Capable Garnet

Berry Cobbler

noreply@blogger.com (Tina Birch) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:50:00 +0000

I have so many berries in the freezer from previous years. It's pretty amazing how much four blackberry vines, two raspberry clumps and about twenty strawberry mounds can produce. And since this week's weather is very spring-like, I'm feeling the pressure to clean out the freezer so I have room for this year's crop.

Berry Cobbler
Filling
6C berries, thawed and drained if frozen, with 1C juice reserved (I used a mix of strawberries, raspberries and blackberries)
juice from one lemon (zest first, see below)
1C sugar
3/8C flour

Batter
2 1/2C flour
1/4C sugar
3t baking powder
1t salt
1/2t nutmeg
zest of one lemon
10T cold butter
1C milk

For the filling:
Place the berries, reserved juice and lemon juice in 9 x 13 pan.

Stir the flour and sugar together. Sprinkle this mixture over the berries and stir to incorporate. Spread berries evenly in pan.

For batter:
Stir together dry ingredients and lemon zest. With pastry cutter, cut butter into dry ingredients until butter is the size of small peas or smaller.

Stir in milk until dough is just sticky and all dry ingredients are incorporated.

Spoon batter on top of berries, evenly spacing the dollops.

Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes, until batter is cooked through and slightly golden on top.

Note: You could use many different kinds of fruit in this recipe, adjusting the amount of sugar added to the fruit as necessary. I'm wondering how pineapple would taste. And Bing cherries.

Cold Frame

noreply@blogger.com (Tina Birch) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Dad built this cold frame for me. I put air and soil thermometers in there to monitor how warm and cool it gets. While February is still officially winter, I think it's getting pretty close to time to plant some cold weather crops like lettuce, spinach, maybe radishes and onions. Like a salad box.

Lewis & Clark

noreply@blogger.com (Tina Birch) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:59:00 +0000

I just started reading The Journals of Lewis and Clark and am already delighted by it. In the preface, the editor remarked on how they regarded difficulties with equanimity, or something to that effect. An exploration party from a time in history when frontiersman was a legitimate and respected occupation. When nearly all frontiersmen were good at their jobs because the incompetent and negligent ones didn't live very long. When the continent was thought to be a lot narrower east to west than it actually is, when the scope and southern length of the Rocky Mountain range was unimagined.

I also love their creative use of the English language, in spelling, grammar, lack of punctuation, etc. Proves that our understanding of language has evolved over time, too. These men documented, for the first time ever, new animals, new land formations, interactions with new people groups. For that, they earned the right to make up new spellings for words to explain what they saw and experienced.

A few excerpts from when they were just starting out:

June 7th Thursday 1804 --
a Short distance above the mouth of Creek, is Several Courious paintings and carving on the projecting rock of Limestone inlade with white red & blue flint, of a verry good quallity, the Indians have taken of this flint great quantities. We landed at this Inscription and found it a Den of Rattle Snakes, we had not landed 3 Minites before three verry large Snakes was observed in the Crevises of the rocks & killed.
[How much do you want to bet the inscription read "Beware! Rattlesnakes," but since it wasn't in English....]

12th of June. Tuesday 1804 --
...finding that old Mr. Durioun was of the party we questioned him untill it was too late to Go further, and Concluded to Camp for the night, those people inform nothing of much information.
[I know people like that, too.]

June 17th Sunday 1804 --
...The Ticks & Musquiters are verry troublesome.

Mustard Baked Fish

noreply@blogger.com (Tina Birch) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

This is like baking fish in its own tartar sauce. Simple, moist, with just the right amount of tanginess to enliven the fish, and very little prep time.

Mustard Baked Fish
2 white fish fillets (I used mahi-mahi.)
salt and pepper
1/2C sour cream
3T Dijon mustard
1T stoneground brown mustard
2 green onions, minced
2t drained capers

Lay the fish fillets in a greased glass baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Mix the remaining ingredients together and spread in a thick coat over the fish.

Bake at 425 F for 12+ minutes. The baking time will depend on the thickness of the fillets. After 12 minutes, check the thickest part every few minutes. The fish will flake easily with a fork when it is done.

Clafoutis

noreply@blogger.com (Tina Birch) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:09:00 +0000

It's all about the fruit - you could use raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, sweet cherries, etc. Mmmmm. Again, good for breakfast or dessert, and not too sweet.

Raspberry Clafoutis
1/4C milk
3 eggs
3T unsalted butter, melted
zest of one lemon
1/2C flour
3/8C sugar
1/4t salt
1 1/2C fruit in small bite-sized pieces, either fresh or thawed and drained from frozen

Mix all ingredients except the fruit in a blender. Pour into a greased 10" glass pie plate.

Arrange the fruit on top.

Bake at 350 F for 40 minutes or until set in the middle and just golden on the edges. The custard will pull away from the edges of the pan a little.

Cool and cut into wedges.

There is very little sugar in this recipe, so a sprinkling of powdered sugar just before serving is nice.

Vegetable Ceviche Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Tina Birch) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

My sister organized a South American-themed meal for Christmas Eve. The recipe she found for a crunchy vegetable salad was a real hit. I've fiddled with the quantities a bit from the original, mainly to make it less oniony and hot peppery. The simple dressing of lime juice is light and refreshing.

Vegetable Ceviche Salad
1/4 red onion, sliced very thinly
1 red pepper, chopped
15oz can of corn, drained
1 Anaheim pepper, chopped fine
4 oz mozzarella cheese, cut in 1/4" cubes
1 avocado, cut in 1/2" cubes
1/4C fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of one lime
salt and pepper to taste

Slice the red onion first and soak it in a bowl of salt water while you're chopping everything else (for at least 20 minutes). Drain before mixing with the other ingredients.

Toss all the vegetables, avocado and cheese together. Pour the lime juice over the vegetables and sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.

Let marinate in the fridge for at least 15 minutes, covered with plastic wrap (unless you want your fridge to smell like onions and peppers).

Orange Almond Biscotti

noreply@blogger.com (Tina Birch) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 02:55:00 +0000

This is such a family favorite that I thought it should be posted for posterity. Probably crunchier than traditional Italian biscotti, but very nutty and addictive. And, whatever you do, do not mess with the liquid to dry ingredient ratio or you'll end up with a huge puddle of edible but not cookie-like dough after it's baked. Even if you measure perfectly, the edges of the cookies will crumble when you slice them. I save these crumbles until the next morning, put a dollop of yogurt on top, and eat them like granola for breakfast.

Orange Almond Biscotti
2 eggs
1 egg yolk (save the white - see below)
1t Fiori di Sicilia or vanilla
1/4C butter at room temperature
zest from one orange
2C flour
1C sugar
1t baking soda
1 1/2C toasted almonds, chopped coarse
1 egg white
1t water

Cream the eggs, egg yolk, Fiori di Sicilia, butter and zest together.

Mix in flour, sugar and baking soda. The dough will be very stiff and dry. You'll get best results with a stand mixer or heavy-duty electric hand-held mixer.

Stir in chopped almonds.

At this point, you can chill the dough for a couple of hours or overnight, but you don't have to. Form half of dough into 15" long flat log, about 3" wide and 1" high on greased cookie sheet. Repeat with other half of dough on a separate cookie sheet. The dough will spread during baking, so you need to give it lots of room.

Whisk the egg white and water together and brush over logs.

Bake at 300 F for 50 minutes.

Let cool 10 minutes, remove each cookie log (now more like a slab) to a cutting board (slide a spatula under it to loosen it) then slice each log diagonally into 1/2" thick slices. Turn the slices on their sides on the cookie sheets and bake again for 15 minutes.

Cool until you can touch the cookies. Flip them over to the other side and bake for another 15 minutes.

The low oven temperature and long baking time dry the cookies out to give them their characteristic crunch. Store in an airtight container for several days if needed, but they generally disappear sooner than that.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

noreply@blogger.com (Tina Birch) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0000

I got this recipe from my sister. She was telling me about these new pancakes she made, and I asked her if they were good. Her eyes got huge, and she said, "Mmmhmmm." Really? Pancakes that good? So, I had to try them. Yeah, well, pancakes that taste like doughnuts are good - really good. These don't need syrup, powdered sugar or anything (although I did experiment with rolling a little jam in them since they're so similar to thick crepes in flavor and texture). This is a special breakfast treat - New Year's day? May your new year be sweet.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes
1C cottage cheese
3/4C flour
3 eggs
1/4C sugar
3T milk
4T melted butter
1/2t vanilla

Mix all ingredients in a blender or food processor. (It was a little thick for my blender to handle, so next time I'll try the food processor. However, the blender is easier to pour from.

Pour or ladle 1/3C portions onto medium (325 F) griddle. This batter is super smooth, and you won't see bubbles rise like you normally do with pancakes. When the top side loses its shine, check the bottom. Flip when they're golden brown and cook for a few more minutes.

This recipe made 12 medium-small pancakes, which would serve probably 3 people.

Chocolate Gingerbread Crackles

noreply@blogger.com (Tina Birch) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0000

I love intensely spicy, dark gingerbread. It doesn't hurt if a little chocolate is mixed in, either. This shortbread-type recipe (no eggs) originally came from the Martha Stewart Living magazine (years ago - I don't remember what issue). I've subbed crystallized ginger for fresh ginger and modified the technique a little. For any cookie dough that requires refrigeration before baking, I now prefer to roll the dough into logs of appropriate diameter and wrap the logs in plastic wrap to chill. Then I can just slice them to the right thickness and plunk them on the baking sheets - no more messy scooping and shaping per cookie.

Chocolate Gingerbread Crackles
1C butter
2T crystallized ginger, finely chopped
1C dark brown sugar
1/2C dark molasses
3C flour
2T cocoa
1T ground ginger
2t ground cinnamon
1/2t ground cloves
1/2t ground nutmeg
2t baking soda
1T hot water
8oz chocolate chips

Cream butter and crystallized ginger together. Mix in dark brown sugar and molasses.

Stir baking soda into hot water and have ready.

Stir 2C of flour into the butter mixture. Pour baking soda/hot water mixture in. Then, add the remaining dry ingredients except chocolate chips and mix thoroughly.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Roll dough into 2 logs, each about 1 1/4" in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap. (I use the plastic wrap to roll the logs to keep my hands from getting gooky."

Refrigerate the logs for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Slice the logs 1/2" thick slices. Roll slices in granulated sugar until completely coated.

Bake at 325 F for 10 to 12 minutes.

Slightly crunchy on outside and wonderfully melty inside!

Note: These cookies freeze well. Just pop one or two in the microwave (straight from the freezer) for a few seconds for a melty, chocolaty treat.

No-Knead Kalamata Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Tina Birch) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0000

This recipe in the New York Times started the no-knead bread craze. My mom was over a few weeks ago and whipped this recipe up in a couple of hours instead of overnight by increasing the yeast quantity. She also baked the bread on a baking sheet with a pan of water on the lowest rack. The result was super chewy, holey and soft bread, which I prefer over bread with a tough crust. Here's a long-rise-time variation that includes Kalamata olives.

No-Knead Kalamata Bread
3C bread flour (can substitute whole wheat flour for 1/2C of this)
1/4t instant yeast
3/4t kosher salt
1 1/2C warm water
1C Kalamata olive halves

Combine all ingredients except the olives. Beat for about 25 strokes until dough is developing gluten strings. Cover and let sit in a warm place at least 12 hours and up to 18 hours.

Fold dough over a few times, working olives into it. I like making 2 smaller loaves, but you can leave the dough in one large loaf. Place loaves on parchment lined baking sheet. Let rise 2 hours.

Place pan (I used 9 x 9 glass pan) with 2" water in it on the bottom rack of oven. Preheat to 450 F.

Bake bread for 30 to 35 minutes, until loaves sound hollow when tapped on bottom.

Let cool thoroughly before slicing.

Feta and Spinach Stuffed Pork

noreply@blogger.com (Tina Birch) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Another inspiration from a New Seasons ad. They put a similar filling in chicken breasts, but I opted to use boneless pork sirloin steaks I had on hand. This qualifies as another How To Eat Spinach Even If You Don't Really Like It recipe. Plus, it's fancy for company, but super easy to make.

Feta Spinach Stuffed Pork
4 boneless pork sirloin steaks
4C fresh spinach leaves, chopped
1/2C crumbled feta
1/3C bread crumbs
3T fresh thyme
2 eggs
salt and pepper to taste

Slice steaks lengthwise and not entirely through, leaving the "hinge" on a long side.

Mix remaining ingredients. Place 1/4 filling inside each steak and fold top over to make a sandwich. Place stuffed steaks in 9 x 13 baking pan and bake at 350 F for 40 to 45 minutes until interior of steak reaches 165 F as measured my a meat thermometer.

Squash Goat Cheese Galette

noreply@blogger.com (Tina Birch) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:00:00 +0000

This recipe was inspired by a yummy looking photo in a recent New Seasons ad. It also qualifies as a How To Eat Spinach Even If You Don't Really Like It recipe. I worked with what I had on hand, but I think any type of orange squash/pumpkin would be fine, especially the sweeter varieties, as well as any type of winter greens. It is very rich and filling and excellent reheated for lunch the next day.

Squash Goat Cheese Galette
1/2 recipe Pastry Crust
4C spinach leaves or other winter greens
1 medium acorn squash (or other squash or pumpkin) cooked and cut into 1" cubes, about 2C
4oz goat cheese (I used peppered.)
fresh herbs as desired (I used thyme. Sage and oregano would also be good.)
salt to taste

Cut pastry in half and roll out into two rounds. Place the rounds on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Mound the spinach leaves in the center of each pastry round.
Place the squash on top of the spinach.
Cut the goat cheese into 1/4" slices and layer on the squash.
Sprinkle fresh herbs and salt over the filling.
Fold the edges of the pastry up over the filling and pinch them together, forming each into a rustic tart.

Bake at 350 F for about 25 minutes. The crust will turn golden at the edges.

I really want to try this vegetable tart concept with a spaghetti squash, feta, kalamata olives and sun-dried tomato filling. What do you think?

Orange Rosemary Shortbread

noreply@blogger.com (Tina Birch) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:00:00 +0000

I adapted these cookies from a recipe printed in the April 2010 Better Homes and Gardens magazine. The original cookies were so very delicate and flaky (often a good cookie trait) that I felt they weren't substantial enough to be true shortbread, at least in my opinion. I beefed up the flour to cornstarch ratio to give them more toothsome substance. Orange marmalade is my all-time favorite in the jam/jelly category. Hard to go wrong when you combine it with shortbread. The rosemary is a surprise and marvelous hint of freshness next to the orange.

Orange Rosemary Shortbread
1 1/2C unsalted butter
2/3C powdered sugar
1t almond extract
2t fresh rosemary leaves, snipped to minced size
2 1/2C flour
1/2C cornstarch
1/2t salt
1/2C orange marmalade

Cream butter, powdered sugar, almond extract and rosemary together. Mix in remaining ingredients except marmalade.

Form dough into 1" diameter log and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Slice dough log into 1/2" thick slices and place on parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Let soften until you can press your thumb into the center of the slices.

Gently press thumb into the center of the slices and pat together any cracks that form on the outside of the slices. Drop 1/2t orange marmalade into each thumbprint. (More is not better here; too much marmalade will just leak out during cooking.)

Bake at 325 F for 12 to 14 minutes. Cookies do not brown; they may turn slightly golden at edges. Cool on wire rack.

These cookies store well for up to a week in an airtight container. Perfect with Earl Grey tea.

Makes about 40 cookies.

Examine

noreply@blogger.com (Tina Birch) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:23:00 +0000

"The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience."
Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird

Bread Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Tina Birch) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Basically an excuse for a salad that's more croutons than veggies. Okay, just kidding. Lots of crunch, though, and something different. I preserve basil from my summer garden by pureeing it with olive oil then freezing it in ice cube trays. I let one of these cubes thaw in a puddle of balsamic vinegar for the dressing.

Normally, bread salad includes thinly sliced red onion. I left it out since my crouton dressing was super garlicy. I rewrote the dressing ratio below to correct that problem, so go ahead and include onions if you want.

Bread Salad
Croutons:
6 crusty baguette rolls or 1 long skinny baguette
3T olive oil
1t ground sage
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2t salt

Cut the bread into 1" chunks. Swirl remaining ingredients together and drizzle over bread cubes. Toss together until bread cubes are pretty well coated. Spread bread cubes on baking sheet and bake at 400 F for 15 minutes or until bread cubes are crusty. Stir a few times during baking. If you have a convection oven, use that setting since the air circulation will help the croutons dry out faster.

Toppings:
2 small, slender cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 bunch radishes, thinly sliced
2 Roma tomatoes sliced into thin wedges
1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced (optional)
1/4C Gorgonzola, crumbled
1/4C balsamic vinegar
2T fresh basil, chopped (or frozen pureed, thawed)

Place the croutons on individual plates. Arrange the vegetables and Gorgonzola over the croutons.

Swirl the basil into the balsamic and spoon over the salads.

Steigerwald Lake

noreply@blogger.com (Tina Birch) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Went bird watching with my sister-in-law and nieces and nephews a few weeks ago at Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Our group saw over forty different types of birds, the highlight of which was a couple of American Bitterns (but, sadly, I didn't get a good picture of them).

My five-year-old niece developed a "habitat" for these fuzzy caterpillars and carried them around for the better part of the morning.

Wildflower. Anyone know what kind?

Pumpkin Pancakes

noreply@blogger.com (Tina Birch) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Shhh, or squash if you don't tell anyone. I made these using acorn squash grown in my garden. Not too sweet, hearty and satisfying on a cold autumn morning.

Pumpkin Pancakes
1C pumpkin (or squash) puree
2 eggs
3T brown sugar
2T vinegar
2T vegetable oil
1 1/2C milk
2C flour
2t baking powder
1t baking soda
1t allspice
1t cinnamon
1/2t ground ginger
1/2t salt

Mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, brown sugar and vinegar. Mash until there are no lumps.

Whisk in oil and milk.

Stir in dry ingredients.

Pour in 1/4C dollops on medium hot griddle. The batter is thick, so spread it out a little with the back of the ladle. Cook until top side is nearly dry and bubbles have popped, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook for another couple minutes.

Serve with chopped pecans and maple syrup.

Baked Frozen Custard

noreply@blogger.com (Tina Birch) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:00:00 +0000

This recipe stemmed from necessity. Every once in a while, I realize I have a whole bunch of something in the fridge that is about to go bad/pass the expiration date. This time, it was both milk and eggs, hence custard. I had just made another frozen dessert, so the ice cream maker was out of its hiding place above the fridge. It was one of those "I wonder would would happen if..." moments.

The trick with frozen custard is cooking the eggs. Technically, you're supposed to, to kill all those nasty germs, but it's a bit of a hassle, standing over the stove waiting for just the right temperature without curdling the eggs. If you bake the custard instead, it sort of takes care of itself.

I was using up what I had, so please feel free to play with the ratio of eggs to milk. This turned out super rich, of course, with so many eggs, but I think a ratio of one egg to one cup of milk might be more standard. This recipe filled a 9x13 pan as full as you'd want it to be without sloshing it on the way to the oven.

Baked Frozen Custard
8 eggs
5C whole milk
1C sugar
1/4C vanilla

Whirl ingredients together in blender. I had to do this in two batches since it wouldn't all fit in my blender at once. Pour into 9x13 pan.

Bake at 350 F for an hour. The center should still be very jiggly, but the custard will have a nice brown crust on top.

Refrigerate until cold.

Process in ice cream maker just like you would with a regular ice cream mixture. Store in freezer until ready to serve.

The texture won't be perfectly smooth because of the golden crust on the custard, but I like those rustic little bits and the color they add to the finished frozen custard.

Pastry Crust

noreply@blogger.com (Tina Birch) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 20:06:00 +0000

I've been using this crust exclusively for both sweet and savory dishes ever since my Mom shared it with me. So, this is a special blog post just for referencing this recipe and linking every time I use it.

Pie Crust/Pastry (double crust)
2 1/2C flour
2t sugar
1t kosher salt
1/4t baking powder
1C unsalted butter
3/8C cold water
4t sour cream
1/2t vinegar

Sift dry ingredients together. Cut in butter until it is in pea-sized lumps. Add cold water, sour cream and vinegar all at once and stir until just mixed. Leave the dough crumbly and loose.

Divide dough into two disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least two hours and up to three days. (The dough can also be frozen up to one month.)

Roll dough out to 1/4" thick (this is thicker than traditional pie crust, but it is so light and flaky, you'll enjoy having it thicker, even for small tarts).

Corn Relish Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Tina Birch) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:00:00 +0000

A crunchy and light dish with a refreshing mix of sweetness and tang. Best using fresh corn, but could be made with frozen as well.

Corn Relish Salad
3 ears of corn, shucked and de-silked
1 red pepper, chopped
1 Anaheim pepper, chopped fine
1C black olives, rough chopped
1/2C feta, crumbled
1/4C olive oil
1/4C red wine vinegar
4 sprigs fresh thyme

Boil the corn on the cob for 20 minutes. Drain and cool. Slice the corn off the cobs with a serrated steak knife.

Mix all the ingredients together and chill until ready to serve.

Zucchini Pancakes

noreply@blogger.com (Tina Birch) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 11:00:00 +0000

There comes a time every summer, if you have a garden, when you are desperate to use up certain types of produce, zucchini in particular. Here's an option that could go either savory or sweet. I've written out the savory version here, but you could leave out the Parmesan, green onions and herbs and instead put in lemon zest, nutmeg and blueberries for breakfast. I originally found this recipe at the King Arthur Flour blog, but I've modified it a little.

Zucchini Pancakes
4 eggs, lightly beaten
4C grated zucchini (Note: If you are using frozen, thawed shredded zucchini, don't drain all the liquid. Keep about half of the liquid so the batter will have the right consistency.)
1C grated Parmesan cheese
1/4C olive oil
3 green onions, chopped
1 1/2t salt
1/2t pepper
1T herbes de Provence
1 3/4C flour

Lightly beat eggs. Stir in zucchini and Parmesan. Mix in remaining ingredients.

Heat griddle to 400 F (medium hot). Drop batter by spoonful onto griddle, spreading the zucchini out so it's even within the pancake. Cook until top side of pancake is mostly dry and underside is golden. Flip and cook until second side is golden.

Serve with a generous dollop of sour cream. This recipe makes 18 to 22 smallish pancakes.

Rhubarb Raspberry Tart

noreply@blogger.com (Tina Birch) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 16:11:00 +0000

I loved this combination of fruit, and they can be in season together which makes it even better. Either or both fruits can be used from frozen, too, if needed, so this tart could brighten up a winter day. The recipe is originally from Lottie & Doof, but I substituted my favorite pastry crust.

Rhubarb Raspberry Tart
1 recipe pastry dough
1/4C cornstarch
3T water
4C rhubarb sliced 1/2" thick
2C raspberries
2/3C sugar
1 egg, beaten
demerara sugar

Cook rhubarb, raspberries and sugar over medium heat until sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes juicy, about 4 minutes.

Dissolve cornstarch in water, then add to fruit mixture. Bring just to gentle boil to thicken cornstarch. Refrigerate to cool.

Roll out pastry dough on parchment paper - into a rough circle until about 3/16" thick. Heap fruit filling into center of pastry and spread out evenly, leaving a 1 1/2" border. Fold the pastry border up and over the edge of the filling all around. Pinch the dough into pleats as needed.

Brush the pastry border with beaten egg, then sprinkle with demerara sugar. Slide parchment paper and tart onto baking sheet.

Bake at 400 F until crust is golden and filling bubbles, about 45 minutes.

Cool, then cut into wedges and serve with whipped cream.

Reprieve

noreply@blogger.com (Tina Birch) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 04:46:00 +0000

I've been reading LOTS lately, mostly how-to-write books and books that are supposed to be well-written, and I'm sort of sick of them. Just because a book comes recommended doesn't mean its content is good. So, I took a break and am reading a middle grade book where a group of precocious children help save the world. Now, that's good stuff. By the way, I only put books I have read and would truly recommend in my reading list (right-hand column). I don't necessarily agree with everything that all those books have to say (a tall order and rarely found), but if they make my list, then I think that they are worth reading, nonetheless.

Here's a little gem from the current book, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart:
"Can we ask why we can't ask more questions about it?" asked Constance (a three-year-old, after being told by a grown-up to STOP ASKING QUESTIONS). "Because that part seems unclear to me."

P.S. This is the same Constance so vividly described in book one of the series.

How to Eat Spinach (Even If You Don't Really Like It) Part 4

noreply@blogger.com (Tina Birch) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 11:00:00 +0000

I sort of wish I had step-by-step photos of this one, but I forgot to take them. They'd just be of a sampling of liquidy, spicy things in the frying pan, then a pile of vegetables, though, so I'm sure you can use your imagination. I absolutely love Thai food, although the coconut milk (part of what makes it so good) can really get you, calorically. This dish is super light and healthy.

Thai Stir-Fry Vegetables and Chicken

You can custom make your own flavor sauce. Here's what I used: sesame oil, lime juice, 2T red curry paste, fermented fish sauce. I usually also use soy sauce, but I forgot this time. If you don't want to use a prepared curry paste, you'll want to include minced garlic, minced fresh ginger and hot peppers to taste. You might also want to try a couple tablespoons of peanut butter (the no sugar added kind is best here, and chunky is okay). Mix everything together and heat in frying pan.

Add all kinds of vegetables and cook until tender crunchy, which is a term I just made up. The most important thing is not to let them get mushy. It is vastly better to err on the raw side than on the cooked side. I used sweet peapods, peppers, onions and, toward the end, after the meat, fresh baby spinach.

When the vegetables are almost perfect (you should be sampling at this point), add any kind of pre-cooked meat. I used sliced chicken breasts. Heat through, add spinach, stir and serve. Serve over rice if you want, but since there's no coconut milk sauce to soak up, you can go without the rice, if you want.

How to Eat Spinach (Even If You Don't Really Like It) Part 3

noreply@blogger.com (Tina Birch) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 11:00:00 +0000

My sister-in-law introduced me to homemade California rolls. At the time, I don't think I'd ever set foot in a sushi bar. I've been since then, but I stick to the I'm-absolutely-sure-this-is-cooked-and-sanitary-and-meets-all-health-codes options. I am not a big risk taker in the food safety department. So, California rolls are still my favorite. They make me very happy.

This dish is designed especially for ingredient experimentation, so please don't take my list of ingredients as the only way to do it. Add colors. Add flavors. Have fun. Also, maybe don't use purple rice. Although that's color, and it's fun. It's really Thai black gelatinous rice according to the bag label, one of my impulse purchases at my favorite Asian food store. And, at five pounds worth, it is going to be around for a while. The crazy thing about this rice is that while it looks black in the bag, dried, it actually turns dark purple when it cooks, which was a bit surprising the first time I made risotto with it.

California Rolls

On a sheet of nori, spread about 1/2C rice, starting from left to right. On the right side, just leave a few grains to act as glue when the sheet is rolled up.

Layer toward the left side the ingredients you want. I used: spinach, shredded zucchini, fake crab, avocado.

Roll the nori sheet around the innards from left to right and set the roll aside, seam side down.

Go ahead and make all the rolls you want.

With a serrated knife, slice the rolls into about 1 1/2" thick slices. I usually get about 5 slices per roll.

To serve, and this is just my way - I'm sure it's not authentic or traditional - pour a little soy sauce on a small plate and add a dab of wasabi mayonnaise. Straight wasabi works too, of course, but I love the wasabi mayo from Trader Joe's. Set a few slices in the soy sauce to soak some up. Dunk a slice in the wasabi mayo, then stuff the whole thing in your mouth without dribbling down your chin. Uh huh.