The fruits of summer pair with almond to create a light cake, good for snacking and breakfast! Today is the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. It’s a day that speaks of the hot days of Summer and long warm evenings. The days when children play outside well past their bedtimes, their shrieks and laughter mingling with the smells of smoke and grilling. Sunshine and flowers, swimming pools and beaches. You know what it does not speak of? Rain. So much rain. And cool, damp air. So much so that I am sitting at my desk wearing socks and a sweatshirt to keep warm. As any baker ...
WHAT DO I DO WITH THIS? STUFFED ROUND ZUCCHINI SQUASH!
I picked up my first CSA box (Community Supported Agriculture—it’s a farm share) yesterday from Bush-n-Vine, a nearby farm. It was a good one: early tomatoes, some sweet late strawberries, lettuce, Swiss chard, and these guys. I wasn’t one hundred percent sure what they were at first, but it turns out they are round zucchini. Who knew such a thing even existed? And that’s all they are: round zucchini. No unusual flavor, nothing different except the shape, and the shape is so much fun. These little guys were begging to be hollowed out and stuffed. Which is what I did. I ...
BAKING WITH HERBS: LEMON BASIL POUNDCAKE WITH STRAWBERRY GLAZE
Fresh basil gives a new dimension to the flavors of lemon pound cake. Top with a glaze made of fresh strawberries for a Spring Treat! I watch a lot of baking and cooking shows. They can be a source of inspiration as well as entertainment. My latest not-so-guilty pleasure is the Great American Baking Show on the Roku channel. Once I got past the awesome arrogance of Paul Hollywood expounding on what is and is not “an American bake”, I discovered the similarities of the show to the original Great British Baking Show were the ones I wanted to see: kind and enthusiastic home bakers ...
PANCAKES IN ANOTHER FORM! BROWN BUTTER MAPLE CAKE WITH BALSAMIC BLUEBERRY COMPOTE
BROWN BUTTER MAPLE CAKE WITH BALSAMIC BLUEBERRY COMPOTE Sunday means breakfast: a stack of pancakes brimming with blueberries and swimming in syrup. Sunday means brunch: elegant mimosas in long stemmed flute. Sunday means BBQ, or a barbeque: the one a Southern treat, and the other a hot dog and hamburger staple of American life. Whatever your Sunday looks like, this cake brings it all together. Brown butter and maple syrup make a batter that tastes a lot like pancakes. And the sweet blueberry compote has a hint of mimosa elegance from a dash of balsamic vinegar. The single ...
STRAWBERRY RHUBARB PIE
Strawberry and Rhubarb come together in a delicious pie. Each bite is different. In one you taste the tang of rhubarb. In the next, the sweetness of strawberry. And in another the two unite in a sweet-tart blend of fruit. I was in college when I tasted rhubarb for the first time. It was a revelation. What is Rhubarb? Rhubarb is a vegetable. And it is very tart. I have heard the flavor compared to that of a sour green apple, unripe grapes, or a not-yet-ready-to-eat kiwi. Sugar will tame the tang, but it will keep its acidic flavor. Which makes it perfect to pair with ...
BBQ SEASON CLASSIC SIDES: POTATO SALAD WITH OLIVES AND TURMERIC, AND VINEGAR COLESLAW
We’ve been eating a lot of hamburgers and hot dogs around here lately. It’s quick and easy and pleasing to people of all ages. When it’s a spur of the moment meal, I am apt to purchase some sides. But when I have time, I would rather make potato salad and coleslaw myself. These two recipes are among my most requested from family and friends. Potato Salad with Olives and Turmeric Interestingly, when I went to google turmeric, almost everything that came up had to do with the health benefits of turmeric It has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties which may be beneficial for a ...
THE BEST HOT CROSS BUNS
You know how I feel about Hot Cross Buns! But instead of just being disappointed by them, this time I decided to identify where I felt they were lacking and see if I could fix the problems. And I did it! My Hot Cross Buns are smaller in size than the traditional bun, giving each bite a good ratio of honey glazed crust to soft interior. They are filled with bits of diced apricot, an ingredient with more pop than the humble raisin. And the dough, made with coconut milk and sweetened coconut flakes, is liberally flavored with vanilla and almond. Every bite has a hint of flavor ...
Almost a Lemon Meringue Pie: Lime Tart with Swiss Meringue
This started with a lemon meringue pie and eventually segued into something altogether different: a zesty lime tart with a sugar cookie crust, topped with a shiny, marshmallowy Swiss meringue. The back story: my mother made a lemon meringue pie that everyone loved. Her lemon filling was topped with just the right amount of meringue. The balance of flavors was perfect! Every forkful yielded up soft marshmallowlike meringue, tart lemon and a crunch of pie crust. I never learned how to make my mother’s meringue pie and I never found a lemon meringue pie that I liked after that. The “Mile ...
MY FOOD CHALLENGE
I went to the grocery store today and it was boring. Same old, same old doesn’t begin to say it. The fruits and vegetable aisle looks so inviting with its bright reds, greens, oranges and yellows. But once you start to walk down the aisle you will notice that there isn’t a lot of variety. Sure you can get carrots five different ways: organic, regular, mini-carrots, unpackaged with greens on, and topped and bagged (5 and 20 pound bags). And there is a small display of “tropical fruits”. But even that suffers from a steady diet of mangoes and passion fruit! To be fair, I am a part of ...
LEMON DROP COOKIES
Isn’t the weather so odd? The two halves of our country are experiencing diametrically opposite winters. In the North, it’s brutal, cold and icy and snowy. In the South it is weirdly hot, and Spring is making an early entrance. It’s emblematic of where we stand on so many things. But here’s one thing we can agree on: cookies. Specifically, soft cake-like cookies, topped with a zingy lemon frosting. They sing of spring and daffodils. Which, for those of us in the South, is perfectly suited to the warm sun and early spring we are enjoying. And for my friends in colder places, I hope it ...
