Culinary Delights

Strawberry Season

Posted on by Ang Anderson

A few weeks ago, the strawberries in our locale were ripe for the picking.  So, my friend Beth and I scheduled a trip to the local berry farm on our weekly play date.  It was an adventure like no other.  It usually is when you add two almost-five year old boys and two-year old girlies times two.  It involved two berry farms (the first one was unexpectedly closed) and two separate donut purchases (the first one was unexpectedly awful).  We each picked two buckets.  Well, I picked one and a half and Beth picked two and a half.  Her kids are more well-behaved than mine.

I came home with these two flats of gorgeous berries.

Now the big decision was what to do with these delectable delights…

Let’s have a closer look, shall we?  Little berries, what would you like to do?  Your time laying in the sun is about to come to an end.  I think the majority of you will be crushed and made into sweet jam.  A few of you will be eaten just as you are.  Another bit of you will be made into this lovely Strawberry Summer Cake.  The decisions are tough when this much delicious-ness is involved.  I have to admit that as a Libra, I am just a wee bit indecisive (*voice drips with sarcasm*), so this is good.  Quick.  Easy.  Painless.  (Well, maybe not for the berries…)

I just checked out the local grower we purchased from and the last day of picking is tomorrow.  I love supporting local growers!  If you get the chance to get some from a farm near you, I promise they will not disappoint.  If you already have, good on you for contributing to your local economy.

Every year, I am thankful for strawberry season and the jam that we have year-round as a result.

Berry Blessings –

Ang

Blueberry Tart

Posted on by Ang Anderson

I do believe one of the best things about summer (besides the sun, warm weather, and adventures on the lake) is the abundance of fresh fruit.  Locally grown.  Delicious.  Mesmerizing.  Mouth watering.  Fruit is in the air.  Fruit is everywhere.  (I’m hungry writing this.  Can you tell?  It makes me a little light-headed and poetic.)

We had a Garden Party event this past weekend (watch for more on that later!) and I brought this delightful Blueberry Tart.  This looks like a good thing to share with friends, doesn’t it?

This Blueberry Tart is so easy to make and is a joyful experience for the palate.  Yes, I said palate.

This could even be used for a Fourth of July event with raspberries or cut up strawberries joining the blueberries in a flag design or haphazard mix of red, white, and blue.  It is always a crowd-pleaser.  Just look at the berries.  They are their very own crowd of palate-pleasers.

I used my Fit fruit and vegetable spray to clean my pint of berries, which coincidentally measured to roughly the 2 cups needed for the recipe.  This meant no snitching of the blueberries.  (Good thing I purchased a second pint to cover myself in such an event!)  Then, I laid the blueberries in a clean towel and folded it over them so they were nice and dry at the time of their scheduled debut.  The moisture in the berries will eventually soak in the powdered sugar dusting so try to do that as close as possible to serving time.  I just use a little sifter and gently tap it against my hand to get this pretty effect.

Blueberry Tart recipe courtesy of Real Simple
Serves 8
Hands-On Time:  15m
Total Time:  48m

Ingredients

  • flour for the work surface
  • 1 8-ounce sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 cups blueberries

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 375° F. On a lightly floured surface, unfold the sheet of pastry and roll it into a 10-by-12-inch rectangle.  Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  2. Using the tip of a knife, score a 1-inch border around the pastry without cutting all the way through. Brush the border with the egg and sprinkle with the granulated sugar. Bake until golden and puffed, 18 to 22 minutes.
  3. Using the tip of a knife, rescore the border of the cooked pastry without cutting all the way through. Gently press down on the center of the pastry sheet to flatten it. Let cool to room temperature, 15 to 20 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the cream, lemon zest, and 2 tablespoons of the confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly within the borders of the pastry.
  5. Arrange the blueberries in a single layer over the filling and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of confectioners’ sugar.

May your house be blessed with a Blueberry Tart this summer –

Ang

S’more Season

Posted on by Ang Anderson

It is mid-June and I have already lost count of how many nights we have had bonfires and roasted marshmallows.  (Also known as experiencing *bliss*.)  There are certain skills involved in toasting your marshmallow to perfection which can rightly be acquired after years of experience.  Anticipation of the divine fellowship that the marshmallow will have with the graham cracker and chocolate is sometimes too much to bear.  While perfection involves patience, and the aforementioned skill, it is totally worth the wait.  S’more season is a wonderful time of year and so fun to enjoy with the kids, as evidenced by this happy customer.

I have to admit that we have even stooped so low as to make them indoors, either using the microwave (gasp!) or the gas burners on the stove (double gasp!).  This does not give the same effect as the bonfire but it is passable when the conditions are not conducive to a fire outdoors.  So, when I stumbled across a recipe for S’more Cookies, I knew it was an answer to my prayers.  (I don’t really pray about s’mores but you understand the elation.)  I like the idea of an option that does not involve our microwave blowing something up ten times its normal size or using the gas flame on my stove as a substitute for an old-fashioned bonfire.

If you are experiencing the need for s’mores (and trust me, it is a need) and you would like to try the cookie version, I suggest you do.  It does not disappoint.  Take a peek at this baby!

I did not have mini-marshmallows (because, um, you can’t roast those teeny, tiny, little things!) so I improvised by cutting the big boys*.  I also did not measure out a cup, but used the cut up marshmallows at my discretion.

*Note:  By ‘big boys’ I do not mean the large, gigantic, enormous Campfire Marshmallows seen at a store near you.  Those babies are some serious marshmallows for serious roasters.  I was too afraid to buy them.  Could you imagine what they would do in the microwave?  *shudders*  My friend Beth bravely purchased them recently, and of course, we ate them with delight.  So, while I do recommend the super-size marshmallow giants, I do not necessarily recommend them for the cookies.  (Envision LOTS of cutting, which is certainly okay but not ideal.)

I also did not measure the chocolate – I just added squares as I saw fit.  A chocaholic’s dream.

That is all folks.  Just pure, unadulterated s’more bliss.  Whether it be the genuine s’more of your childhood, or a make-shift version using modern appliances, or the S’more Cookie – I wish you s’more and s’more!

Campfire Cookies (from Blog is the New Black, adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Ingredients

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
8 tablespoons butter, softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate bar, chopped
1 cup marshmallows

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325˚F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Beat the sugars and butters together until smooth. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda.
  3. Stir together the flour and salt, then mix them into the batter.
  4. Scoop the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon (5cm) balls and place 8 balls, spaced 4 inches (10cm) apart, on each of the baking sheets.
  5. Bake for 12-15 minutes, remove from the oven and push in marshmallows and chocolate.
  6. Bake for 3 more minutes, and cool on a wire rack.