Blueberry Season, Finally!

There is this pie that we have come to look forward to every spring, as the rhubarb starts to peek out of the ground. The first time I saw the recipe for Rhubarb Custard Pie, I was intrigued, even though it sounded kind of odd. Of course, I have learned that sounding odd and actually tasting odd are two completely different things, and I'm so glad I went ahead and tried it out. It's a staple of my pie recipe collection now.

My rhubarb is on it's last legs. I was planning on making this pie with the remainder of it, but yesterday I visited the Ashland Grower's Market and found a half flat of fresh blueberries. I could not resist, and I bought the whole thing. So the blueberries were calling to me from the back of our car the whole way home, and I knew I had to make a dessert with them today. Instead of Rhubarb Custard Pie, I thought we could try Blueberry Custard Pie. Instead of the sweet jelled fruit pie filling like a classic pie, it's updated to a creamy, fruity, but not too rich filling. You can cover this pie with meringue if you choose, but I like it in a more simplistic form, with maybe a little dollop of whipped cream or frozen yogurt.

Blueberry (or Rhubarb) Custard Pie

1 9" pie crust, unbaked

1/2 cup sugar (3/4 cup if using rhubarb instead)

1 tbsp butter, melted

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

5 cups blueberries (or chopped rhubarb, about 1 1/2 lbs)

2 tbsp flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Chill your pie crust while you assemble the filling.

Place the sugar, butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat until creamy and well combined.

Toss the blueberries or rhubarb with the flour in another bowl. Add to the batter and fold in lightly. Pour into prepared pie shell.

Bake 1 1/4 hours, until the filling is firm. Cool on a wire rack. Serve at room temperature, or chill until needed.

If you want to add a meringue topping, beat 3 eggs whites and 1/4 tsp cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar and beat until stiff and glossy. Spread onto room temperature pie, sealing to the crust. Bake at 375 degrees until lightly browned, 12-15 minutes. Cool on wire rack 1 hour before serving.

Recipe Creation: It's Becoming A Habit

It's so frustrating to look for a recipe that I have in mind and not be able to find it!! Of course, usually when this happens (which is often), I have never actually seen the recipe; it's a figment of my imagination and is one I figure someone should have thought up by now. But it doesn't exist. With dinners and non-complicated meals I can totally wing it and usually have something awesome as a result, but with baking...well, that's chemistry and can't be messed with too much or disaster will strike, and I hate to waste expensive ingredients! So I usually end up looking at three or four things that might be similar to what I have in mind, piece together something based on what I've read and what I've made before, and then I often end up with something that's edible, at the very least.

Here I am, back at the breakfast planning situation tonight. Cinnamon rolls were sounding good, but I didn't want to make something with so much added sugar and butter (because I have plans for something else tomorrow and there's the whole moderation issue). It had to be whole grain, preferably 100%, of course, and still qualify as a sweet bread that's not too laborious. Enter Cinnamon Swirl Bread. Sounds familiar, right? Well, most versions are ALL white flour, which is why they're so puffy and light, and the whole grain ones still use some regular flour, TONS of sugar, and King Arthur's version uses a preferment (which does not work for me time-wise tonight). My own version turned out perfectly, full of cinnamon flavor, not overpoweringly sweet, and with a good 100% whole grain texture that's not dense like some loaves. It's easier than cinnamon rolls, and if you really want to pack an extra sweet punch, you can top warm slices with powdered sugar or cream cheese icing, or you can turn day-old Cinnamon Swirl Bread into French Toast with maple syrup.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Swirl Bread
This recipe is easily doubled, if you'd like to make an extra loaf for the freezer.

1/2 cup very warm water
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 tbsp honey (approx)
1 egg, at room temperature
1 1/2 tbsp softened unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tbsp dry nonfat milk powder
1 1/2 tbsp vital wheat gluten
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Stir together the water, yeast, and honey. Let stand about 5 minutes, until foamy.

Place flour, butter, egg, salt, dry milk, and gluten in a large mixing bowl. Pour yeast mixture into the center and stir and knead by hand or machine until dough is soft, smooth, and elastic (you may need to add up to 1/4 cup more water, depending on climatic conditions for the day you choose to make it).

Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes-1 hour. Stir together brown sugar and cinnamon.

Punch dough down, then pat into a 12x7 inch rectangle. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the dough. Roll up, then pinch seam and fold ends under to seal. Place in a greased 8x4 inch loaf pan. Cover and let rise 30-45 minutes, or until almost doubled in size.

While dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and it sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack. If you like a crispy crust, leave it as-is, but if you like a satiny, soft crust, you may brush with a little melted butter (about 1/2 tbsp) while still hot.

Oatmeal, Without A Spoon

My children start planning their breakfasts before I usually have a chance to think about it...at bedtime the night before. Last night I was tucking my daughter in, and she requested oatmeal. She always requests oatmeal. At least it's healthy, but I'm not a particularly huge fan of the mush, which means that I have cereal on oatmeal mornings. We try to limit cereal days to once or twice per week, though. I came up with an oatmeal muffin that tastes just like the maple and brown sugar oatmeal packets my kids love (we usually use half of one of the packets per child with a scoop of quick cooking oats to balance out the sugar content). My children didn't even notice the little pieces of walnuts inside, which added a nice toasty flavor to each bite. This recipe is a keeper!

Maple and Brown Sugar Muffins

1 1/2 cups whole wheat PASTRY flour

3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

2 tbsp nonfat dry milk

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup canola oil

2 eggs

1/2 tsp maple extract or flavoring, optional

1/4 cup finely chopped, toasted walnuts*

granulated maple sugar or cinnamon sugar, for topping, optional

Grease a 12-cup muffin tin. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (or set your delay start for the next morning, mix the dry and wet ingredients separately, stir and bake when you wake up).

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, dry milk, and walnuts, if using.

Whisk together the milk, brown sugar, maple syrup, maple flavoring, oil, and eggs. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir lightly just until mixed. Divide between the muffin cups. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired.

Bake 18-20 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins.

*To toast the chopped walnuts, place them in a skillet. Cook over medium-high heat and shake the pan occasionally, until lightly browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Toasting them brings out a delicious nutty flavor, and means that you use less in the overall recipe. If you'd rather use them as a topping, double the amount to 1/2 cup and sprinkle them on top of the batter just before baking, omitting the maple or cinnamon sugar.

Barbecued Pizza?!

Occasionally I have mentioned grilled pizza in previous posts. If someone's unfamiliar with the concept of a barbecued pizza, it can seem kind of...odd. It's hard to give up good homemade pizza when it's really hot out (and a sauna in the kitchen). So instead of turning on the oven this summer, heat up your BBQ and take the pizza baking outdoors!

A while back Eating Well did an article with several recipes for gourmet grilled pizzas, and their instructions set me off onto a great summer grilling spree. I find it difficult to stick to the classic combinations (pepperoni, Hawaiian, etc.) when there is absolutely nothing "classic" about the BBQ flavor. So usually I end up throwing whatever I have on hand on top, usually leftovers. It works out very well every time, as long as the pizzas aren't too big and the heat isn't too high. Keep in mind, also, that this dough works just as well for grilled flatbread to serve alongside fresh hummus or to use for sandwiches. Happy grilling!

Grilled Pizza, 101

If you don't have white whole wheat flour, use 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour and 1 1/2 cups bread flour. The white whole wheat has a more subtle taste, so it can stand the larger ratio to the bread flour.

1 cup very warm water

1 tbsp active dry yeast

1/2 tsp sugar

2 cups white whole wheat flour

1 cup bread flour

1 tsp salt

desired sauces, grated cheeses, and toppings*

Combine water, yeast, and sugar in a glass measuring cup or small bowl. Stir well to dissolve, then let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

Stir together flours and salt. Add water mixture and combine and knead (by hand or machine) until you have a soft, smooth dough, adding a little more water if necessary to bring the dough together. (Be sure not to add too much water, however. You want a sturdy dough that can be rolled out for the grill. If you add too much moisture, you may knead more flour in to get the right consistency.)

Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise about 45 minutes.

While the dough is rising, prepare the rest of your ingredients. Place everything on a tray (this makes it easy to transport in and out of the house and a breeze to quickly top the grilled crust). Preheat the BBQ to low heat.

Divide the dough in half. Sprinkle a flat baking sheet (so the dough can easily slide off) with cornmeal. Roll each circle out to a 9 or 10 inch circle and place on the cornmeal-dusted sheet(s). Slide onto the preheated grill, or carefully pick up the dough circles and place them gently on the grate. Cover and grill about 5-8 minutes, until golden. Flip using a large spatula, immediately top with desired ingredients, cover the BBQ, and grill over low heat an additional 5-8 minutes. The cheese should be melted and bubbly. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly, then cut into wedges and serve.

*Leftovers work wonders for these kinds of pizzas. On the ones pictured above, I made two completely different varieties. The first has BBQ sauce, leftover BBQ roast beef, sauteed peppers and onions, and mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. The second is topped with Spinach Pesto (basil pesto would've been even better, if I'd had some), fresh mozzarella cheese, and sliced cherry tomatoes.

Pesto Made With Spring Garden Greens

We live in a medium to small sized town, and while we've certainly come a long way with the variety of what types of food are available, we are still limited in many ways. I try to buy in season, which poses a challenge in itself. Luckily, there is one booth at the Farmers' Market that operates out of geothermally heated greenhouses, so we get a jump start on rainbow colored bell peppers, heirloom tomatoes, basil, cucumbers, and a few other things. I went in search of some arugula this morning, but found some bright green spinach instead.

I have learned to be flexible when it comes to meal planning and recipe inspiration. I had visions of grilled chicken breast chunks and pasta tossed with Garlic Scape Pesto and cherry tomatoes, but the grocery store was out of organic chicken. All organic chicken...even broilers. How does that happen? Who is planning the purchasing/stocking for that store?! Anyway, I had to change gears. They had some yummy looking wild scallops, so I snagged those instead. I thought the Garlic Scape Pesto might over power the delicateness of the scallops, so I opted to make some spinach pesto out of my purchase from the Farmer's Market. My kids gobbled this dish up, and even my son, who has told me he doesn't like scallops in the past, thought this was tasty. He did remember to complain on his last bite, though, saying (as he stuffed it in his mouth), "Mom, I don't really care for scallops." Yeah, right. But that's a six-year-old for you!

Grilled Scallops with Fusilli, Spinach Pesto, and Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes

4 cups loosely packed spinach leaves (or try arugula instead)

4-6 fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for sprinkling

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

1 garlic scape, chopped (or 1 garlic clove, minced)

olive oil, 1/3-1/2 cup or to taste

1/2 pint mixed cherry tomatoes (yellow, orange, red, etc.), quartered

10 oz Fusilli pasta*

1- 1 1/2 lbs wild scallops (the large ones)

salt and freshly ground pepper

Place the spinach, basil, parmesan, nuts, and garlic in a food processor. Drizzle with olive oil. Puree, adding more oil if needed. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions.

While the water is boiling, preheat a grill to high. Place the scallops in a single layer on paper towels (to absorb any moisture). Blot with another layer of towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill over high heat 1-2 minutes per side, being careful not to overcook.

Drain the pasta and toss with the pesto. Place some pasta on a plate, top with quartered tomato pieces and scallops. Grate parmesan cheese over the top and serve.

*I used Tinkyada brown rice fusilli pasta, found in the natural foods section. Whole wheat pasta might overpower the mildness of the scallops, but the brown rice flavor is very subtle. I like to use whole grain pastas because they fill you up quickly, using half as much as you might with regular white/semolina flour varieties. It keeps you lean because you eat less and it's healthier for you nutrition-wise!

Adventures In the Kitchen

Every once in a while I have a complete failure in the kitchen. Kids underfoot, distraction, or atmospheric conditions can drastically alter the finished product. Yesterday was a day where we had 150% humidity due to afternoon thunderstorms. Most people who bake a lot would recognize this as a sign to stay OUT of the kitchen and away from anything that has to do with chemistry, but every once in a while I conveniently forget and end up with an unusable dessert, bread, candy...it's happened quite a bit, you see.

I created a carrot cake recipe a few years ago that my family really enjoys. I have never been a fan of regular carrot cakes; they're either too dense, too nutty, too sweet, or too oily. With a weekly supply of delicious garden-fresh carrots from our CSA, however, I was getting creative with many things carrot related. It was only a matter of time before I looked into putting them in a cake. I combined several recipes and substituted butter for some of the oil. It's still very high in fat (even though other recipes call for 1 1/2 cups oil!), but with the addition of whole wheat pastry flour and lots of carrots, there are some healthy factors too, especially compared to a regular chocolate or vanilla cake. This is the main reason why I chose to bring carrot cupcakes to my son's last T-Ball game this morning. Coupled with the cream cheese in the icing they're a better choice for a treat than, say, Rice Krispy Treats (which one team had last week).

I'm getting ahead of myself. I was talking about flops above. Ha! I have made this recipe numerous times, in the form of beautiful layer cakes sprinkled with toasted walnuts, but yesterday I watched as the cupcakes sank into the muffin cups, creating big craters. Ugh. Did I mention I tried these while a thunderstorm was in progress? I was annoyed, to say the least. After my husband got home from work I headed to the grocery store and thought about my little failure. I returned to a quiet house, no rain, kids in bed, and decided to try again, especially since the previous cakes were all wonderful. Success! I cut the recipe in half to make 12 cupcakes, and they turned out just fine. The carrots in the batter do make them a bit craggy in appearance (as expected), but the crumb is moist and tasty, and the icing is classically divine.

Carrot Cake

Use organic or garden-fresh carrots for the best flavor.

3 cups grated carrots (loosely packed)

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup canola oil

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat PASTRY flour

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

chopped, toasted walnuts, optional*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8 or 9" round pans, line with parchment, and lightly grease the parchment.

Place the grated carrots on a clean cutting board and chop finely (this gives a more fine, less tweedy texture to the cake).

Cream the butter, oil, and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla. Add the salt, cinnamon, soda, powder, and flours. Beat until just barely mixed; some flour should remain. Add carrots and mix well.

Pour into prepared pans, dividing evenly. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans, the remove to wire racks. (Usually I leave cakes IN the pans to cool, but this cake is so moist it does better cooling out of the pan.)

Trim layers evenly and frost with Cream Cheese Icing. Decorate with chopped walnuts, if desired.

Cream Cheese Icing:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 8 oz brick cream cheese, softened

2-3 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Beat together the butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add vanilla and 2 cups powdered sugar, beating well. Add more sugar, if necessary, to achieve the desired consistency (and taste for sweetness). For the T-Ball cupcakes I used very little powdered sugar, resulting in a lightly sweet, loose icing that I just dolloped on the tops of the cakes. If you're wanting to ice a layer cake, you'll need a thick, spreadable consistency.

*To toast walnuts, place whole nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until browned, about 10-15 minutes. Let cool, then chop. Or, you can place them in a skillet and toast them on the stovetop, shaking the pan as needed to brown them evenly.

The Beauty of Pesto

A few years ago, when I joined a local CSA, I received my first introduction to garlic scapes. What are garlic scapes, exactly? In the spring, the garlic bulb sends a curly green shoot out. If you (or the farmer) were to leave it alone, it would eventually bloom into a flower and produce seed. If you cut it off, however, the plant focuses on enlarging the bulb underground and you get a really tasty, once-a-year treat. With that first little bunch I was able to make some divine pesto, and later on I froze some for the upcoming winter. Now it's an annual tradition, and we are seriously addicted to the vibrant green puree! I make a lot, some for fresh use (it keeps a while in the fridge), and some for the freezer for winter days when we'd really like an early taste of spring.

I have tried numerous recipes for all sorts of pestos, from sun-dried tomato to fresh basil to garlic scapes, and I'm to a point where I don't really use a set recipe anymore. Sometimes I'll toast some walnuts and toss those in. Sometimes it'll be raw or toasted pine nuts. I've found that each version is just as wonderful, and it's fun to mix them up for various applications/dishes. The basic formula is always the same, although the amounts can be played with easily. Garlic Scape Pesto stays just as fresh and vibrantly colored even after it's defrosted from a several month long freeze. Toss some with pasta, spread it on focaccia, slather it on chicken breasts and then grill or bake them...use your imagination! I won a recipe contest with Bob's Red Mill a while back with my favorite grilled pizza recipe: Garlic Scape Pesto, mozzarella cheese, Oregon baby shrimp, and roasted red peppers.

Garlic Scape Pesto

Use as a slight guideline for your own version!

1 bunch fresh garlic scapes

1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts, raw or toasted for a full flavor

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

extra virgin olive oil, 1/2-1 cup, depending on smoothness desired and personal preference

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste, optional

Coarsely chop the scapes. Place them in the bowl of a large food processor with the cheese, nuts, and a drizzle of olive oil. Pulse until combined, then puree until desired consistency, adding more oil as you like.