The pickings at our farmers market haven’t been too impressive yet. It is still early in the season in the northeast, and we have had almost daily heavy thunderstorms. However, there has been no shortage of strawberries. Locally grown strawberries are usually super sweet, fragrant and reliably good. That’s why I can’t stop writing about them. It has been all strawberries all the time around here.
This is a simple tart made with the shortcrust pastry from this month’s Daring Bakers Bakewell Tarts. This pastry definitely will not replace my ususal pate brisee. It was nice for a change and is really easy to roll out. I baked the strawberries in the tarts so the flavors would get even sweeter and the juices would provide a base. I added only about a 1/4 tsp of sugar to the top of the berries and dusted the base of the tart with flour. The slight tartness of the fresh kiwi went really well with the baked strawberries. I would normally brush the tops with some apricot jam or marmalade. We ate these right away while they were still slightly warm, and it finally felt like summer.
I have always wanted to make a souffle. It has been one of those things that I just hadn’t gotten around to making myself. When I saw this recipe at Closet Cooking, I knew I would have to give it a try. Even though the recipe said it would be easy, I was still surprised at how quickly this came together. I love that it uses strawberries. Most of the souffle recipes I have seen use chocolate. I had some really awesome strawberries we bought at our local farmers market. I bought these cute mini ramekins on sale a while ago and had yet to use them. I wasn’t really sure how high to fill them so I erred on the side of caution. I would probably fill them a little higher for dramatic effect next time. The souffles were really light, like strawberry air. I will definitely be making and tinkering around with this recipe again.
Strawberry Souffle recipe from Closet Cooking
1 cup mashed strawberries
2 tbsp sugar (I used only one)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract (I used some vanilla bean paste, about 1/2 tsp)
3 room temperature egg whites
Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. Taking care not to deflate the egg whites, fold in the strawberries, sugar and vanilla. Bake in greased ramekins at 350 degrees until puffed (about 10-12 minutes)
The June Daring Bakers‘ challenge was hosted by Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict and Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar. They chose a Traditional (UK) Bakewell Tart… er… pudding that was inspired by a rich baking history dating back to the 1800’s in England.
I had never heard of a Bakewell Tart or Pudding before this challenge. I like pretty much anything that involves almonds and jam so this was a welcome dessert in my house. I had never made frangipane before, and I was happy that the blob in the middle of the tart spread and rose in a surprisingly even layer when baked. It didn’t puff up too much, but I don’t know if that’s because my layer was really thin. I made this into five little tarts with some pastry leftover. It was actually really rich, even with a pretty generous layer of raspberry jam. This isn’t to say I didn’t like it, but there is a lot of butter in these innocent looking tarts. I think the next time I make this I am going to try making bite sized ones. I have a cute set of tiny tart molds from my parents house that I am pretty sure has never been used.
This month’s challenge actually marks a year since I joined the Daring Bakers with last June’s Danish Braid. This year has really been a whirlwind in other areas of my life. The challenges have inspired me to keep up with blogging and spend quality time in the kitchen making new things. I really have learned a lot and have made a number of things that I wouldn’t otherwise. Thanks to Ivonne and Lis for starting this awesome group and to Jasmine and Annemarie for hosting this month’s challenge!
Continue reading ‘Daring Bakers: Bakewell Tart’
I wanted to post this recipe in honor of Father’s Day. My father taught me his secrets to making really good meatballs: you have to add Parmesan cheese, don’t over do it with bread crumbs, and always brown the meatballs. This recipe is somewhat different from the ingredients my dad would use, but I still always use those three tips.
Ingredients
1 pound ground bison or beef
1/2 to 3/4 cup of bread crumbs (I use panko)
1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried oregano
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil (optional)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 egg
Combine the ingredients by hand until the mixture is evenly combined. I like to make the meatballs with about 2 tablespoons of meat so they are on the small side. Heat a pan with about a 1/4 inch of olive oil. Add the meatballs in batches and brown on each side. They will fully cook when they are added to the sauce.
I like to serve this with a really simple sauce: 3 cloves garlic sauted in olive oil, 1 large cal on crushed tomatoes and 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil. Add the meatballs to the sauce and heat through and toss with spaghetti.
But they are ricotta pancakes with sauteed apples. I had some ricotta cheese that needed to be used up and found this recipe at the venerable Smitten Kitchen. The texture of these pancakes is incredibly light and delicate. Mine fluffed up a lot when cooking and settled a bit after they cooled. I added vanilla bean to the batter and well as lemon zest because I was afraid of them tasting too cheesey. The cheese flavor was actually very mild, and I think these would be really good with fresh peaches.
Check out Smitten Kitchen for the recipe originally from Gourmet.
The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.
I always love when the Daring Baker’s challenge is something that I have never made. It is even better when it is something that I know I will make again. This dough is really fun to work with and roll out. It didn’t fall apart even when stretched paper thin. I stuck really close to the recipe and only changed cranberries for raisins and added extra cinnamon and orange zest. The result wasn’t beautiful, but it was really delicious. I look forward to experimenting with this dough in the very near future. Check out some out the other Daring Baker creations here at the beautiful new site!
Thanks to Courtney and Linda for hosting this month’s challenge!
Continue reading ‘Daring Bakers: Apple Strudel’
I recently took a break from blogging, but really it was a break from cooking anything remotely interesting. When I feel like I am being swallowed whole by work and life in general, I just want to eat peanut butter and jelly, pasta and grilled cheese. This past weekend, I decided it was time to bake something a little special. I love free form tarts. They are really easy to make and take a lot less effort than a pie. I rolled this out and baked it on floured parchment so I wouldn’t have to worry abut transferring it. I added a little orange zest and a little sugar to bring out the flavor of the strawberries.
Ingredients
1 pie crust (I used Martha Stewart’s pate brisee)
3 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp corn starch
1/2 tsp orange zest
1 egg and splash of water for egg wash
1 tbsp orange marmalade
Toss the sliced strawberries in one tsp of sugar, zest and corn starch. Set aside. Roll out the dough into a circle about a 1/4 thick. Arrange the strawberries in a circle leaving a 1 inch border. Pinch the sides over to seal the edges and brush with egg wash. Top the whole tart with the remaining tsp of sugar. Bake at 350 for 1/2 hour and raise to 375 for additional 15 minutes or until the crust has lightly browned. Allow the tart to cool. Heat the marmalade and brush over the top of the strawberries for a glossy finish.
I have been wanting to make cheese at home since…well, forever. It has always seemed kind of impossible. When I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingslover, her family describes making fresh mozzarella as being relatively easy. Earlier this year I read a post over at A Good Appetite about making mozzarella with success. I decided it was finally time to order a kit from The New England Cheesemaking Company and give it a go. I read the directions about six times and had assistance from J and my mother in law stopped by to check it out. It really wasn’t difficult, and it is kind of like making candy in that once you have done it and know what you are looking for things get easier. I didn’t take pictures of the process this time. Basically, it involves heating the milk with rennet and citric acid. You allow it to stand, cutting the curds, heating and stretching the curds into cheese. I heated the curds in the microwave and I think the heat was really uneven. It was the only step that gave me a little trouble. I plan to heat it on the stove in a water bath next time. Next time, I will probably make it into a rounder ball.
We ate some of our precious homemade cheese plain with a bit of salt and melted the rest over some pasta with roasted red pepper tomato sauce. The cheese was really good and tasted like something we would buy, which in this case was the idea. I was ridiculously proud of myself for finally taking the first step in learning to make cheese. It reminded me of a scene in the movie What about Bob? when Bob goes sailing and can’t contain his over the top enthusiasm. I wanted to run around town telling everyone I made cheese!
The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.
I was expecting something sweet for this month’s Daring Bakers, and I have to admit that I put off making this lasagna until the last possible moment. Between being overloaded with work, going to conferences and reading the Twilight books, my free time has been pretty limited. I wasn’t in the mood for meat and I decided to make a mushroom ‘ragu’. I am always in the mood for mushrooms. Shitake mushrooms have become on of my favorite things over the last year. I thought that the mushrooms went really well with the delicate spinach pasta. I used a pasta machine, and found this dough to be really easy to roll out. My husband helped, and we had long green noodles draped over the kitchen drying. It looked a little nuts like green snakeskins…yum. The whole project was well worth it. In the end, this was a really delicious dish that I will make again.
Thanks so much to this month’s hosts: Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande! You can find the complete recipe for the pasta and lasagne assembling on their blogs. Check out the other Daring Bakers’ creations on the fabulous brand new site or the blogroll!
Mushroom Ragu
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cups diced portobello mushrooms
3 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
3 cups sliced button mushrooms
1 cup sliced shitake mushrooms
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 cup whole milk
Saute the mushrooms in the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the spices, tomatoes and milk and bring to a low simmer, partially covered for at least an hour.
I have made many different kinds of blueberry muffins, but I think that this recipe is my new favorite. Muffins, particularly whole grain muffins, have a tendency to disappoint. The buttermilk really adds a lot to the flavor and texture. They rose higher than expected and were delicate and light. From what I understand, the acid in the buttermilk gives the baking power an extra boost. I used frozen blueberries in these. I usually buy organic frozen fruit, but lately I has been buying Dole. The fruit is perfectly shaped (I’m guessing from being flash frozen) and surprisingly good.
I served these on this really cute cake stand. Apparently, my mom got it at her bridal shower in the late seventies. I don’t imagine it was ever her taste. I hadn’t seen it until we did a final cleaning of my parent’s house after it sold. It was like finding a little gem, and I immediately put it in my ‘keep pile’. The plate has these really cheerful spring bright spring flowers on it. I just love it.
Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins
from the Joy of Baking with my notes in parentheses
2 1/2 cups (350 grams) all-purpose flour (I used 2 cups white whole wheat and 1/2 AP)
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
(I added 1/4 tsp of cinnamon)
Zest of one orange (I used zest of 1/2 a lemon)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup (180 ml) buttermilk (I used 1 cup for extra moisture with the whole wheat flour)
2/3 cup (160 ml) safflower or canola oil (I used a light olive)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups of blueberries (do not thaw if frozen)
Preheat the oven to 375. Mix the wet ingredients together, including the zest. Sift the dry ingredients together and stir in the sugar. Mix the wet and dry together and carefully fold in the blueberries. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes. This will make 12 muffins.
