, around the pit area, to create a larger cavity. Dice the avocado flesh you just removed into 1" pieces and add it to the mixture.

3) Spoon the tomato salad into the hollowed out avocados. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt & freshly ground pepper to taste.

Rigatoni with Roasted Eggplant, Tomatoes, & Mint

2010-08-17T07:37:00.000-07:00

This recipe is one of my stand-bys for dinner. It's best made in the late summer when the produce is at its peak but the evenings have taken on that distinctive hint of a fall chill. This dish is hearty and warming, a bit spicy, and very delicious. It's one of those meals I come back to time and again because it's so easy and satisfying.

I hope you'll give this one a try and that it may also become one of your weeknight staples.

Enjoy!

Rigatoni with Roasted Eggplant, Tomatoes, & Mint:

Yields 4 servings

12 oz Rigatoni (or other tubular shaped pasta)

1 large globe eggplant (about 1.25#), diced into 1.5" pieces

1 pint cherry tomatoes (any color or a mix of colors)

1 medium yellow onion (or 2 small spring onions), diced into 1.5" pieces

1 clove garlic, smashed but left whole

1 tsp red chile flakes (or to taste)

4 TB olive oil

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

2 TB fresh mint, finely sliced

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Add the diced eggplant and onion, whole cherry tomatoes, and garlic clove. Sprinkle with the red chile flakes, salt & pepper, and drizzle with 2 TB olive oil. Toss together gently to coat all the vegetables and spread out into a single layer on the baking sheet. Cook without stirring for 35 minutes until tender and nicely caramelized.

2) When the vegetables are roasted and cool enough to handle, puree them, along with the toasted pine nuts, and remaining 2 TB olive oil in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is combined but still chunky. Add the mint, reserving 1 tsp for garnish, and pulse again briefly. Spoon the puree into your serving bowl.

3) Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, about 10 minutes depending on the size of your pasta. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and drain the rest. Place hot pasta on top of the puree in your serving bowl. Toss to coat the noodles well with the pureed sauce. Add a bit of pasta water, 1 TB at a time, to loosen the sauce if needed so it evenly coats all the Rigatoni. Sprinkle with the reserved mint and serve hot.

Peach Compote with Vanilla & Lavender

2010-08-15T14:58:00.000-07:00

Here in Northern California, August is wonderfully abundant in every way. The sunshine is plentiful, the weather is leisurely, and fresh produce is at its peak. Tomatoes, berries, peppers, basil, stone fruit...are all exploding from farms and gardens nearby.

How convenient for me that my newest obsession is canning! I adore the idea of preserving the harvest and enjoying the peak of the season all year long. There's something very comforting and satisfying about opening up the pantry and seeing jars of colorful sauces, jams & pickles. So far this year I've tried my hand at dill pickles, raspberry jam, apricot & vanilla bean conserve, blackberry jam, basil puree, and now peach compote. Most are pictured in the photo above. I know when I pull these out in the middle of February that I will be dreaming of summer once again and anxiously awaiting its abundant return.

I stumbled upon this recipe completely by accident. My intention was to create a peach conserve, which by my definition is essentially a jam without added pectin, just cooked long and slow to reduce and concentrate the fruit. I used my very favorite of all peaches, the elusive and fleeting, 'O'Henry'. They have the most 'peachy' of flavors, slightly acidic, not too sweet, firm yet juicy with an almost crisp skin. They're positively divine and I look forward to them every summer when they appear at the market for one or two short weeks. Because of their firm texture they didn't quite cook down as I had imagined so I ended up with a wonderful accident, a peach compote with chunky pieces of flavorful peaches in a vanilla and lavender syrup. I imagine serving this over ice cream (of course!), spooning onto a warm popover or a fresh buttermilk biscuit or serving with a sharp aged pecorino, my fresh thyme crackers, and a glass of Vin Gris.

If you can't find the O'Henry variety, use a yellow peach with firm flesh that's slightly underripe. Make sure whichever variety you choose has good acidity or this can become cloyingly sweet in a hurry.

Enjoy!!

Peach Compote with Vanilla & Lavender:

Yields 6, 1/2 pint jars

3# yellow peaches, firm flesh

1.75# sugar

juice of 2 lemons (about 1/4 cup)

4 vanilla beans, split and seeds removed

1 TB lavender blossoms

1) Cut the peaches into 1.5" pieces and remove pits. Add the fruit, along with the remaining ingredients, including the vanilla bean pods, to a heavy 5qt stockpot. Heat, stirring occasionally, over moderate heat until the sugar dissolves and mixture reaches a rolling boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring every so often for about 30-45 minutes, or until the fruit is tender but still holds its shape and the syrup is reduced by half.

2) Remove the vanilla bean pods. Ladle the hot fruit mixture into sterilized jars. Return jars to canner and process for 12 minutes. Let jars cool completely at room temperature. Store in a cool, dark place up to 1 year.

*Alternately, you can skip the canning process and prepare the compote the same way. Just ladle the slightly cooled mixture into air tight storage containers and store in the refrigerator, up to 3 months.

Radish & Fromage Blanc Tartelettes with Fennel Seed Pastry

2010-08-09T13:20:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I love radishes! I especially love french breakfast radishes with butter & salt, of course. A little plate of that with a chilled glass of 'Lillet' and I'm in food heaven!

Considering my fondness for this veg, I was delighted to come across Chocolate & Zucchini's mention of this recipe last week, and of course I went right out and tried it. I can hardly imagine anything better!

In the same posting Clotilde also listed instructions for making a yogurt pastry which was a perfect crust for this 'tarte fine'. This is definitely my new favorite crust which I will be using for many sweet and savory tarts and quiches in the coming months. It comes together so nicely and uses half the amount of butter as traditional pastry while still producing a flaky and flavorful result. Give it a try... in fact make a double batch like I did and freeze one for the next time inspiration strikes!

Enjoy!

Radish & Fromage Blanc Tartelettes with Fennel Seed Pastry:

Yields 10 4" diameter tartes

For the pastry: (adapted from Clotilde Dusoulier)

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup plain greek-style yogurt (low-fat is fine)

1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, diced

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp fennel seeds

1) Combine the flour, salt & fennel seeds in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. Add in the diced butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add in the yogurt, all at once, and process until the mixture forms a dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead briefly, just to bring together. Flatten into a disc and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until well chilled.

2) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Lightly flour a board and roll out the chilled pastry to 1/8" thick. Using a 6" round cutter (or a glass or a ramekin), punch out the circles of pastry. Fold the edges in towards the center in a free-form way (think crostata), leaving a 4" cavity in the center.

3) Using a fork, dock the pastry shells all over, to prevent from puffing up too much in the oven. Bake for about 15 minutes until lightly golden brown. Cool completely before filling. The pre-baked shells can also be frozen at this stage, up to 1 month.

For the topping:

2 bunches french breakfast radishes (about 20, 2" long radishes)

1 cup fromage blanc (or creme fraiche)

1 TB fresh thyme, finely chopped

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

fleur de sel, for garnish

1) Mix together the fromage blanc, salt, pepper, & thyme in a small bowl.

2) Spread about 2 TB of the seasoned fromage blanc onto each cooled pastry shell. Arrange the sliced radishes on top. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and serve.

Fresh Thyme Crackers

2010-08-06T19:32:00.000-07:00

Homemade crackers... honestly, they're so easy and you'll impress all of your friends. Who ever thinks to make homemade crackers anyways? I do! and hopefully now you will too.

These are a great way to dress up any cheese plate. They're positively delicious and addictive... consider yourself warned. The recipe makes a zillion so you'll have plenty to share at your next gathering. Serve with your favorite appertif, like Lillet blanc with fresh lime or Prosecco with Limoncello, and you have a perfect start to a lovely evening.

Gourmet crackers are always one of those things that amaze me people will actually pay $7-8 for a small package. It's sort of like creme fraiche or bottled simple syrup... all so easy and inexpensive to make at home from a few simple ingredients. Give these a try and I think you'll agree it's worth a little effort for a delicious result.

Enjoy!

Crackers with Fresh Thyme

Yields about 8 dozen 2"x 2" crackers

(adapted from Martha Stewart)

1 1/2 cups unbleached flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or cornmeal)

2 TB finely chopped fresh thyme (I used lemon thyme), plus more thyme leaves for garnish

4 TB cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 tsp sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

2 tsp salt, plus coarse salt for garnish

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flours, sugar, salt, pepper, lemon zest and thyme. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, add the cream. Process until a dough forms.

2) Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead briefly until the dough just comes together. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces and pat the dough out into 1/2" thick disks. Wrap each disk individually and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. You can also freeze a portion of the dough at this stage, well wrapped, up to 2 months.

3) On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8" thick. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet and score, using a pizza wheel, into roughly 2" diamond shapes. Brush with the egg white and sprinkle with coarse salt and reserved thyme leaves. Repeat with remaining dough.

4) Bake for 15-20 minutes, until crackers are golden brown and slightly puffed. Let cool before serving.

Popovers!

2010-08-02T07:41:00.000-07:00

This delicious recipe is courtesy of my friend, Katie. Katie's one of those inspiring people that 'does it all' with ease and grace, including making these amazing treats which are officially my latest obsession. After purchasing my new popover pan today and testing the recipe, I can affirm that they are truly divine. If you make homemade preserves, these are a perfect vehicle for those sweet fruit conserves. Give these a try on your next lazy weekend morning (or dinner, or dessert, or snack). I promise that they'll be something you come back to again and again.

Katie writes, "My mom was a great cook but not a baker. The popover is one of the only things I remember her baking for us and they were always such a welcomed treat. For years I wanted to buy myself a popover pan and just never did until I decided to make them for my family on Christmas morning. They were such a hit with the whole family that I've been making them religiously ever since and they're one of my most requested dishes. I've actually succeeded in creating a popover obsession around my house and a new family memory all on my own."

It's important to note that these bake for 35-40 minutes at two different temperatures. Don't neglect this part, it's a very important step. Starting with the oven higher allows the impressive height and the beautiful brown crust to form. Turning them down halfway through baking allows for that delicious custardy middle which is so important in the final product.

Enjoy!

Popovers:

Yields 6 large portions

*This recipe requires a standard 6 portion popover pan

1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups milk

2 TB melted butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees and set rack in middle. Preheat popover pan in the oven about 2 minutes until the butter is bubbly.

2) Place 1/2 tsp melted butter into each popover cup. Whisk together the flour, salt, eggs, milk, and remaining melted butter until mixture resembles pancake batter. The batter is best when used at room temperature.

3) Fill each cup 3/4 full with batter and bake 20 minutes at 450 degrees. Reduce oven temp to 325 and continue baking for 15-20 minutes more.

4) Serve warm, right from the oven, with butter and jam.

Buttermilk Panna Cotta

2010-08-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

Panna Cotta simply means 'cooked cream'. It's texture is silken and light and it's flavor is fresh and tangy. I love making panna cotta with buttermilk and yogurt since it adds to the 'tang' quality of the finished dessert, which I really enjoy. If you can find it, use sheep or goat's milk yogurt to give your dessert that extra depth of flavor.

One of the best things about panna cotta is that it's endlessly versatile. I have some gorgeous blackberries on hand and I thought I'd macerate them with a little honey and aged balsamic vinegar and spoon that compote over top. Macerated fresh fruits or berries with honey & liqueur or any fruit conserve would be divine here. Use your imagination about toppings based on what looks best in season.

**Note- Since this is primarily a vegetarian blog, I do feel the need to mention that this dessert contains gelatin. Without going into what exactly gelatin is made of (unpleasant), I will say that it's anything but vegetarian. If you want to keep things truly veg-friendly here, you can easily substitute 1/3 cup silken tofu in place of the hydrated gelatin in the recipe. After steps 2-3 below, add the tofu along with the rest of the ingredients to a food processor and process until completely smooth. Continue with steps 4-5 as indicated.

Buttermilk Panna Cotta:

Yields 4, 4 oz ramekins

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

7 oz plain greek style yogurt (low-fat/ non-fat is fine)

1/3 cup sugar

1 1/4 tsp powdered gelatin

2 TB cold water

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1) Add the 2TB water to a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over top and let stand until bloomed, about 5 minutes.

2) In a bowl (preferbaly with a spout), whisk together the buttermilk, yogurt, 1/4 cup cream, salt & vanilla.

3) In a small saucepan heat the remaining 1/2 cup cream with the sugar. Heat until sugar is dissolved and cream is very hot, but not boiling. Remove from the heat and whisk in the gelatin, using a silicone spatula to make sure you scrape all the gelatin into the pan. Whisk until the gelatin is completely dissolve, which might take up to 1 minute. Pour the cream/sugar/gelatin into the yogurt mixture and divide between the ramekins. Work quickly here because once the gelatin mixture hits the cold yogurt, it will start to set up.

4) Chill (uncovered) at least 4 hours or overnight. Once the panna cotta is fully chilled, you can cover tightly with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you cover before the custard is fully chilled, you'll increase the likelihood of condensation forming on top.

5) To unmold, run a sharp, warm knife around the outside of the ramekin. Invert onto a serving plate. If it doesn't release right away, give it a firm tap on the bottom. It should slip right out onto the plate. If it still doesn't pop out, dip the bottom of the ramekin in a small bowl of hot water for a couple of seconds and then try inverting it again.

Grilled Portobello & Zucchini Tacos

2010-07-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

I'm a fan of 'the taco' as a general food group. I greatly enjoy various fried or grilled items sandwiched between bites of tortilla. Yum! I've always thought one day I'd move to France and open a taco stand in Paris. I'd probably make a fortune doing so. For all the wonderful food they have in France, they are seriously missing out on the taco.

These are delicious and substantial due to the portobello mushrooms which give them a smoky, dare I say meaty, quality. This meal comes together in a flash and the recipe is very flexible. Use whatever summer veggies you have on hand that are good on the grill (peppers, eggplant etc...). Last night I topped them with cherry tomatoes from my garden, fresh basil, and creme fraiche. Serve with a nice side salad or my salt & vinegar grilled potatoes and dinner is ready!

Enjoy!

Portobello & Zucchini Tacos:

Yields 8 servings

8 corn tortillas, warmed

4 medium Portobello mushrooms

4 medium zucchini

2 spring onions

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

2 TB fresh basil, finely sliced

1/4 cup creme fraiche (or low-fat sour cream)

2 TB balsamic vinegar

3 TB extra virgin olive oil

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) Heat the grill to 450 degrees. Meanwhile, prepare your mushrooms by scraping out the gills with the back of a teaspoon and peeling off the outside skin. Removing the skin and the gills gives the mushrooms a slightly milder flavor and also prevents them from bleeding all over the other veggies, turning them that unpleasant shade of grey. Sprinkle with salt & pepper and drizzle with balsamic and olive oil. Set aside while prepping the other veggies.

2) Slice the zucchini into 2" long x 1/2 " thick pieces. I generally slice my zucchini on the bias so there is more surface area touching the grill and they cook more evenly. Sprinkle with salt & pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Set these aside with the mushrooms. Cut the spring onions lengthwise into quarters. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Wrap them tightly in a foil packet so they cook thoroughly on the grill without burning or falling through the grates.

3) When the grill is hot, place the mushrooms and zucchini directly on the hot grill. Set the foil packet with the onions on the grill as well. Cook the veggies on both sides until they're tender, about 6-8 minutes. The onions may take a few minutes longer.

4) Slice the grilled veggies into bite size strips and place a bit of each inside the tortilla. Scatter a few cherry tomatoes over top along with a few slices of basil, and a teaspoon of creme fraiche.

Salt & Vinegar Grilled Potatoes

2010-07-26T19:30:00.001-07:00

My husband loves salt & vinegar potato chips so I came up with this as an homage to that flavor combination. They are delicious and easy!

This makes a lot of potatoes and I typically use the leftovers in a potato salad with an array of other grilled vegetables. Being a trained cook, it has been deeply instilled in me to always reinvent and never throw out food. As such I'm always trying to reimagine how to use what I have left from one night to the next. These potatoes actually get more flavorful overnight and are delicious in a cold salad with grilled artichokes, picholine olives, manchego & basil. That will certainly be making an appearance on my table tomorrow night.

Enjoy!

Salt & Vinegar Grilled Potatoes:

2# large fingerling potatoes (preferably gold varieties like 'russian banana' or 'french gold')

1 1/2 cups white vinegar

2 1/2 cups water

2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

2 TB olive oil

coarse salt for finishing

1) Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise. Place the potatoes, vinegar, and water in a 3 quart saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook until barely fork tender, about 15 minutes. Drain off the liquid and place the potatoes in a large bowl with the salt, pepper, and olive oil. Toss gently to coat well.

2) Heat the grill to 450 degrees. Place the potatoes, cut side down, onto the hot grill. Cook until grill marks are present. Turn the potatoes 90 degrees and cook again, to create cross-hatch grill pattern. Flip potatoes and continue to cook, skin side down, until the skin is golden brown and blistered and the potatoes are fully cooked and tender.

3) Drizzle with finishing oil (truffle oil, lemon oil, garlic oil....) and sprinkle with coarse salt. Serve warm.

Whole Wheat Couscous with Spiced Almonds, Lemon, Mint & Tomatoes

2010-07-21T16:29:00.000-07:00

There is not much simpler or easier than couscous. It's so perfect when you want a quick dish to go alongside a simply prepared protein or even just with a salad for a light supper. It's endlessly adaptable, you can make it sweet or savory, hearty or light. Last night I made this version to accompany a simple dinner of greek salad pita wraps. Tonight it's making an appearance as a side dish for a summer vegetable quiche.

My favorite part of this dish are the spiced almonds. I've had a decades long love affair with Bragg's liquid aminos and I put them on practically everything. It's one of those condiments that's associated with 'health food' in the same realm as carob powder and dr. bronner's soap. Visions of 1970's era vitamin stores come to mind. Anyhow, I happen to love them! I recently discovered they're positively fantastic when added to toasted almonds, such a flavorful and healthy addition. If you take nothing else from this recipe, make the almonds!

Next time you're walking through the bulk section of your market, don't forget about the couscous. I like the whole wheat version as I find it's nuttier and has a bit more flavor. Give this grain a try and experiment with your favorite flavors.

Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Couscous with Spiced Almonds, Lemon, Mint, & Tomatoes:

Yields about 6 cups

1 cup whole wheat couscous

2 cups water

1 tsp sea salt

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

zest of 1 lemon

3 TB fresh spearmint, finely sliced

1/4 cup whole raw almonds

2 tsp Bragg's liquid aminos

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

2 TB extra virgin olive oil

1) In a small saucepan, heat the water to a boil. Add the 1 tsp salt and return to a boil. Add the couscous and whisk constantly for 1 minute until the grain begins to thicken (think polenta). Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and set aside on the stove for approx 5 minutes.

2) While the couscous is resting, heat a small nonstick skillet and add the almonds. Sprinkle in some salt & pepper and toast until the nuts become fragrant and start to take on some color. Pour in the liquid aminos and stir gently, while simmering, until the liquid is absorbed. Roughly chop them and set aside.

3) With a fork, fluff the couscous grains gently and add to a large serving bowl. Add the lemon zest, mint, cherry tomatoes, olive oil, and the reserved almonds, except for 1 tsp. Stir gently to incorporate. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Sprinkle the 1 tsp reserved almonds on top and serve.

Tuna Nicoise Burgers

2010-07-09T07:04:00.000-07:00

Nicoise salad is one of those simple, classic bistro dishes that I always enjoy. There are so many variations on the dish but it always includes tuna as the main protein (I've had it with seared tuna, tuna confit, tuna salad...), tomatoes, nicoise olives, capers, butter lettuce and lemon dressing, It also often includes boiled eggs, potatoes, and green beans.

I thought I'd take many of the elements of the salad and combine them in a burger that could be placed on the grill. I served this with a cucumber and yogurt dressing (in place of mayo) and on an english muffin instead of a bun. I think english muffins make the perfect bread for burgers as they're the exact size and shape and not so thick that your burger gets lost under so much bread.

You could certainly use fresh seared albacore tuna here that is finely chopped for your patties. However, I simply used a good quality canned tuna that was sustainably harvested and line caught. Using line caught fish generally means that the fish was smaller when caught and therefore contains less mercury. It's generally a bit more expensive but also much more flavorful and much more responsible.

*One word of caution about these... If your patties feel on the moister/ more delicate side, you might want to place them on oiled foil while grilling otherwise you risk them falling apart and through the grill grates. If they feel good and sturdy then put them on the grill directly. I had one batch work great right on the grill and one batch fall apart. So, use your best judgement here. You can also sear them off in a saute pan and finish them in the oven.

Enjoy!

Tuna Nicoise Burgers:

Yield 4 large patties

2, 4 oz cans line caught albacore tuna, packed in water

2 scallions, white and light green parts only, finely chopped

3 medium radishes, finely chopped

2 Roma tomatoes, finely chopped

1/4 cup nicoise olives, finely chopped

1 TB capers, drained and rinsed

1 TB lemon juice

1 TB Tahini (sesame paste)

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs, plus more for dredging

1/2 cup strained greek yogurt

1/2 hothouse cucumber, peeled and seeds removed, finely diced

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

8 butter lettuce leaves

1 ripe tomato, sliced

4 english muffins

1) Drain the water from the tuna and place into a medium bowl. Using a fork, gently break up the large pieces of tuna. Add the next 8 ingredients (scallions through 1/4 cup breadcrumbs) and stir to combine. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Form this mixture into 4 large patties. Dredge each of the patties in more of the panko breadcrumbs and set aside.

2) Heat the grill to 450 degrees and brush with oil. While the grill is heating, combine the greek yogurt and diced cucumber in a small bowl. Stir to combine. Season to taste with lemon juice, salt & pepper. Set aside.

3) Brush each of the tuna patties with a bit of olive oil and place onto the hot grill. Grill for about 3 minutes per side, until the burgers have a nice crust and are heated all the way through. Brush the english muffins with olive oil and grill these as well, until just toasted. Alternately, you can sear the tuna burgers in a skillet with a bit of olive oil.

4) Serve each tuna burger on the grilled english muffins with a bit of the cucumber yogurt sauce, 2 slices of tomato, and a couple of butter lettuce leaves. Serve with simple green salad. Enjoy!

Quinoa Salad with Nectarines & Pistachios

2010-07-06T07:53:00.000-07:00

This is such a great main course salad. I eat a lot of grain based salads, like farro, brown rice, and millet, some of which I've shared here with you before. I especially enjoy them in the summer when the weather is warm and I want something light for dinner that can be made ahead and served chilled. Quinoa is the perfect grain for a main course salad as it's a complete protein so it's filling and very healthy. I like mixing red and white quinoa here. It makes the salad prettier and gives it an extra nutty quality. I find the texture slightly different between red and white varieties so it just makes the dish that much more interesting.

This salad is tossed with a light lemon and olive oil dressing and, in addition to the nectarines, has arugula and toasted pistachios. I hope you'll make this for dinner tonight or set it out at your next bbq as a great alternative for your vegetarian guests. I promise that everyone will love it!

Enjoy!

Quinoa Salad with Nectarines & Pistachios:

Yields about 10 cups

1 cup white quinoa

1 cup red quinoa

2 cups low sodium vegetable stock

2 cups water

2/3 cup pistachios, toasted

3-4 medium nectarines, cut into 1" dice (about 3/4 #)

3 ounces arugula, torn into bite size pieces (about 4 cups)

juice of 1 lemon (about 2 TB)

4 TB extra virgin olive oil

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) In a 4 qt saucepan, add both colors of quinoa, vegetable stock, and water. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 12-15 minutes until quinoa is just cooked and has absorbed most of the liquid. Set aside on the stove to cool, uncovered, for another 15 minutes or so.

2) Meanwhile, in your serving bowl mix the dressing. Whisk together the lemon juice and salt & pepper. While whisking, pour in the olive oil in a steady stream to emulsify. Toss in the arugula. The lemon juice will break down the greens some so they will blend better with the rest of the salad.

3) When the quinoa has cooled, fluff with a fork (like you would couscous), and then toss into the greens and dressing. The residual heat from the grains will also help to wilt the arugula. After the grains have been coated with dressing, toss in the pistachios (reserving a few for the top) and the nectarines. Serve at room temperature, or chilled. Drizzle top with a bit more olive oil, sprinkle with finishing salt, and the reserved pistachios.

Spiced Peach Buckle

2010-07-04T16:14:00.000-07:00

Stone fruit desserts exemplify summer for me. I've expressed my love of peaches here before, and to my delight they are really starting to come into their own with the first freestone varieties available at the market now. The long, warm days we've been having are making for some fantastic tasting fruit this year.

Today is July 4th and while I'm not big on stars and stripes or marching music, I do love an afternoon of grilling and spending time with family and friends. This is a delicious dessert that is sure to be the perfect ending to a summer meal. It's so simple and homey and really allows the flavor of the fruit to shine through. A 'buckle' is nothing more than a pudding-like cake that when baked, puffs up around the fruit which is nestled all over the top. It's similar to a cobbler but not as biscuity. I happen to be a big fan of 'the buckle'. I think it strikes that perfect balance between cake and custard. I hope you'll agree!

Enjoy!

Spiced Peach Buckle:

Yields 8 servings

6 TB unsalted butter, melted

1 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup milk ( I used 2%)

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp minced fresh ginger

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

4 large peaches, sliced 1/2" thick

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour the melted butter into the bottom of a 2qt oval baking dish. Set aside.

2) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and spices. Add the milk and vanilla and whisk to combine. You should have something that looks like cake batter. Pour this over the butter in the bottom of the dish and spread out gently.

3) Nestle the peach slices all over the surface of the batter. Bake for 45-50 minutes until the cake is set in the middle and the edges are golden brown. Serve with ice cream, lightly sweetened whipped cream, or creme fraiche.

Almond Cake ala 'David'

2010-06-30T07:18:00.001-07:00

This almond cake is wonderful. I mean, it's really really good! I made it last weekend for a house guest and loved it the first night although it seemed to get better the longer it sat. Four days later I was still looking forward to my slice after dinner and singing its praises. This is the same recipe that David Lebovitz recently posted on his blog. It's perfect as is so I didn't see any reason to make many changes. I am working on a gluten free version however so I'll report back about my experiments with that. In the meantime, please make this cake. It's fabulous!

I was so busy enjoying the cake that I didn't bother to take any photos, hence the image above. I guess you'll just have to reference photos on DL's site for now and I'll post some next time I make this, which I have a feeling will be quite soon.

A couple of things to note.... 1) It's typical for this cake to fall a bit in the center when it cools. All those eggs cause it to souffle up a bit in the oven and then sink as it cools down. Don't worry, you won't notice when it's sliced and a sprinkling of powdered fixes many wrongs when dusted over top. 2) It's best to make this (as suggested by David) in a food processor so you can chop the almond paste very fine.

Serve this with berries & lightly whipped cream.

Enjoy!!

Almond Cake:

Yields 1, 10" cake (about 12 slices)

1 1/3 cups sugar

7 ounces almond paste (1 tube of Odense brand)

3/4, plus 1/4 cup flour

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp Amaretto (or almond flavored liqueur or almond extract)

6 large eggs, at room temperature

1) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 10" springform pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper.

2) In the bowl of a food processor, grind the sugar, almond paste, and 1/4 cup flour until the almond paste is finely ground and the mixture resembles sand.

3) In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 3/4 cup flour, baking powder, and salt.

4) Once the almond paste is completely ground, add the cubes of butter and the vanilla and Amaretto. Process until the batter is very smooth and fluffy.

5) Add the eggs one at a time, processing a bit before the next addition. You many want to scrape down the sides of the bowl while doing this.

6) Add half the flour mixture and pulse the machine a few times, then add the rest, pulsing the machine until the dry ingredients are just incorporated, but DO NOT OVERMIX.

7) Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake the cake for about 1 hour, or until the top is deep brown and feels set when you press in the center.

8) Remove the cake from the oven and loosen the sides with a small spatula or sharp knife if needed. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.

9) Once cool, tap the cake out of the pan, remove the parchment paper and invert the cake onto a serving plate (bottom is now facing up). Serve with berries and lightly whipped cream and dusted with powdered sugar. The cake stores well, tightly wrapped, at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Roasted Golden Beet & Potato Salad with Walnuts

2010-06-29T22:09:00.000-07:00

This is one of those salads that I make again and again. Everyone loves it, even those who are convinced they don't like beets (imagine?!). It spans seasons and is perfectly at home on a chilly winter evening when you want something cozy and comforting. However, it's equally perfect for a summer picnic. I generally serve it warm but it's just as good chilled. I often serve it as a main course salad atop a bed of arugula with a crumble of feta cheese. It can step in as a healthy take on traditional summer potato salad as well and is much better for a bbq as it doesn't have any of that oily, gloppy mayonnaise...yuck!

Golden beets are a good way to introduce non-beet lovers to the delicious world of beets. These are not those mushy, watery boiled beets or (gasp!) canned beets of old. These are sweet, caramelized, mild flavored beets that are deliciously roasted. Roasting is the only way to go with this root vegetable, in my opinion. It just brings out all their natural sugars and yumminess.

I hope you'll give this dish a try for your next picnic or bbq and report back about how it was received.

Enjoy!

For the salad:

Yields about 5 cups

1# fingerling potatoes (Russian banana or similar)

6 medium golden beets

1/3 cup toasted walnut halves

1TB fresh chives, chopped

2 TB extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp Herbes de Provence

2 TB champagne vinegar

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with foil.

2) Wash the potatoes and slice them in half lengthwise, and then into quarters. Spread them in a single even layer on one of the sheet pans. Drizzle with 1 TB olive oil and sprinkle with 1 tsp herbes de provence, sea salt & pepper. Set aside.

3) Peel the beets & trim off the roots and stems. Slice each beet in half and each half into thirds. Spread the wedges on the other sheet pan in one even layer. Drizzle with 1 TB olive oil and sprinkle with 1 tsp herbes de provence, sea salt & pepper. Place into the preheated oven, along the potatoes. Roast both trays for about 40 minutes until the veggies are caramelized and tender. Set aside to cool slightly.

4) While the veggies are roasting, toast the walnuts in a dry pan until fragrant. Set aside.

5) When the veggies are cooled slightly (about 10 minutes), toss them together with the chives and walnuts in a serving bowl. Drizzle with champagne vinegar and season with salt & pepper to taste. Serve warm, chilled, or at room temperature.

Zucchini Crudi & Pecorino

2010-06-25T07:15:00.000-07:00

Crudi means 'raw' and this is just that, a raw zucchini salad. It's so super simple, it barely warrants its own recipe. It's really more of a technique that you can adapt endlessly to whatever vegetable you enjoy that's in season. In the summer when zucchini is overflowing from my garden, going from sweet and petite one day to the size of a baseball bat the next, this is a great way to use it up at every stage.

This is a perfect side dish for anything grilled or for pizza, burgers.... It's just fresh and light and very simple, exactly the kind of food that's delicious on a hot summer day.

Enjoy!

Zucchini Crudi with Pecorino:

Yields about 2 cups

3 medium zucchini (@3/4#)

1 oz shaved Pecorino Romano cheese (the aged version works best here with the sharpest flavor)

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 TB extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp chopped fresh oregano

sea salt & freshly ground pepper

1) Using a vegetable peeler, shave the zucchini into your serving bowl. Shave off all of the skin and the flesh. When you approach the core of the zucchini (where the seeds are), stop shaving and discard that part. It can be tough and doesn't have much flavor, especially if the squash is on the large side.

2) Drizzle the lemon juice and olive oil over the top. Sprinkle with the fresh oregano, salt & pepper. Toss gently. Again, using your vegetable peeler, shave the Pecorino over top. Be sure to taste before adding too much salt as Pecorino can be quite salty. Adjust seasonings as needed. Allow to sit about 5 minutes at room temperature. The lemon juice will soften the zucchini ever so slightly. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Grilled Tomato Spaghetti

2010-06-22T17:19:00.000-07:00

Happy Summer! It is officially here... the long summer days and the leisurely evenings of grilling and eating outdoors. This is my very favorite time of year. I love being outside and I love the warm (but not too hot) weather. I also love ALL of the summer produce.... summer squashes, stone fruit, berries, peppers, eggplant, and of course.... tomatoes!

We eat tomatoes in some fashion almost every night during the summer months. For slicing and eating raw I always opt for the juicy heirloom varieties, and of course those from my own garden are my favorites. However, there are a zillion ways to use the less prized varieties, which are also typically less expensive. Even just a simple preparation can elevate their flavor and texture tremendously.

This simple recipe is one of my favorites. It's quick and fresh and you can use almost any tomato you have on hand. I've made it with cherry tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, some of the more obscure Italian sauce tomatoes that are more mealy and less juicy. Whatever you choose, look for ones that have more 'meat' and less liquid. Tonight I used smallish 'Early Girl'. They were delicious!

Enjoy!

Grilled Tomato Spaghetti:

Yields 4 generous servings

1# Spaghetti ( I use whole grain Spelt)

3 # tomatoes (I used Early Girls)

zest of 1 lemon

2 TB extra virgin olive oil

1 sprig fresh oregano

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

2 TB prepared pesto (or homemade if you have it)

1 oz shaved Ricotta Salata cheese

1) Heat a large stock pot filled with water to a boil. While the water is heating, turn on the grill. Heat to 450 degrees. While the grill is heating, slice the tomatoes in half and place in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the fresh oregano leaves and salt & pepper. Set aside.

2) When the water is rapidly boiling, add a handful of salt. Return to a boil and add the pasta. Cook approx 8 minutes, until just Al Dente. Drain and set aside in serving bowl. Toss with a bit of olive oil and salt & pepper, just to coat the noodles.

3) While the pasta is cooking, grill the tomatoes. Cook, skin side down until the skin is just starting to blister and the flesh looks bubbly and begins to soften. Remove from the grill and toss with the pasta. Pour any remaining liquid left in the bottom of the bowl over the noodles as well. Add the lemon zest, toss gently.

4) Using a vegetable peeler, thinly shave slices of the Ricotta Salata over top. Drizzle with a bit more olive oil and top with a dollop of the prepared pesto. Serve warm.

Cherry Clafoutis

2010-06-16T07:46:00.001-07:00

It is cherry season, an event I welcome each year with great enthusiasm. While I do enjoy cherries, I adore the fruits that follow cherries, like peaches, nectarines, and plums. Finding cherries in the market this time of year makes me excited for what's to come soon after.... peaches, peaches, peaches!!! As you'll soon learn, my obsession with peaches runs deep. I have countless recipes for cobblers, buckles and the like that feature that most sublime fruit (at least in my opinion).

But wait, this post is about cherries. and Clafoutis. What is Clafoutis (klah-foo-tEE) you ask? Essentially it's a french dessert which is much like a baked pancake, usually made with fresh fruit in season. It's endlessly adaptable and super easy to make. It sounds fancy but it's not really. Let me assure you, it is delicious.

I had about a half recipe of leftover Lavender Buttermilk Pancake batter in my fridge from the weekend and since my weekday mornings don't generally allow time for pancake making, I thought I'd reinvent it for dessert. This is just the sort of thing a French cook would do... never waste.... always reinvent! Think Julia Child tirelessly scraping every morsel from every bowl.

It turns out that this is one of the best Clafoutis I have ever had so I think I'll be making a point of saving half of my pancake batter from now on. The tartness of the buttermilk with the sweet cherries and the infused flavor of the lavender throughout... is simply divine.

Cherry Clafoutis:

Yields, 1 10" pancake

1/2 recipe Lavender Buttermilk Pancake batter

1/2 # fresh cherries, stems & pits removed

1 TB butter

sanding sugar (optional)

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat at 10" nonstick skillet and add the butter to melt. When butter is melted and it stops foaming (which means it's hot enough), pour in the pancake batter. With a rubber spatula, scrape the batter around the pan, like you would an omelette (think scrambling eggs) until the sides and bottom are just starting to set. Evenly distribute the cherries over top and sprinkle with the sanding sugar ( if using). Place the whole thing in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes until the pancake is just set in the middle but still tender and the edges are golden brown.

2) This really must be made just before serving as it's best when eaten warm. For an extra decadent treat, drizzle over just a tiny bit of fresh cream. Trust me, it's delicious!

Soy- Glazed Grilled Salmon with Asian Slaw

2010-06-15T15:40:00.000-07:00

I love the savory flavors of this delicious meal. It's healthy and fresh yet very satisfying. The salad is raw and the fish is cooked outdoors so it's great for a warm summer day where the last thing you want is to be standing over a hot stove or turning on the oven for any reason. Pair it with a crisp glass of Rose or Gewurztraminer.

This may well become a staple of your summer menu. It's easy enough for a weeknight dinner and 'fancy' enough for guests too. I hope you'll give this one a try tonight.

Enjoy!

For the Soy-Glazed Grilled Salmon:

Yields 4 servings

4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz each)

2 TB low sodium tamari (soy sauce)

4 tsp honey

juice of 1 orange (about 3 TB)

1 tsp rice vinegar

1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger

1/2 tsp red chile flakes

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) Season salmon fillets with salt & pepper, set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Pour half of the glaze over the salmon & allow to marinate at room temperature 10-15 minutes.

2) Heat the grill to 450 degrees. Place the salmon, skin side down on the hot grill. Baste with the remaining glaze several times while the fish is cooking to create a shiny glaze. Grill until just cooked through, without flipping, about 10 minutes.

For the Asian Slaw:

Yields about 6 cups

1 small head red cabbage, shredded

1/2 small head napa cabbage, shredded

3 large carrots, grated

2 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced

1/2 cup whole almonds, toasted & roughly chopped

1/2 cup dried apricots, roughly chopped

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 TB toasted sesame oil

2 TB extra virgin olive oil

2 TB honey

1 tsp white or brown sesame seeds

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, honey, oils, sesame seeds, salt & pepper. Add cabbages, carrots, and scallions. Toss cabbage in dressing. Set aside in refrigerator at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours.

2) When ready to serve toss cabbage again to re-incorporate dressing throughout. Season with salt & pepper. Sprinkle the apricots, almonds, and a few more sesame seeds over the top. Serve chilled.

For garnish:

1/2 ripe Haas avocado

1 ripe Nectarine

1) I garnish this with a few slices each of avocado and nectarine. Why you ask? Well, because nectarines are delicious right now and they bring out the flavor in the Rose. Avocados, because I LOVE them and I think they make everything better (sort of like butter).

Lavender Buttermilk Pancakes w/ Raspberry-Mascarpone Topping

2010-06-12T08:44:00.000-07:00

It's always fun to start a weekend morning with something a little special for breakfast. My usual weekday breakfast consists of my homemade granola, homemade yogurt, and fresh fruit. I do consider that to be pretty special but it's fun to mix it up every so often when time allows.

Since I visited a lavender and bee farm this past week (photo above is from the farm) and came home with some fresh lavender blossoms and fragrant lavender honey, I thought it would be a good way to incorporate all the special treats I picked up. I was also fortunate enough to be given some amazing eggs from my friend's adorable backyard chickens which found their way into a frittata earlier this week and I had exactly enough left for these pancakes. Lucky me!

I had no fresh fruit to speak in the house of and I'm not a huge fan of syrup on my pancakes so I made a topping of raspberry jam and mascarpone with a little of the lavender honey. It was lovely and I think this might become my new 'go to' pancake topping. Of course, pancakes are a great excuse for copious quantities of good melted butter on top and you know how I like butter. I just feel all that maple syrup gets in the way of my butter tasting abilities which is just not okay by me.

I hope you'll make these this weekend! Easy, yummy, fast, special.... what's not to love?!

Enjoy!

Lavender Buttermilk Pancakes:

Yields approx 16, 4" diameter pancakes

2 cups Flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 TB baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp chopped lavender blossoms

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

4 TB melted butter, plus more for griddle

1) In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour through lavender blossoms). Add the wet ingredients (buttermilk through melted butter) and whisk to combine all. If you have the time, let sit at room temperature for a few minutes while you mix the topping.

2) Heat a griddle to medium high. Brush with a bit more melted butter. Spoon the pancake batter onto the hot griddle and cook until little bubbles appear all over the surface of the pancake and the edges appear set. Flip over and repeat on the opposite side.

3) Transfer to serving plates, drizzle over a bit more melted butter, top with the rapsberry-mascarpone mixture and enjoy!

For the Raspberry- Mascarpone Topping:

Yields about 1/3 cup

4 oz mascarpone cheese, softened

2 TB raspberry jam ( I like Bonne Maman)

2 tsp lavender honey (or any other flavor you have on hand)

1 tsp fresh lemon zest

1) Heat the mascarpone & the jam together in the microwave until both are just soft enough to stir together, about 10 seconds. Whisk them together, removing any lumps in the cheese. Drizzle in the honey and lemon zest and stir to combine.

Green Chile & Squash Blossom Quesadillas

2010-06-08T11:14:00.000-07:00

Roasted green chiles and squash blossoms with jack cheese make for a really delicious quesadilla! I roast the chiles on the grill and then grill the quesadillas to melt all the cheese and crisp up the tortillas. In the summer I serve these with a stone fruit salsa, usually composed of plums and nectarines with lime, jalapeno, & cilantro. Yumm.

Anything inside of a tortilla with melty cheese is my idea of a good dinner. They couldn't be easier, of course. Even with the fancy salsa they take 15 minutes total to bring together. Serve with a simple side salad and dinner is done!

For the quesadillas:

Yields 4 servings

4 medium flour tortillas

3 oz shredded monterey jack cheese

4 medium Poblano chiles

12 squash blossoms, stamens and stems removed

1) Brush the chiles lightly with olive oil. Place them on a hot grill until the skins are completely black and charred all around, about 3-4 minutes per side. Place them in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam for 5 minutes. The skins should peel right off. Remove the seeds and ribs and dice finely.

2) Coarsely chop the squash blossoms and place them in a bowl with the chiles. The residual heat from the chiles should wilt the squash blossoms enough for your purposes here.

3) Sprinkle the cheese on the tortillas and spread around a couple of tablespoons of the chile/blossom filling. Fold the tortillas in half, brush each half lightly with olive oil and grill until crispy and the cheese is melted.

For the stone fruit salsa:

Yields 1 1/2 cups

2 medium red flesh plums (like Santa Rosa), diced into 1/2" pieces

2 medium yellow flesh nectarines, diced into 1/2" pieces

1 medium jalapeno chile, ribs and seeds removed, finely diced

6 sprigs cilantro, leaves removed and finely diced

juice of 1 lime

sea salt & black pepper to taste

1) Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use. Serve on top of quesadillas or with anything else you can imagine.... chips, crudite, grilled fish etc....

(thank you, Harvard Farmers Market for the use of your photo)

Grilled Portobello Mushrooms Caprese

2010-06-07T19:42:00.000-07:00

Tonight's dinner is one my easiest summer meals. It comes together quickly on the grill with very little prep ahead of time. It's both hearty and fresh at the same time. It's a perfect vegetarian alternative if you're having folks like me over for a BBQ. All of the ingredients are in season throughout the summer months so it's perfect to make now.

The portobello mushroom is essentially just an overgrown crimini (italian brown mushroom). They're nothing particularly fancy or special but they are very flavorful and 'meaty'. For that reason they take well to grilling as they become juicy and tender and hold up well on a hot grill.

A Caprese salad is just a tomato, basil, and fresh mozzarella salad. Those three ingredients are truly a match made in heaven, each simple ingredient elevating the other. Use the freshest ingredients you can find here as there's very little 'cooking' involved so each element really needs to stand on its own. I typically just use fresh cow's milk mozzarella here but feel free to use buffalo mozzarella if you prefer.

A perfect side dish for this dinner would be grilled polenta squares or grilled corn. Tonight we had simple grilled corn, the first of the season here, and a green salad. It was light and satisfying and very summery! Perfect for an evening of sipping white wine while dining al fresco.

Enjoy!

Grilled Portobellos with Caprese Salad:

Yields 4 servings

For the mushrooms:

4 medium portobello mushrooms

1 TB olive oil

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) Prep the mushrooms by removing their inner 'gills'. Scrape them out gently with a teaspoon. This keeps them from turning everything else in the salad an off-grey color and in my opinion lightens the overall flavor. I also remove the outer skin. You should be able to just peel this back carefully with your fingers.

2) Once the mushrooms are prepped, with the gill side facing up, drizzle them with the olive oil & balsamic and season with salt & pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature to marinate while your grill heats up.

3) When the grill is ready, place the mushrooms 'gill side up' on the hot grill. Grill until juicy and tender, turning once halfway through. This should take about 5-7 minutes at 450 degrees.

While they are cooking, prep the Caprese salad.

For the Caprese Salad:

3/4 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

4 sprigs fresh basil, leaves removed and thinly sliced

2 balls fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1" dice

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 TB extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp red wine vinegar

1) In a medium bowl, combine the halved cherry tomatoes, the diced mozzarella, and the sliced basil leaves. Drizzle with the olive oil & vinegar and sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.

2) When the mushrooms are ready, top each one with about 1/3 cup of the Caprese mixture. Serve while mushrooms are warm.

Finished!

2010-06-05T19:50:00.001-07:00

The kitchen is finished...well almost. There are still a few last details to attend to but it's finished enough for a proper cleaning and to move everything back in. I'm delighted with how it all came together although am still getting used to the 'newness' of it all, trying to figure out where to put everything etc....

Tonight was our first dinner made in the new space and all I've been dreaming about eating amidst all the take-out, salad bar, burritos etc... has been a perfectly poached farm egg with some simply sauteed potatoes and vegetables. Nothing fancy, just simple, homemade, fresh food that you just can't get anyplace other than home. So, that's exactly what I made and it was delicious.

I'm so looking forward to getting back to my cooking routines and to sharing lots of recipes in the coming days, weeks, months.

Bon Appetit!

The Final Days

2010-06-02T15:58:00.001-07:00

Dare I say, I think we're almost there. Just a few more days and the new and improved kitchen will finally be ready. I can't wait to get back to cooking! My stack of recipes to try and ideas for inspiration is growing by the day so I'll have lots to share starting next week.

The kitchen continues

2010-05-26T08:15:00.000-07:00

It's still a dusty mess in the kitchen but things are coming along. The cabinets are in and finally starting to look like something. I think it's still too early to say that I can 'see the end in sight' but maybe in a few more days.

The novelty of pre-prepared foods from my local markets and favorite restaurants has worn off entirely and I'm more than ready to start cooking again. I wonder if I'll even remember how?

The kitchen work begins

2010-05-18T07:05:00.000-07:00

Since I don't have an actual kitchen to cook in at the moment and I won't for several weeks, I won't be doing much in the way of dinner making. I don't consider microwave cooking actual 'cooking' so I'll spare you the details of such events. I have yet to dive into the world of convenience foods but browsing the freezer case at Whole Foods yesterday was quite an education. I actually had no idea that so many pre-made, relatively healthy and appealing looking items even existed! I generally just walk on by all those boxes in my hunt for fresh ingredients. Perhaps before this experience is through I'll have to try some of those. Who knows, maybe this will open up a whole new world of eating for me?!

For now, my ceiling is opened up and new lighting is going in. I'm sharing the 'Before' photos and the 'Day 1' photos here. I'll be posting photos every week or so showing the progress as I sneak behind the plastic each evening to document. Hopefully the end result will be as pleasing as I imagine it to be in my mind and all this work (and dust!) will be worth it.

Desert Muffins with Mixed Berries & Honey

2010-05-10T06:41:00.001-07:00

I call these Desert Muffins (not dessert muffins) since I've been calling the Hi-Desert home for the past several days. A trip to the local farmers market here, which was surprisingly large for such a small town, turned up many locally grown items that aren't quite in season yet where I live. It's warm and dry here (very very dry!) and things like zucchini, tomatoes, and berries are in season year round. I came home with a jar of cactus honey from the local cacti blooming now, a dozen lovely farm eggs for a mere $4 (they're $7 at home), and a few baskets of beautiful fresh berries.

So, feeling like I just needed to bake something, after all it is what I do every day and not baking anything for several days in a row just felt too strange, I decided some simple morning muffins would fit the bill. I thought they should be easy enough in an unfamiliar kitchen, if a reasonably well stocked one at that. I'm including the recipe below. Note that I'm using fresh berries, which on first thought would seem preferable to frozen (fresh is always better, right?), although in my opinion just the opposite is true. I find that fresh berries in general bleed too much in the muffins and tend to leave a wet, somewhat uncooked bit of batter right around the berry itself. To prevent this I either freeze them for a few minutes to harden up the outsides a bit or toss them in some cornstarch or flour before mixing them in. Adding the starch absorbs some of the juice which leaks out when exposed to the heat.

This particular part of the California desert is one of my favorite places. I am always inspired by the fortitude of the plants and animals that call this land their home. Being a city dweller I realize how much noise is around me at all moments that I don't even notice. I also notice how entirely quiet it is here, the calls of ravens fill the canyons, the birds are a symphony of song every morning. This is a place that's really alive. Life is hard here, the land is inhospitable in almost every way but all around are treasures of beauty. The quiet and the open space are refreshing and expansive. It's a place that as whole is greater than the sum of its parts. That is also what I love about baking, cooking in general. Start with a few simple ingredients and combine them together and you make your own bit of alchemy in the kitchen every day.

Desert Muffins with Mixed Berries & Honey:

Yields 12, large muffins

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cardamom

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup milk

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup mixed berries, toss with 1 TB flour or cornstarch if using fresh or use frozen berries that are not defrosted (I used blackberries and raspberries)

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with nonstick spray.

2) In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, honey, canola oil, melted butter and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just barely combined. Fold in the berries and finish mixing just until all the ingredients come together.

3) Spoon the batter into each of the muffin cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes until just golden brown around the edges and the middles are puffed and set. Serve with butter and honey. Enjoy!

Cheddar & Chive Scones

2010-05-04T06:57:00.000-07:00

I served these last night with a simple salad of tuna, white beans and arugula for dinner. They were a small indulgence for an otherwise light and healthy meal. I love scones of all varieties, sweet or savory, and these are no exception. Even though I am well aware they're made with butter, cream and cheese I don't see much wrong with a little more butter on top for serving, of the good European salted variety, of course.

Serve these scones with any soup or salad for a light meal. They'd be a perfect savory accompaniment to any brunch menu of eggs and potatoes as well.

Enjoy!

Cheddar & Chive Scones:

Yields 9, 2" diameter x 1/2" thick scones

2 cups Flour ( I used 75% unbleached Spelt & 25% whole Spelt)

1 tsp salt

1 TB baking powder

1/2 cup butter, chilled and cut into 1" pieces

1 large egg

1/2 cup heavy cream plus 1 TB for brushing tops of scones

1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (yellow cheddar preferred)

2 TB chopped fresh chives

1 tsp finishing salt (I used Maldon)

1)Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a food processor, combine the flours, salt & baking powder. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and process until it is well incorporated and the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Pay attention here, just before the butter is properly incorporated, the sound of the machine changes, which is a signal you're very close.

2) Add the egg and the cream into the mixture. Pulse until the mixture is still shaggy and not quite combined. Add the cheese and the chives and pulse to finish combining. At this point, the dough will be a shaggy ball.

3) Empty the dough onto a well floured board. Pat into a 8" round circle x 1/2" thick. Using a 2" round biscuit cutter, punch out the scones. Place them on the lined sheet pan, spaced 1 1/2" apart. Brush the tops with the 1 Tb reserved cream and sprinkle with the finishing salt.

4) Bake for 20-25 minutes until puffed and golden brown. Cool slightly before serving or serve at room temperature with salted butter.

Salmon Cakes with Parsley & Mint Puree

2010-05-02T19:26:00.000-07:00

These salmon cakes are light, flavorful, and simply delicious. Make them smaller for an appetizer portion or large like these ones for a main course. I poach the salmon before adding the other ingredients and forming the patties. Poaching is a simple technique which adds no fat and it preserves the flavor of the salmon itself.

The parsley and mint puree is a vibrant accent on the plate and adds a fresh, herbal compliment to the dish . It makes use of the tender herbs growing in my garden right now. I serve the cakes sprinkled with a few chive blossoms, a dollop of creme fraiche, and a simple side salad of raw snap peas and breakfast radishes tossed with a little lemon oil and fleur de sel.

I hope you'll try these. They're quick and easy enough for any weeknight but pretty enough for guests or a special weekend dinner.

Enjoy!

Salmon Cakes:

Yields 4 patties, (4" diameter x 3/4" thick):

1 # Wild Pacific King Salmon fillet

4 large scallions, white and light green parts only, sliced very thinly

zest of 1 lemon (remaining lemon reserved for poaching liquid)

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs (I use whole wheat)

1 large egg

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp fresh thyme, minced

1/4 panko bread crumbs, for coating outside of patties

3 TB Olive Oil

1) Fill a large saute pan (12-14" diameter) with 1" depth of water. Squeeze in the reserve lemon and add the whole lemon halves, plus 1 TB olive oil to the water. Cover the pot and bring to a simmer.

2) Season the salmon fillets lightly with salt and pepper. When the water is simmering, add the salmon to the poaching liquid, cover the pot and cook, until just barely cooked through but still moist and tender, about 8 minutes. Set salmon aside to cool. Discard poaching liquid.

3) In a large bowl, whisk the egg, thyme, scallions, salt & pepper. Flake the salmon into small pieces and add it to the egg mixture. Add the bread crumbs and stir to combine. Form the mixture into 4 patties, each about 4" diameter x 3/4" thick.

4) Add the panko bread crumbs to a shallow bowl. Lightly coat the patties, dusting off any excess. Heat the remaining 2 TB Olive Oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Add the salmon cakes and cook until deep golden brown and warmed through, about 3-4 minutes per side.

For the Parsley & Mint Puree:

1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh spearmint leaves

juice and zest of 1 lemon

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 TB Dijon mustard

2 TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1) Combine all the ingredients, except the Olive Oil, in the jar of a blender. Process until combined. Scrape down the sides of the jar. With the machine running, stream in the olive oil until the mixture is smooth and emulsified. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Reserve for use with the salmon cakes.

2 Bean Vegetarian Chili

2010-04-27T08:08:00.000-07:00

Sometimes a substantial bowl of bean and tomato soup, which in essence makes up most every vegetarian chili, is a perfect comforting end to a long day of work. Served with the corn muffins from yesterday's post or my favorite green chile cornbread, you've elevated a humble stew to a special meal anyone would be glad to come home to. This is also a great last minute dinner to put together quickly on a busy weeknight. It uses several pantry staples and a few common veggies to freshen and brighten everything up.

2 Bean Vegetarian Chili:

Yields 6 generous servings

1 medium yellow onion, diced into 1" pieces

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 medium zucchini, diced into 1" pieces

1, 3 oz can diced mild green chiles

1, 15 oz can cannelini beans, rinsed and drained

1, 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

1, 6 oz can tomato paste

1, 28 oz can diced tomatoes (I like San Marzano brand)

2 cups low sodium vegetable stock (or water)

1 cup frozen corn kernels (not defrosted)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp chile powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

creme fraiche (or low-fat sour cream), for serving

1) In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 TB olive oil. Saute the onion and garlic until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the spices (salt through cinnamon) and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Add the zucchini and tomato paste, stirring constantly so the tomato paste doesn't burn. Add the green chiles, the beans, the diced tomatoes, and the stock (or water). Stir the whole thing to combine, cover the pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and continue cooking until the soup has thickened slightly and the flavors have come together, about 25-30 minutes.

2) When the soup has finished cooking, stir in the frozen corn kernels. Adjust the seasoning as needed and serve the hot soup with a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream. Enjoy!

Corniest Corn Muffins

2010-04-26T15:20:00.000-07:00

These are the ever fabulous Dorie Greenspan's corn muffins. You can find the recipe in her book Baking From My Home to Yours or on her wonderful blog, which I'd highly recommend reading. They are delicious and a savory complement for just about any soup you can dream up. I'm serving them tonight with a mexican inspired bean soup with tomatoes and chiles (recipe to come later this week).

I've made a couple of small additions to the original recipe that I feel give the muffins just a bit more flavor. The chile powder and fresh thyme add another layer of depth. The nutmeg is important too, just a hint to round everything out. Also, I don't like my corn muffins too sweet so I reduced the sugar a bit. Feel free to substitute honey here. The floral quality of the honey would go very well with the corn.

This is a nice alternative to my usual 'go to' cornbread recipe and I feel the corn texture and flavor is a bit more pronounced. I think I could practically make a meal out of these alone with just lots of good salted butter but I will restrain myself to just one muffin for now.

Do try these, I promise you'll be glad you did. It's so easy to whip up a batch of homemade savory muffins for dinner and it just adds that extra special touch to what might otherwise be a simple weeknight meal.

Enjoy!

Dorie's Corniest Corn Muffins:

Yields 12 muffins

1 cup Flour (I used unbleached Spelt)

1 cup cornmeal (preferably stone ground, medium coarse)

1/4 cup sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp thyme, finely chopped

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp mild chile powder (I used a smoked pasilla chile powder)

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

3 TB unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 TB canola oil

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 cup corn kernels (if using frozen, do not defrost)

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with nonstick spray. Set the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

2) In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, including nutmeg, thyme, and chile powder. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients and eggs. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and when mostly incorporated, stir in the corn kernels.

3) Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups. Bake for 15-18 minutes until the tops are set and sides are just golden brown. Cool in muffin pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Serve with salted butter.

Smoked Trout Salad with Avocado & Grapefruit

2010-04-23T07:56:00.000-07:00

This is a wonderfully fresh salad that is both satisfying and light at the same time. It would be a perfect meal for a luncheon or for dinner when the weather is warm. We recently enjoyed this for dinner during a recent warm spell. It was the first spring evening warm enough to eat outdoors and heralded the leisurely summer evenings to come.

Even though this is somewhat of a 'salade composee', it couldn't be easier to put together. Look for hot smoked fish at your market which is typically cooked over hickory or alder wood. It's easy to find at any well stocked gourmet market and is entirely different from the 'gravlax' style cured fish commonly thought of. It's cooked through over wood smoke as opposed to gravlax which is cured by salt and/or sugar. Serve it warm or at room temperature and treat yourself to a healthy meal with loads of good flavor.

Enjoy!

Smoked Trout Salad with Avocado & Grapefruit:

Yields 4 main course servings

1.25 # hot smoked Trout fillet (or other smoked white fish like Halibut, Black Cod, or Sturgeon)

1 small head Frisee (or curly endive), washed and torn into bite size pieces

4 small heads Belgian Endive (I used both red and green Endive), washed and cut into bite size pieces

1 large Haas Avocado, sliced into 1/4" thick slices

2 medium red Grapefruits, skin and pith removed and cut into segments

4 slices day old baguette

juice of 1/2 lemon (@ 2 TB)

1 TB Dijon mustard

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. Slice the baguette into bite size pieces, drizzle with olive oil and salt. Toss together and spread out on the foil lined sheet in a single layer. Toast in the oven until very light golden brown, about 8 minutes.

2) Wrap the smoked fish fillet tightly in foil. Heat in the oven until just warmed through, about 10 minutes.

3) Meanwhile in a large bowl, combine the lemon juice, dijon mustard, salt & pepper. While whisking, stream in the olive oil to emulsify. Toss the Endive & Frisee in the dressing until well coated. Transfer the greens to your serving platter.

4) On the serving platter, arrange the grapefruit, avocado, smoked trout and croutons over the bed of greens. Drizzle the top with any remaining dressing or a bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with finishing salt & a quick grind of black pepper.

Upside Down Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

2010-04-19T17:51:00.000-07:00

I realize that I've been posting more desserts than dinners in recent days. If you're tiring of sweets already I promise for an actual dinner recipe next. But first, just one more sweet treat. Since baking is my business (or at least one of my businesses) I just can't help but share all of my yummy experiments with you.

This cake is not an original recipe of mine, it's straight from David Lebovitz, and it's positively delicious. I'm a huge fan of his. This cake is simple and homey and pretty much perfect. The only change I made, other than my usual spelt flour substitution, was to add Muscovado sugar in place of some of the white sugar in the recipe. I think the caramel flavors enhance the cake and go well with the bananas. You can substitute the same quantity of dark brown sugar if you don't happen to have any Muscovado on hand.

I'm serving this with unsweetened whipped cream. I'm working to make this recipe gluten free so I'll report back about that. All the bananas and sour cream keep the cake moist enough where I think is a good candidate for an excellent gluten free dessert.

Enjoy!

Banana Chocolate Chip Upside Down Cake:

Yields 1, 8x8" square cake

For the topping:

1/3 cup plus 2 TB packed dark brown sugar

2 TB water

3-4 ripe medium bananas

1 tsp lemon juice

For the cake:

1 1/2 cups flour (I used Spelt)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup Muscovado sugar (or dark brown)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 TB melted butter, cooled to room temperature

1 large egg

1 large egg white

1 cup banana puree (from about 2 bananas)

1/2 cup sour cream (low-fat ok)

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1) To make the topping, place the brown sugar and water in a microwave safe measuring cup. Heat for 45 seconds until sugar is dissolved and mixture is bubbling. Pour into the bottom of your baking dish.

2) Peel and slice the bananas in 1/4" slices. Arrange them in overlapping rows over the melted sugar in the bottom of the pan. Drizzle with the lemon juice.

3) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

4) Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl, removing any lumps. Whisk in the Muscovado and white sugars to combine.

5) In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, egg white, banana puree, vanilla, sour cream, and butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Gently fold in the chocolate chips and finish mixing. Do not overmix.

6) Scrape the batter into the pan over the bananas, then use a spatula to carefully spread the batter over the sliced fruit.

7) Bake for 40 minutes or until the cake feels set in the center and the sides are light golden brown. Cool for 20 minutes in the pan then invert onto a platter. Don't worry if any pieces of banana stick to the pan, just gently press them back into the top of the cake.

* Serve with unsweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Blood Orange Frozen Yogurt

2010-04-15T07:10:00.001-07:00

I recently received a huge bag of blood oranges, a wonderful treat from a friend's tree. I love blood oranges, obviously for their beautiful color but also for their distinct brand of tart orangey-ness which is really something special. I juiced them all yesterday and have many ideas for the litres of freshly squeezed goodness awaiting me in the fridge. I'm sure I'll be posting the results here in the coming days.

I used some juice right away for this batch of frozen yogurt. I'm a big fan of frozen yogurt, or all things yogurt for that matter. I just love that creamy tartness. This frozen treat was indeed pleasantly tart yet just sweet enough to make for a proper dessert. The best part though was the color! It turned out the most gorgeous shade of soft, peachy pink.

Making frozen yogurt is practically the easiest thing ever. If you haven't done it yet, I do encourage you to give it a try. All you need is some fresh pureed fruit or juice, some strained yogurt, a little sweetener, and an ice cream freezer. 30 minutes later.... Voila!

Blood Orange Frozen Yogurt:

yields 1 quart

21 oz plain Greek yogurt (I used Fage 2%)

3/4 cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice, strained

2 TB agave nectar (or liquid honey)

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 TB Grand Marnier (or Cointreau or Campari)

1) In a blender, whiz together all of the ingredients until combined. Pour into an ice cream freezer and churn according to manufacturers instructions.

*Note- Frozen yogurt is best eaten soon after it's churned for best texture. If you do decide to store it in the freezer, just make sure you give it at least 30 minutes on the counter before serving.

Quiche with Shiitake, Scallions & Favas

2010-04-14T08:09:00.000-07:00

I make quiche quite a lot in my house. I know I've said this before, but it really is such a great way to use up all the vegetable stragglers lingering in your crisper, the bits of cheese, the last few eggs... And, if you make your own pastry, always make a double batch so you have one round in the freezer, ready to go for moments such as these when you want to whip up a quiche for dinner with minimal fuss.

I recently read a recipe where the milk was addd to the vegetables while they cooked, reducing the milk slightly and infusing it with the flavor of the simmering veggies. I thought this was a brilliant idea and one I'd never thought of. Usually, I just whisk the milk and eggs together, stir in the cooked veggies and then put everything right into the crust. This method intrigued me so I thought I'd adapt it to some of my favorite vegetables in season right now.

This quiche would be positively divine with fresh morels. I couldn't find them so I used shiitake instead. I also decided to make a puree of fresh fava beans and spread that in the bottom of the crust, a fava 'pesto' of sorts. A few fresh scallions, a couple of farm eggs, and a little grated cheese (I used gruyere), and you're all set for a positively delicious and impressive dinner.

For the quiche:

Yields 1, 9" quiche:

9 oz Pate Brisee (see below)

flour for dusting

1 TB olive oil

6 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced

1/2 # fresh shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

1/4 cup fresh fava bean puree (see below)

3/4 cup whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

3 large eggs

1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a well floured board, roll out the pate brisee to 9" diameter x 1/4" thick. Press into a 9" tart pan with a removable bottom. Press a piece of parchment firmly into the bottm of the crust and fill with dried beans or pie weights to weigh down the crust when pre-baking. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the crust is very light golden brown. Remove the parchment and the weights.

2) Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Add the scallions and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, salt & pepper and continue cooking until the mushrooms are tender, about 3-5 minutes longer. Add the milk and cream and simmer the mixture together until the milk reduces slightly, about 5 minutes more.

3) Whisk the eggs together in a medium bowl. When the vegetable-milk-cream mixture is slightly cooled, whisk that into the eggs. Add the cheese and stir to combine. Spread the 1/4 cup of fava been puree into the bottom of the pre-baked crust. Then, pour the custard-vegetable mixture into the crust and return it to the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the custard is set and the quiche is golden brown. Cool to just warm or room temperature before serving.

For the Pate Brisee:

Yields 20 oz

2 cups flour ( I use Spelt)

1/2 cup cold butter, cut into 1" pieces

1 tsp sea salt

3 TB ice water

1) In a food processor, pulse together the flour and salt. Add the butter cubes and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stream in the water, 1 TB at a time, and continue pulsing, until the dough just comes together.

2) Turn out the dough onto a well floured board and finish kneading, until dough holds together. Pat out into 2 discs, about 10 ounces each. Wrap discs tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before using, or freeze up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before using.

For the Fava Puree:

Yields 1 cup

1 1/2 # fresh fava beans

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1 TB plus 1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 TB olive oil

1) Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the 1 TB salt and return to a simmer. Have a bowl of ice water at the ready. Prepare the fava beans by removing the beans from the pod. Add the shelled favas to the simmering water and blanch until bright green and just tender, about 1 minute. Immediately stop the cooking process by shocking the favas in the ice water bath.

2) Once the fava beans are cool enough to handle, remove the outer skin, reserving just the bright green legume inside.

3) Add the prepared favas, the 1/2 tsp salt & the black pepper to a food processor. Pulse to combine. With the machine running, stream in the olive oil. Remove the mixture to a small bowl and stir in the Parmesan cheese.

Fresh Lime Tart

2010-04-11T11:50:00.000-07:00

I've been lucky enough to have a bumper crop of the most beautiful heirloom limes this past winter. I've had the tree for years and every season it produces a few delicious treasures. This year the tree was absolutely laden with fruit, which lasted for months and months, harvesting a few every day or two. The limes are 'Bearss' variety and have bright yellow skin with green flesh. They're super juicy and their flavor is distinctly tart and limey yet sweeter than the typical persian limes. I've been harvesting since last November and just this morning plucked my last six limes of the season.

I thought I should honor their bounty and use 'the last of the last' for something special. So, I decided to make a version of Martha's easy Key Lime Tart. It's so simple and quick, you could make this for dessert on any weeknight. I'm offering an alternate to using the condensed milk in the recipe that still maintains both the right texture and the good balance of sweet-tartness. However, I'll admit it's pretty delicious as is. The color of this tart is so vibrant that it really needs no adornments. Or, you could serve it with a few sliced strawberries or a twirl of candied lime zest if you'd like.

Give this one a try. I think it will quickly become a 'go to' recipe for you. I know it will continue to be for me!

Fresh Lime Tart:

Yields 1, 9" tart

10 whole wheat graham crackers (standard 2 1/2 x5" crackers)

3 TB unsalted butter, melted

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 TB lime zest (from 2-3 limes)

1, 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk (or 1 1/4 cups heavy cream plus 3 TB agave nectar)

1/2 tsp salt

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees . Line a baking sheet with foil. Have a 9" tart pan with a removable bottom ready.

2) In a food processor, grind the graham crackers to fine crumbs. Add the melted butter until combined. Press the graham cracker mixture into the tart pan. I find pressing the crumbs in with the back of a measuring cup, making sure to press firmly where the bottom meets the sides, works well for me. Bake the crust until just golden brown, about 10 minutes.

3) Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the sugar, egg yolks, lime zest, lime juice, salt, and sweetened condensed milk. Whisk to combine. Pour the mixture into the par baked crust (warm is just fine). Bake until the filling is just set, about 20-25 minutes.

4) Cool completely at room temperature then refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours. You can also make this a day ahead and chill overnight. To store longer, cover loosely with plastic wrap.

*photo from Sunset Magazine

Roasted Tomatoes with Quinoa Stuffing

2010-04-10T12:03:00.000-07:00

This past week was the first appearance of gorgeous looking tomatoes at my Farmers Market. No, they're not heirloom varieties yet, just cluster vine tomatoes for now. However, they were beautiful; so red and plump! After seeing the queue at the tomato booth, I'm thinking I should abandon this baking career and go into early season tomato farming. Shoppers were lined up 20 deep for these beauties. As lovely as they looked, I was still skeptical about flavor. It is only early April after all. To my delght they they were incredibly sweet and flavorful. They also just happened to be the perfect size and shape for stuffing.

I decided to fill them with a quinoa and vegetable mixture including spring onions, chard, zucchini, and pine nuts. I also added Piave cheese to the filling which I love for its intensity and nuttiness. Piave is a hard, cow's milk cheese from the northern Veneto region of Italy. If you can't find Piave, you can substitute a good quality Asiago or Parmigiano here.

I would highly recommend you give this recipe a try. It's really easy and delicious. Even with the quinoa filling though, we did find them to be a little light as a main course. However, they would be great alongside any simply grilled protein or with a hearty side salad like my Spring Panzanella. To maintain the shape of the tomatoes while roasting be sure to really pack the filling inside which sort of props up the sides while they bake.

Roasted Tomatoes with Quinoa Stuffing:

Yields 8 servings as a side dish, 4 as a main course

8 medium vine ripened tomatoes

1 cup quinoa, rinsed

2 cups vegetable stock

3 medium spring onions, diced into 1" pieces

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1 medium bunch chard, stems removed, and roughly chopped

1 medium zucchini, diced into 1" pieces

1 TB fresh oregano, minced

1 tsp red pepper flakes

5 TB olive oil

1/2 cup Piave cheese, grated (or Asiago)

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Drizzle the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish with olive oil.

2) In a small saucepan, combine the vegetable stock and quinoa and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the quinoa is fully cooked, about 15 minutes.

3) Meanwhile, heat 2 TB olive oil in a saute pan. Add the spring onions and the zucchini and cook until just softened, about 3 minutes. Add the chard, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper and continue cooking until the chard is wilted and the vegetables are tender, about 2-3 minutes more. Combine the cooked quinoa, the vegetables, the grated Piave, and the toasted pine nuts in a large bowl. Stir to combine and season with salt & pepper to taste.

4) To prepare the tomatoes, slice off the tops and reserve. Hollow out the cavities with a paring knife. Scoop out the seeds and the ribs, and discard. Fill each hollow tomato with 1/4 - 1/3 cup of quinoa filling, depending on the size of the tomato. Repeat with all 8 tomatoes and place in the prepared baking dish. Place the reserved tops back on the filled tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil.

5) Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake until tomato skin is blistered and tomatoes are tender, yet still hold their shape, about 25-35 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

Roasted Potato Salad

2010-04-06T07:35:00.000-07:00

I'm a fan of potato salad but not those heavy, mayonnaise laden versions of decades past. I prefer a potato salad that highlights the flavors of the simple ingredients it contains and is dressed with a fresh lemon vinaigrette. The fact that it's dairy free (aside from the shaved cheese on top) also means it's a perfect thing to take along for a picnic or to set out at any BBQ.

Here, I'm roasting fingerling potatoes and asparagus. I've tossed in some kalamata olives and shaved a bit of P'tit Basque, a flavorful sheep's milk cheese from France, on top. The salad is tossed in a lemon & Dijon mustard vinaigrette. Serve this for a light lunch with salad greens or alongside any grilled protein for a more substantial meal.

For the salad:

Yields about 5 cups

1# medium fingerling potatoes, sliced crosswise into 1" rounds

1 medium bunch asparagus, stalks peeled and trimmed, cut into 1 1/2" pieces

1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved

1 oz P'tit Basque cheese or similar sheep's milk cheese, thinly shaved

1 TB Dijon mustard

1 TB fresh lemon juice

2 TB fresh parsley, chopped

2 TB extra virgin olive oil

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment (or foil). Place the sliced potatoes on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Roast until tender, about 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2) On a separate lined sheet pan, place the asparagus in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Roast until just tender but still bright green, about 15 minutes.

3) While the vegetables are roasting, in a large bowl combine the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt & pepper. Whisk together to emulsify. Stir in the parsley. Set aside.

4) Once the vegetables are cool enough to handle but still a bit warm, toss them in the dressing. Add in the kalamata olives and toss together. Place in a large serving bowl and shave the sheep's milk cheese over top. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Vegetable & Goat Cheese Enchiladas

2010-04-04T17:21:00.000-07:00

I'm a native Californian and homemade Mexican food like this is my idea of comfort food. I get a little jittery when it's been more than a week or two without some sort of mexican meal, a fish taco, or at the very least a good margarita.

Tonight's dinner is a zesty & festive way to start the week. Everyone loves enchiladas and the options for fillings are infinite. I sometimes find them a tad too cheesy and heavy however, so here I opt for a lighter cheese and lots of fresh veggies inside.

I'm using fresh goat cheese and a mix of asparagus, zucchini, and chard. It's Monday and I don't have time to make my own chile sauce or my own tortillas (this is dinner tonight after all, not dinner next week!). I just use a good quality canned version from my local market. With this filling I prefer a mild red chile sauce that's savory but doesn't overwhelm the freshness of the veggies inside.

You can bake this simple casserole off ahead of time and reheat in the oven whenever you're ready for dinner. It also freezes well and after it's baked can go straight from the freezer to the oven for reheating.

Spring Vegetable Enchiladas:

Yields 12

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, finely minced

2 medium zucchini, diced in 1" pieces

1 bunch asparagus, stalks peeled and trimmed, cut into 1" pieces

1 bunch swiss chard, ribs and stems removed, roughly chopped

5 oz fresh goat cheese (I like Laura Chenel's chevre or similar)

2 TB freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2, 15 oz cans mild red chile sauce (I like Hain mild enchilada sauce)

12 corn tortillas

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp mild chile powder

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a 9x13" baking dish, pour about 1 cup of chile sauce, enough to cover the bottom of the dish completely.

2) Heat 1 TB olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic the spices (cumin through black pepper) and stir constantly until spices are fragrant and toasted, about 1 minute. Add the zucchini & asparagus and saute until just tender and bright green, about 3-5 minutes longer. Add the chard and toss until wilted. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

3) Crumble the goat cheese into bite size pieces and set aside. In a microwave, soften the corn tortillas by heating them inside their sealed bag for 20-30 seconds.

4) Place about 2 TB of filling and 1 TB of cheese inside each corn tortilla and roll it tightly to enclose everything inside. Line the parcels up tightly together in the baking pan. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas, making sure to cover the top of each. Sprinkle the remaining goat cheese and the 2 TB parmesan cheese over top. Butter (or oil) a piece of foil and fit it tightly over top. Place the whole casserole in the oven and cook until the sauce is bubbly, the cheese is melted, and the enchiladas are heated through, about 35-40 minutes.

5) Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before plating. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkling of chopped fresh cilantro, and a side salad. Enjoy!!

Green Chile Cornbread

2010-03-29T08:05:00.000-07:00

Our perfect spring weather has turned rainy and cold once again. I have decided to make the best of it and am starting this week's dinners off right with a cozy bean soup tonight and some yummy green chile cornbread.

I love making cornbread, it's just so simple and delicious. The flavor is rather neutral on its own, other than its inherent 'corny- ness', so it lends itself to a wide variety of mix-ins. Just change the flavor to suit your meal. I made it a couple of weeks ago with sundried tomatoes, basil, and fontina. Tonight I'm making it with green chiles and shredded jack to suit my mexican inspired dinner. Every which way you can dream up would be equally delicious. Do let me know what flavor combinations you come up with!

Green Chile Cornbread:

Yields 1, 9x9x2 square pan

1 cup Flour

1 cup cornmeal (use medium grind here, not corn flour but not polenta)

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 TB baking powder

2 TB sugar

1 large egg

1/4 cup vegetable oil (canola or rice bran oil preferred)

1 cup lowfat buttermilk

1/4 cup milk

3 TB unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated

1/2 cup corn kernels (frozen and not defrosted)

1, 2.25 oz can diced mild green chiles, drained

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray the baking pan and line with parchment.

2) In a large bowl, mix the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, oil, buttermilk, and milk. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined. Drizzle in the melted butter and fold gently to combine. Stir in the cheese, green chiles, and corn. Combine all the ingredients thoroughly but take care not to overmix.

3) Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread out to level surface. Bake until golden brown around the edges, 25-30 minutes. Serve warm.

Broccoli & Cheddar Quiche

2010-03-24T08:22:00.000-07:00

I make Quiche often and in so many variations. I find it an excellent and elegant way to use up all the bits of vegetables and cheeses and the couple of eggs left in the fridge at the end of the week. I always seem to have scraps of frozen dough in my freezer as well so I can usually pull this together in very short order.

However, if you're not a baker like me and don't have a freezer full of dough scraps, you can always use a frozen pie crust or even a piece of frozen puff pastry for your crust. This week's quiche features broccoli and cheddar but it could just as easily be any other vegetable (or meat) that you prefer. Just substitute based on your taste in the same quantity as listed below.

You can also vary the texture of the custard by adding more or less milk. Sometimes I don't want a particularly 'custardy' quiche so I cut the milk way back or add the eggs without any milk at all. Doing so makes the quiche more like a fritatta, with a crust. You can however add up to 3/4 cup of milk or cream to the 3 eggs listed here, or any amount in between. The more milk you add, the softer and richer the filling will be.

For the Quiche:

Yields 1, 9" x 1" tart

10 oz Pate Brisee, (or frozen crust) rolled to 1/4" thick x 9" diameter

1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced, about 1 cup

2 medium heads broccoli, florets only, about 1.5 cups

1 medium beefsteak tomato, sliced into 5 rounds

1 cup grated sharp white cheddar cheese

3 large eggs

1/4- 3/4 cup whole milk or heavy cream

1 tsp Herbes de Provence

1/4 tsp red chili flakes

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) Line the tart pan with the pie crust. Trim off any excess dough. Press the crust gently into the bottom and sides of the tart pan. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes until well chilled. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2) Meanwhile, heat 1 TB olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the broccoli, herbes de provence, red chili flakes, salt & pepper and continue cooking until the broccoli is bright green and just tender. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

3) Remove the crust from the refrigerator and line the bottom with parchment. Place a sheet of foil over the parchment and press both tightly into the bottom and sides of the tart pan. Bake the crust for 10-12 minutes until just parbaked. Remove the foil and parchment and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

4) In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and the milk or cream. Season with salt & pepper, set aside.

5) Sprinkle the bottom of the crust with half of the cheese. Add the cooked vegetables and spread out evenly across the bottom of the crust. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese. Pour the custard mixture over the veggies and cheese. Lay the tomato slices on top and nestle them down into the custard, just a bit.

6) Bake at 375 for 25-35 minutes until the custard is set and the quiche is golden brown. Let cool at least 10 minutes before slicing. Serve just warm or at room temperature.

Rhubarb & Strawberry Buckle

2010-03-22T11:12:00.000-07:00

This recipe is straight from the pages of Gourmet magazine from several years back. I've made it a million times and my copy, torn from the original issue, is water stained and well used. Gourmet refers to this as a 'Pudding Cake' but I call it a 'Buckle'. The terms are really interchangeable I suppose, referring to any spoonable dessert featuring a pancake like batter spread over fruit. I think of it as a 'buckle' since the fruit sort of pushes up through the batter (buckling it, so to speak) as the cake cooks.

These types of simple, old-fashioned desserts are my absolute favorite. Buckles, crisps, cobblers, bettys... I love them all! They embody my idea of 'elegantly organic' food, featuring simple flavors and seasonal produce. They're incredibly beautiful in a very homey and casual way.

Adapt this recipe to any fruit that's in season. My husband loves anything strawberry-rhubarb, and since the first of season rhubarb made its debut at my Market this weekend, this combo was an easy choice. The harder tree fruits (quince, apples, pears....) should be stewed in this method first. The softer fruits (stone fruits, mangoes, berries...) can be added in fresh, just tossed in a little lemon juice, cornstarch, and sugar before baking.

To make the Buckle:

Yields 6 servings

1/4 cup water

1.5 tsp cornstarch

2/3 cup sugar

2 cups (about 10 oz) fresh rhubarb stalks, chopped into 1" pieces

1 cup (about 6 oz) fresh strawberries, chopped into 1" pieces

1 cup flour

1/75 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 large egg

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 tsp vanilla

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter an 8" square baking dish.

2) Stir together water, cornstarch, and 1/3 cup sugar in a small saucepan, then stir in the rhubarb. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Once simmering, stir occassionally until fruit just softens, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the strawberries.

3) Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining sugar in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, whisk together milk, melted butter, egg, and vanilla. Whisk in the flour mixture until just combined.

4) Reserve 1/2 cup fruit mixture and spread the rest of the fruit mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Pour the batter over it, spreading evenly across the top. Drizzle the reserved fruit over the top of the batter.

5) Bake for about 25-30 minutes until the cake is golden brown fruit is bubbly, and a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

* Serve warm with creme fraiche or ice cream. Last week's recipe for Vanilla Honey Lavender ice cream would be divine. Enjoy!

Grilled Zucchini with Oregano

2010-03-21T12:57:00.000-07:00

To me, zucchini represents the abundance of summer, which is one of the reasons I like it so much. It's also one of the reasons why I like to eat it during spring. I'm so anxious for summer to arrive with the warm weather and leisurely evenings of eating outdoors, that I just can't wait. Lucky for me that I can find good organic zucchini all year round in my market.

Let's be honest though, zucchini doesn't have much distinct flavor on its own. That actually can be a good thing as it lets the other flavors its paired with take center stage. This also makes it an incredibly versatile vegetable. It's liked by most everyone and there are a zillion yummy ways to prepare it.

I'm sharing one recipe here that's a simple side dish for almost anything. Grilling enhances the natural flavor and pleasant texture of the zucchini itself. It also pairs very well with oregano and this is a nice way to use all those fresh, green stalks of oregano emerging in my garden now.

Grilled Zucchini with Oregano & Feta:

Yields 4 servings

3 medium zucchini, about 1 #

2 TB fresh oregano, roughly chopped

2 oz Feta cheese, crumbled (French sheep's milk Feta preferred)

2 TB pine nuts, toasted

1 TB extra virgin olive oil

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) Preheat a gas grill to 450 degrees. Slice the zucchini on the bias into about 1" thick x 3" long pieces. Sprinkle them with salt & pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Toss the zucchini around in the salt, pepper, and oil to coat well.

2) Place the zucchini on the grill and cook on one side, about 2-3 minutes, until well seared and they lift off the grill easily, without sticking. Flip them over and cook on the other side, about 2 minutes more until grill marks are present and they are cooked through but still a bit crisp.

3)Arrange them on a serving platter and sprinkle with the fresh oregano. Crumble the feta over top, sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts and drizzle with a touch more olive oil and a bit of salt & pepper. Enjoy!

Farro Salad

2010-03-19T07:21:00.000-07:00

Farro (triticum dicoccum) is such a delicious and underused grain. It's popular in Europe but up until recently has been difficult to find in the US. Many say Farro & Spelt are the same but there is a difference of opinion here. Some say that it's slightly different as Farro needs to be soaked before cooking and Spelt can be boiled straight off. Also, I think there's a difference in texture between the two cooked grains. I love that Farro is nutty and hearty and has a firm chewines when cooked.

This salad is very easy to prepare although you do need to plan in advance a little. It's best to soak the grain at least 8 hours before cooking, longer is just fine too. This helps tenderize and plump the grain before cooking so that it needs only 30 minutes or so on the stovetop.

I'm adding roasted butternut squash, dried cranberries, preserved lemons, and mint to my salad. I also make this in the summer with grilled zucchini, fresh oregano, tomatoes, pine nuts, and feta which is equally delicious.

If you can't find Farro you can certainly use Israeli couscous or wheat berries as a substitute here, just adjust the cooking time accordingly. However, do keep your eyes open for Farro and when you find it, you'll now have a recipe to try. Any good natural foods store or Italian grocery should carry it.

For the salad:

Yields about 8 cups

14 oz Farro

3 cups low sodium vegetable stock

3 cups water, plus more for soaking

1 medium butternut squash (@ 1 1/2#)

1/2 cup dried cranberries

2 TB fresh mint, finely chopped

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

1 preserved lemon, chopped (or zest and juice of 1 fresh lemon)

1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1) In a large bowl, add the Farro and enough water to cover completely. Cover with plastic wrap and soak, at room temperature, at least 8 hours or overnight.

2) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Peel and chop the butternut squash into 1" dice. Toss with olive oil, salt & pepper and roast for 30-40 minutes, until tender and caramelized. Set aside to cool.

3) When Farro has soaked, heat 3 cups water and 3 cups vegetable stock in a large stockpot. Add the Farro and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook the Farro, about 30 minutes, until plumped and tender. Drain off any excess liquid.

4) In a large bowl, combine the Farro, butternut squash, dried cranberries, pine nuts, preserved lemon, and mint. Toss with olive oil, just enough to coat the grains and dress the salad. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Serve chilled or at room temperature.