This post is dedicated to our friend Ira.
How many times have we all heard that the only thing in life that we can count on is change? It’s probably best illustrated by the changing of seasons. In the farmer’s market, it’s always a little bittersweet at the end of a season, but then we turn and see what the new season offers.
This crostata was made with very late-season peaches. They probably won’t even be around by next Sunday. And after eating luscious peaches all summer out of hand, and including them in fruit salads, green salads, and all manner of baked desserts, what to do? The peaches were divine in coffee cakes, cobblers, and crisps. So I guess this is the last hurrah for peaches before we move on to crispy apples and aromatic pears.
The idea of a crostata beckoned. A crostata is an Italian term for a free-form, rustic-looking, open, fruit-filled (usually) tart (sort of). Then there’s a galette. Guess what? A galette is a free-form, rustic-looking French tart. Hmmmm. Sounds strangely similar to a crostata. In both, fillings can be either sweet or savory. So this post could easily be titled Peach Blueberry Galette. Very straightforward to create in either Italy, France or in the country your kitchen lives.
This was inspired by The Barefoot Contessa (oh, just reduce the massive quantities of butter, she’s a true light) and by the blog, Simply Recipes (a solid resource). And it was very slightly adapted from Paula Shoyer’s, galette recipe, found in her book, The Kosher Baker . What does kosher baking mean exactly? It refers to desserts that are dairy-free and can be served after a meat course, thus keeping within Jewish kosher dietary laws.
If you’re going dairy-free, find a dairy-free margarine that’s as healthy as possible (any suggestions?). Using either butter or margarine, the key is for it to sit in the freezer for a while before cubing it. It’s the key to making a dough you can work with and can work with you. GOAL: A dough that plays well with others.
Go for pea-sized bits.
rollin’ rollin’ rollin’
Croatia Caracas Crostata dough awaits filling
Thank you peaches, it’s been a good season
Add a bit of arrowroot for thickening
Neither from an arrow nor a root (though, that is a possibility) arrowroot does help retain fluids. Will this crostata require a water pill?
just a spoonful of sugar…
… okay, maybe two.
A little almond paste dotted over dough adds an extra layer of flavor. Surprise the palettes of those you love!
Ain’t that sweet? In a good way
All tucked in and ready for bed oven.
(I’m clearly having fun with the strike-through feature.)
Where did the rustic pleats go?
Ladies and gentlemen, grab your forks
Thank you, Ira for your being open, free-form and aware of all the possibilities. Qualities we all would do well to emulate.
Peach Blueberry Crostata
thanks to Paula Shoyer’s, The Kosher Baker
Ingredients: Dough: 1 1/4 c. unbleached flour 1 1/2 t. sugar1/2 t. salt 6 T. butter or best-quality margarine (stay away from the trans-fatty stuff), cut into small 1/2″ cubes, chilled in freezer 30 minutes to 1 hour before using 6 T. ice water Filling: 3 c. fresh fruit – in this case, 2 c. yellow peaches, not overly ripe, sliced into 1/2″ slices and 1 c. blueberries 2 T. sugar 3/4 t. arrowroot (a natural thickener found in the spice section of many markets) or 2 t. cornstarch 1/2 t. vanilla 1 T. almond paste (optional) (found in some markets and food specialty shops) 1 egg 1 t. raw or turbinado sugar (optional)
Directions:
To make the dough, place flour, salt, sugar in bowl of food processor, fitted with metal blade. Pulse until mixed.
Add and pulse cubed butter until the dough is about the size of peas. Slowly add ice water, a spoon or two at a time, pulsing after each addition until dough just begins to clump and looks like clumps of couscous. Dough does not have to come completely together. Gather into a ball.
Take a large piece of plastic wrap and sprinkle a little flour on it. Place the dough ball on the plastic wrap, wrap plastic around it and then flatten. Place in freezer for 20 minutes.
With oven rack in middle position, preheat oven to 425° .
Place peach slices and blueberries in bowl and sprinkle with sugar and arrowroot (or corn starch). Toss gently to coat. Sprinkle vanilla extract over fruit.
In a small bowl, briefly whisk egg and set aside.
Take a large piece of parchment paper and sprinkle with flour. Remove the dough from the plastic wrap, place on top of parchment, sprinkle some flour on the dough and place a second piece of parchment on top. Roll out dough to about a 12″ diameter. (Thanks to Paula Shoyer for this practical method.)
Peel back top parchment once (or twice) to sprinkle some more flour while rolling to prevent sticking. Roll from center outwards, keeping it in the shape of a circle.
If you are using almond paste (not necessary, but a delicious touch), dot the middle 6″ circle of dough with the almond paste. Arrange fruit in the center of the dough circle, and spread it outward, leaving a 2-3″ border on the outside.
Take a small section of the dough border (about 2″) and fold it over the fruit, leaving the fruit filled center open. Pick another 2″ section of the border and press one section into the next to seal it, so that you end up with accordian-like pleats.
Use a pastry brush to coat the exposed dough with the egg wash. (You can use the leftover egg to make a scrambled egg snack.)
Sprinkle pastry with coarse sugar, if using.
Carefully slide crostata on parchment paper onto rimmed baking sheet (make sure you have a large one ready),
Place in oven and bake for 23-26 minutes, until nicely browned.
Remove from oven and cool on the baking sheet over rack for about 20 minutes. Slice wedges to serve.
Store covered in fridge. That is, if you have any left. Terrific with vanilla ice cream.
bb notes:
When filling crostatas or galettes, just as with tarts, your imagination or a good search engine will yield a bounty of choices. A few fruit versions I’ve tried, in addition to peach or nectarine with blueberries are:
- Italian prune plums with almond paste
- Apples with golden raisins
- Apples with dried cranberries
- Pears with almond paste
If you enjoy baking, take the time to find a container of almond paste. It’s delicious and adds a surprising kick to any dish that would welcome almonds. Plus, it has a good shelf life and and would make a happy home in your pantry/kitchen cabinet. If you don’t readily find it at the market or at a specialty food shop in your area, check it out online.
Arrowroot is something found in the spice section of a well-stocked market, but it’s not a spice. It’s a thickening agent that doesn’t clump up as cornstarch sometimes does (no offense, cornstarch). It costs a bit more but you need a lot less.
Colonel Mustard is in the Library with a jar of honey in his hand. What’s on his mind? Remember that board game – Clue? If you don’t have a clue as to what I’m talking about (no pun intended or maybe pun intended), please be patient and bear with me. I always liked the name Colonel Mustard and would find ways to work it into conversations. Am I dating myself again?
I’m not the biggest fan of honey. I’m more partial to maple syrup. But there are a few things in which honey is key:
- Honey with apples for the New Year (also excellent with challah).
- Buttered whole-grain toast sprinkled with cinnamon and drizzled with honey.
- Honey drizzled over goat cheese on flatbread.
- A bit of honey in fresh fruit smoothies (see Sunshine Fruit Smoothie post)
- Honey in honey cake (go to Honey Cake – A Lighter Take post!)
- Honey in Honey-Mustard Chicken (here we are).
Perhaps Colonel Mustard is thinking about what to prepare for dinner…
Begin with the two essentials. OK, three.
Add a couple more ingredients to enrich the glaze.
Combine all ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl. Then cover it and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 2 hours for the flavors to marry.
We’re gettin’ married in this cup here!
I love the aroma and taste of fresh rosemary. What I don’t love is not having the patience to chop up fresh rosemary needles (is that the correct term?) and getting them stuck between my teeth. Solution? See below. I get the essence of rosemary without the rosemary poking at me.
Tuck rosemary under chicken
Spread glaze all over top with back of spoon and encourage glaze to run down the sides.
Add a bit of color by sprinkling paprika on top.
My friend Frank has this nifty trick to check for the doneness of fish, meat or chicken that involves one’s thumb and pressing the protein in question. Sorry Frank, it sounded very handy when you first described it to me and I recall that an excellent chef taught it to you, but for the life of me, I can’t remember the particulars. Oh well, I don’t have a restaurant (maybe next time) and the diner (mainly my Novio) won’t mind being served a cut piece. Not that I cut all the pieces. Just the biggest juiciest one. If that’s cooked through (n0 pink inside), chicken’s done.
After tenting with foil to gently let the heat inside the chicken continue the cooking process, transfer to heatproof platter. If re-heating later, go for under-heating versus overheating. We want to keep that delicious chicken nice and moist.
Easy enough for any night; elegant enough for a special meal
Honey-Mustard Chicken
Ingredients:
2 lbs. chicken breasts (also excellent with chicken thighs, legs or pounded breasts – see below for baking times) 4 sprigs rosemary (or a generous sprinkling of dried rosemary) 1/4 c. smooth Dijon mustard, or whole grain mustard 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 T. white wine or champagne vinegar 3 T. honey 1 T. olive oil 1-2 t. Spanish paprika (optional, but it’s delicious!) 1/4 t. salt 1/4 t. black pepper Hungarian paprika for sprinklingDirections:
Whisk together mustard, garlic, vinegar, honey, oil, salt and pepper, and Spanish paprika (if using).
Cover and let set at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours before using.
Preheat oven to 375º.
Rinse and pat chicken completely dry with paper towels. Lay rosemary in a greased roasting pan (if using dried rosemary, sprinkle it over the bottom of the greased pan.
Lay chicken pieces on top and lightly sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
Spoon honey-mustard mixture over chicken and bake for 30 minutes or until the pink is gone from the center of the chicken. The best way to find out is to cut through the center of one the larger pieces. If it is done, it’s time for you to have a sample.
Remove from oven and loosely tent with aluminum foil, to slowly continue the cooking process.
Delicious served hot, room temperature, or cold.
Serves 6.
bb notes:
Spanish paprika comes in a tin and can be found in most markets. It is a sweet-hot paprika with a smoky barbeque flavor.
If you prefer a mellower flavor, substitute sweet paprika for Spanish paprika, or sprinkle sweet paprika on top.
For a slightly different take, add 2 T. apricot preserves to the glaze before spreading on chicken.
Here are the baking times for different cuts of chicken (remember, ovens vary.)
- thick chicken breasts – 30 minutes
- chicken thighs or legs – 40-45 minutes
- pounded chicken breasts (also known as schnitzel) – 14 minutes
»And here’s the honey-mustard schnitzel we ate the other night, served with roasted brussels sprouts and brown rice flecked with herbs.
Baked honey-mustard chicken schnitzel- chicken breast pounded thinly
Need an extra dessert while the hours speed by toward sundown? My best friend Lulu, who’s in New York, has a favorite she likes to prepare for holidays and special dinners. This year is her and her hubby’s first year as empty nesters. She sent half a batch to her daughter, at grad school, and half to her son, at college. Her son ate half of his shipment the day it arrived. He’s a freshman. He’s hungry. Lulu will keep the shipments coming. I know her.
Like her, this cake is both practical and yummy. In an hour, you can do this. PLUS, 40 minutes of that time is the baking.
A good place to start
Use sweet apples and choose what’s best in your region. Here in Southern California, I use Fujis, Honey Crisp, Braeburn and Golden Delicious. For this batch, I mixed Fujis with a Honey Crisp. What type of sweet apple do you use?
I don’t peel, you can if you like
Check out cool mirror-image in bowl
eggy yin-yang
Lulu and I believe: “Extra vanilla where applicable”
Swirling in those apples and nuts
Are we ready to pour the batter into the pan?
I do believe so.
Apple N’ Honey Cake
Ingredients:
3/4 c. sugar (if the apples are very sweet, you might get away with using only 2/3 c. sugar) 1/2 c. honey 3 eggs 1 t. cinnamon 2 c. flour 1/2 t. salt 1 t. baking powder 2 c. diced apples (Lulu slices them) 2 t. vanilla 2/3 c. vegetable oil 1 c. chopped walnuts (optional)Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Beat sugar, honey and eggs.
Add dry ingredients.
Mix in oil, vanilla, apples and nuts (if using).
Bake in greased 9″ x 13″ pan for 40 minutes.
Cut into squares. (I got 24 little squares) Put any leftovers in the fridge.
Voila! Enjoy!!
Thanks, Lulu
To all those celebrating the Jewish New Year, Shana Tovah U’Mitukah – A Good and Sweet Year!
ps wanted to share this -it really grabbed me:
“Life is a Recipe-less Salad that is forever being tossed.” Edward Gorey
Honey cake, also known as Lekach, is a favorite cake of Eastern European Jews. There are written references to it dating back as early as the 12th century in Germany. Honey cake is a traditional dessert served on Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year, symbolizing the hope that the coming year will be sweet.
Back in the Bronx, we would select our holiday desserts at our go-to bakery on Lydig Avenue, called Helen’s Bake Shop. Sponge cake, marble cake with an apple ribbon at the bottom, mandelbrot and honey cake. Honey cake wasn’t one of my favorites, but I always preferred the one with nuts. It seemed to really pep things up.
Some people love this cake. Others assume it is heavy (dense and loaded with honey) and discreetly steer clear of it as they reach for the the mandelbread (see my Mandelbread post) or the apple cake (see my apple n’ honey cake post.) I can’t say I want to eat a piece of cake that’s going to sit there on top of the rest of the meal no matter how strongly it links me to my ancestors. But I do appreciate the tradition. A lot. Solution? Lighten it up, boost the flavor, and throw in a few lovely surprises.
Honey with flavor-boosting additions
Orange zest ups flavor & moistness quotient
Add dry to liquid ingredients
Always add dried fruit and/or nuts.
Fruit and nuts in need of dusting. Achoo!
Honey cake batter in slightly different-sized pans
This cake batter can be baked in a 9″ square baking pan (for 70-75 minutes) or in loaf pans. If you try mini loaf pans, remember to adjust the baking time down. Keep checking regularly with a toothpick after the 30-minute mark.
Cakes are done
Un-traditional traditional honey cake
Honey Cake – A Lighter Take
slightly adapted from The Book of Jewish Food
Ingredients:
2 eggs 3/4 c. sugar 1/2 c. canola or safflower oil 3/4 c. good-quality honey 2 T. rum or brandy (a lovely touch) 1/2 c. warm espresso or strong black coffee (I like using instant espresso powder) 2 t. baking powder 1/2 t. baking soda pinch of salt 1 t. cinnamon 1/4 t. ground cloves zest of 1 orange (another nice touch) 2 c. flour, plus 1 t. for dusting nuts and raisins 1/2 c. walnuts, chopped 1/3 c. golden raisinsDirections:
Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease and flour two 9″ loaf pans (I used one 9″ and one 8″ because that’s what I had, and it still worked.)
Using a stand mixer or by hand, beat eggs thoroughly with the sugar until pale and creamy. Add in oil, honey, brandy and coffee, and beat well.
In a small bowl, mix the 2 cups of flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and orange zest.
Add the flour mixture gradually to the liquid ingredients, while stand mixer is set on low (this way you won’t get a flour shower) then beat until batter is very smooth.
Dust golden raisins and chopped walnuts with the extra flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake. Fold them in to the batter.
Divide equally between prepared loaf pans and bake for 55 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out dry. Cool on wire rack and invert when just slightly warm. You can leave loaves (say that fast 5 times) in pan but they’re a bit trickier to slice. Serve in full or half-slices.
Enjoy this cake and create joy throughout the year. Come and get it!
A modern take on the traditional honey dish
….. and I mean LOTS of mushrooms. My Mom came over for dinner last week and she loves mushrooms. I mean LOVES mushrooms. I wanted to do something that would give her a truly full mushroom flavor. Instead of button mushrooms, I decided to use baby portabellos or criminis. These are heartier mushrooms that hold their shape, texture and flavor, whether in baking, sauteing or both. Another easy method to ramp up mushroom flavor is to slice them thickly (3-4 slices per mushroom) or quarter them crosswise. Do you have ways to do chicken with mushrooms that have been making everyone happy for years? Please share with us in the comments section.
Ordinarily, I don’t follow recipes when I’m cooking. But I love cookbooks and read them for inspiration. This time, my inspiration came from The Book of Jewish Food, An Odyssey from Samarkand to New York, by Claudia Roden.
This is a BIG book, both an impressive and very readable work that takes you all around the globe to see how Jewish communities worldwide have been inspired by the countries and regions in which they have settled. It’s a fascinating trip and an amazing body of work reflecting Jewish history as told through food. Thank you, Ms. Roden. What better way to tell the history of a people?
This recipe comes to us by way of Russia and is called Potravka. The original recipe calls for a whole chicken cut in quarters. I used boneless and skinless chicken breasts. I rinse and pat the breasts dry before placing in a lightly greased baking dish. If they are very large, I sometimes cut them across the middle. Then I sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
Amazing how many dishes the world over begin with chopped onion and garlic. World Peace organizations and governments should consider this when engaging in peace talks.
Back to the recipe:
Sauteing onions can be very meditative
This image looks rather questionable. But this is reality. After sauteing onions, garlic and mushrooms and adding wine, the mixture is poured over the chicken where it will come together in the most delightful way!
Chicken with Mushrooms
inspired by Potravka in The Book of Jewish Food
Ingredients:
2 lbs. chicken breasts, skinless and boneless (or a whole chicken, cut into 4-8 pieces) 2 T. olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 lb. baby portabello, crimini or shitake mushrooms, thickly sliced or quartered 1 c. dry white wine salt and pepper 2 T. finely chopped parsley 1/2 t. sweet paprika (optional)Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375°. Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry. Place in lightly greased baking dish large enough to place chicken in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large skillet, heat oil. Add chopped onion and saute for 2 minutes. Next comes the garlic for a brief saute, about 30 seconds. Now add mushrooms and saute on a medium flame for about 3 minutes or until just starting to get tender. Pour in wine, a little salt and pepper, and simmer until liquid begins to bubble. Turn heat off.
Pour mixture over chicken and sprinkle with paprika. Bake, covered with foil, for 15 minutes.
Remove foil (don’t toss it yet!) and bake for 15 more minutes or until just cooked through. Remove from oven and tent with that piece of foil that’s sitting on your counter.
Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.
Serves 4-6
STOVE TOP VERSION: The original recipe is cooked on the stove.The chicken pieces are browned in a large casserole or Dutch oven in hot oil and set aside. Mushrooms only (no onion or garlic) are sauteed in the same oil. The white wine is added and returned to the pot. The dish is simmered for 30 minutes or until tender. Add a little water if needed. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
ps. The chicken in the featured image was served with roasted corn shaved off the cob and brown rice with broad beans. Mom was happy!
What is it about time? I still remember staring at the big clock on the wall to my left in 12th grade physics trying to will the minute hand to move faster. I couldn’t do it anymore than I can make that minute hand go slower when I’m spending precious time with people I love and I don’t want it to end.
Maybe that’s why always using seasonal food has such a bittersweet quality. When we’re in the midst of it, it seems like the bounty won’t ever end. And then, one day, poof they’re gone. OK, at this point, one can say, dopey, it doesn’t have to end. Want plums in January in LA? Get them from the supermarket where they’re imported from Chile. Yeah, but you and I both know that it’s just not the same. And maybe it means something to me and to the chain of life to eat what’s local instead of twisting everything around just because it’s convenient.
Maybe there’s something to be learned here. Savoring what’s here and in front of us right now rather than longing for something that isn’t here now or might come later.
People ask me where I get my inspiration. Holly aka Jittery Cook is a food blogger in Canada,who is a kindred spirit when it comes to cooking seasonally and healthfully. She very kindly nominated me for The Versatile Blogger Award some time back. Like the Jittery Cook, I find my inspiration all around me. From restaurants, from friends, from cookbooks, from the LA Times Food Section (which is now part of the “Saturday” section – I kinda miss the Food Section not having to share). And mostly from the Farmer’s Market. I go and whatever calls to me, I bring home. And I try not to get carried away.
What are these creatures?
Could they be heirloom tomatoes?
No, these are heirloom tomatoes:
Correct Answer: one of several varieties of eggplant popping up at the local farmers’ market. Though both are highly attractive, the eggplant are a tad more fashionable because of their hats.
I thought it would be nice to have a few guys from my newbie vegetable container garden join in the fun.
If you’ve been following this blog, you know I’m a big fan of roasting vegetables for the concentrated flavor they bring out. But every now and then, I like to think outside the roasting pan. This time, I first did a quick saute of the veggies to achieve a bit of browning.
The baby eggplants need a shorter time in the pan, so they followed the shallots and green peppers.
Adding a bit of liquid to vegetables, whether broth or wine, (or vinegar, or juice, or even water), bringing it up to a boil, then covering and reducing to a simmer, constitutes the braising portion of the festivities. Braising until tender is another really good cooking technique to keep in your back pocket.
Braised Eggplant with Green Peppers
Ingredients:
1 T. olive oil
1/2 t. dried oregano
1 large shallot, chopped
1 small green pepper (or 1/2 large), diced
1 lb. small eggplant (Japanese or mixture of any small variety), chunks or wedges, if using round eggplant
salt & pepper
2 T. chicken or vegetable broth
Directions:
Heat skillet, then add oil to heat up. Add oregano, then chopped shallots and saute for 3 minutes on a medium flame. Stir in peppers and cook for 3 more minutes.
Toss in eggplant and saute until eggplant just begins to brown. Salt and pepper to taste. Add broth and when it’s bubbling, bring heat down to a slow simmer. Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until tender. If all the liquid evaporates quickly, add another tablespoon of broth. You want a little bit of moisture in the pan.
bb notes:
If your skillet doesn’t have a cover, use a piece of aluminum foil.
Don’t eat peppers? No poblano problemo. Substitute an equal amount of mushrooms or zucchini or simply saute eggplant with shallots or onion and garlic.
I’m from the Bronx – what do I know from okra?
But long ago I began the practice of making friends with vegetables I didn’t know. There are of course, several still on the waiting list, like rutabaga, kohlrabi and dandelion greens. But the list is much shorter. I now love okra, and when it catches me in a certain mood I even like it slimy. It’s actually kind of fun. But for those of you who know about the slimy thing and prefer not to go down that road, I have an antidote.
Cook, saute or roast them whole. Don’t cut off the little hats (stem end), wait till after it’s cooked to cut and you will have delicious okra, sans slimy.
You can leave your hat on (thank you, Randy Newman)
I continue to be the happy recipient of tomatoes from my friend Jason’s vegetable garden. They are so flavorful and juicy that they add to anything, whether in a salad or in something cooked.
I only used two tomatoes for this dish. The rest went to salads, other veggie dishes, and my Mom.
Chop onion and garlic
Dice tomatoes and cut kernels off the cob
To remove the kernels – raw or cooked – in this case raw – simply stand the shucked ear of corn on your cutting board, pointy end up. With a sharp knife, cut kernels off the cob with a sawing motion, keeping the blade of your knife as close to the cob as possible.
Add tomatoes and corn to sauteed onions and garlic
Return okra to pan to continue the cooking process
So for you non-slimy readers out there, give this dish a whirl!
Okra with Corn and Tomatoes
Ingredients:
3/4 lb. okra 1 T. olive oil 1 onion, diced 2 medium cloves garlic, chopped 1 ear of fresh corn, cut off cob, raw 2 medium tomatoes, diced 2 T. white wine (or broth) 2 T. cilantro or Italian parsley, chopped (optional)Directions:
Prepare vegetables according to directions above.
Heat skillet on a medium flame. Add oil to heat. This is a good basic method to insure quick, even browning.
Add whole okra in a single layer to the pan. Let it brown for 1 or 2 minutes before tossing it with a spatula or wooden spoon. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Saute diced onion in same pan (if you need to, add a bit more oil) until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
Add diced tomatoes and corn kernels, saute for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
Return okra to pan. Add white wine. Cover and allow to steam for 5 minutes, or until okra is tender or to taste.
Add fresh herbs, if using, immediately before serving,
Mr. Corn telling a story to friends
I recently took a trip with my Novio to Ohio. My beloved niece is a resident, specializing in pediatric medicine at Ohio State University (Go Buckeyes*!). I may have stated that before, but when it comes to her, I do tend to repeat myself. She’s there with her hubby, who is a resident in orthopedics, also at OSU.
I know about the East Coast. I know about the West Coast. But when it comes to that vast terrain in the middle, I’m a bit sketchy. Well, I’m proud to report that I can now state with utmost confidence that Columbus, Ohio is a great small city (a bit like a scaled-down Chicago). Filled with charming older buildings, glistening newer buildings, great restaurants, beautiful parks (including a very whimsical topiary park, located in “The Old Deaf School Park”, no less) gorgeous old trees, lovely neighborhoods and there’s even a river running through it. I would show you pics of all this but I spent a lot of time eating…
… and more eating.
I was also going to see two good friends. So, what to pack as edible gifts? Answer: chewy granola bars.
These granola bars were inspired by several sources, including King Arthur Flour (an outstanding resource for all things baked), Smitten Kitchen, and 101 Cookbooks. There are a gazillion granola bar recipes out there, and a ton more available for purchase. But they are all too sweet, and not packed with enough of the good stuff that I want in a granola bar.
So I began experimenting with different versions.
Using a food scale really helps to keep measurements accurate. You’d be surprised how different the amounts are as compared to solid measuring cups.
You can purchase oat flour. But it’s way less expensive to grind a little oatmeal into a fine flour, using a mini food processor. Which, by the way, is a very handy, dandy thing to have in your kitchen. Plus, it doesn’t cost a lot and it’s cute.
Brown rice syrup is a relative newcomer to my pantry. I came across it at 101 Cookbooks. Its a liquid sweetener that can be used to replace corn syrup. I love all things corn. But without going into a nutritional science lecture, I’ll just say that when I come across a creation with corn syrup, I immediately retreat. Brown rice syrup allows me to do a lot more without getting willies.
To lower the fat, I stay away from butter (love the stuff, but prefer to use it for my bread) and use oil whenever I can. I omit the white sugar that I saw in many recipes, and include my beloved maple syrup. To boost flavor, I use creamy almond butter.
This smelled so delicious, I had more than a few tastes. NO, I mean, I was checking for…consistency.
Press into pan with all you’ve got!
Cut bars with a steady, even hand.
All packed up and ready to eat
Chewy Granola Bars
Ingredients:
1 2/3 c. quick rolled oats (aka 1 minute oatmeal) If you notice in the image above, I used old fashioned oats, which will do in a pinch, and I wasn’t about to return to the store. 1/3 c. oat flour, made by processing oatmeal in a food processor or blender until finely ground. 1/2 c. peanuts 3/4 c. walnuts or pecans 2 c. dried fruit (I use diced apricots, cranberries and golden raisins) 1/4 c. sunflower seeds 1/2 c. dried unsweetened coconut 1/4 t. salt 1/2 t. cinnamon 1/3 c. safflower (or canola) oil 1/3 c. maple syrup 1/3 c. brown rice syrup 2 T. water 1/3 c. almond butter (or another nut butter) (Delicious but can be omitted if allergic)Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 °.
The dry ingredients should equal 3-4 cups. To be more precise, use a food scale and measure 10-15 ounces for the total of fruit, nuts and seeds.
Toast the oats on a baking sheet in oven for 5 minutes.
Add nuts, stir and toast for 5 more minutes. Place in large bowl.
Stir all dry ingredients together, including oats, oat flour, nuts, dried fruit, seeds, salt, cinnamon and coconut.
Mix together oil, maple syrup and brown rice syrup. I like to heat this mixture for 30 seconds in the microwave, to better blend with the dry ingredients.
Add this mixture to large bowl, together with water and almond butter.
Toss until mixture is evenly combined.
Line a medium jellyroll pan (9″ x 9″ x 2″) with parchment paper, leaving room for the paper to go over both sides. If you don’t have a jellyroll pan, then use a 9″ square baking pan. Lightly grease the parchment paper.
Spread mixture in pan. Using oiled hands, press the mixture firmly to insure that it is molded tightly to the shape of the pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until they are brown around the edges. The bars may still seem soft, but they will set completely, once totally cool.
Cool the bars on a rack. After 30 minutes, lift them out of the pan, using the parchment paper onto a rack to cool the rest of the way. When cool, cut with a serrated knife (or bench knife) into squares. If the bars seem crumbly while being cut, carefully place them with paper back in the pan and chill in the fridge for 1/2 hour. and then cut them cold.
To store, wrap bars individually in plastic or place in airtight container.
bb Granola Bar Tips:
- Keep the ratio of dry ingredients (3 to 4 c.) to liquid ingredients (about 1 c.) stable. I got a bit overzealous with all the ingredients around me and went overboard with the dry ingredients. Try not to do that, and you’ll have a tighter bar.
- This is a very flexible recipe. If you’re allergic to nuts, use all dried fruit or fruit and seeds. Don’t like coconut or seeds? Omit them. My mix in this version included roasted peanuts, walnuts, dried apricots, dried cranberries, golden raisins, sunflower seeds, and dried unsweetened coconut. Other ideas include pecans, dried cherries, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and dried apples. You are limited only by your imagination.
- To keep measurements as accurate as possible, use a food scale and measure in ounces.
- I can’t stress this next tip enough: when setting the mixture in the pan, PRESS, PRESS, and PRESS again. It is critical that it be packed as tightly as possible.
- These bars are affected by climate. If it is very hot or humid, the bars will crumble easily. Given that, it’s probably a good idea to store in either the fridge or freezer.
*bb trivia: Buckeye refers to a tree native to the Ohio region. it bears an acorn-like fruit and is also the name of a confection made with PB & chocolate, which resembles the acorn. It pops up everywhere, including the ice cream cone I ordered before returning home. Chocolate ice cream, laced with ribbons of peanut butter throughout. Yay, Buckeyes!
Karen, Judy and Andra
We put together an impromptu picnic with friends to follow a trip to the museum last weekend. Run out to the store? Who me? NO!
Look in the fridge and pantry? Yes!
Sitting in the fridge just waiting to come to the rescue
Roasted veggies… hurray!
I believe in using what I’ve got. Leftovers?? Heck no, they’re holdovers. Just sitting in the fridge, patiently holding on and waiting for you to serve them in a different way to create a whole new dish.
There’s a kind of stigma attached to the word leftovers.
It’s like your first-grade teacher telling your new second-grade teacher that you whisper too much in class. I don’t appreciate that label. I mean, you wouldn’t appreciate that label. It carries a kind of expectation, a semi- stigma, if you will.
Just like leftovers. Sounds a little less-than. A notch lower than when eaten on the first day.
Let’s empower those extra servings of delicious food that you prepared that’s sitting inside your fridge. Hurray for holdovers! Maybe they can even get their own reality show! Makeovers for Holdovers! I need an agent… is the contract ready for me to sign yet?
Oh, there goes my imagination running off on me again. I’ve heard that’s a very healthy thing so I won’t apologize.
When re-tooling holdovers, I like to consider a few elements:
- Colors – what colors would go well together? Eye appeal boosts appetite.
- Taste – what can I do to up the flavor quotient? Go-to response: garlic, fresh herbs, lemon juice.
- Texture – do you want smooth or something with crunch? Applies to many many things beyond peanut butter)
- and last but not least, Nutritional Value. If you have just a bit of meat or chicken or veggies in that holding pattern in your fridge, adding beans does a lot to boost the protein level. Consider garbanzos, cannellini beans, black beans, kidney beans, edamame (soy beans) or lentils. And if you’ve got veggies, add a grain. Have a grain? Add veggies. Straightforward stuff.
I just found these little grape tomatoes hanging out outside on the vine (the vine’s a bit on the scrawny side, but it’s a vine nonetheless). I sliced them in half lengthwise and added them to the salad right after I took the pics and before we headed out the door. A mix of roasted and fresh veggies adds more pizzazz to an already good thing.
Roasted Veggie and Quinoa Salad
Ingredients:
1 c. assorted roasted veggies (I used Japanese eggplant, striped squash, onion and red peppers)
1 c. cooked quinoa
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 T. extra virgin olive oil (the better the quality, the better the flavor)
1 c. canned garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 scallion (green onion), thinly sliced
2 T. fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1 T. fresh basil, chopped (can substitute with cilantro or dill)
salt & pepper
Optional additions: 2-3 oz. feta or goat cheese, 2 T. toasted pine nuts, a handful of cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced lengthwise in half, 1 clove freshly minced garlic, 1 c. chopped fresh kale or spinach
Directions:
Cook quinoa according to package directions. I usually cook more than I need (holdovers!). In this case I used 1 c. quinoa to 2 c. liquid (half broth and half water) and used a little more than half the cooked quinoa. Bring to boil and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes. Then remove from heat and let all liquid absorb. Fluff with fork and transfer the quinoa you’re using to mixing bowl.
Cut up roasted vegetables into a bite-sized dice and add to quinoa. Add sliced green onions.
Drizzle lemon juice and olive oil over the quinoa and veggies. Add fresh herbs, salt and pepper and toss lightly. Adjust seasonings and away we go!
Serves about 4 – delicious at room temperature.
bb note: If you’d like more info on roasting vegetables, check out an earlier post on a roasted cauliflower medley by clicking here.
I warned you I have strawberries on the brain.
I saw an unusual cake back in May on a beautifully-done food blog called Joy the Baker. I looked it up again and I tell you, I just couldn’t find the cake in her index (which is also a joy to behold). All the more reason for you to check this blog out. Joy’s very creative, writes from her kishkes (alright, guts – but actually guts and heart) and just published her first book . You’ll want to adopt her. I know I do (but she has to get in line, Andra).
This is a dense, deeply flavorful cake that she found in Heidi Swanson’s cookbook Super Natural Every Day. I lowered the sugar level a bit but it’s essentially the same.
Heidi has an amazing healthy food journal called 101 Cookbooks. Read her About Me page (right column of her home page) to learn how she got her start almost a decade ago.
The inspiration is everywhere. And I know it makes me want to head straight into the kitchen. But first…sing along if you like: Hi Ho, Hi Ho It’s Farmer’s Market We Go-oh.
So berry good
Hulling sans huller
Taking out the guesswork
And not only that, there’s maple syrup and balsamic vinegar too.
Getting ready to roast strawberries with maple syrup mix
Before
After
There’s a pillow in the quiche pan
Next time i will use the full amount of strawberries in the cake. I ate too many before and after roasting.
Roasted Strawberry Buttermilk Cake
from Super Natural Every Day (via Joy the Baker)
Ingredients:
8 oz. hulled strawberries (the sweeter the better) 2 T. maple syrup 1 T. olive oil (yes, olive oil!) pinch of salt 2 t. balsamic vinegar 2 1/2 c. flour 1 t. baking powder 1/2 c. sugar 1/2 t. salt 2 eggs 1 1/2 c. buttermilk 1/4 c. butter (1/2 stick), melted and slightly cooled 1 t. vanilla 3 T. turbinado (or raw or light brown) sugar (turbinado gives the top a nice crunch)Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°. Line a roasting pan with parchment paper.
Whisk together maple syrup, olive oil and salt. Place cut strawberries in a bowl. Drizzle maple syrup mixture over the berries until all are coated. Put strawberries in roasting pan and roast for about 40 minutes. It’s okay to see some of the liquid darkened. Remove from pan back to bowl. Toss with balsamic vinegar and set aside. (For a cake? Is this trippy or what?)
Increase oven temperature to 400°.
Whisk or sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in medium bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk buttermilk, eggs and melted butter. Add vanilla.
Add liquid mixture all at once to dry ingredients and stir until just combined and the lumps are gone.
Spoon batter into greased (or buttered – use the paper from the butter!) pan. I used a quiche pan (wider and shallower than a 9″ round baking pan, which might work too) The original version of the recipe uses a cast iron skillet, which I’m sure is wonderful but alas, I donated mine because I have delicate wrists (ouch!).
Top batter with half the roasted strawberries and juice. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar and bake for 20-30 minutes until set on top and a toothpick inserted near the center is dry. A few crumbs are fine.
Cool in pan on rack. It’s delicious eaten that day. Serve wedges of cake with a little remaining fruit drizzled over the middle. Put any leftovers (if you have) in the fridge (but is best eaten fresh or the next day).
I have to go. My mouth is watering.
bumbleberry breeze 