SoupSpoon

blueberry anniversary

I told you about how we met.
A few months after that encounter we began to spend long summer afternoons together. That summer, our favorite day of the week was Wednesday. Every Wednesday, neither of us had to work, and we made a ritual of picking buckets of blueberries and making blueberry pie. Walking the rows of blueberry bushes and talking in the bright sun, we started to fall in love with who the other person was.
My sister came with us to pick blueberries one week. It was her first time to meet my new friend, Stephen. She called me later in the day to tell me, in that older sister sort of way, that he could be part of our family. I rolled my eyes, and quite unconvincingly said the typical, "We are just friends."
A few summers later, Stephen and I made blueberry pies again, but this time it was for our wedding.

Two weeks ago we celebrated our 3rd anniversary, and Stephen planned the most perfect day. We woke up early, went on a hike in the woods where Stephen proposed, traveled out to a blueberry farm, picked a bucket full, went to my favorite little eclectic sandwich shop for lunch, stopped in a few thrift stores, and then met up with friends for a beer at our local microbrewery.

To top it off, we made a blueberry pie. Just like our relationship, the pie seems to get better every year.

This recipe, apart from its obvious nostalgic value, is a beautifully delicious and surprisingly healthy recipe. The only sweeteners are the natural sweetness of the berries and a tad bit of maple syrup. The flavor of the berries pops in your mouth, and the almond butter and olive oil crust carries a deep rich flavor while being completely vegan.

I do not know where I found this original recipe. It was in one of those free magazines they give you at health food stores. Though I can not claim it as my own, I can say it feels very much like our own. This pie is special. Not just good. Not just seasonal. Not just pretty. Special. Just like him.

Blueberry Pie in an Olive Oil Almond Butter Crust makes 1, 9 inch pie
Filling:
4 cups of fresh blueberries, rinsed
about 1/3 to 1/2 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons kudzu root starch or corn starch
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)

Crust:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons smooth almond butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
pinch of salt

1. Mix crust ingredients together thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Add a bit more syrup or olive oil as necessary until the dough holds together when pinched. Press dough into pie plate. Reserve about 1/2 cup of dough to use as crumble on top of pie
2. Bake crust in 375 oven for 12 minutes until slightly golden. (you might want to us pie weights in the crust during this blind baking to prevent shrinking.)
3. While crust is baking, bring blueberries, syrup, and cardamom to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Stir occasionally. When the berries just begin to let out their juices, mix the cornstarch or kudzu with 3 tablespoons of water to make a slurry. While stirring the berries constantly, slowly add slurry to the berries. Make sure to not let the bottom of the berries burn to the pot. Stir well and constantly until the berries begin to thicken. Just as they come to a boil and thicken, take them off the heat
4. Pour berries in pre-baked crust. Top with reserved dough to make a crumble. Bake in 375 oven for another 10 minutes until crumbles are brown. Let cool and serve with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy

Daring Baker #14

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.
The Daring Bakers published a bit of history on the Bakewell Tart, and because it was such pleasant reading I copied it here for you.

"This tart, like many of the world's great foods has its own mythic beginnings…or several mythic beginnings. Legend has it in 1820 (or was it in the 1860s?) Mrs. Greaves, landlady of The White Horse Inn in Bakewell, Derbyshire (England), asked her cook to produce a pudding for her guests. Either her instructions could have been clearer or he should have paid better attention to what she said because what he made was not what she asked for. The cook spread the jam on top of the frangipane mixture rather than the other way around. Or maybe instead of a sweet rich shortcrust pastry case to hold the jam for a strawberry tart, he made a regular pastry and mixed the eggs and sugar separately and poured that over the jam—it depends upon which legend you follow."

On that note, I started to bake. Following legends and making legends, I ended up having to substitute corn flour for a portion of the all-purpose flour in the shortbread crust. I know that was not proper, but it was early in the morning, and I was desperate. Assuming the Bakewell fairies can forgive me, I must admit it is quite delicious this way. I had to use 6 ounces of corn flour (not corn meal, corn flour) plus 2 ounces of flour in the crust. It did not roll well, thus I had to press it into the tart pan. Other than that, I think it was a painless substitution.

For my jam filling I spread a thin layer of seedless blackberry jam over the crust. I then tossed 1 cup of blueberries with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract, and then spread the blueberries over the jam. Topped with the frangipane, and baked for 30 minutes. I covered it with foil for the final 5 minutes because it was getting too brown.

If you ground your won almonds for this, you will need about 1 heaping cup of unsalted almonds. I ground mine for about 30 seconds in the food processor.

This was a fun way to start the day.

I ate a slice when it was still warm, and was pleasantly surprised. From the description, I was half-heartedly interested in this dessert. From the tasting, I completely understand why the fame of the  Bakewell Tart has traveled over oceans.

Bakewell Tart…er…pudding
Makes one 23cm (9” tart)
Prep time: less than 10 minutes (plus time for the individual elements)
Resting time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes
Equipment needed: 23cm (9”) tart pan or pie tin (preferably with ridged edges), rolling pin

One quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (recipe follows)
Bench flour
250ml (1cup (8 US fl. oz)) jam or curd, warmed for spreadability
One quantity frangipane (recipe follows)
One handful blanched, flaked almonds

Assembling the tart
Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it's overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimatised for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm (1/4”) thickness, by rolling in one direction only (start from the centre and roll away from you), and turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to the tart pan, press in and trim the excess dough. Patch any holes, fissures or tears with trimmed bits. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200C/400F.

Remove shell from freezer, spread as even a layer as you can of jam onto the pastry base. Top with frangipane, spreading to cover the entire surface of the tart. Smooth the top and pop into the oven for 30 minutes. Five minutes before the tart is done, the top will be poofy and brownish. Remove from oven and strew flaked almonds on top and return to the heat for the last five minutes of baking.

The finished tart will have a golden crust and the frangipane will be tanned, poofy and a bit spongy-looking. Remove from the oven and cool on the counter. Serve warm, with crème fraîche, whipped cream or custard sauce if you wish.

When you slice into the tart, the almond paste will be firm, but slightly squidgy and the crust should be crisp but not tough.

Jasmine’s notes:
• If you cannot have nuts, you can try substituting Victoria sponge for the frangipane. It's a pretty popular popular cake, so you shouldn't have any troubles finding one in one of your cookbooks or through a Google search. That said, our dear Natalie at Gluten a Go Go has sourced some recipes and linked to them in the related alt.db thread.
• You can use whichever jam you wish, but if you choose something with a lot of seeds, such as raspberry or blackberry, you should sieve them out.
• The jam quantity can be anywhere from 60ml (1/4 cup) to 250ml (1cup), depending upon how “damp” and strongly flavoured your preserves are. I made it with the lesser quantity of home made strawberry jam, while Annemarie made it with the greater quantity of cherry jam; we both had fabulous results. If in doubt, just split the difference and spread 150ml (2/3cup) on the crust.
Annemarie’s notes:
• The excess shortcrust can be rolled out and cut into cookie-shapes (heck, it’s pretty darned close to a shortbread dough).

Sweet shortcrust pastry

Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Resting time: 30 minutes (minimum)
Equipment needed: bowls, box grater, cling film

225g (8oz) all purpose flour
30g (1oz) sugar
2.5ml (½ tsp) salt
110g (4oz) unsalted butter, cold (frozen is better)
2 (2) egg yolks
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract (optional)
15-30ml (1-2 Tbsp) cold water

Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater. Using your finger tips only, and working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.

Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract (if using) and quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough.

Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

Jasmine’s notes:
• I make this using vanilla salt and vanilla sugar.
• If you wish, you can substitute the seeds of one vanilla bean, one teaspoon of vanilla paste or one teaspoon of vanilla extract for the almond extract

Frangipane

Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Equipment needed: bowls, hand mixer, rubber spatula

125g (4.5oz) unsalted butter, softened
125g (4.5oz) icing sugar
3 (3) eggs
2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract
125g (4.5oz) ground almonds
30g (1oz) all purpose flour

Cream butter and sugar together for about a minute or until the mixture is primrose in colour and very fluffy. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. The batter may appear to curdle. In the words of Douglas Adams: Don’t panic. Really. It’ll be fine. After all three are in, pour in the almond extract and mix for about another 30 seconds and scrape down the sides again. With the beaters on, spoon in the ground nuts and the flour. Mix well. The mixture will be soft, keep its slightly curdled look (mostly from the almonds) and retain its pallid yellow colour.

Annemarie’s notes:
• Add another five minutes or more if you're grinding your own almonds or if you're mixing by hand (Heaven help you).

garden's pesto chicken sandwich

Much to our enjoyment, the garden decided to really grow this year. The past few years we had only decent results, but this year we are gathering beautifully fat fruits from the vines. The fact that things grow never gets old to me or stops amazing me. I put a seed in the dirt and then a deliciously sweet plant ends up on our plate. Just like that.

In the afternoon sunshine, we picked a few things and made dinner.

Our better boy plants are already producing red slicing tomatoes, and we are taking advantage of every last one. Tomatoes should nearly always be wedded to a handful of basil, and fortunately that is growing well too. (We are so excited that things are growing.)

I picked up a loaf of golden french bread, pulled some cooked chicken breasts, whirled a bit of pesto, sliced a fresh cucumber and juicy tomato, rinsed some lettuce, schmeared some dijon, sprinkled some feta, and presto, we had a meal. There is an art to a good sandwich. Balance of texture, fluffy golden bread with browned edges, the ratio of filling to meat to bread, and as Stephen says, "It is just a snack unless you need two hands to hold it."
Good sandwiches are a smart food in the summertime when we want to get out for a Saturday and spend the day in the sun. A sandwich like this is sure to remind us of the joy we get from a garden that is growing.

Pesto Chicken Sandwich serves 4
1 pound chicken breasts, cooked, cooled, and pulled
1/3 cup basil pesto or arugula pesto
1 red slicing tomato, thinly sliced
1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
4 romaine lettuce leaves
1/4 cup feta cheese
1 tablespoon dijon
salt and pepper
a loaf of soft french bread

Basil Pesto makes about 3/4 cup
2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
olive oil until smooth
salt to taste
1. In small food processor, puree garlic with pine nuts and a few tablespoons of olive oil. Once smooth, add in basil and another drizzle olive oil. Puree just until smooth. Over mixing can make the basil bitter

Assembly
1. Toss cooled pulled chicken with pesto. Set aside
2. Slice open bread, and brown in toaster
3. Schmear dijon on bread and layer fillings. Top with chicken. Sprinkle salt and pepper over all. Try to get it closed, and take a big bite. Enjoy

full

It feels like summer burst into existence. I am in the middle of two summer classes, requiring more reading per night than I can hardly manage, while still keeping my head above water with work, life, and obligations. Of course you are busy too, and so I think maybe you can empathize.

Fun? Yes, I am having fun, and I would also say learning quite a bit too. Thus, I am not complaining as much as I am just marking down for my memory this season of June 2009.

Work, hard work, steady never ending work, goes down easily to me. Something about having to move-move-move is exciting. This pressure to work harder and faster reminds me of working in a kitchen, only without the heat, sweat, and aching feet.

Here on my way to take another quiz and turn in another project, I am just popping in to say, "Good morning. How are you doing this June?"

I do hope you are living full too.

Daring Baker #13

The sinfully addictive nature of cherries has hypnotized me since childhood. I could enjoy an entire cherry pie all to myself when I was barely knee high (I am not exaggerating). Though I have learned a bit about moderation as an adult, I am still a complete sucker for the brilliant red fruit. 

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. They allowed for creativity in our filling choice, and of course the tempting cherry lured me right into her sticky sweet grasp.

 

Last year when Stephen and I spent a week on the Oregon coast, we ate our fill of regional cherries on picnics, at breakfast, and in the middle of the afternoon. This weekend we ate our fill of cherries wrapped in strudel, and that was a mighty fine way to go about it as well.

When you look down through the procedure and you start to see things like "Cover your working area with table cloth, dust it with flour, and rub it into the fabric" and "Stretch and pull the dough until it's about 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (90 cm) long" you might quickly click away. I understand completely, but truly this was simple and fun. I covered the dining room table with a sheet and got to work.

My dough did not get to be 3 feet by 2 feet, but it was paper thin at about 2 feet by 2 feet. I think I might have misunderstood the directions for rolling because my rolling and maneuvering of a long, delicate, and filled strudel was laughable at best. (I was definitely laughing at myself) It sort of reminded me of what it would be like to give a dachshund a bath. All slinky and slippery.

If you make this, you really should have someone on hand to take pictures of that process. Fortunately for me and (unfortunately for you) Stephen was not at home to take some of me. Thus, I will leave it to your fanciful imaginations.

Preparation time
Total: 2 hours 15 minutes – 3 hours 30 minutes

15-20 min to make dough
30-90 min to let dough rest/to prepare the filling
20-30 min to roll out and stretch dough
10 min to fill and roll dough
30 min to bake
30 min to cool

Cherry Strudel

Filling:
1 pound fresh sweet cherries, pitted
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons bourbon whiskey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt

1. Toss together cherries, sugar, whiskey, vanilla, and salt. Set aside
2. Prepare strudel dough as described below. Set aside to rest
3. Put the rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with baking paper (parchment paper). Stretch dough as described below.
Spread about 3 tablespoons of the remaining melted butter over the dough using your hands (a bristle brush could tear the dough, you could use a special feather pastry brush instead of your hands). Spread the cherry filling over the short end of the dough in a 4-6 inch thick strip.
4. Fold the short end of the dough onto the filling. Lift the tablecloth at the short end of the dough so that the strudel rolls onto itself. Transfer the strudel to the prepared baking sheet by lifting it. Curve it into a horseshoe to fit. Tuck the ends under the strudel. Brush the top with the remaining melted butter.
5. Bake the strudel for about 30 minutes or until it is deep golden brown. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Use a serrated knife and serve either warm or at room temperature. It is best on the day it is baked.

Strudel dough:
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers

1 1/3 cups (200 g) unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons (105 ml) water, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

1. Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted (I mixed mine by hand and kneaded by hand) with the paddle attachment. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the water/oil mixture to the flour with the mixer on low speed. You will get a soft dough. Make sure it is not too dry, add a little more water if necessary.
Take the dough out of the mixer. Change to the dough hook. Put the dough ball back in the mixer. Let the dough knead on medium until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.

2. Take the dough out of the mixer and continue kneading by hand on an unfloured work surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough and throw it down hard onto your working surface occasionally.
Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a plate. Oil the top of the dough ball lightly. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 30-90 minutes (longer is better).

3. It would be best if you have a work area that you can walk around on all sides like a 36 inch (90 cm) round table or a work surface of 23 x 38 inches (60 x 100 cm). Cover your working area with table cloth, dust it with flour and rub it into the fabric. Put your dough ball in the middle and roll it out as much as you can.
Pick the dough up by holding it by an edge. This way the weight of the dough and gravity can help stretching it as it hangs. Using the back of your hands to gently stretch and pull the dough. You can use your forearms to support it.

4. The dough will become too large to hold. Put it on your work surface. Leave the thicker edge of the dough to hang over the edge of the table. Place your hands underneath the dough and stretch and pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands. Stretch and pull the dough until it's about 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (90 cm) long, it will be tissue-thin by this time. Cut away the thick dough around the edges with scissors. The dough is now ready to be filled.

Tips
- Ingredients are cheap so the Daring Bakers recommend making a double batch of the dough, that way you can practice the pulling and stretching of the dough with the first batch and if it doesn't come out like it should you can use the second batch to give it another try;
- The tablecloth can be cotton or polyster;
- Before pulling and stretching the dough, remove your jewelry from hands and wrists, and wear short-sleeves;
- To make it easier to pull the dough, you can use your hip to secure the dough against the edge of the table;
- Few small holes in the dough is not a problem as the dough will be rolled, making (most of) the holes invisible.

sand, sea, and fish

Have you ever been to a place where you felt like you finally fit? Eight years ago I moved to the coast, and I found that place for me right where the ocean meets the sand. With the roar of the ocean cheered by the call of seagulls I felt completely comfortable in my own sandy skin. With an ache, I miss living near the ocean. Though, with every beautiful visit I am reminded of that feeling. That feeling of home.

After a visit to the beach we inevitably want to cook fish, and the heat of summer makes fish a really lovely supper. Now I must confess that there are endless ways to screw up fish, trust me. One way to help lead you towards success in your fish preparation is to buy fresh fish. Previously frozen fish has the tendency to turn up rubbery and dry when cooked. I am not so much a fan of that.

An inexpensive, mild, thin, and relatively forgiving fish to start with is fresh Tilapia. The downside is that most of the Tilapia around here is shipped from Ecuador. If you have a local fresh fish that is mild and thin try that instead. I have tried this sort of preparation with flounder and cod as well as Tilapia and had great success with all three.

This fish is perfect served with black-eyed pea cakes and a tomato salsa. Oh summer, you are so grand.

Baked Tilapia with Lemon and Garlic serves 2

2 tilapia fillets (or other thin mild fish)
half of one lemon (save other half for serving)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oven to 375. Place fish in baking dish. Place one pat of butter, about 1/4 tablespoon, on the center of each fillet. Salt and pepper the fish
2. Squeeze lemon juice over fish (lime juice is a good substitute if you would rather). Sprinkle minced garlic evenly over each fillet
3. Place in middle of oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until white and flaky. Slice remaining half of the lemon into wedges and serve with fish. enjoy

Not your momma's shake 'n bake

I personally loved shake 'n bake as a kid. In our house, crunchy salty pork chops were served beside applesauce, peas, and buttered rolls. That basically constituted the most kid friendly grown-up meal ever. I look back on that meal with such affection, and until this recipe, I thought that crispy baked pork chops, with a coating that actually sticks on the chops, were left solely to the magic of breadcrumbs in a bag. I am happily reporting that I was completely wrong.

One juicy, crispy, garlicky bite proved that I can have crispy pork chops with no bag and no shake. Those geniuses at Cook's Illustrated discovered the perfect concoction that makes the bread crumbs form a thick coating that stays during baking. Oh yes, see that? Baking. You do not even have to fry these, and they still have a crisp, never soggy, coating. Like I said, geniuses.

I have made this recipe a few times, and have marked my changes to the recipe below. Please feel free to follow the Cook's Illustrated without my changes, as I know it will be perfect. My changes have just made it more of a pantry staple. Also, I made this recipe with 3/4 inch thick pork chips, and have also made it after slicing those chops in half. A thinner chop bakes faster, and I found this beneficial because the chop is done before the bread crumbs are too brown.

These chops also reheat well. (another plus). Once they are baked, let them cool on the wire rack. When you are ready to reheat them, place them on the wire rack and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. Turning once during the reheat time. Crisp perfection done by hand with nary a shake in sight. Simply deliciously grown-up.

Crunchy Baked Pork Chops serves 4
recipe from Cook's Illustrated. I also saw that Smitten Kitchen did a version of this chop.

If you are using enhanced pork then skip the brining in step 1. If you are using natural pork, then go ahead and do the brine.

4 boneless center-cut pork chops, 3/4-1 inch thick, trimmed of excess fat
*4 slices hearty white sandwich bread torn into 1 inch pieces
*(I use 1/2 cup panko and 1/2 cup breadcrumbs instead of the bread)
1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (I do not use this)
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme (you may use dried thyme)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (pretty but still tasty without it)
1/4 cup plus 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 large egg whites
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard (I use 1 tablespoon)
lemon wedges for serving

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 (only if using fresh bread instead of breadcrumbs). Dissolve 1/4 cup of salt in 1 quart water in medium container or gallon-sized zipper-lock bag. Submerge chops and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Rinse chops under cold water and dry with paper towels
 2. *Meanwhile, pulse bread in food processor until coarsely ground, about eight 1 second pulses (you should have about 3 1/2 cups crumbs). Transfer crumbs to rimmed baking sheet and add shallot, garlic, oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss until crumbs are evenly coated with oil. Bake until deep brown and dry about 15 minutes. Stir twice during baking. Cool to room temperature. Toss crumbs with Parmesan, thyme, and parsely 
*if you are using breadcrumbs and panko, do not bake it. Just toss the breadcrumbs and panko with shallot, garlic, salt, pepper, herbs, and cheese (is using) and set aside
3. Place 1/4 cup flour in pie plate. In second pie plate, whisk egg whites and dijon until combined. Add remaining flour 1 tablespoon at a time until you have a thin pancake batter consistency with a few small lumps of flour remaining
4. Increase oven temperature to 450. Spray wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and place in a rimmed baking sheet. Season chops with pepper. Dredge first chop in flour. Then using tongs, dip chop in egg mixture, letting excess drip back into pie plate. Coat all side of chop with breadcrumb mixture. Press gently to make a thick even coating. Transfer breaded chop to wire rack. Repeat with remaining 3 chops
5. Bake until meat thermometer reads at least 150 (some people say 170 for pork), about 20 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes and then serve with lemon wedge

lima beans and dill

After making a batch of spanakopita earlier this week, I had half a package of phyllo dough leftover. In the manner of waste not want not, that bit of phyllo became last night's supper.

The simplicity of creamy lima beans with fresh squeezed lemon juice, cracks of black pepper, and a small handful of fresh dill all wrapped in phyllo dough was just lovely alongside a fresh tomato salad. My only trouble with this is that I have no idea what to call it. Lima bean phyllo... any ideas? My mind is completely blank.

For now we will just call it like we see it: delicious lima beans in phyllo. The golden buttery edges matched with the zing of lemon, freshness of dill, and the creaminess of the beans were just meant to go together. Now that you have a way to use up all the phyllo and all the dill, go ahead and make a batch of spanakopita because this lovely dish is right on its heels.

Lima Beans in Phyllo with Lemon and Dill serves 4 as a side
this would be perfect served alongside Feta Tomato Salad and grilled fish

about 8 sheets of phyllo
3 cups cooked lima beans
juice of half a lemon
1/8 cup fresh minced dill
salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oven to 350. Toss lima beans with lemon and dill, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay first sheet of phyllo on parchment paper and brush with melted butter. Lay next sheet of phyllo on top of the first and brush with melted butter. Continue on until all phyllo is used
3. Spread an even layer of lima beans over phyllo. You should have a rectangle shape of phyllo. Turn the longer edge towards yourself, and roll up from longer side to longer side making a loosely rolled tube. Brush the top with butter and bake for 25 minutes until golden. enjoy

Daring Baker #12

April's Daring Baker marks my completion of one full year of baking challenges. Being a part of this group opened my kitchen to many experiments that I would never have dared on my own, and for that I am so glad that I joined. From Opera Cake to Eclairs to Lasagna Verdi, each month truly was a challenge.

The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge, and I am so glad she did. The recipe appeared to be like any other cheesecake, but the baking technique stood out as unique. While baking, the cheesecake is placed in a boiling water bath, and then post baking the cheesecake is cooled in the oven. This method prevents the cheesecake from cooling to quickly and cracking. Sheer and utter brilliance I tell you. (Those are the tricks worth sticking around Daring Bakers to learn!) I can confidently say this was one of if not the best cheesecakes I have ever tasted. Creamy and fluffy with just enough sweetness.

She gave us autonomy in our flavor selection, and I chose raspberry preserves in a gingersnap crust. ama-zing. Follow the typical graham cracker crust recipe, but use ginger snap cookies in place of graham crackers. (This incidentally is also the perfect crust for pumpkin pie) I used 1/2 cup of raspberry preserves diluted with 2 tablespoons water, and spread one layer over the crust before pouring in the cheesecake filling. I used the rest of the raspberry preserves as a middle layer in the filling, saving just a bit for a drizzle on the top.
Served around the table after a long day in the sun, this was a dessert to make anyone glad to be Daring.

Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake:

crust:
2 cups / 180 g graham cracker crumbs
1 stick / 4 oz butter, melted
2 tbsp. / 24 g sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

cheesecake:
3 sticks of cream cheese, 8 oz each (total of 24 oz) room temperature
1 cup / 210 g sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup / 8 oz heavy cream
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. vanilla extract (or the innards of a vanilla bean)
1 tbsp liqueur, optional, but choose what will work well with your cheesecake

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (Gas Mark 4 = 180C = Moderate heat). Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.

2. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into your preferred pan. You can press the crust just into the bottom, or up the sides of the pan too - baker's choice. Set crust aside.

3. Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and alcohol and blend until smooth and creamy.

4. Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water.

5. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done - this can be hard to judge, but you're looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won't crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.

Pan note: The creator of this recipe used to use a springform pan, but no matter how well she wrapped the thing in tin foil, water would always seep in and make the crust soggy. Now she uses one of those 1-use foil "casserole" shaped pans from the grocery store. They're 8 or 9 inches wide and really deep, and best of all, water-tight. When it comes time to serve, just cut the foil away.

those kinds of days

When daylight lasts a little longer than it did yesterday, and the air feels warm after months of cool, those kinds of days make me deep down glad.

Stephen ended up not having to go out of town for work as he had planned, thus we were given a whole secret Saturday to play instead. We took out the canoe for the first time this season, and floated down the river at a steady snail's pace. I will admit that there was a twinge of sadness looming over the river that day. The last time we were there with her, and this time her spot was empty. A few moments went by where Stephen and I would get pretty quiet, and we both knew what the other person was thinking.
In the middle of a cool river, underneath a warm sun, it is pleasantly safe to be a little sad and a little glad all at the same time.

After paddling down, hiking back, and taking the long way home, we made a batch of homemade ice cream.

Waiting at home was a ripe pineapple. I had mulled over the many options one has with a ripe pineapple, but had not been extremely excited about any of them. After floating downstream, we decided we should make a batch of pineapple banana ice cream. This, my friends, was Stephen's brilliant idea, and I am happy to hang on his coattails.

Not only did we make ice cream, but we then shared it with some of our dearest friends while we laughed on his front porch in the still warm air of the evening. That part makes the whole day kissing close to perfect.

Following the same fantastic vanilla ice cream recipe I used for the Daring Baker Challenge in February, we added fresh crushed pineapple and a sliced banana. Each bite tastes like a tropical vacation. I hope you have some soon.

Pineapple Banana Ice Cream makes about 1/2 gallon
vanilla ice cream recipe adapted from Daring Baker #10

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks
12 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tsp corn flour {cornstarch}
1 ¼ cups heavy cream

3/4 cup fresh crushed pineapple
1/2 cup small diced pineapple pieces
1 banana, thinly sliced 

1. Pour the milk into a heavy based saucepan, add the vanilla and bring to the boil
2. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and corn-flour in a bowl until the mixture is thick and foamy.
3. Gradually pour in the hot milk, whisking constantly.  Return the mixture to the pan and cook over a gentle heat, stirring all the time
4. When the custard thickens and is smooth, pour it back into the bowl. Cool it then chill.
5. Whip the cream until it has thickened but still falls from a spoon.  Fold it into the custard and pour all of it into ice cream maker. Follow ice cream maker (I love my Cuisinart sorbet and ice cream maker with the frozen bowl) directions for freezing and in last 5 minutes of time in ice cream maker, fold in pineapple and banana. Scrape the ice cream into a tupperware and place in freezer for a few hours to firm up. Enjoy