Memorial Day, The Perfect Excuse...

I broke one of my cardinal rules today. Usually when I bake something I balance it for the rest of the day (i.e., muffins for breakfast=no desserts), but today is a holiday. Everyone else is busy barbecuing hotdogs, eating chips by the handfuls, and drinking lots of beer, so if we forgo that stuff then we can justify a little extra sugar, right?! My guy is outside manning the rotisserie as I write this; we have one of our hams spinning slowly, caramelizing and getting really juicy to later slice and serve on homemade whole wheat kaiser rolls with locally made blackberry BBQ sauce. I had to make a pie for dessert! It's Memorial Day and our rhubarb plant has been beckoning me for weeks now; what more of a perfect excuse can we have?! I went all out this time, full sugar (rhubarb is slightly unforgiving on sugar reduction in recipes, being so tart) and a flaky white flour, full fat pie crust. The lighter versions are never quite as flaky, and the whole wheat versions tend to over power this particular dessert, especially since we're also having whole wheat buns with dinner.

How did I break my rule, though? Well, I made Honey Orange Knots for breakfast. Last night I was trying to think of something yummy to make that wasn't too high in sugar, and I remembered these light, fluffy, slightly sweet rolls. They're not that high in sugar, considering, but they're kind of a splurge (compared to...oatmeal), and they have a drizzle of icing. Still, they have at least half as much sugar as a muffin, which makes them perfectly acceptable in my book (I'm falling back on that "it's a holiday" excuse here).


Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
I used my ceramic Emile Henry pie dish, which is closer to 10". You may need to adjust your filling amounts (rhubarb and berries) to accommodate your pie size. Keep in mind that it will shrink as it cooks, so you'll want it to be piled in the pie shell generously.

two 9" pie crusts (one cut into strips for lattice, if desired)
about 7 nicely sized rhubarb stalks, washed and chopped (3 1/2-4 cups)
2 1/2-3 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp tapioca flour (thickens nicely, but you may use more a.p. flour)
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg, lightly beaten
coarse sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss together berries, rhubarb, sugar, flours, lemon juice, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour into pie crust. It should be nicely mounded in the shell. Place top crust on, or weave strips of dough into lattice, and seal edges. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake 50-60 minutes, or until bubbly and the top is nicely browned. Cool on a wire rack.





Honey Orange Knots
This recipe makes 12 rolls. It's easily doubled if you want extra for a crowd or to munch on during the week. Yeast breads are intimidating for breakfast, but if you make these the night before, you can let them proof while your oven preheats in the morning (about 10 min), and you'll have an easy, quick breakfast made!

2 cups white whole wheat or spelt flour
1/4 tsp salt
3/4-1 cup bread flour (or all-purpose)
2 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup, plus 2 tbsp very warm milk
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp canola oil
3 tbsp honey
1 egg
1 tbsp shredded orange peel, preferably organic
2 tbsp orange juice
orange icing (see below)

In a glass measuring cup, heat the milk in the microwave until warm (but not too hot). Add the yeast and honey; stir well to combine. Set aside until bubbly, about 5 minutes.

In the bowl of your mixer, combine flours and salt (starting with only 3/4 cup of white flour). Add the yeast mixture, egg, butter, oil, juice, and orange zest. Fit with the dough hook, turn to speed 2 and let run until dough forms a ball. If it's too sticky, add a little more flour, up to 1/4 cup. Dough should not stick to the sides of the bowl; it should form a ball and clean the sides. Continue mixing on speed 2 to knead, 2 minutes longer.

Grease a bowl, place the ball of dough in it, cover, and place in a warm place to rise, 1 hour. Punch dough down. Pat into a rectangle about 12x7". Using a pizza wheel or bench knife, cut the rectangle in half. Cut each half into six long snake-like pieces. Tie into loose knots and place on a greased cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap.

To bake the next morning: Place the tray in the fridge overnight. When you wake up, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and let the knots stand on the counter until it's hot, about 10 minutes.

To bake right away: Let knots stand, covered, in a warm place 40 minutes-1 hour.

Bake at 400 degrees 12 minutes, or until golden. Remove from baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool, at least 10 minutes. Drizzle with glaze and serve.

Orange Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tbsp orange juice

Whisk together sugar and juice until you have a consistency to drizzle over the rolls.

A School Budget Idea...

The United States of America is in a very sorry state right now, and getting progressively worse. There are so many important issues facing us these days, and one that's been in my thoughts most recently is education. Already our schools are short-staffed, teachers are underpaid (and if you disagree, spend some time in an elementary classroom for a while), and programs are being cut left and right. Years ago our county district cut out music and art, and many sports have suffered as well. Class sizes are out of control. Now we're hearing about an additional $236 million that will be cut from K-12 schools statewide. Where are they going to make that kind of money up?!

I have an idea. What if schools did away with the hot lunch program? Yes, it's been around a long, long time, and yes, many children (and staff members) depend on it daily, especially the lower income sector that relies on receiving free food. Obviously they'd still have to serve something, not only for those children that can't afford to bring their own, but also for the child that forgets to bring his or hers on any particular day. How about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Every day. They could offer them on white and whole wheat bread, both of which are inexpensive, and set up a salad bar with assorted veggies and fruits to round out the meal. Milk would also be available, of course. Once a month, or maybe once a week, a hot selection could be prepared, like pizza or hamburgers or macaroni and cheese. Food preparation times would be cut at least in half, the emphasis on fresh produce would help children make healthier choices, and the savings would be astronomical (both in cafeteria staff time and supplies).

Maybe people would whine about the lack of variety. That's just fine. Let them complain! They would still be free to pack their own lunch. Most children ask to bring peanut butter sandwiches daily anyway.

School districts also own many vacant lots, several of which could be converted into orchards and gardens to help supply the cafeterias. This would be an excellent opportunity for children to be active and have a wonderful educational experience as well. Classes (especially older children) could rotate schedules of maintenance, and community volunteers would donate time as well. The same produce that the kids helped to harvest would then appear on the salad bar for lunch. Talk about a connection to their food! It's been proven time and time again that children love to eat healthy fruits and vegetables that they'd helped grow and harvest. Bingo! Now we're addressing not only budget issues, but also the processed food trends that are so rampant in our American culture, physical education, AND healthy eating. Maybe this kind of thinking is too advanced for our society and government...?

Education is, and should be considered, the most important asset to a city, state, country. All the other programs are important in their own ways as well, but where will we be if we don't invest in our children first? Where will they be in 18 years if they're not given the support and focus that's so critical in their development? Our country will be in even more trouble than it is currently. Now there's a really scary prospect!

In the grand scheme of things, my idea would probably only save a little money. But what if it was enough to hire just one teacher? I definitely think that would be success!

Potsticker-Shaped Ravioli

Homemade pasta seems to be quite the trend these days. A new restaurant in town is flaunting theirs, there was an article in the paper a few days ago about an Italian exchange student who makes his own, and many chefs are talking about theirs as well. I have never made my own pasta. The process has never really appealed to me; why bother when it's so inexpensive to buy and so laborious to produce? Well, fresh pasta is unparalleled in flavor. After reading about a kid making it, I had to give it a shot. When I thought of using homemade ricotta in a filling for tortellini, I just couldn't resist.


Well, it was a process. I don't have a pasta roller (which I highly recommend after this experience), so I had to roll the dough out by hand. I cut circles and started to twist them into tortellini, but they were using too little filling and taking me too long, so I just left them in half-moons as ravioli, using twice the amount of filling (they looked like potstickers). They actually looked pretty good, and I was feeling proud of myself. Until I started to cook them. I boiled them in batches, in salted water, and it took them forever, compared to the usual time for fresh pasta. Even then they were only al dente, and very chewy. It turns out that I needed to roll the incredibly stiff, incredibly difficult-to-roll-out-by-hand dough much thinner; hence my reference to using a pasta roller or machine. I might just have to look into one!

I tossed the somewhat cooked ravioli (I couldn't cook it anymore; the outside was overcooking while the inside remained chewy) with crispy pancetta, garlic, olive oil, green onions, dried heirloom tomato pieces, and some parmesan cheese. My family happily gobbled the dish up. In fact, my husband said it was a great "start," being my first time, I guess, and that he could get used to having fresh pasta around. Ha! Next time I think he can help with the process!! Actually, they did turn out well, even if they were pretty chewy. The flavor was spot-on, and if I can get the dough thinner in the future they will be fabulous! Oh, and I'll probably use a smaller cutter too; the ravioli expanded more than I anticipated and turned out to be very large (another problem with my cooking time, I'm sure)! Sadly, I didn't get a picture, but you can get a good idea of the process on this site.

Homemade Whole Wheat Pasta

Stir together:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose flour

Make a well, then add 5 eggs. Stir lightly with a fork until dough starts to come together. Knead like crazy until you get a cohesive mass, then knead some more until smooth and elastic. Cover with plastic and let rest at least 20 minutes.

Roll out very thinly and cut into circles or squares for ravioli, or roll into a loose cylinder and cut into strips for fettuccine (or just use that nifty pasta machine to make whatever shape you desire). Fill with desired cheese or meat blend. Moisten fingertip and run it along the edge of the circle. Fold over and seal. Repeat.

Spinach and Cheese Filling

1 cup ricotta cheese
10 oz frozen spinach, chopped, thawed, and squeezed dry
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese

Stir ingredients together, then fill pasta as desired.

Cheesy Cookies...?!

My husband invited a few of his friends over tonight. I thought it'd be nice to have a batch of cookies ready, and we haven't had anything sweet around here for a few days, so it's the perfect excuse to start baking! I had a little ricotta leftover, and I remembered a recipe that my mom has made a few times, incorporating the cheese into little cake-like cookies with a burst of lemon flavor. I found a really nice version and tweaked it to my liking, using butter for richness, and cutting the quantities down to make a smaller amount. I don't like to have baked goods sitting around for more than a day or so because they start to get stale, we eat too many, and I can't/won't bake anything else until whatever's on the counter has been finished! Making a smaller batch allows us to keep portion sizes in check (especially when sharing!) and we get to consume more varieties of treats more often, without feeling too guilty about it. If you're baking for a crowd, however, this recipe is easily doubled.

Lemon-Burst Ricotta Cookies

4 tbsp butter, unsalted

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup ricotta cheese, preferably homemade (unsalted)

1 lemon, preferably organic

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

Zest (you should have about 1 tbsp zest) and juice the lemon, straining the seeds. Place half the zest in a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside (for the glaze).

Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl, then beat in the egg. Add the other half of the lemon zest, 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice, and the ricotta. Beat until combined. Add the baking powder, salt, and flour. Beat on a slow speed just until no traces of flour remain.

Drop by the tablespoon on the prepared cookie sheets. If you like a slightly mounded cookie, place them directly in the oven. If you like a flatter, classic cookie shape, moisten your fingers (I used lemon juice) and gently press the centers down to flatten slightly. Bake about 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven, let stand 1 minute, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, make the glaze.

Lemon-Burst Glaze

Whisk together until no lumps remain:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

the remaining 1/2 tbsp lemon zest

1 tsp meringue powder, optional

Use about 1/2 tsp per cookie. Let stand until hardened.

Makes about 24-30 cookies.

Cannoli!!

Today is my husband's birthday. Instead of making him a cake this year, I am putting together an Italian dinner, complete with his two favorite things, lasagna and cannoli. A few years ago we went back to New York for my sister's wedding, and since he'd never been, we left our then 2 year old at my other sister's in Nyack, booked a room in the city, and had my younger sister give us a one-day marathon tour. I have always loved Little Italy, and so a point was made to visit and buy at least one cannoli. Those ricotta-filled cookies made quite the impression! He'd never had one before, and upon leaving, he was always talking about them or on the lookout in case we'd run into one elsewhere. I have found these treats on the West Coast, but it always seems like the restaurants buy the shells premade and fill them with their "homemade" cannoli cream, and they're never quite on par with ones that are authentic and made-from-scratch.

Right after our East Coast trip I was in a kitchen shop (imagine that!) and came across some cannoli forms (6" metal tubes about 1" in diameter). I got really excited and bought a package for his stocking for Christmas. When he opened them I promised I would make his favorite treat. Good thing I didn't specify when, because it has taken me this long to finally get around to it! These came together quickly, taking me about one hour from start to finish, and my biggest challenge was keeping my two-year-old away from the hot oil and regulating the temperature, while also rolling out the dough (and keeping little fingers from swiping pieces). Fryers are nice because they keep a steady temperature, but I refuse to buy one since I never fry food (with this one exception)! I used a candy thermometer and a heavy pot, and the slight variances in heat didn't seem to matter, since I was watching them carefully anyway.

Cannoli with Fresh Ricotta Filling

1 3/4 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp granulated sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tbsp cold butter

4-6 tbsp sweet white wine*

1 egg white, lightly beaten

oil for deep frying

Stir together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter in until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center; pour in the egg. Stir with a fork to moisten. Add wine, 1 tbsp at a time, until dough just begins to cling. Knead a little bit to get it to form a ball (the surface will be somewhat dry, but will relax). Cover and let stand 15 minutes.

Cut the dough into four equal pieces. Cover three, and place one on a well floured surface. Roll out to 1/16" thickness and use a cookie cutter to cut into large circles (cutter should be about 3 1/2", but you may use a smaller one if necessary...the process will take longer to fry, however). Roll a circle into an oval shape. Place the oval on the cannoli form, moisten an edge with the egg white, and press to seal.

Heat oil to 375 degrees. Fry 2-3 cannoli shells at a time until golden, about 1 minute. Remove with tongs to a paper towel-lined tray to drain, let cool for a minute or so, and gently slide the form out of the cookie. Repeat with remaining dough. Cool completely before filling.

Fluffy Ricotta Filling

3 cups homemade ricotta, unsalted

1 cup heavy cream, whipped until stiff peaks form

zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon, preferably organic
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, plus extra for garnish

2-3 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup finely chopped good quality dark chocolate (Merckens, Guittard, Scharffenberger, Green and Black's, etc.)

Using a hand mixer, beat the ricotta until the lumps start to break up. Add the powdered sugar, lemon and orange zest, and vanilla. Beat well to combine, until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream and chocolate pieces. Chill at least 2 hours to allow flavors to blend.

To assemble cannoli, scoop filling into a large plastic bag (or a pastry bag fitted with a large circular tip). Cut the corner off and pipe into shells. (You can use a spoon, of course, but the result will not be as pretty or smooth.) Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve immediately. The filled cannoli will get soggy if made too early, so assemble them right before your dessert will be served or before the party starts! If desired, you may dip the ends in additional chopped chocolate or pistachios. Candied cherries are also a traditional garnish.

Makes about 32, but yield will be determined on the size of cutter you use.

*The original recipe calls for Sauternes, a very sweet white wine. I had to go to a specialty wine shop to find it, and it was a very small bottle for $25. The grapes used to make that type of wine are left on the vine to an almost pre-raisin state to make it that sweet, hence the higher price. I have read about people using pinot grigio with excellent results, and I'm sure any sweet white wine will be fine. I used a moscato d' asti with the bubbles stirred out. I absolutely love Cascinetta Vietti, 2009, and since it was sitting almost right next to the bottle of Sauternes and was $18, I decided I'd get the wine that I can have a glass of with my cannoli (it matches very well, by the way, being a dessert wine) and left the other for someone else.

Chocolate and Caramel, a Match Made in Heaven

I was going to take a hiatus from baking sweets for a few days. I promise! Especially with my husband's birthday coming up, I thought it would be good to hold off on the desserts for a bit. Well, last night one of my husband's friends stopped by. Since we had just gotten home from our weekend trip I didn't have anything to offer. So I made some cookies like a good little hostess. I cut the recipe in half, however, and they finished off most of the small batch, so we don't have that many leftovers. Still, please don't be expecting to see many sweets until Thursday! (Ha...I wonder if I'll make it?!)

This cookie recipe is of my own creation, entirely. Every Christmas my husband and I make the most amazing caramels, courtesy of a Martha Stewart recipe, to give as gifts and use for treats around the holidays. After our Christmas party I had some leftover and wanted a creative way to use them. So I made an intense chocolate cookie dough and wrapped it around a piece of caramel. The result was a chewy, decadent cookie that melts in your mouth. Most people don't make their own caramel, and if we want to have these at other times of the year, we need a decent substitute. I picked up some fresh dairy caramels from Goody's the last time we were in Bend, and any soft variety will work nicely. You may use Rolos in a pinch (with the added bonus of a little more chocolate!). Just make sure to cut them in half, using one piece for each cookie. Quantities caramel-wise are difficult to specify because it depends on the size you use. I use about 3/4 tsp caramel ball per cookie (or half a Rolo); too little and it's not enough flavor, too much and they become a gooey mess that are hard to remove from the baking sheet in one piece.

Chocolate Caramel Crinkles

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 oz unsweetened good quality chocolate, melted (I use Scharffenberger)

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

powdered sugar

fresh caramels (about 8-10 1 1/2" pieces or 24 Rolos)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment (to make for easier cookie removal).

Cream butter and sugar, then add other ingredients, beating well. Form into walnut-sized balls, pressing a piece of caramel into the center and wrapping the dough around to encase it completely. (If the dough is a bit soft, wait a few minutes for the chocolate to firm up.) Roll in powdered sugar.

Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven and let stand about one or two minutes to firm up. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

If you'd like to cut the recipe in half, use one egg and about 3/4 cup flour. They will still turn out wonderfully well.

Homemade Cheese. Yes, really!

Last summer I began to dabble in cheesemaking. I think it's best to leave the complicated varieties to people who have a better set-up than I for the aging process, and I don't ever care to attempt something so complicated (especially when others do such a wonderful job...Tillamook!). Fresh mozzarella and ricotta, however, have become a mainstay in our household. For the cost of a gallon of milk you get twice as much cheese as you'd buy in the store for half the money!

I needed to make ricotta tonight to get ready for my husband's birthday this week. His absolute favorite dish is lasagna and he loves cannoli; both use large quantities of the stuff. Next time you're in the cheese section, pick up a tub of ready-made ricotta cheese and read the ingredients. You'll be amazed at the stabilizers, preservatives, and other additives, especially after reading the following recipe.

This cheese melts very well in various dishes, but it's also very tasty alone. I like to spread it on toast and drizzle with honey, or mix in a little salt and use it as an appetizer (shape it in a mold and pour a savory spicy jelly or salsa over the top). To make it more creamy, cut down the draining time and/or add a little cream to it. Similarly, if you are looking for a dry texture, let it drain longer, maybe even overnight in the refrigerator.

Fresh Ricotta Cheese

1 gallon whole milk*
1 tsp citric acid**
1 tsp kosher salt, optional

Pour the milk into a large stockpot. Add the citric acid and, if using, the salt. Stir well. Heat, stirring to avoid scorching, until 195 degrees, but do not boil! You will notice large curds starting to form. Remove from heat and let stand, undisturbed, 5-10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the curds into a strainer lined with cheesecloth (a double or triple thickness to avoid curd seepage). Let stand about 30 minutes. Transfer to a glass bowl, cover and refrigerate until needed.

Makes about 3 cups.


*The type of milk used is very important. Many varieties of organic milk have been ultra pasteurized and will not curdle correctly; I tried Umpqua Organic today and had this problem even though the label didn't specify that it was UP milk. I had to discard the whole batch. I have had much success with store brands, though. Just make sure it's from cows not treated with rBST or antibiotics! Oh, and I have used 2% milk, but the cheese isn't as creamy and the yield is smaller.


**Citric acid can be found in your local grocery store. Just ask! I found it to be located with the bulk spices in the natural foods section. Or, you can order it from the New England Cheese Making Supply Company.

Farmer's Markets

I absolutely love Farmer's Markets (it seems like it should be Farmers' Markets, though, since it's not just one farmer selling stuff, but whatever...). Our local venue doesn't start until mid-June; our growing season is remarkably short compared to some places I read about and sometimes visit. It is getting progressively larger each year with added community support, and I hope this year proves to be even better than last! It is so fun to talk to people who care about what they eat and who obviously take such pride in what they produce. I almost always come away feeling like I learned something new, especially in larger cities.

I was up in Portland, OR, again this past weekend, and I was able to choose from not one, but several markets! My sister and I took my children to the PSU Farmer's Market on Saturday. It is still very early in the season, so I didn't have my hopes very high, but the selection was amazing. Artisan breads, chocolates, and cheeses (from sheep, cow, and goat's milk). An array of various greens, amazing quantities of somewhat exotic mushrooms, hand made crafts and other goods, a tremendous array of bakeries selling treats, preserves, food carts selling all sorts of wonderful hot items that were ready-to-eat...the list goes on and on! Oh, and the samples...it was unfortunate that my family had made such a wonderfully delicious, large breakfast for us that morning! Actually, maybe that was a good thing so I didn't spend hundreds of dollars!

I ended up buying just a few items. My first pint of Oregon berries made it only as far as a bench located just outside of the entrance to the market; the four of us quickly devoured the red little gems. I also bought some morels, an Oregon black truffle, another type of cultivated mushroom that (I think) was called Bunashimeji, some wild leeks, hand crafted cream cheese (which is nothing like the store-bought stuff), and a loaf of artisan multigrain crusty bread. When I saw the mushrooms I was inspired to make a divine appetizer for dinner that night, and after spending about $33 I was really, really hopeful that my made up recipe (or lack thereof) would be tasty.

Oh. My. Goodness! I don't have any set quantities, as I just bought the items by the container and totally winged it, but I can describe how I did things and if you're ever presented with these items you can play around with the "recipe!" I chopped up half a bunch of wild leeks and some garlic and sauteed them in a little olive oil and butter (just a touch for richness). As they were starting to soften, I splashed in a little cabernet and then added the chopped mushrooms (never cook a truffle, though, or you'll ruin the flavor). I seasoned with salt and pepper, and then poured the mixture over a mound of the fresh cream cheese. It was topped with a sprinkle of parmesan and the small truffle, shaved over the top with my sister's zester, and served with a plate of sliced multigrain bread. Yum. Even my kids (who do not usually like mushrooms) thought it was divine. That amazing appetizer was followed by my sister's homemade spring veggie lasagna, consisting of garden-fresh herbs and some mustard greens we also picked up at the market. Delish!

As if I could top that experience, today we left the kids with the guys and headed out to a much smaller, yet still wonderful, neighborhood Farmer's Market. I had the opportunity to meet the owner/creator of Missionary Chocolates, who specializes in vegan flavors like Passionfruit-Lime, Meyer Lemon, Glorious Ginger, and Spicy Cinnamon Chipotle. I only wish I had a picture to share, but somehow they disappeared on the long drive home. My husband actually thinks they're better than some of our favorite artisan chocolate haunts like Lillie Belle Farms (Central Point, OR) and Donnelly Chocolates (Santa Cruz, CA). The flavors are so intense and bold, but not overpowering.

If I haven't already convinced you, Farmer's Markets are so important to support, on so many levels. It's sustainable to purchase directly from local businesses and it's fun to meet the people behind the scenes of such good foods, ingredients, and crafts. The rules of supply and demand shine brightly here; the more people who frequent these venues, the larger they'll become and the more varied their products (and possibly, the lower the prices due to competition. Now I just hope I can wait a few more weeks until ours starts up!

Huckleberry Scones

One of my favorite flours to bake with is barley. I know I sound like a total health food nut saying that, but if you give it a shot you may be a believer too! It produces a light, delicate crumb that takes on a crispness around the edges. Just make sure to blend it with a bit of regular flour or you'll have a dense blob for whatever you're trying to bake!

My son asked for scones for breakfast as we were talking last night, so I mixed all the wet and dry ingredients separately, refrigerated them, and set the delay start option on the oven. That meant that all I had to do this morning was wake up, mix, cut, and bake. The recipe below is a basic one; feel free to fold in some dried or fresh blueberries if you desire. I still have a small bag of huckleberries in the freezer from last summer, so I used about one cup of those, folding gently in right before I cut the scone dough. Our frozen huckleberries don't turn the batter red (we have the small red variety here, not the big purple ones), but frozen blueberries will turn it purple. If you really want to use frozen blueberries, I'd opt for the small wild ones and toss them in a tablespoon or so of flour before folding them in.

Lemon-Barley Scones (adapted from King Arthur Flour)

2 cups whole barley flour
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup lemon juice (or use more buttermilk instead)
1 tbsp freshly grated lemon zest (preferably organic)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Stir together the flours, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut the butter in until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Whisk together the egg, buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Pour into the dry; stir until a few wisps of flour remain. Turn onto a floured work surface and knead two or three times, or until dough comes together. (Add any fruit now if you're using it.) Divide into two pieces.

Pat each piece into an 8 or 9" circle and cut into triangles. Place on a greased baking sheet. Brush with more milk (or buttermilk) and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake about 23 minutes, or until the tops are nicely browned. Serve warm, or transfer to a rack to cool.

Cake Ideas...

Sometimes, on my way home from walking my son to school in the mornings, I will have an inspiration for a cake flavor, especially if it's been a few weeks since I've baked one. A week or so ago I had this image of a salted caramel buttercream over a chocolate cake, and chocolate cupcakes filled with the same buttercream and dipped in ganache, sprinkled with edible gold glitter. So this weekend I embarked on a mission to see about making those come to life. One obstacle after another, and I finally had to settle on the pictures you see here. Grrr! I kept having issues decorating the cake, and I should know by now that sometimes it's better to leave things well enough alone...but, I had to toss on some grated chocolate. Naturally, that gives it a little "furry" look. Oh well.

The icing turned out tasty, but not how I'd imagined it. I didn't want to cook a caramel and have it fly all over the bowl when I tried to beat in into a butter mixture (as can

sometimes happen when making a candy base icing), so I used brown sugar instead of regular in my French Buttercream icing, doubled the vanilla, and added a teaspoon of smoked sea salt.

My cupcakes didn't dome as I'd hoped, turning out flat-topped. Sometimes this is desirable, but NOT when you want to dip them! So, I opted for a thin layer of the caramel buttercream with a flower design of ganache instead. Oh, and Michaels doesn't carry edible gold glitter, so that idea was squashed too (they were also out of the size of cake circles I needed...).

One success, however, are my adorable sundae cupcakes (above), topped with whipped, sweetened cream (I used powdered sugar to give it some stability), drizzled with chocolate syrup, and topped with an all-natural Maraschino cherry (from Whole Foods, and an Oregon product!). I only made four of those (for dessert last night); a whipped cream topping, even when stabilized, doesn't hold up for very long, so it's not very practical to share with friends!

Well, at least everything tastes yummy, even if it didn't turn out exactly that way I wanted it to!

In Defense of...Sugar

Last night my husband was giving me a hard time for all the sugar we've supposedly been consuming, mostly because I bake so much and we usually have something sweet for dessert after dinner (even if it's just one small piece of dark chocolate or home-canned fruit). The thing is, I always reduce the sugar (unless it's a layer cake, cupcakes, or cookies for special occasions), and I totally disagreed with him. Just because I prepare so much of our food, we are more aware of what goes into it. I know better than to argue with him, however, and started doing a little research to prove him wrong!

Yesterday I made some apple cinnamon scones for breakfast. Scones are great because they have at least half the sugar of muffins, yet you're not expecting them to be nearly as sweet. I made them bigger than usual, getting 8 in the batch, but I only ate one. The recipe called for 1/4 cup of sugar (I used a trace less, but we'll figure out the grams based on what should have been used).

There are 4.2 grams of sugar in one teaspoon. Three teaspoons in one tablespoon, 4 tablespoons in 1/4 cup. That means the recipe had 50.4 grams of added sugar (I didn't figure out what the dried apple and other ingredients would add), which amounts to 6.3 grams in one scone. What does that mean, exactly? Well, an average bowl of cereal has about 8 grams of sugar (Apple Jacks, Captain Crunch, and others have considerably MORE). No one ever eats the serving size; usually we all consume about twice what's recommended. So when you eat a bowl of cereal you're eating refined, processed food that may or may not be whole grain, and are eating at least 16 grams of sugar! Or you can have one whole grain, low fat scone with less than half that amount and feel full longer. My guy was intrigued when I shared this with him, but of course I had to take things a step further....

We don't drink soda anymore, unless it's a dire caffeine emergency or a very special treat. I have changed my views to look at those cans as liquid sugar (not to mention that the most common brands are high fructose corn syrup and not sugar, but we'll leave that alone for now). Many people have written about how many grams are in Coke or Pepsi and their teaspoon equivalents. In a 12 ounce Coke Classic, for example, there are 40 grams of sugar. That's almost 10 teaspoons of sugar! OK, that doesn't seem so bad. What if I broke it down even more and told you that's almost 1/4 cup?! Could you sit at the table and eat 1/4 cup of sugar (or more) straight? Mountain Dew has 46 grams, and please keep in mind that most people don't drink a 12 ounce can these days. They're consuming at least 20 ounce bottles or 32 ounce cups from a convenience store! Now there's a lot of sugar, especially when you add in everything else in their diet for that particular day!

I think my husband was concerned because he had a visual on exactly how much sugar I was pouring in the bowl. But what about all the unseen sweeteners that we consume without even realizing it? I wonder what would happen if food companies and beverage distribution centers changed the grams of sugar on the packages to teaspoons (or fractions of cups, like 1/4 cup in soda). Would that make people stop and think at least for a moment?

Regardless, I feel confident that my family regulates their sugar intake better than most Americans. Yes, I do bake a LOT, but by being conscious of what's going into the recipe we can control our levels of consumption and, hopefully, limit our risks of developing any future dietary related disease (age onset diabetes specifically, which does run in my family). That said, we will be skipping dessert tonight in preparation for a Mother's Day treat (if I get around to it and don't feel lazy tomorrow!).

The Perfect Warm Salad for Spring

I have this slightly embarrassing habit of constantly reading cookbooks. For fun, yes, but also as a way to plan out meals for the upcoming week. I recently discovered an untapped resource for recipe inspirations, and am now always on the lookout for restaurants' menus. I picked up a brochure on dining options in the Bend area a week or so ago and practically drooled as I read about the wonderful restaurants Central Oregon has to offer. Seasonal menus, locally produced foods...almost a Portland vibe, and certainly better than anything our small town has to offer! With only one night and two small children in tow, however, nicer dining options had to wait (that and my husband really wanted pizza). I did save the brochure, however, and had to try my hand at one of the "salads" offered at an upscale place. Naturally, I don't know how the original one tasted, but mine is awesome and full of springtime flavor! If you have some good quality fresh cherry tomatoes available, I'd throw in a handful of those too.

Roasted Asparagus and Potato Salad with Grilled Prawns

1 1/2 lbs asparagus, washed, ends trimmed, and cut in half

1 lb headless raw prawns or jumbo shrimp, shells on

1 lb yukon gold potatoes

1/4 cup chopped sundried tomatoes

3/4 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, cut in half

2 slices prosciutto or pancetta, cooked until crisp and chopped, optional

basic vinaigrette (recipe follows)

feta cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pour about 1 tbsp olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to spread it around so the whole pan is covered.

Cut potatoes into small bite-sized squares, about 3/4-1" in size. Place in a bowl and pour 1 tbsp olive oil over the top. Add a pinch of kosher salt and toss lightly to coat. Pour in a single layer onto prepared pan. Roast about 20 min. (They should have just enough time to start to brown.)

Meanwhile, preheat grill to high. Place the prawns in a single layer (they should be so large that falling through the grates won't be a problem, but if you're worried, place them on a piece of foil on the grate). Grill, flipping after about 5 minutes until slightly charred and pink. Remove to a plate and let stand a few minutes to cool slightly.

Place the tomato pieces, green onions and olives in a large bowl. Make the vinaigrette.

Basic Vinaigrette:

1 tbsp good quality vinegar, your choice of flavor (I used a white balsamic)

1/2 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp water

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, and water. In a slow, steady stream, whisk in the oil until the mixture has emulsified and thickened. You'll have about 1/2 cup.

When the potatoes have roasted for 20 minutes, push them to the side of the pan and pour the asparagus alongside. The asparagus should have enough room to be in a single layer, maybe overlapping in just a few spots. Continue roasting for another 15-20 minutes, turning over the asparagus with a spatula occasionally.

Remove the shells from the prawns and place in the bowl with the olives. Pour the dressing over and toss gently. When the asparagus is done, remove the pan from the oven. Immediately pour into the bowl and gently toss to combine, seasoning with salt and freshly ground pepper.

To serve, place a pile of salad in the middle of a plate. Top with a twist of pepper, a generous crumble of feta cheese, and a sprinkle of crispy prosciutto or pancetta (if using). Serve at once; it will be warm but not hot...perfect for a spring evening!

Serves 2-3. (Or 2 adults and 2 small children.)

An Oddly Delicious Springtime Soup

Last summer we had a surplus of rhubarb, with a combination from my own plant, my dad's, and our CSA share. After making everything I could think of with it fresh, I chopped and froze several quart sized bags, with the intention of making lots of winter treats, compotes, and soups, but I still have a few bags left as the green leaves are quickly popping up out of the ground. Soon I will be harvesting fresh, so I need to use up what we already have. Rhubarb-Lentil Soup has become a spring staple in our family. It's inexpensive, delicious, and gives a gourmet twist to an easy dinner. I was intrigued when I stumbled on the recipe in Cooking Light magazine a few years ago, and I've since adapted the original to better suit our family. I increased the amount of ingredients so we'd have a bit leftover, but if you find yourself with a little too much soup, pack it into quart sized jars and freeze for a quick meal later on.

Rhubarb-Lentil Soup with Creme Fraiche

extra virgin olive oil
1 1/4 cups petite green lentils (also called French green lentils)
3 cups chopped carrot
2 1/2 cups chopped celery
2 1/4 cups chopped onion (red or yellow)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tbsp dried)
3 cups chopped rhubarb
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth, homemade if possible
3/4 tsp sea salt
pepper, to taste
dill, fresh if possible
creme fraiche (or sour cream or yogurt)

Heat a stockpot over medium high heat. Add a little olive oil and saute the carrot, celery, and onions until softened, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat so they don't brown. Add the rhubarb and parsley and saute about 5 more minutes. Stir in broth, salt, and lentils. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender, about 40 minutes.

Puree mixture in a blender (in batches). Return to pan and stir in pepper.

After pouring soup into bowls, add a tablespoon or so of creme fraiche. Sprinkle with dill and serve.

Serves about 6 as a main dish.

Bread Pudding, With A Twist

Many people ask me how I have the time to cook and bake so much, and they make comments about how I must spend all day in the kitchen. I don't spend all day in the kitchen, although I do spend more time there than most people. Usually I multitask, catching up on chores while something's baking. I could, and maybe should, be doing many other things with my time. I try to keep up with the laundry and maintain a relatively clean home, and I am always ferrying children around to various activities. Truthfully, I feel busier than when I was working!

Actually, I am still working, only now I am a stay at home mom, and I don't get set breaks every day. Nap time is now only one hour, and that's usually spent catching up with whatever I have in the works. I enjoy making good things for my family. It makes me feel good to give them good, wholesome foods to eat, and if they're going to eat sweets, then it's nice to know they're not ingesting all sorts of unknown preservatives and things that aren't good for their bodies (with the exception of sugar, HA!). I try to maintain some sort of moderation, making smaller portions of things we don't need to consume too often, which enables us to eat other treats on a smaller scale too.

I have always cooked/baked, so this is certainly nothing new. After my son was born, however, I was standing in a grocery store reading the labels on different types of bread. Have you ever done that before? I was so turned off by the preservatives that I thought I should try to find a recipe for a decent whole wheat loaf. After I nailed that I got tired of buying other things that just weren't very good and increasing in cost as well, so I started making those things too. You get used to the flavor and quality difference of homemade versus store bought. And when I come upon something that's really good in a restaurant I'll try to identify what's in it and make my own version. Even though I find myself spending more on groceries and buying somewhat exotic ingredients from time to time, I justify it because we don't eat out very often. Rarely, in fact, unless we're on vacation and I don't have access to a kitchen.

On the dessert front, I probably do too much with sugar and butter, not entirely following my own advice for moderation. Like I said above, I try to cut recipes in half to make smaller portions (and not have leftovers) and often we share with lucky family members or friends. It's become somewhat of a hobby and I enjoy doing it. It's fun to try new things and have success! We make it a point to get a lot of exercise (although it would be nice to do even more, of course); my kids are active and in sports, my husband does Crossfit, and I make it a point to do as much walking as I can in a day. Eventually, when my two year old gets in school, I will pick back up my pilates and yoga schedule and maybe add something else in there too. But we also watch what we eat the whole day, the whole week, and try not to overdo the treats too much (we never drink soda).

That said, I am on to the next dessert, a killer one that I've been wanting to try out for a while. We definitely won't be eating more than one small serving each of this one! A bread pudding made with buttery, bakery-fresh croissants and farm-fresh eggs....

Croissant Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

I bought the croissants freshly made for this dessert at Green Blade Bakery. The quality of your final dessert will reflect on the quality of ingredients you use, so find the best croissants you possibly can, especially since they are the main ingredient! This would be a fabulous make ahead dessert for a dinner party.

3-4 croissants
4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups cream or half and half
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8" square glass pan.

Whisk together eggs and sugar, mixing well. Whisk in cream and vanilla until sugar has dissolved.

Cut the croissants in half lengthwise. Lay one layer in the bottom of the pan (you may need to cut them again crosswise to fit). Pour half of the egg mixture over the top. Arrange the other croissant pieces over the top. Pour the remaining egg mixture over, pressing down with a spoon to saturate.

Place pan in a 13x9" baking pan lined with a towel. Pour boiling water halfway up the side. Carefully place in the oven. Bake 40-60 minutes or until custard has set. Remove from water bath. Serve warm, or cool and place in the fridge until needed, warming before serving.

Serves about 6 and can be easily doubled to fit in a 13x9" pan (use a roasting pan for the water bath).


Whiskey Sauce

I made this with 2 tbsp of whiskey and found it a bit strong. Taste and adjust to your liking!

3 eggs yolks, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp whiskey
pinch nutmeg

Set a pot of water to simmer on the stove. In a double boiler, place the yolks (off the heat) and sugar. Beat with a hand mixer until pale and thickened. Beat in whiskey and nutmeg. Place pan over the simmering water. With mixer on low, beat until thickened and very warm. Serve immediately with the croissant pudding.

A Topic Sure to Spark A Debate...

I am a huge fan of Joel Salatin. He owns Polyface Farm, Inc., located in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, and is most famous for appearing in Food, Inc (the movie), being a subject in Michael Pollan's book, The Omnivore's Dilemma, and also for giving talks and writing various books on farming. I have read a few of his books, and learned A LOT from his vast amount of knowledge on the agriculture industry. He does tend to go off on rants occasionally, but if you look at it with a sense of humor and can appreciate his passion for what he does, then it's profoundly entertaining. Occasionally I check Polyface's blog, and tonight I happened upon this post. He pretty much says exactly what I would say on the subject of eating well, even on a budget (except he's much more knowledgeable on the industry than I ever will be!). Please check it out if you have a moment!

One Of My Favorite Things...

If you know me even remotely well, by now you should guess that I adore strawberries. OK, maybe it's a borderline obsession, so much so that I cannot ever wait for the local berry season to arrive. Historically California berries have had a reputation for lack of flavor and a wooden-y texture, and coupled with the knowledge that they are coated in many different pesticides, I didn't have much of a problem waiting in the past. But now we have these gorgeous organic dark red gems that are full-flavored, juicy, and delicious...and that go on sale for $2 occasionally. Hey, we live close to the California border, and many of the plants that are sold to growers are produced just a few miles away! That makes me feel better about buying berries before the leaves fully emerge from my own plants.

While I am not extremely picky when it comes to any type of berry, Oregon ones are in a completely different class. Each summer we head north and stock up on several flats of unsprayed strawberries for jam, freezing (we drink a lot of winter smoothies), and many fresh treats with which to stuff ourselves until we can't take it any longer. My mouth starts to water just thinking of them! Alas, we still have two months to wait, and I will happily make do with the store-bought organic variety for now.

I came up with my very own shortcake recipe tonight. My biscuit recipes are a little too heavy to use as a dessert base, and a good vessel for berries needs to be light and fluffy. Many versions exist, but they contain at least twice as much butter as mine, and whipping cream is used instead of buttermilk, which basically results in something you should only have once per year (if at all). I have to be realistic; we eat A LOT of strawberry shortcake, and often it finds itself being eaten for breakfast (only then we use yogurt instead of whipped cream as a topping). This is a super light, fluffy, half whole grain, lower in fat version that is delicious.

Strawberry Shortcake

1 cup cake flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp cold butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch dried lemon zest (or about 1/4 tsp fresh)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

Stir together the dry ingredients. Cut the butter into the mixture using a pastry blender until it resembles crumbs. Or, use a box grater (as you would for cheese), grating the butter over the flour and toss to combine.

Whisk together buttermilk, egg, vanilla, and zest. Pour into flour and stir to combine. When a few wisps of flour remain, knead it gently until it all comes together, adding up to 2 tbsp more cake flour if necessary. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Pat into a rectangle and cut into squares. Place on prepared cookie sheet.

Using a bit more buttermilk, or what's leftover in the measuring cup from whisking the wet ingredients together, paint the tops of the biscuits with a pastry brush to moisten. Sprinkle with sanding sugar (or raw sugar crystals work well too). Bake 12-14 minutes, or until tops are just lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool.

Split in half and top with lightly sweetened, sliced strawberries. Add a dollop of freshly whipped cream and serve!

Makes 8 generously sized biscuits.