Double Apple Bundt Cake

This cake is made with both applesauce and diced Granny Smith apples.  We used a chunky applesauce, but feel free to experiment with your favorite style.  The cake is wonderfully moist and aromatic, and makes a nice afternoon snack with a cup of creamed tea, or a tasty evening dessert.

Double Apple Bundt Cake

Ingredients

1          cup            butter, room temp

2          cups           sugar

5                           eggs

1 1/2     tsp            vanilla

2           tsp            lemon zest

3           cups          unbleached A.P. flour

1 1/2     tsp            baking soda

1/2        tsp            baking powder

1 1/2     tsp            cinnamon

1/4        tsp            salt

1/4        tsp            nutmeg

1/4        tsp            allspice

1/4        tsp            ginger

1 1/2     cup            homestyle applesauce with cinnamon and brown sugar

2                            granny smith apples, peeled and diced

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 300° convection (350° conventional), place shelf in middle of oven.
2. Butter and flour bundt pan.
3. Combine dry and set aside.
4. Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping bowl each time.
5. Add lemon zest and vanilla and combine well.
6. Alternate between adding dry and apple sauce, starting and finishing with dry.
7. Fold in diced apples, then fill bundt pan.
8. Bake until done through to center and cake is golden brown, 80 minutes in our oven.
9. Cool on rack completely, then remove from pan.  Serve at room temperature.

Texas Peach Cobbler

Peach season in Texas is not to be missed.  Roadside stands lining the back roads feature a ridiculous assortment of freshly-picked peaches as well as peach ice cream, peach pastries, peach pie, peach butter and peach preserves.   We have been planning our annual pilgrimage to Hill Country to gorge on these delights, but work and family obligations keep delaying our trip.  Luckily, this year the peaches came to us by way of our dear family friend Kenny.

Kenny gave us a big bag of peaches from Rhew Orchards in Floresville, a town southeast of San Antonio.  By the time they got to us, the peaches were perfectly ripe and so juicy that the bottom of the bag was leaking.  The fruit definitely had to be used right away, so we pulled out our favorite cobbler recipe.  This recipe works with almost any fruit, and is perfect in a pinch because it comes together so quickly.  We've used this recipe to make strawberry cobbler, blackberry cobbler, and rhubarb-strawberry cobbler.  The buttery biscuit topping can't be beat.  It complements the fresh peaches perfectly here, although frozen peaches would work well too if you aren't lucky enough to be in Texas during peach season.

Texas Peach Cobbler

Ingredients

Filling

6            cups        peaches, sliced
3            Tbs          unbleached A.P. flour
1/3         cup          sugar
1/8         tsp           cinnamon
                             pinch of salt

Topping

1 1/2            cup        unbleached A.P. flour
1/4               tsp         salt
1                  Tbs        baking powder
2                  Tbs        sugar (plus more to sprinkle on top)
4                  Tbs        unsalted butter, cubed and kept cold
1                  cup        heavy cream
                                 sugar for sprinkling                        


Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350 for convection oven, or 375 for regular oven.  
2. Combine all the filling ingredients, mix well, and put into 8" pyrex baking dish.  Or, use individual ramekins to make individual cobblers (these are perfect for dinner parties if you're so inclined).
3. Make topping.  First, combine all dry ingredients.  Then cut in the butter to resemble coarse meal using your fingers or a fork.
4. Add cream and mix until uniformly moist.  Spoon out on top of filling.  It should be plopped on in clumps.  You don't want a perfectly smooth topping.  Sprinkle the biscuit generously with granulated sugar.
5. Bake in oven until top is golden brown, about 40 minutes.  If you used a glass pyrex, you will also see the fruit bubbling.  
6. Serve warm topped with clotted cream, whipped cream or ice cream.
7. Leftovers refrigerate and re-heat well.

 Printable Recipe

Flatbread with Sauteed Apples, Fennel, Radicchio, Escarole and Stilton

This flatbread, with its pungent leafy greens, tart apples and strong blue cheese, practically screams autumn.  But here In Houston, our growing seasons are a bit upside down.  We grow fall vegetables such as leafy greens, lettuce and brassicas during the winter for a spring harvest in order to avoid the impossibly hot summer temperatures that start as early as April.  This means we are eating vegetables like collards, fava beans, chickpeas, and escarole in the spring instead of the fall.   While we're enjoying the last of these wonderful vegetables, our snap beans, tomatoes, and other summer vegetables are also maturing, a clear sign it's the end of our spring vegetable season.

This flatbread includes both radicchio and escarole from the garden, two of our favorite chicories.  These plants, started last October, have far exceeded expectations by producing massive, thick heads of leafy greens.   We also use a fennel bulb from the garden.  All these plants are suffering badly due to our high temperatures.  We're hoping the fennel will last a few more weeks still, but the chicories are about done for the season.  To enjoy this flatbread despite the heat, we just turned up the air conditioning and let the flavors serve as a reminder that cooler weather, at least here in Houston, is only about five months away.

Flatbread with Sauteed Apples, Fennel, Radicchio, Escarole and Stilton

Ingredients

2           cup             escarole leaves, washed, stems removed and 
                               coarsely chopped
2           cup             radicchio leaves, washed, stems removed and 
                               coarsely chopped
1           cup             apple juice
1                             small fennel bulb, thinly sliced, about 1 1/4 cups
1                             Granny Smith apple, very thinly sliced
                               sea salt and black pepper
1           Tbs             olive oil, plus more for flatbread
1           Tbs             butter
3           oz               Stilton or other strong blue cheese, crumbled
                               (we used Neal's Yard Colston Basset Stilton)                   
1                             ball flatbread dough, at room temp for 5 minutes before rolling out
                               flour for rolling out dough and cornmeal for peel
Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 450° and place rack in top third of oven.  Place pizza stone on rack and heat, ideally for one hour, before baking flatbread.
2. Heat apple juice over medium high until it is reduced in volume to 1/3 cup.
3. Heat olive oil, fennel, 1/4 tsp salt and a few pinches of pepper over medium.  Saute about 2 minutes, then add greens and another 1/4 tsp salt and another pinch of pepper.  Cook until greens are wilted, about 2 minutes.
4. Add apples and apple juice and continue to cook until greens are very soft.
5. Remove from heat and leave in the pan to cool.  Add the butter and toss together.
6. Roll out dough on a well-floured surface.  Cover very lightly with olive oil.
7. Spread half the cheese over the dough, then add greens and apples.  Top with remaining cheese, and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.
8. Bake until bread is crispy and golden brown and cheese is well melted.  Serve immediately.

Printable Recipe

Other Escarole recipes from Vegetable Matter:
Escarole Soup with Arborio Rice and Escarole Blue Cheese Crostini

Taleggio Melt with Escarole and Fig Jam

Salad of Bitter Italian Greens, Strawberries and Parmesan

Panini with Braised Escarole, Apples and Walnuts

Taleggio Melt with Escarole and Fig Jam

Seasonal eating from the garden sometimes requires overloading on the current harvest.  Last summer, we tired of eggplant after months of eating it almost every day, and by November we did not want to look at another cucumber.  Right now, we're in chicory mode.  Puntarelle, Wild Chicory, Dandelion Greens, Barba di Cappuccino, Radicchio, and Escarole are all maturing at the same time in massive quantities.  We want to enjoy these wonderful bitter greens while we can because the plants won't survive long now that our daytime temperatures are hitting the 80's.

Escarole is a versatile, fairly mild chicory.  It produces a head of large, soft leaves ideal for any number of recipes.  Right now, the heads resemble small trees as the plants send up thick flower stems.  Escarole is delicious when braised or sauteed, but it is also wonderful raw, fresh-picked from the garden.  In this panini, the escarole is not cooked at all.  The taleggio melts enough to gently warm the leaves, and the fig jam plays off the greens' bitter flavor.  These are intense, bold flavors that celebrate the end of chicory season perfectly.

Taleggio is a rich Italian cheese made from whole cows' milk.  The cheese has a long history in Italy, being referred to as "stracchino" because it was made from the milk of tired or "stracca" cows returning from the high pastures of Northern Italy in the autumn.  Production of taleggio is believed to date back to the 10th or 11th century, and possibly earlier.  While it is labeled a "semi-soft" cheese, it is actually quite soft and gooey, with a wonderful, almost runny texture that easily melts in the mouth.  Taleggio is what we fondly call a "stinky" cheese, with a pungent aroma and tangy flavor.  The cheese is an ideal companion for escarole or other chicories because of its intensity, but is also wonderful when used in risotto, pasta, salad, and even paired with fruit or wine.

Taleggio Melt with Escarole and Fig Jam

Ingredients

4            slices           sourdough or similar bread

                                 olive oil

2            Tbs              fig jam

12          oz                Taleggio, sliced thickly

4            oz                escarole, stems and ribs removed, chopped

Procedure

1. Spread fig jam on two slices of bread.  Add cheese and escarole.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, and add top pieces of bread.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium low until hot, then brown sandwiches.  Flip and repeat.  Cheese should be gooey and melted, and bread toasted to a golden brown.

Printable Recipe

Other Escarole Recipes from Vegetable Matter:
Panini with Braised Escarole, Apples and Walnuts
Salad of Bitter Italian Greens, Strawberries and Parmesan

Other Sandwiches from Vegetable Matter:
Panini with Anjou Pears, Brie, Caramelized Walnuts and Arugula Pesto Mayo
Caramelized Apple Melt with Aged Cheddar and Arugula
French Breakfast Radish and Mache Sandwiches
Green Apple, Brie and Caramelized Onion Panini
Grilled Eggplant, Haloumi and Arugula Sandwich

Strawberry Cobbler

Beautiful strawberries are available everywhere right now.  Last week we made a Strawberry Rhubarb Pie which was gone all too quickly.  Here we use our favorite cobbler recipe to make an amazing strawberry cobbler.   The key here is the biscuit topping, crusty on the outside and soft and tender within, and buttery throughout.  The biscuit is also very versatile -- we've used the same recipe to make cobbler with blackberries; peaches; and (our favorite combo) strawberries and rhubarb.  It soaks up a bit of the fruit juices, and reheats well if you have leftovers.   This is a rustic dessert that does not require any baking skill.  Just dump the biscuit dough on top of the berry filling, bake and eat.  Proof that taste triumphs over form when it comes to dessert.  Perfect any time of day served warm with lots of creme fraiche on the side.

Strawberry Cobbler

Ingredients

Filling

6           cups             strawberries, wished and sliced
1/2        cup               sugar
3           Tbs               flour
1/2         tsp               orange zest

Biscuit

1 1/2      cup               unbleached A.P. flour
1/4         tsp                salt
1            Tbs               baking powder
2            Tbs               sugar, plus more for top
4            Tbs               butter, cubed and cold
1            cup               heavy cream
                                   8" pyrex baking dish or similar

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 325° convection (375° conventional). 
2. Combine filling ingredients and place in pyrex baking dish.
3. Make topping.  First, combine all dry ingredients.  Then cut in the butter to resemble coarse meal.  We use our fingers for this by rubbing the butter/flour mixture between my thumb and forefinger until the butter pieces are the size of a pea (some can be bigger than that).  You don't want the texture to be too smooth or the topping will lose its buttery richness.  You can also use a pastry cutter, food processor or forks to do this, but why create one more dirty thing to wash?
4. Add cream and mix until uniformly moist.  Spoon out on top of filling.  It should be plopped on in clumps.  You don't want a perfectly smooth topping.  Sprinkle with granulated sugar for some sparkle.
5. Bake until biscuit is golden brown and filling is cooking and bubbling.
6. Let cool enough for the juices to thicken, then served warm alone or with whipped cream or creme fraiche. 

If you like this, check out our:
Blackberry Cobbler and Rhubarb Strawberry Cobbler recipes which use the same biscuit topping
You might also like our Mixed Berry Grunt which is a stove-top version of a cobbler

Spiced Pear, Date and Haloumi Flatbread

Haloumi is a sheep's milk cheese that is predominantly made in Cyprus, although a blogger friend in Italy told us about a beautiful Italian Haloumi that she uses often.  The cheese is unusual because it can be grilled and browned without turning into a liquid mess, and it has a dense, chewy texture that is amazing.  We use haloumi most often in Middle Eastern dishes, and its salty flavor combines particularly well with sweet ingredients such as the pears and dates in this recipe.

The only work here comes from preparing the spiced pears and dates. Once they're ready, the flatbread comes together in just seconds.  You may have extra pears and dates; we ate ours tossed with a light vinaigrette and forellenschuss and the other gorgeous lettuces that are plentiful in the garden right now.  This flatbread makes a filling meal, but it would also be beautiful to serve in bite-sized pieces for an appetizer.

Spiced Pear, Date and Haloumi Flatbread
inspired by Ana Sortun's recipe in Spice

Ingredients

1                       ball flatbread dough, at room temp for 5 minutes before rolling out
                         zest and juice of 1 lemon
1       Tbs          brown sugar
1/2    tsp           cumin
1/2    tsp           coriander
1/4    tsp           ground cardamom
1/4    tsp           black pepper
8                       dates, pitted and halved
2       Tbs          olive oil
3/4    lb             haloumi, cut into 8 slices
1                       pear, seeded and cut into 8 slices
                         flour for rolling out flatbread
                         cornmeal for peel

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350° and place pizza stone in oven on shelf placed towards the top.  Place another shelf lover lower with another space in between the shelves for a large pyrex baking dish.
2. Combine dates, lemon juice, lemon zest and brown sugar and cook over medium, stirring, until the sugar melts.  Add spices and dates and cook until the dates soften, about 5 minutes.  Add 1 Tbs olive oil, then remove from heat.
3. Preheat another pan over medium-high heat, then fry the haloumi in a single layer until golden brown, about 2 minutes.  Flip and repeat.  Remove from heat, then remove cheese but don't clean out the pan.  Spread cheese pieces out in a single layer in a large pyrex baking dish or similar.
4. In same pan, heat 1 Tbs olive oil and saute the pears until brown on only one side, about 5 minutes.  Don't flip over, then remove from heat.  Place pear slices alongside the haloumi in the pyrex baking dish.
5. Spoon a date onto each of the haloumi slices, then place dish in oven and bake until cheese is soft, about 8 minutes.
6. Remove from oven, and turn oven temperature up to 450°.
7. Roll out flabread dough on a well floured surface.  Transfer to a peel which is generously covered with cornmeal to prevent sticking.
8. Lightly brush rolled-out dough with olive oil, then add baked haloumi, dates and pears.  You may have a few extra slices of cheese and pears.
9. Bake until bread is done, about 5 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Printable recipe 

Other haloumi recipes:
Grilled Eggplant, Haloumi and Arugula Sandwich
Bulgur with Haloumi and Eggplant
Boca Burger with Grilled Haloumi and Lemon

Other flatbreads in this series:
Flatbread with Crispy Lacinato Kale and Tarentaise Cheese
Flatbread with Sauteed Brussels Sprouts, Walnuts and Shaved Parmesan
Flatbread with Roasted Golden Beets, Goat Cheese and Chestnut Honey
Flatbread with Gorgonzola Dulce, Grapes and Walnuts
Flatbread with Broccoli Rabe and Manchego
Flatbread with French Sorrel, Roasted Cauliflower and Goat Cheese

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Pie is one of our serious obsessions.  Whenever we travel, we are on the lookout for the best local pie.  On a recent trip to Austin, we enjoyed several mini pies from the Cutie Pies food truck.  Our favorite was the bumbleberry.  Last weekend, we drove to New Orleans and stopped in Beaumont for the sweet potato pie at Willy Ray's BBQ.  (David ate more than just pie, but this is a vegetarian blog so we won't talk any more about that).    We love that Willy Ray's serves sweet potato pie as the side vegetable of the day.  In New Orleans, we had a slice of chocolate pecan chess pie at Dick and Jenny's.  And whenever we drive out to see the annual wildflowers in Texas Hill Country, we gorge on pie at Bevers in Chappell Hill.  Even the local Exxon station in Chappell Hill sells great pies, especially the coconut cream pie.

We will forever be on a quest for the perfect pie, but we frankly think there is nothing better than a pie freshly baked at home.  It is one of those homey desserts that is hard to perfect on a mass scale.   The trickiest element is the crust, which is often the most disappointing part of any store-bought pie.  We have tried many recipes at home, and have settled on what we think is the perfect crust.  We love our pie crust recipe and know that you will too.

When it comes to fillings, rhubarb is one of our favorites.  We love rhubarb so much that we are trying to grow it here in Houston even though these plants really prefer cool weather.  We started seeds last fall, but sadly many of the seedlings did not survive the winter.  Those that did are still so small that any harvest is many, many months away.  Luckily, rhubarb is now available, combining perfectly with the gorgeous local strawberries.  The filling for this pie is little more than fruit and sugar, so make sure to use strawberries and rhubarb that are packed with flavor.  The resulting pie is wonderfully sweet and tart at the same time, brimming over with gorgeous red fruit and thick juices inside a super-flaky crust.   After we made this pie, we checked on our rhubarb seedlings hoping that there had been a dramatic growth spurt in the last week.  Sadly, no.  But this pie has convinced us to redouble our efforts to grow rhubarb this year.  And we will have no problem using every last bit of our harvest.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients

Crust  (makes enough for 2 pies or a top and bottom crust)

2          cups     unbleached A.P. flour
1/4       tsp       salt
1          tsp       sugar
1/2       lb         unsalted butter, cubed and kept cold
1/4       cup      vegetable shortening, cold
1/4       cup      ice water

Filling

2                      pie crusts, one rolled out and lining pie pan, chilled
                        one rolled out and chilled for top
3 1/2    cups     strawberries, washed and sliced
3 1/2    cups     rhubarb, sliced into 1" pieces
1 1/4    cup       sugar, plus more for top
5          Tbs      unbleached A.P. flour
1/2       tsp        orange zest
1/8       tsp        salt
3          Tbs      butter, cubed
                        small amount of heavy cream for lattice top

Procedure

Crust

1. Combine Dry.  Add half the butter and mix until resembles coarse meal.  Add rest of butter and the shortening and cut in, leaving larger pieces of fat (around 1/4").  Add ice water until dough forms a ball (you may not need all the water).
2. Divide into two balls, wrap well in plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Let dough rest at least 4 hours before rolling out, but will keep for several days in the refrigerator if you want to plan ahead.
3. Roll out on a well-floured surface.  

Filling

1. Preheat oven to 400° convection (450° conventional).  Place a shelf in the middle for the pie, and another shelf below.  On lower shelf, place a sheet pan lined with a silpat or parchment paper.  This pan will catch the dripping juices as the pie bakes.
2. Roll out bottom crust and line pie pan.  Return pan with crust to refrigerator.
3. Roll out top crust and refrigerate.  When chilled for about 15 minutes, cut into strips for lattice top.  Return to refrigerator.
4. Combine filling ingredients (except the butter and heavy cream).
5. Add filling to pie pan and dot the top of the filling with the butter cubes.
6. Remove lattice strips from refrigerator and make lattice top.  Brush strips lightly with the heavy cream using a pastry brush or your finger, then sprinkle sugar on top.
7. Freeze pie for 15 minutes before placing in oven.
8. Bake for 10 minutes, or until crust looks lightened and dry.  Reduce oven temperature to 325° convection (375° conventional) and continue to bake until crust is golden and fillings and thick and bubbling, about 45 minutes in our oven.
9. Cool completely on a wire rack to allow juices to thicken before cutting into pie.  Store at room temp.

Printable Recipe

If you love rhubarb as much as we do, try our Rhubarb Strawberry Cobbler .
You can also make a delicious quick Rhubarb Sauce perfect on ice cream or pound cake

Salad of Bitter Italian Greens, Strawberries and Parmesan

Here in Houston we are straddling winter and spring.  Temperatures jumped to the 80's before we were hit by a dramatic cold snap that sent temperatures dipping down into the 30's.  The sudden cold weather had us scrambling to save our tomato, cucumber and eggplant seedlings, while the warmer temperatures sent our cool-weather greens into overdrive, with many plants all hitting maturity at once.  We are now harvesting gorgeous Lettuces, Chicories, Arugula, Kale, Swiss Chard and Asian Greens to name just a few.  The Cilantro, Dill, Parsley and Fennel are also amazing.

When local strawberries showed up at our market, we knew it was time to combine them with something from this abundant harvest. We created a seasonal salad which uses escarole (below), fennel and barba di cappuccino chicory (above) from the garden for a dish that is seriously bitter.  We love these bold flavors which play off the sweet strawberries and salty cheese to perfection.   The recipe makes a filling meal for two, but the salad is so pretty that it would also be a wonderful accompaniment to a main course.  Just be sure to pair it with an entree that has equally strong flavors.

Salad of Bitter Italian Greens, Strawberries and Parmesan

serves 2 as a meal

Ingredients

3            Tbs          minced shallot (about 1 shallot)
2            Tbs          fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1            tsp           red-wine vinegar
1/2         tsp           fine sea salt
1                            escarole head, torn into pieces
1                            barba di cappuccino head (or frisee or radicchio),
                              torn into pieces
1                            small fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1/4         cup          olive oil
1/4         cup          parmesan, thinly sliced or shaved

1            cup          strawberries, washed and thinly sliced

Procedure

1.  Combine shallot, lemon juice, vinegar, sea salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Let stand 5 minutes.  Slowly whisk in olive oil.
2. Combine greens and fennel in a big mixing bowl.
3. Toss greens with dressing to coat.
4. Divide between two plates, top with sliced strawberries and parmesan.

Panini with Anjou Pears, Brie, Caramelized Walnuts and Arugula Pesto Mayo

Another in our fruit and cheese sandwich series*, this panini was such a success at home that we are now offering it as a special at Be-Wiched.   The arugula pesto mayo, made with arugula from our garden, is an amazing condiment that would work on many sandwiches.  The recipe makes more pesto mayo than you'll need, so use the extra to make more sandwiches or to experiment with other combinations.  Here we combined it with our favorite creamy brie, Saint-André, anjou pears and caramelized walnuts.  Add some sourdough bread and you've got a panini to remember.

Anjou Pear, Caramelized Walnuts and Arugula Pesto Mayo Panini
makes two sandwiches

Ingredients

Arugula Pesto Mayo

3            cups           packed arugula
1/4         cup            toasted pine nuts
1/4         cup            freshly grated parmesan
1/4         cup            olive oil
3 1/2      tbs             mayo
                               sea salt and black pepper

Caramelized Walnuts

1            cup            walnuts
2            tbs             light corn syrup
1            tbs             sugar
1/2         tsp             salt
1/4         tsp             ground black pepper


Panini

4           slices         sourdough bread
1                            anjou pear, sliced thinly
4                            thick slices brie

Procedure

Arugula Pesto Mayo

1. Combine arugula, pine nuts and parmesan in food processor until smooth.
2. With machine running, gradually add olive oil and mix until well blended.
3. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
4. Add mayo and blend well.
5. You will have extra after making the sandwich.

Caramelized Walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. Use silpat or spray sheet pan with non-stick spray.
3. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and toss well.
4. Spread out on sheet pan and bake, stirring occasionally to break up clumps, until deep golden brown and sugar is bubbling.
5. Remove from oven and cool.
6. You may have extra caramelized walnuts after making the sandwich.

Panini

1. Spread arugula pesto mayo on both sides on bread.  One one side, layer pears, then cheese and walnuts.  Add top slice of bread and toast on panini press or in a pan lightly coated with olive oil.  If using a pan, weigh down sandwich with another pan on top and a tea kettle or similar for weight.  Flip over to grill evenly.
2. Eat warm.

Check out our other Sandwiches in this series:
**Caramelized Apple Melt with Aged Cheddar and Arugula
**Green Apple, Brie and Caramelized Onion Panini

Black Plum Pie

Black plums just showed up at our market, and we couldn't wait to make this pie.  It brims over with thick purple juices surrounded by our favorite flaky crust.  The only time-consuming part of this recipe is rolling out the crusts -- the filling is ready in just minutes.  If you store the pie well-wrapped at room temperature, the crust will stay perfectly flaky but the pie will only keep for two or so days.  Refrigerated, the shelf life is closer to four days but the crust tends to get soggy.  We chose the former option, and had no problem polishing off the pie in two days.  We serve slightly warmed with creme fraiche.

Black Plum Pie

Ingredients

2                               pie crusts (for top and bottom of pie)
2 1/2         lbs            black plums, pitted and cut into 1/2" slices
2/3            cup           sugar
2               Tbs           raspberry preserves
1                                small lemon
2 1/2         Tbs           cornstarch
2 1/2         Tbs           sugar
2               Tbs           butter, cut into small cubes

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350° convection (400° conventional) and place shelf in middle of oven.
2. Roll out dough for bottom of pie and line pie pan.  Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
3. Zest lemon and measure out 1 tsp of zest, and squeeze 1 tsp lemon juice.
4. Combine plum slices, lemon zest, lemon juice, raspberry jam, and 2/3 cup sugar.  Set aside for 10 minutes.  Taste to adjust sugar content (you may need to add up to 1/3 cup sugar if your plums are not very sweet).
5. Combine cornstarch with the remaining 2 1/2 Tbs sugar and set aside.
6. Roll out top pie crust.  If you roll out on a piece of parchment paper, it is easy to flip it over onto the pie when the time comes.
7. Combine plum mixture with cornstarch mixture and toss well.
8. Remove pie pan from refrigerator and fill with plum mixture, mounding slightly in the center.  Sprinkle butter cubes on top.
9. Place top pie crust over fruit.  Seal well around the edges, then trim with a sharp knife.  
10. Add decorative pieces of leftover pie crust if desired and attach by moistening underside of cut-outs with a tiny bit of water.  If you have kids helping out, they will love this part. Cut several vents.
11. Put pie in the oven, and place a sheet pan on a lower shelf to catch juices.
12. Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 325° (375° conventional).  If you do not have a convection oven, rotate pie so it will bake and brown evenly.
13. Continue to bake until juices are thick and bubbly and top is golden brown, about 40 more minutes in our oven.
14. Cool on rack, then serve warmed with creme fraiche, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.  See notes above regarding pie storage.

Spicy Roasted Cauliflower with Nectarines

Aromatic spices make this roasted cauliflower dish pop.  Based on a recipe from Thai chef Su-Mei Yu, we substituted nectarines for kumquats to add sweet, cool flavors to this spicy dish.  We are a mixed marriage (David loves heat, Robin doesn't); if you're in the latter category, serve with Greek yogurt on the side to extinguish some of the heat here.

Spicy Roasted Cauliflower with Nectarines

adapted from Food and Wine, March 2010
serves 2

Ingredients

1        tsp            ground coriander
1/2     tsp            white pepper
1/4     cup           olive oil
1        Tbs           garlic, minced
2        tsp            turmeric
1/2     tsp            red pepper
1                         large head cauliflower, broken into small florets
1                         shallot, thinly sliced and separated into rings
1                         nectarine, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4      cup          cilantro, chopped
                          salt to taste
                          optional, Greek Yogurt

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 400°. 
2. Combine spices with olive oil, then toss cauliflower to coat.
3. Spread cauliflower on sheet pan, season with salt to taste, then roast until tender, about 25 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and toss with nectarines, shallots and cilantro.
5. Serve warm with yogurt on the side.

Mixed Berry Grunt

A grunt, also known as a slump, is a stovetop version of a fruit cobbler.  The biscuit topping is steamed in berry juices resulting in fluffy dumplings floating in a thick sea of raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.  Feel free to play around with the berry ratios, although these proportions do approach perfection.  Serve warm with a generous amount of creme fraiche, and the origin of the name will become abundantly clear as you grunt with pleasure.

Mixed Berry Grunt

Ingredients

Filling
3         cups           raspberries
1 1/2   cups           blueberries
3         cups           blackberries
                             zest and juice of 1 small lemon
1/2      tsp             vanilla
                             pinch of cinnamon
2         Tbs            water
                             straight-sided skillet with a lid that fits and
                             deep enough to prevent juices from flooding
                             your kitchen while this cooks
Dumplings
3/4      cup            unbleached A.P. flour
1         tsp             baking powder
2         Tbs            sugar
                             pinch of salt
1/8      tsp             cinnamon
1/3      cup            heavy cream or whole milk, room temp
2         Tbs            butter, melted


Procedure

1. Combine filling ingredients and place in skillet.  Cover and bring to a boil over medium high.  Stir often in the beginning until fruit starts to release juices.  Cook until juices are starting to thicken.
2. While fruit is cooking, make topping.  Combine dry and mix well.  Mix cream with melted butter, then stir into dry.
3. Drop dough in balls into the berries, evenly spacing.  You'll have eight to ten dumplings.  Cover and reduce heat to medium.  Watch to avoid the juices overflowing -- if they do, leave top very slightly ajar or remove 1/4 cup liquid (which you can add back later).
4. Cook until dumplings are cooked through and fluffy, about 15 minutes.  Serve warm with lots of creme fraiche.  If you don't have creme fraiche, it's worth the minimal effort to make some (although you have to plan ahead because it takes a few days).  Or, keep it simple and serve with warm heavy cream or whipped cream.

Granny Smith Apple Fritters

No need for a deep fryer; these fritters cooked beautifully in a saucepan on the stove.  You'll need the oil to be about 2 inches deep.  If you let the kids help out as we did, just be sure to supervise closely to ensure the safety of both your kids and your fritters.

Granny Smith Apple Fritters
makes about 12 fritters

Ingredients

1         cup            unbleached A.P. flour
1/4      cup            sugar
3/4      tsp             salt
1 1/2   tsp             baking powder
1         tsp             cinnamon
1/3      cup            whole milk
1                           egg
1                           Granny Smith apple, peeled, with 1/2 finely diced and the other 1/2 shredded
                             vegetable oil for frying
                             thermometer
                             powdered sugar and milk for glaze

Procedure

1. Heat vegetable oil to 375° (use a candy thermometer).
2. While oil is heating, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon.
3. Add milk and egg until just combined. 
4. Add diced and shredded apple.
5. Drop a heaping tablespoon of dough into oil.  Fry until well browned, using slotted spoon to make sure doughnut is fried on both sides.   
6. Remove to paper towels to dry.
7. Combine about 1 T milk with enough powdered sugar to make a thick glaze (about 1 cup).  Drizzle over apple fritters.  Flip doughnuts over and glaze other side.
8. Eat while still warm.
   

Granny Smith Apple Risotto

Apples and parmesan cheese may sound like an odd combination, but the flavors in the savory risotto will convince you otherwise.   We vegetarianized Mario Batali's recipe and added more cheese (can you ever have enough parmesan?), but otherwise remained true to the original.  We still have lots of Italian parsley in the garden which is loaded with flavor.  If you use store-bought parsley (which in our experience is quite bland), you may want to double the quantity for this recipe.

Granny Smith Apple Risotto
adapted from Mario Batali's Simple Italian Food

Ingredients

4 -5            cups       vegetable stock, warmed up
4                 Tbs        butter
2                 Tbs        olive oil
1                               red onion, diced
2                               Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced
2                cups        arborio rice
1                cup          dry white wine
3/4             cup          parmesan, grated
1/4             cup          Italian parsley, chopped
                                  sea salt and black pepper to taste

Procedure

1. Saute onion in 2 Tbs butter and 2 Tbs olive oil over medium heat until just soft.
   
2. Add apples and rice and simmer 4 minutes.
3. Add wine and simmer until wine evaporates.
4. Add enough warm stock to cover the rice and simmer until the liquid goes below the top of the rice.  Keep adding stock and cooking until most of the stock has been absorbed, about 18 minutes.  Stir frequently to prevent sticking.  Rice should be tender but not mushy.
5. Add 2 Tbs butter, 1/2 cup cheese and parsley and combine well.  Season with salt and pepper.
6. Serve topped with parmesan cheese and fresh apple slices.
   

Blackberry Cobbler

This cobbler contains over two pounds of blackberries topped by a rich, flaky biscuit, but we still managed to polish it off in just a few days.  And when I say "we", it does not include the kids.  It is best served with creme fraiche (which is easy to make if it is not available locally), but a topping of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream certainly wouldn't hurt. 

Blackberry Cobbler

Ingredients

Biscuit Topping

1 1/2             cups           unbleached A.P. flour
1/4                tsp              salt
1                   Tbs             baking powder
2                   Tbs             sugar, plus more for sprinkling
4                   Tbs             butter, cubed and cold
1                   cup              heavy cream

Blackberry Filling

36                  oz               fresh blackberries
1                    cup             sugar
1/2                 cup             water
1/2                  tsp             vanilla
1/2                  tsp             lemon zest

Procedure

1. Combine blackberries, sugar, water, lemon zest and vanilla in sauce pan.  Bring to a simmer, then continue to cook on low, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickly coats the back of a spoon and berries are soft, about 20 minutes.  Depending on tartness of the blackberries, you may need to add more sugar (up to 1/4 cup). 
2. While berries are cooking, make biscuit topping.
3. Combine dry, then work in the butter until it resembles coarse meal (I use my fingers to do this, but you can also use a pastry cutter, forks or a food processor).  Add cream and mix until evenly moistened.  Refrigerate until ready to use.
4. Preheat oven to 350° convection (or 375° conventional). 
5. Place cooked berries and sauce in 8" square pyrex or similar (or individual ramekins).  Top with biscuit topping, sprinkle sugar on top, and bake until top is golden brown and fruit filling is thick and bubbling, about 40 minutes.
6. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, craime fraiche (this is our favorite topping) or whipped cream.
7. Extra keeps well in refrigerator if well-wrapped.  Re-heat before serving.
   

If you like this recipe, try our Rhubarb Strawberry Cobbler which uses the same biscuit topping.
And here's another great recipe for fresh blackberries, Blackberry Shortbread Bars

Blackberry Shortbread Bars

These bars are a study in contrasting textures:  a custardy filling with a streak of fresh blackberries atop a dense shortbread crust and a buttery crumble topping.  These bars have an excellent shelf life, so pack them in cello bags, tie with a bow, and you've got Valentine's Day gifts for the special people in your life.   Or serve warmed at home with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

Blackberry Shortbread Bars


Ingredients

Crust

3            cups           unbleached A.P. flour
1 1/2      cups           sugar
1/4         tsp              salt
1 1/2      cups            butter, cubed and chilled


Filling

4                                eggs
2             cups            sugar
1             cup              sour cream
3/4          cup              unbleached A.P. flour
1/8          tsp                salt
                                    zest of 1 small lemon
6             cups              blackberries

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 325° convection (350° conventional) and place rack in the middle of the oven.
2. Generously butter a 9 x 13" baking pan.  We used a Dansk enamel pan this time, but we have also used pyrex with good results.
3. In food processor, combine dry crust ingredients well.  Add butter and process until mixture is crumbly and butter is well-distributed.
4. Reserve about 2 cups of mixture, then spread the rest in the bottom of the baking pan.  Press well to create an even layer, then bake until golden brown, 20 minutes in our oven.  Remove and cool 15 minutes.
5. Combine all filling ingredients except the blackberries, and mix well.  Add blackberries.
6. Spread filling evenly over pre-baked crust.  Sprinkle reserved crust mixture on top of filling.
7. Bake until bars have puffed up and feel firm through to the center, and top is golden brown, around 1 hour in our oven.
8. Remove to cooling rack and cool well before cutting into bars.

Cherry Almond Loaf

This is truly a quick bread ready in a snap once the cherries are pitted and halved.  Save the prettiest halves to decorate the top of your loaf.

Cherry Almond Loaf

Ingredients

2          cups            unbleached A.P. flour
1          tsp               baking powder
1          tsp               baking soda
1/2       tsp               salt
                                dash of cinnamon
1/2       cup              unsalted butter, room temp
1          cup              sugar
1/2       tsp               almond extract
2                              eggs
2          Tbs              sour cream
2           cups            sweet cherries, stems removed, pitted and halved
                                set aside the prettiest halves as you do this, about 3/4 cup

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 300° convection and place shelf in the middle of oven.   Butter a pyrex loaf pan.
2. Combine dry and set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add almond extract.
4. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping bowl each time.
5. Add sour cream and mix well.
6. Add dry and mix until fully incorporated.
7. Fold in 1 1/4 cups of the cherries, reserving the prettiest ones for later.  Batter will be thick, so this isn't easy and some may get smushed up.  Don't worry.  Fill loaf pan and bang on counter several times to settle.  Smooth top with spatula.
8. Lay pretty cherry halves, cut side down, on top of batter in rows.  If you don't have enough, cut a few more cherries in half to totally cover top of loaf.
9. Bake until cooked through, about one hour.