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.