Rosemary Truffle Sea Salt Bread

The Tassajara Bread book was in my awareness for years before I bought it.  Every time it's name came up in conversation I would remind myself to pick up a copy...and then promptly forget.  I dabbled in bread making, but my attempts remained mediocre.

On a rare grey day in Colorado, I was wandering the aisles and rooms of the unfathomably awesome Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver.  I had spent most of the morning barricaded into a brick-walled corner by tall stacks of books, sipping my earl grey cambric and forgetting the world.  Stretching my legs, I arrived as if by supernatural force at an abandoned section of discount books.  The fabled Tassajara Bread Book stared up at me, bathed in a aura of shining light.  Trumpets blared.  Time stopped.  It was finally mine!

My reverence for this book has only grown stronger since I started baking with it by my side.  To me, it is the ideal cookbook.  The author, Edward Espe Brown, takes you under his wing, celebrating your triumphs and laughing with you at your mistakes.

This bread was one of those triumphs.  I followed Espe Brown's basic Tassajara Bread Recipe, using mostly whole grain spelt flour, adding a couple tablespoons of cracked dried rosemary and substituting black truffle sea salt for the table salt.  Before baking, I brushed the top of the loaf with olive oil, and showered it with more rosemary and truffle salt.  This is not your childhood sandwich bread that was useless but for making fluffernutters.  This loaf is seductive and sophisticated, to be eaten only in the best of company and with the best of dishes.  Consider using the leftovers (if there are any) to make a gourmet BLT: applewood smoked bacon, heirloom tomato, avocado and horseradish aioli.

  

You can find adequate reproductions of Espe Brown's quintessential bread recipe online, but really you should just buy the book. 

And finally- a shout out to Falls Church, Virginia, a place where at least two good things happened.  1) Edward Espe Brown fell in love with fresh baked bread while vacationing at his aunt's home as a child (Tassajara Bread Book Introduction, page XV).  2) I was born. 

Spicy Zucchini Gouda Fritters

Fritters belong in the category of fried things I don't often get the urge to make.  The last time I fried something was in the 9th grade when I caught a whim and decided to make donuts.  I followed the recipe to a T, whistling along merrily with the gentle pop and sizzle of frying dough.  When I was done I looked upon my creation with horror and wonder.  I suddenly felt great empathy for Dr. Frankenstein.  After savoring each and every bite of those airy, crisp delights, I spirited the nearly empty bottle of vegetable oil to the back of the cupboard and gave up my career in deep-frying.  But I digress.

A few days ago we got our CSA share, loaded once again with summer squash.  I was tiring of my Thai Green Curry squash stir-fry and I wanted something quick and filling for a late lunch.  We had sharp, raw milk Gouda in the fridge.  The wheels got to turning.  I'd seen a recipe for battered zucchini and cheese sandwiches in Vegetarian Planet, a delightful and inventive collection of hearty vegetarian dishes.  I used her recipe as a base, substituting for ingredients I didn't have on hand.  I forwent deep-frying, choosing instead to pan-fry on a cast iron griddle.  Here is the resulting recipe.

Spicy Zucchini Gouda Fritters

1 medium zucchini, cut into 16 1/4" slices on the diagonal
8 thin slices sharp cheese
For batter:
3/4 c. garbanzo bean flour (or substitute other flours)
1 t. salt
1/2 t. cayenne
1 T. mustard
1 egg, beaten
1 T. apple cider vinegar
Filtered water
1 t. baking powder

1.  Arrange zucchini slices and cheese into 8 mini sandwiches.
2.  Mix flour, salt, and cayenne in a medium bowl.  Add egg, vinegar, and enough water to make a thick batter approximately the texture of yogurt.
3.  Heat a griddle to medium high with a generous amount of high-heat oil: i.e. sunflower, grapeseed, or tea seed.  The heat is just right when the oil is thin, but not smoking, and a bit of water dropped onto the griddle sizzles and pops.
4.  Sprinkle batter with baking soda, stir briefly.  Hold the sandwiches firmly and dip into batter, careful not to let the cheese fall out.  Lay gently onto hot skillet and cook until brown and crisp, about 3 minutes per side.
5.  Serve hot, with a green salad and a little mustard for dipping.       

  

Chilled Musk Melon Soup with Mint and Piment d'Espelette

Sometimes a Friday night at home alone is just the thing.  Add a cool evening breeze, some good tunes and a cup of minty melon soup and I can hardly think of any place I'd rather be.  There are some who might choose to save this dish for a dinner party, but it's subtle elegance is just as well enjoyed in the company of rustling leaves and bright stars. 

The inspiration for this unique soup comes from our counter top full of fresh musk melons from Monroe Farm's AMAZING CSA.

The Recipe

1 medium ripe muskmelon (or substitute cantelope)
1 T. apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
2 oz goat cheese
2 T. cream
1/2 t. sea salt
1 t. piment d'espelette (French paprika)
1/4 c. minced onion
2 T. minced fresh mint

1.  Scoop out flesh of melon and place in bender or food processor.  Add vinegar, chevre, cream and salt.  Blend until smooth.
2.  Pour into bowl and mix with remaining ingredients.  Taste and add more salt and/or vinegar as needed.
3.  Chill for at least 1 hour.  Ladle into small bowls.  Garnish with crumbled goat cheese, piment d'espelette and mint, if desired. 

Makes 6 small portions

Spicy Honey Mustard

I've made several mustards from Internet recipes all using the same basic technique of steeping mustard seeds in a combination of vinegar and spirits and blending to the desired consistency.  Each time, the resulting mustard has been harsh and out of balance, with no structure to support the heat.

This time, when mustard cravings set in, I ditched technology and resorted to the more Jeffersonian technique of digging through my library to find the perfect recipe.  In the course of my search, I learned quite a bit about mustard.  In The Joy of Cooking, I learned about the chemical reaction that activates mustard's heat, and about how to make mild mustard by avoiding that chemical reaction.  In The Tassajara Bread Book, I learned that it makes a fine addition to gingerbread, and in The Flavor Bible that some of its great affinities are cucumbers, curry leaves and honey.

As interesting as all this was, it didn't get me any closer to my goal- a sweet and spicy mustard, rich in body, to slather on toast or nibble with cured meat and cornichon.

I should have known that I would find the perfect recipe in my new pet book:  The Lewis and Clark Cookbook, by Leslie Mansfield.  This collection of historic recipes is full of little gems, and is a great read, containing food-related quotes from letters between Jefferson and the Lewis and Clark expedition. Her recipes are literal trips back in time, inviting us to taste the exciting flavors of a young America. 

Sweet Hot Mustard
from The Lewis and Clark Cookbook

1/2 c sugar (I used Honey)
2 eggs
2/3 cup ground mustard
1/2 cup malt vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)

In the top of a double boiler, whisk together the sugar and eggs until smooth.  Whisk in the mustard until smooth.  Add the vinegar in a thin stream, whisking until all is incorporated.  Place the double-boiler over simmering water and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture has thickened.  Serve the mustard at room temperature.  Store covered in the refrigerator.  Makes 1 cup.

Golden Oat Bread with Dried Nettles

I have become shamelessly addicted to the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin.  I've raced through the first two books and am trying to resist picking up the third, for fear that I might continue to neglect everything else in my life.  The characters in this epic story are constantly eating mouth-watering foods.  They do audacious, unholy things, like slathering their wild meats in glazes of honey and dark beer.  They feast on fig-stuffed capons and buttery roasted parsnips.  But my mouth gets to watering the most when they describe breakfast: oat cakes or crusty brown bread, honey, soft cheeses and dried fruits.  My celtic knees go weak.

   The rustic flavors of this morning's breakfast take me far away to a calm wood, my horse grazing besides me as I nibble and daydream under an ancient grandfather oak.  I'll conveniently ignore the fact that were I in the actual story, war would be raging and the wood likely not at all calm.

Golden Oat Bread
   I first discovered this recipe many years ago in one of Susun Weed's lovely herbals, Healing Wise.  Since then I've made it many times, often experimenting with different flours and herbs.

3 cups flour (I used 2 cups oat flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour)
1 cup whole oats
5 t. baking powder
1 t. sea salt
2 T. dried nettles (or experiment with other herbs or dried greens)
1 egg
3 T. honey
1 T. olive oil
1 1/2 c. milk, buttermilk or thinned yogurt

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8" cake tin or 9" pie plate.
2.  Mix dry ingredients in large bowl.  Beat egg in small bowl, then add rest of wet ingredients.  Pour wet into dry and stir just until blended. 
3.  Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until center is dry and top is golden brown.

The resulting bread is very moist and a bit crumbly, but it holds together well enough to be slathered with sweet butter.  I like it for breakfast with a big bowl of berries and creamy plain yogurt.

Cherries

or Why YOU Should Join a CSA

Plump, juicy cherries

Bursting gently in my mouth

Sweet summer nectar

Spelt Pizza Crust - A Foodie's Canvas...

This wholesome, nutty spelt crust perfectly cradles nearly any ingredient from the fridge, transforming leftover bits and bobs into a satisfying, artful meal.

Here's what spilled onto my pizza the other night:

Arrabiatta, Sheep Feta, Pine Nuts and Fresh Arugula

Parsley Pesto, Applewood-Smoked Chevre and Wine&Black Pepper Salami 

Spelt Crust (Makes 2 10" pizzas):

about 1 1/2 c. warm water (110 degrees), more if needed
1 packet dried yeast
1 T. honey
2 T. olive oil
2 t. sea salt
3 1/4 c. spelt flour
cornmeal, for dusting

1.  Dissolve the yeast and honey in the warm water and let stand at room temp 10 minutes, or until bubbly.
2.  Stir in olive oil, salt and 1 cup spelt flour.  Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for 1 minute.  Add remaining flour, mixing to incorporate.
3.  Turn dough (and any leftover flour in the mixing bowl) onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.  Clean the mixing bowl and coat with oil.
4.  Place dough in bowl and cover with a damp towel.  Leave in warm place to rise for about 1 hour.  Meanwhile, prepare topping ingredients.
5.  When dough has doubled in size, turn out onto floured surface and knead briefly.  Split into 2 balls and roll into rounds (or freeze for later use). Place on cornmeal-dusted baking sheet.
6.  Preheat oven to 400.
7. Top your pizza with whatever you've found in the fridge- curried spinach and mozzarella; caramelized onions, sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese; ricotta and rosemary...you decide!
8.  Place in the oven and cook until crust is golden and toppings are sizzling.  Finish with a splash of good olive oil and a sprinkling of fresh herbs or greens.

Ripe Strawberry Shortcake with Cream Scones

There aren't many desserts as perfect and timeless as strawberry shortcake.  Bursting berries nestled in soft shells, held together with unctuous cream- I close my eyes and I'm catching fireflies on a hot summer evening at my childhood home, berry juice trickling down my chin.  This version was inspired by Colorado's first crop of fresh berries - tiny and flavorfull.  The "shortcake" is really a cream scone- buttery, barely sweet, and boasting the subtle nutty notes of whole wheat.  The raw cream is unsweetened, and whipped just enough to thicken to a custard consitancy.

For the Scones:  (I've used the same Julia Child's recipe since high school...)

3 cups flour (I use whole grain spelt flour)
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
6 oz unsalted butter
1 cup buttermilk (or, in this case, I used light cream and a squeeze of lemon)

1.  Preheat oven to 425.  Stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
2.  Add butter in small pieces and work into dough, rubbing between fingers until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.  Pour in cream and lemon juice and mix until just moistened.
3.  Form into a ball, knead briefly and cut dough in half.  Roll each piece into an 8" round (about 3/4" - 1" thick) and cut into 6 triangles.  Brush tops with melted butter or extra cream, sprinkle with sugar and bake on ungreased sheet 10 minutes or until golden.

To Assemble:
1.  Cut 1 pint of fresh, ripe strawberries into small pieces.  Sweeten if necessary.
2.  Whip 1/2 cup fresh cream.  Slice scones in half, pile with whip cream and strawberries and serve.

Greek Salad with Pickled Eggplant, Sundried Tomatoes and Feta

The Greek Salad has made its way onto menus across the nation, but unfortunately it's blandness has come to match its ubiquity.  A pile of wilting greens swim in overly sour red wine vinaigrette, topped with awkwardly large chunks of cucumber, a tiny sprinkling of feta and a few sad wedges of grainy tomato to garnish the plate.  I found myself reminded of these atrocities at a recent dinner in Denver.  What exactly is Greek about this salad I wondered?  Greek food is bursting with the fruity aromas of good olive oil, the assertiveness of garlic, the freshness of lemon and the sweet brightness of mint.  My soggy diner salad could boast none of these qualities, and thus I set out to correct the injustice- to make a Greek Salad truer to it's origins.

Fresh mixed greens are dressed with garlic, mint and lemon vinaigrette, then topped with diced red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, pickled eggplant and a generous handful of fresh sheep feta. 

The result was a grand success, and we ate this exact salad for three nights in a row, topping it with slow-baked medium-rare salmon the last night.  Spectacular!
  
If you can find pickled eggplant commercially, I highly recommend that you try it.  Ours was given to us by friends who make it with a secret family recipe.  Naturally, secrecy makes it taste even better.  Thank you Steve and Christina!  Either way, bite into succulent strands of perfectly salted eggplant as lemony aromatic olive oil bursts onto your tongue. 

Don't mind the juicy bits of garlic and fruity dribbles of olive oil that will inevitably run down your chin while you eat this salad.  It's good for your skin!

Zippy Greek Dressing (makes 1 1/2  cup):

Replacing some of the traditional red wine vinegar with lemon juice reduces the harshness and ups the freshness of this delicious dressing.

2 medium garlic cloves
2 T red wine vinegar
Juice + zest of 1 lemon
1 c first-cold-press Mediterranean olive oil (I used Turkish...don't tell the Greeks!)
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. fresh Greek oregano (or 1/2 t. dried)
1 T. fresh mint (or 1 t. dried)

1.  Mince the garlic, place in small bowl or cup, add remaining ingredients and blend with an immersion blender.  If you don't have an immersion blender, finely mince the garlic, herbs and lemon zest.  Place in a small bowl with remaining ingredients except the oil.  Whisk to combine, then slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking constantly. 
 
Salad Assembly:
Toss mixed greens generously in dressing, top with any manner of fresh Mediterranean ingredients.  Chopped red onions and fresh or sun-dried tomatoes are a must.  The rest is up to you. 

Apple and Almond Butter Breakfast Sandwich

Ah, lazy days when breakfast is a many hour affair, enjoyed from my sweater wrapped cocoon on the porch, steaming tea in hand.  For me, this simple breakfast sandwich is the perfect thing to linger over.

 

To make:  Place a pan over medium heat.  Thinly slice some honey oat bread.  Slather both inside faces of sandwich with Justin's classic almond butter, top with sliced Pink Lady apples and sprinkle with ceylon cinnamon.  Spread butter on outside sandwich faces and toast until golden brown.  Enjoy with tea for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

Carmalized Onion, Saffron Dover Sole with Spinach Goat Cheese Fritters

Flipping through the latest issue of Saveur the other day, I saw a recipe for fresh anchovies, nestled between layers of sweet caramelized onions and baked.  Here in Boulder, fresh anchovies are hard to come by, but I was eager to try the technique nonetheless.  After discussing the matter with my local market's fish guy, I chose Dover Sole, the smallest wild fresh fish available.  It's mild flavor would be perfect to soak up all the goodness during it's saffron, sweet onion burial.

On a SIDE note (pun intended), Alexander and I were left with 5 pounds of spinach after a recent event, and despite our heroic consumption of the stuff, the bag has barely dwindled.  So, as with every meal of the last week or so, this dish will be accompanied by... SPINACH! 

The finished plate; succulent white fish sits atop a generous pile of sweet saffron onions accompanied by crisp, tender spinach goat cheese fritters.  

The method:

1.  Infuse a pinch of saffron in 1/4 cup hot water. 
2.  Place a roomy pan on medium low heat with a generous spash of good olive oil.  Slice one large (or two medium) yellow onions into thin strips.  Toss them in the pan and cook, slowly, for about 35-40 minutes until they are sweet, soft and lightly golden. 
3.  Meanwhile, wilt about 8 cups packed baby spinach.  I do this by placing the freshly washed, moist spinach into a covered pan on low heat.  Stir occasionally to prevent the bottom from sticking.  Let cool slightly, chop and place in a medium bowl.  Add 4 oz. goat cheese, a pinch of salt, and freshly ground black pepper.  Mix together and set aside.
4. Preheat the oven to 350.  When the onions are caramelized, add three cloves chopped garlic and a generous handful of quartered cherry tomatoes.  Cook until the tomatoes break down and release their juices, 3-4 minutes.  Deglaze the pan with saffron infusion, scraping up all the flavorful browned bits at the bottom of the pan.  Salt to taste.
5.  In a pie plate or other similarly sized baking vessel, place about half of the onion mixture.  Lay 4 small sole fillets over the onion, sprinkle with salt, then top with the rest of the onion.  Bake for about 25 minutes.  Pull back the onions carefully when checking the fish; you don't want to accidentally rake open your lovely fillets.  You don't have to be too concerned with over-baking here- the onions keep the fish very moist. 
 

6.  When the fish is almost done, fire up a skillet over medium high heat.  Grease with cooking oil or butter.  Form the spinach mixture into 3" patties, dredge both sides in flour (I used bob's red mill gluten free; rice flour or any other will work here), and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.  You should get about 8 patties.    
7.  Plate it up!  I like to spoon some of the saffron broth over the fish after it's on the plate, then sprinkle the whole dish with a bit of black sea salt.

This recipe feeds two people as a main plate or 4 people as a tapas-style dish.

Whiskey Apple Cake

A few weeks back, some friends and I planned a get-together in which we would open a bottle of nice whiskey and play apples-to-apples, arguably the best game on earth.  In my planner I wrote: Wednesday Night, Whiskey and Apples.  Thus began the slow process of self-subliminal messaging that culminated in this amazing cake:   

The cake is dense and chewy, with defiant apple flavor and the subtle undertones of rye whiskey.  Oat flour highlight its overall celtic quality. 

I modified a recipe for Sticky Spiked Double-Apple Cake in my favorite dessert cookbook, In the Sweet Kitchen, by Regan Daley. 

Spiced Whiskey Apple Cake

1.  In a small bowl, soak 1 cup raisins in 1/3 cup whiskey for 45 minutes.  Add 1 cup dried apples slices and let soak another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Do not drain.

2.  Preheat oven to 325.  Butter an 11" springform pan, or a 9x13 pan.  Line the bottom with parchment and butter the paper.

3.  Sift together 1 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, 1 cup whole grain oat flour, 1 1/2 t. baking soda, pinch of salt, 1 t. cinnamon, 1/2 t. nutmeg, and a pinch of cloves.

4.  In another bowl, whisk 2 eggs with 1 cup dark, flavorful honey until well combined.  Add 1/2 cup olive oil mixed with 1/2 cup melted coconut butter (or 1 cup melted and cooled butter).  Blend well.  Fold in dry ingredients in two additions, mixing just enough to moisten most of the flour.  Add the dried fruit and whiskey mixture, along with 3/4 cup toasted chopped pecans and 2 diced medium tart apples.  Fold in with gentle strokes.  The ratio of fruit to batter is high.  Don't be alarmed.

5.  Scrape the batter into prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes to 55 minutes, or until cake begins to pull away from edges of the pan.  Cool slightly, remove from pan and cool completely.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Theoretically this cake should keep well.  We never found out...

Tartine de Sardine

Getting home from work the other day, ravenous yet uninspired, I accidentally discovered something utterly delicious.  It was another pre-shopping day.  I hopefully cracked open the refrigerator door to find the shelves empty besides a half bunch of wilting parsley.  Luckily, however, I had bread.  Good bread.  The kind you bite into and it bites back.  And, lost in the back of the ever faithful cupboard: wild sardines from Portugal, steeped in cayenne-infused olive oil.  The makings of a fine lunch, I decided smugly, and set to work.

Preheat Broiler.  Cut bread into thick slices.  Drizzle with olive oil from sardine can.  Broil until golden brown and sizzling, about 3 minutes.  Meanwhile, toss a salad in mustard vinaigrette.  Chop some parsley.  When the bread is perfectly toasted, place it on a crisp white plate next to the salad.  Top with sardines, parsley, and a healthy squeeze of lemon.  Sink your teeth in, relishing the feel of silky omega-3s dripping down your chin...

Blueberry Almond Muffins

When Sunday morning rolled around, gray and rainy, I instinctively pulled out my muffin tin.  What could better complete a quiet day of tea, sweatpants and good books than a batch of steamy, delicious blueberry muffins?

A couple challenges: we're out of flour and Alexander is not eating dairy.

No problem:  Almonds, ground in the food processor, form the base.  Equal parts olive oil and melted coconut butter provide the fat.

Preheat the oven to 300.  Grease or line 8 muffin cups.  Pulse a generous 3 cups almonds until ground.  Mix with: 2 large eggs, 1/4 c. olive oil, 1/4 c. melted coconut butter, 1/4 c. honey, 1 t. baking soda, 2 t. vanilla and a pinch of salt.  If the mixture is too thick, add a bit more olive oil.  Stir in 1 1/2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries. 

Scoop into muffin cups, filling almost to the top, and bake for 35 minutes until golden brown.  Slather with coconut butter and serve.  Perfect accompaniment to Rooibos Earl Gray with almond milk. 

Fajita Salad with Pineapple Cumin Dressing

I came home a few days ago aching for the zippy, fresh flavors of real Mexican food.  Luckily, my fridge provided just what I needed to satisfy my desire.  Crisp romaine lettuce dressed with pineapple cumin vinaigrette provided the base, while sautéed bell peppers, garlicky black beans, habanero salsa, fresh guacamole and the show-stopper, chunks of barely-charred pineapple, played around on top.

For the pineapple chunks and dressing:
   Fire up your broiler.  Cut the pineapple into large chunks, removing the skin and the core.  Over a large-mouthed jar or bowl, squeeze the core and the skin in order to extract the juice.  You should have at least 1/3 cup from a large, ripe pineapple.  Set aside.
   Place the pineapple chunks on a baking pan and broil until they get nice and brown (even a little black around the edges).  Flip over and brown the other side.  Remove from oven and let cool.
   Meanwhile, make the dressing: whisk 1/3 cup pineapple juice with 1/2 tsp cumin, a pinch of salt and about 1/3 cup olive oil.

For the Salad:
   Slice bell peppers into long strips and saute over medium high until they start to sweat.
   Warm up some cooked or canned black beans, tossing in 3-4 minced garlic cloves.  Season to taste with salt.
   Chop some romaine, and toss with dressing and a handful of chopped cilantro.  Top with beans, peppers, guacamole, salsa, pineapple chunks and anything else that inspires you (seared Mahi-Mahi; citrus-glazed chicken; sweet corn; toasted tortilla strips...)  

Handmade Unsalted Butter

A few weeks ago I came into a gallon of raw, farm-fresh cream.  After a couple batches of creme fraiche, several creamy desserts, and a lot of decadent earl gray tea, my fridge still boasted 3 quarts and I still had not, alas, gained the capacity to drink the stuff straight.  So the cream sat waiting for my next inspiration, slowly taking on that pleasant tang of age.  When the march swap came around, the cream was sweet and full of flavor, with a background sourness that made it perfect for butter.

So, I sat down with the remaining cream in an extra-large mason jar and started shaking.  The Internet promised that, eventually, my efforts would pay off, the fat would separate from the liquid and I could revive my tired body with spoonfuls of unctuous, sweet butter.  Alas, I'll never know- after half an hour, my arms wilting with fatigue, I gave up, plunged my immersion blender into the jar, and within 2 minutes - voila!

After settling down from the delight of actually making butter, I poured the contents of my mason jar through a strainer, reserving the buttermilk for later use.  I rinsed the fresh butter twice with cold, filtered water, pressing it into the sieve to release any extra moisture.  I then formed it into a long log, wrapped it in parchment paper and stuck it in the fridge overnight.  In the morning I took it out, cut it into smaller pieces, wrapped it decoratively and headed proudly off to the swap.  No surprise- my farm-fresh unsalted butter was a big hit!    

Chickpea Pancakes with Zesty Beet Salad

Ahh the day before grocery day...when the refrigerator holds nothing but a couple bedraggled beets and a handful of wilting dandelion greens, and even my trusty bottle of olive oil is down to its last drop.  Luckily yesterday we were in a little local market in Louisville and, having seen a too-good-to-be-true recipe for chickpea pancakes in a recent issue of Saveur, I was inspired to buy some fresh ground chickpea flour.  Somehow these wacky odds and ends came together into a spectacular supper.

 

For the chickpea pancakes:  Place about 1 cup chickpea flour in a medium bowl, and stir in a hefty pinch of salt, a couples grinds of pepper and a pinch of cumin.
Slowly add water (about 2/3-1 cup) and stir until the mixture is about the thickness of heavy cream.  Set aside to rest for at least 20 minutes.

For the Beet Salad: Dice 3-4 medium sized roasted beets (I roasted mine earlier in the day while baking some crackers, which made this dinner even easier to whip together).  Place diced beets in a medium bowl with 2 cloves minced garlic, a splash of apple cider vinegar, a splash of olive oil, and a pinch of salt.  Finely chop a handful of rinsed and dried dandelion leaves (or other greens), add to the bowl and toss.  Adjust seasonings to taste.

To assemble:  Heat a large skillet to medium high with some oil (or duck fat from the freezer if, like me, you accidentally used the last of your olive oil in the beet salad).  When hot, drop a couple tablespoons of batter onto the pan and spread slightly with the back of a spoon.  When bubbles appear in the center of the pancake, flip and cook until lightly golden.  I always discard the first try as per the instructions of my French host-mother, a crepe-making goddess.  Keep the pancakes warm in another skillet or in a slow oven.  When they are all done, top with beet salad and serve.

Roasted Garlic Hummus with Aleppo-Infused Olive Oil and Parsley

This zesty hummus is the perfect pairing for Settembre Cellars 2008 Syrah: silky smooth with a hit of spice on the back end. 

Photo by Blake at settembrecellars.com

For the Roasted Garlic Hummus:
(Makes 4 cups)
-Preheat the oven to 400.  Cut the top and bottom 1/2 inch off a bulb of garlic and place in a small baking dish.  Generously top with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast about 1 hour, until garlic is completely soft.  Set aside to cool.
-Meanwhile, Place 3 cups cooked garbanzo beans in a food processor with the juice of 3 lemons, 1 cup tahini, 1 tsp salt, 1 T. aleppo pepper, 1/3 cup olive oil and a hearty splash of water.  Squeeze in the roasted garlic, taking care to keep the skin out of the hummus!  The garlic should slide right out.  Blend until smooth, adding more water if necessary to achieve desired consistency.  Taste and adjust with salt, pepper and lemon juice.  Refrigerate at least 1 hour to let flavors meld.

For the Aleppo-Infused Olive Oil
-Heat 1/2 cup good olive oil on medium low until warmed through but not hot
-Add 2 T. Aleppo pepper, remove from heat and let cool
-Once cool, store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.

To assemble, spoon hummus into bowl, drizzle generously with aleppo oil, top with chopped parsley and serve alongside pita chips or cut veggies. 

Tart Apple Crostini

When Tracy and Blake of Settembre Cellars described to me their 2009 Colorado Chardonnay, I wanted to make a food pairing as crisp and appley as the wine.  An afternoon trip to Cured provided me with an idea for the base: beautiful, artisanal baguettes, perfect for transforming into aromatic olive oil and sea salt crostini.  

From there, the topping almost made itself: lightly sauteed apple relish tossed with goat feta and topped with piment d'espelette sea salt (gorgeous floral Southern French paprika mixed with French gray salt).

Needless to say, the Chardonnay was in good company...

   

For the Crostini:  Slice a good-quality baguette into very thin slices (I aim to get atleast 50 out of one baguette).  Arrange on a baking sheet, brush with EVOO (first cold pressing if you want all those aromatics), sprinkle with sea salt and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.

For the Relish:  Finely dice a medium-sized shallot.  Saute in butter on low heat with a pinch of sea salt until soft and sweet, about 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, dice 1 medium zucchini, 1 medium yellow squash, 2 granny smith apples and 2 sweet apples (my favorite is pink lady).  When shallots are soft, turn heat up to medium high, add zucchini and squash.  Saute about 1 minute, stirring constantly; add apples and saute 2 minutes more.  Remove from heat, add juice of 1 large lemon and 1 tsp. piment d'espelette salt.  Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 1 hour for the flavors to marry.  Toss in 4 oz. crumbled goat feta, taste and season with more lemon or piment salt if necessary. 

Quick & Easy Veggie Sushi

I soaked and cooked far too much millet the other day.  Cups upon cups, so much in fact that the expanding grains took the lid off my saucepan.  Oops!  Today, as the sun beat down all around my patio haven, I wanted something fresh, something inspired...something other than the millet pilaf we've been eating for days.  Into the cupboard I reached, hopefully, and out came...Toasted Nori!  Soon summery vegetables were flying out of the refrigerator onto my cutting board and within minutes- perfect summer Sushi!

To make the sushi-style millet, just add about 1 T. toasted sesame oil, 2 T. brown rice vinegar and a teaspoon of honey (optional) for each cup of millet (or any other leftover grain).  Then, slice up some veggies (avocado, cucumber, carrot and red onion are my favorite).  Next, lay out a sheet of nori, cover the bottom 3/4 with your grain, lay out the veggies in a long strip in the center of the sheet, wet the bare top end of the nori wrapper and Roll.  A bamboo mat helps, but is not necessary. 

Practice makes perfect, and these rolls will disappear quick so happy practicing!

Cardamom-Laced Truffles with Murray River Sea Salt

For a recent tasting event, I paired these decadent truffles with a delightful Colorado Cab Sauv from Settembre Cellars.  The bright snap of exotic spice beautifully accentuated the wine's aromatics. 

     These truffles are simple to make: infuse several cardamom pods in about 1/2 cup warm cream for at least 15 minutes.  Strain, and pour over 12 ounces good-quality chopped dark chocolate (minimum 60%) and let sit for a few minutes.  Stir gently with a rubber spatula until the cream and chocolate marry into a luxurious, silky ganache.  Bit by bit, add 1 T. soft butter, stirring gently between each addition.  Add a few drops of almond extract, let cool completely to room temperature, then refrigerate for 2 hours until hard.  Cut into small squares and roll between palms to form balls.  Coat with cocoa powder, sprinkle with flake salt, pour a glass of wine, and indulge.

Caramelized Leek, Mushroom and Gorgonzola Tart

Sweet leeks, earthy mushrooms and luxurious Gorgonzola, tucked cozily into a flaky spelt flour crust.  This is no ordinary vegetable tart.  The recipe is adapted from the Jan/Feb edition of Cook's.  My only addition was a generous sprinkle of Piment d'Espelette (French paprika) to give this hearty dish a sophisticated, European flair.

This recipe makes the most flaky whole wheat crust I've ever tasted:

Mix together 1 1/2 c. spelt flour, 1 T. sugar, 3/4 t. salt in a medium bowl.  Cut in 10 T. cold, unsalted butter until the size of small peas.  Sprinkle 7 T ice water and 1 t. white vinegar over mixture.  Fold in.  Gather into a loose ball (there will still be some loose crumbs), place on a sheet of parchment, flatten dough, fold parchment over and refrigerate about an hour.

Remove from refrigerator.  Press the remaining crumbs into the dough.  Roll the dough out on parchment to a rectangle the size of a sheet of paper.  Fold dough like a business letter.  Roll out again to paper-size rectangle.  Turn 90 degrees.  Fold again like a business letter.  Repeat 2-3 more times.  (You are making extra-flaky layers!)  Roll dough out again and fold into a 4 inch square, sealing the edges.  Refrigerate another hour or up to 2 days.

Remove dough from refrigerator and let sit for 15 minutes.  Roll out on parchment to a 14 inch circle.  Lay the parchment paper on a cookie sheet.  Top with filling of choice, leaving 2 inch border around the edges.  Fold up one side of the crust over filling, then move along the edge, folding up 2 inch sections to form "pleats."

Brush dough with milk, sprinkle with sea salt.  Bake at 375 until crust is golden and filling is browning, 35-45 minutes.    

Broccoli and Purple Potato Salad

A humble yet elegant weekday lunch: roasted purple potatoes and broccoli, chopped hard boiled egg, scallions and mustard vinaigrette. 

In a large pan, roast slices of potato (purple or otherwise) with some olive oil and salt at about 400.  20 minutes in, add some bite-sized pieces of broccoli.  Roast another 15 minutes or until potatoes and broccoli are tender.  Meanwhile, chop some scallions and a couple hard-boiled eggs, set aside.  Make vinaigrette:  place 1 t. dijon, with 1/3 c. red wine vinegar in a small bowl.  Add a pinch of salt, and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes.  Slowly whisk in about 2/3 c. olive oil.  Toss everything together, and finish with a few shavings of salty cheese if desired.

Inspiration for this salad comes from Heidi Swanson's Broccoli Gribiche in Super Natural Every Day.  

Windy Day Breakfast

78 MPH winds in Boulder?  No, thanks.  Today will be an inside day, a day for writing letters, playing games, baking, reading, and watching movies.  A lazy day must start with a lazy breakfast, a breakfast to slowly nibble through alongside a cup of tea and pen and paper...    

Avocados with a pinch of flake salt, pumpkin seed trail mix, buckwheat crackers, blood oranges, pink lady apples, almond butter, and hard-boiled eggs with allepo pepper.   

Polenta Crostini

I'm not usually one for fussy little dishes, but this polenta crostini with wild mushrooms and balsamic reduction that we made at school is delicious enough to warrant the extra time.  The polenta crostini itself provides a perfect canvas for creative expression: you can top these little crackers with anything from hummus to caviar.  The meaty, earthy bite of the wild mushroom spread pairs well with the sweet, creamy polenta and the balsamic reduction delivers a punchy note of sophistication.

Photo by Crystal at zen-eats.com

For the Polenta:  Line a pan with parchment paper.  Cook the polenta according to package instructions (with water or stock), adding minced garlic and other herbs if desired.  When cooked, pour into sheet pan and press down with a spatula to make a smooth surface.  Let sit in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.  When set, preheat broiler.  Cut polenta into bite-sized crackers, place on baking sheet, and broil until browned, about 10 minutes. 

For the Wild Mushroom Spread: Saute a variety of sliced wild mushrooms until they begin to release their juices.  Add some sherry, tamari, and chopped parsley.  Cook until the liquid is reduced and syrupy.  Taste and adjust seasonings. 

For the Balsamic Reduction:  Place about a cup of balsamic vinegar in a stainless steel saucepan.  Bring to boil and let reduce until it becomes glaze-like, but not too thick.  To test doneness, put a little oil on a dish; when a drop of the balsamic into the oil retains its round shape, it's done.