SoupSpoon

one two three

This is almost too simple to post. I considered just letting it slide by, but Stephen petitioned that I post these sweet little bites. Stephen said, "The brilliance in this one is in the combination, not the procedure."

The more I thought about that I decided I liked that perspective for this appetizer and for other areas of life. Brilliance sometimes comes in the unplanned perfection of a combination of flavors, and sometimes in the unplanned perfection of a combination of two people... Two people like our friends Emily and Ben.

Saturday we had a wedding shower for Emily. Her friend Elizabeth picked out the happiest yellow decorations and the fluffiest white hydrangeas to feed the eyes, and we made a summer luncheon spread to feed the bellies. B.L.T.s with basil mayo, summer salad with corn, cukes, yellow grape tomatoes, spinach, lima beans, and garlic, fresh squeezed lemonade, and these goat's cheese toasts. Everything was pretty and delicate, just like Emily.

Though this post could turn into a lengthy exposé on how utterly excited I am for Emily and Ben, I will try to refrain and stick to the appetizer. Later, maybe, I will go on and on about them.
Maybe I will write about their story and the brilliance of a perfect combination. Or maybe I will ask her to write it. It really is such a perfect brilliance.

Goat's Cheese, Lemon Curd, and Fresh Mint Toasts about 24 pieces

1 baguette
1/2 cup lemon curd (available near the jellies at most groceries)
8 ounces goat's cheese
about 2 dozen mint leaves
fresh cracked black pepper

1. Slice the baguette into thin slices, on the bias (diagonal)
2. Spread a thin layer of lemon curd
3. Spread a thin layer of goat's cheese
4. Top with one mint leaf
4. Crack fresh black pepper over all and enjoy

lemon blueberry muffins

This makes the third post in a row that nods towards this sweet little fruit, and though it may seem to you that I am making a habit of posting only blueberry related recipes, I have one more to share that is completely worth the redundancy.

If you are a fan of muffins, and if you are a fan of moist, golden, bursting with flavor muffins, I think this is just for you. At my first job out of school we made a muffin like this one that just begged to be eaten (by everyone). Then I lost that recipe, and looked for a new one. I found a few, morphed them, tweaked it and voila! The luscious lemon berry goodness is back in full swing.

Last weekend I made a batch of these muffins to take with us to the beach. Stephen caught the early morning surf on Saturday, and I could see the contentment all over his sandy face. We then spent the day at the beach, and out on a new friend's boat. A belly full of fresh made muffins is a happy way to start any Saturday. On a Saturday as great as that one, it was almost too much goodness to bare.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins makes 24 mini or 12 regular muffins

2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup lemon yogurt
juice from one lemon (2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 pint fresh blueberries

1. Heat oven to 375 and grease or line muffin tin
2. Mix sugar and egg until fluffy. Add yogurt, lemon juice, zest, and cooled butter. Blend well
3. Fold in dry ingredients
4. Gently fold in blueberries
5. Fill muffin tins
6. Bake mini muffins for 15-18 minutes and regular muffins for 20-24 minutes
7. enjoy

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