Sun Dried Tomato Spread with Kalamata Olives and Toasted Almonds

I stole this recipe.

(I've done it before.)

Actually, what I did was figure it out from the ingredients listed on the container. Did a darned good job of it too (yes, I'm sayin' so), not having proportions and all.

So, is that stealing?

Maybe so. Maybe not.

All morning I tried to find a web site for the local producers of Paolo's Antipastos by Hasta Be Pasta, but they don't seem to have one which is a bummer because I'd like to give them credit.

At any rate, here is my iteration just in time for outdoor lounging on the deck, sipping a glass of dry rosé and nibbling on noshes while a warm, almost-summer breeze ruffles your hair and the grill is waiting to do its duty for dinner.

This sunny spread takes about 2 minutes to whip up in the food processor and is a wonderful accompaniment to rustic artisan breads. Have your ingredients assembled and ready to go, and don't forget to toast those almonds; it makes a difference.

Sun-Dried Tomato and Kalamata Olive Spread
Preparation and ingredients proportions by Christine, lifted from the ingredients list of Paolo's Antipastos
Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 8-ounce jars (about 1 heaping cup, packed) sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
Juice from 1/2 of a large Meyer lemon
Fresh rosemary, thyme and oregano, chopped (see Cook's Notes)
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
Olive oil if needed
Preparation:

Place the sun dried tomatoes, kalamatas, lemon juice and herbs in a food processor and pulse several times until a it becomes a chunky, spreadable consistency.

Add the almonds and pulse just until they are broken up but visible.

You can thin the spread, if desired, with a drizzle of olive oil now, but I didn't need to.

That's it. Get out your antipasto tray; load it up with great cheeses, good bread, salami and cornishons and get out to the deck. Don't forget the wine.

Cook's Notes:

> I picked the herbs fresh from my garden. When chopped, had about 1 tablespoon each of the rosemary and oregano and about 1/2 teaspoon thyme. You should feel free to use whatever herbs you have on hand that will go with tomatoes, which is the dominant note in this spread.

> I experimented with making this spread earlier this spring, using up the remainder of my slow-roasted tomatoes that had been in the freezer since last fall. It worked very well and I was proud to have a spread that was made with mostly locally grown ingredients. This time, lacking said tomatoes, I used a product made in the Napa Valley, not too terribly far from my kitchen. It made a very good spread, but if you're lucky enough to put up your own sun dried tomatoes, so much the better.

> This recipe made enough spread to fill two 5-ounce containers.

Copyright © 2005-2009, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Basic Pie Crust with Whole Wheat Flour

For years I made my mother's pie crust: 3 cups flour, 1 cup shortening, 1 teaspoon salt, 3-4 tablespoons cold water.

Then, yuk!, we found out about what shortening can do to the arteries and I switched to butter.

Then we found out how darned important fiber is and I switched to whole wheat flour.

Over the years I kept tweaking the recipe until it no longer resembled my mother's.

Sadly I stopped making pies altogether because the crust just didn't come out right.

Then along came a really nice whole wheat pastry flour and I started experimenting with pie crust again.

And now, finally, I think I've got it.

I'm convinced that it all comes down to the butter. Use an unsalted butter that is high in butterfat and low in moisture, and keep it very, very cold when you use it.

Whole Wheat Pastry Flour Pie Crust

Christine's original recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup unbleached, organic all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon sugar

2/3 cup COLD unsalted European or European-style butter, cut into small cubes, keep cold

1 tablespoon cold cream

3 tablespoons cold water (more if necessary)

Preparation:

Place the flours, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor.

Pulse a few times to mix.

Add the cubes of butter all at once and use small pulses until the butter resembles small peas. Don't over process.

With the feed tube thingy removed, pulse as you add the cream, then pulse as you add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl and is no longer crumbly.

Gather the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic, flatten into a disc and refrigerate for 1 hour (can be left in fridge for a day or two).

Remove from the fridge and allow to rest for about 15 minutes.

Cut the ball in 2 equal pieces.

Flour a flat surface and your rolling pin then roll out one piece of the dough into a circle 12 to 14- inches in diameter and 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick.

Roll the dough onto your pin and drape over a pie plate, settling the dough into the plate.

Trim to a 1-inch overhang.

Fill with your favorite filling.

Repeat the instructions for the top crust.

Here is a good link for learning how to crimp pie crust.

Cook's Notes:

I made a strawberry-rhubarb pie using this crust recipe. The crust was flaky and buttery but not oily. Moreover, it passed the discerning guests taste test, making it a crust to blog about.

Copyright © 2005-2009, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Although it's still chilly here on the northern California coast, flowers are blooming, leaves are greening, swallows are nesting, and our local food co-op is bursting with strawberries and rhubarb. What's a girl to do?

It took some years before I attempted to make strawberry-rhubarb pie. Something about rhubarb. . . Peel it first? Cook it before combining with strawberries? Look at a recipe for guidance?

You're kidding, right?

That's like a guy asking for directions.

Doesn't happen.

So I simply didn't make one.

I guess with age comes the desire to be more daring (she says wryly): Yesterday, after bringing home super-sweet strawberries and ruby-red rhubarb, I just plunged right in. I must say, for a first time it's a pretty tasty pie. And yeah, I did look up how to deal with rhubarb. And I'm not too awfully embarrassed about it. I've never claimed to be the baker in the family, although I swear I could feel my mother, the pie baker extraordinnaire, smiling as she looked over my shoulder during this process.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Christine's original recipe (with help about rhubarb from my old Joy of Cooking)
Ingredients:
Enough crust to make a double-crust pie, divided in half (post will be is linked here)
3 and 1/2 cups strawberries, washed, hulled and cut in half
3 and 1/2 cups rhubarb, washed and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 cup Splenda granular
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or cardamom
3 tablespoons Minute Tapioca
pinch kosher salt
1 egg white, beaten
2 teaspoons sugar for the top crust of the pie
Preparation:
Pre-heat the oven to 400-degrees.
In a large bowl, using clean hands, mix together the berries, rhubarb, sugar, Splenda, lemon juice, spice, salt and tapioca.
Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes to allow juices to form and the tapioca to soften.
Meanwhile, roll out 1/2 of the pie dough into a 13-inch round. Fit into an 11-inch glass pie plate and trim crust to a 1-inch overhang all around the edges.
Pour the fruit mixture into the bottom crust, allowing it to mound in the center.
Roll out the second half of dough in the same dimensions and gently place over the fruit mixture.
Tuck under both bottom and top crusts together all around the pie plate and pinch or crimp to your liking. Here is a good place to start if you don't know how to do it.
Cut slits in the top crust then brush the beaten egg white all over the top, including the crimping. Sprinkle with the 2 teaspoons sugar.
Place the pie on rack in the middle of the 400-degree oven and bake for 1/2 hour. Immediately lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 25 minutes more or until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling out.
Remove from the oven and place the pie on a rack until cooled.
Enjoy!

Copyright © 2005-2009, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Scrambled Eggs with Herbs

Not just any eggs... these come from my own free-range hens who are currently sleeping in the greenhouse but who will be moving just as soon as the chicken house is finished.

And not just any herbs... these herbs are field-grown in France, flash frozen within hours of harvest and are available here in the States from Darégal, a company with roots going back more than 100 years in the Darbonne family of Milly La Forêt.

Those who know me might wonder what I'm doing promoting frozen herbs in a container when I'm such a proponent of growing one's own or at least buying them fresh from local farmers markets. It's true, what I just said: growing herbs is easy, healthy, and very satisfying, especially when you can chop them, fresh-picked from your garden or windowsill, and sprinkle them on your scrambled eggs, or in your pasta sauce. But I also know that not everyone has the wherewithall to grow their own herbs. And not everyone is near a farmers market. And not everyone can afford to buy a $5 bunch of fresh herbs only to put a tablespoon of them in a recipe and then watch the rest slowly become so forlorn as to be quite inedible. I know I can't.

I've just had a most delightful conversation with Charles Darbonne, great-great-grandson of Armand Darbonne who started the herb business in 1886. Charles is the U.S. representative for Darégal, and after talking with him for quite some time, I decided to write about this convenient line of fresh frozen herbs for the home kitchen.

Darégal offers finely-chopped single-note herbs like parsley, dill, basil, oregano and cilantro, all to be kept in your freezer between uses, but it is the blends that speak to me. The Italian Blend has a mix of finely chopped red onion, flat-leaf parsley, basil, garlic, oregano and thyme. I used a heaping teaspoon for six eggs in this scramble. The Original Blend is made up of basil, onion, oregano, garlic, rosemary and thyme and is delicious in stews and braises.

Seems to me if you're in a hurry or don't have fresh herbs on hand, chopping such a small amount of herbs, to say nothing of peeling and mincing a tiny bit of red onion, to say nothing of going to the market and purchasing the bunches it would take to make up that heaping teaspoon, makes the convenience-in-a-container worth it right there.

Don't get me wrong. I'm still a very strong advocate for growing your own herbs and think everyone should give it a try. But the fresh taste and convenience of Darégal Gourmet Herbs is worthy of your freezer pantry when you need fresh herbs in a hurry.

Scrambled Eggs with Herbs

Christine's original recipe

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon butter

6 fresh large to X-large eggs

2-4 tablespoons water

pinch kosher salt or sea salt

1 heaping teaspoon Darégal Gourmet Herbs Italian Blend

Preparation:

Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the butter and turn the heat to medium-low.

Crack the eggs into a large bowl and gently beat with a fork until the yolks and whites are just blended.

Add water and salt and beat gently to mix thoroughly.

Add the herbs, allow to sit for a minute to soften then beat gently to incorporate.

Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and allow it to cook, undisturbed, for 1 minute.

Using a wooden spoon, begin pushing the egg mixture from the sides of the pan into the middle, allowing the uncooked egg to flow into the space provided. Do this slowly and gently. Allow the eggs to cook for 15 seconds between pushing them toward the middle.

Continue to push the cooked eggs toward the center of the pan until they are all softly cooked with a glossy sheen. Be careful, once that sheen is gone, you've overcooked your eggs.

Remove the pan from the heat and allow to set for an additional 10 seconds.

Spoon immediately onto warm plates, garnish with freshly cracked black peppercorns and serve with your favorite toasted bread and a few strawberries.

Cook's Notes:

You will be able to read about my hens, and the rooster who's name is Butthead most of the time, and the chicken house on my garden blog soon. I'll leave a link here when it's up.

Happy chickens make wonderful eggs with hard shells and deep orange yolks.

Copyright © 2005-2009, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Ashland Calls

I'm away for the long weekend. The Bard is calling. Friends are waiting.

Back soon.

Copyright © 2005-2009, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Dark Chocolate Buttermilk Cake with Blueberry Ginger Filling and Whipped Cream Frosting

A gathering of good friends helped Mr CC celebrate his birthday yesterday. We feasted on typical North Coast potluck-style Beach Night fare followed by a dense chocolate cake with such long candles on top I couldn't fit them into the photo.

Two tries to blow them all out - not bad for so many candles!

This cake is a breeze to make. Use really good chocolate and cocoa powder or you will be doing the birthday star and your company a disservice. The whipped cream filling and topping is a snap to make and can be kept chilled until ready to use.

I used organic, dried blueberries in the filling because I was afraid that fresh ones would turn the cream purple, but as Mr CC says, "Purple isn't a bad color", so go ahead and use fresh if you prefer.


Dark Chocolate Buttermilk Cake with Blueberry Ginger Filling and Whipped Cream Frosting

Christine's original recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups unbleached AP flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dark organic cocoa powder (Green & Black's)
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup Splenda-Brown Sugar blend
1/2 cup Splenda-Sugar blend
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 ounces good dark chocolate (Scharffen Berger 70%) melted

Preparation:
Heat oven to 350-degrees with rack in middle.
Butter and flour 2 9-inch round cake pans, tapping out excess flour. Set aside.
Combine flour, cocoa, soda, baking powder and salt, whisk well to combine. Set aside.
Using the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together in mixer on med-high setting.
Add eggs one at a time until incorporated. Add the vanilla.
Beginning with the flour mixture, add 1/3 of it to the butter mixture using medium power.
Add 1/2 of the buttermilk and beat until combined. Repeat with 1/3 flour and 1/2 buttermilk, ending with the last 1/3 of the flour mixture. Mix well.
Blend in the melted chocolate until well incorporated.
Divide batter evenly between cake pans and bake for 30 minutes or until a pick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Remove pans from oven, set on racks to cool 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the cake pans to loosen the cake and flip them out to finish cooling on the racks.

Filling/Frosting
Ingredients:
1 pint whipping cream
2 tablespoons clear corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup blueberries - dried or fresh
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon crystallized ginger, finely chopped

Preparation:
Whip the cream until soft peaks form. With mixer running, add the corn syrup and vanilla and continue beating until the cream is almost stiff. Careful to not turn it into butter.
Divide the whipped cream evenly between two bowls. Add 1/4 cup of the ginger and all the blueberries to one of the bowls and fold into the whipped cream. Put the other bowl of whipped cream in the fridge to keep cold.
Place one cake layer flat side down on a cake plate. Spoon the ginger-blueberry whipped cream over the top and spread evenly to within 1/2-inch of the edge. It will be thick.
Place the second cake layer, flat side up (you may have to cut the rounded side to flatten it) atop the first. Use the plain whipped cream to frost the top and sides of the cake.
Sprinkle the top with the remaining tablespoon of chopped ginger. Avoid putting blueberries on the outside of the cake as they will stain the whipped cream.

Keep the finished cake in the fridge until time to put on the candles and serve.

Copyright © 2005-2009, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Green Low Glycemic Rice with Cilantro

Son Jeff came to visit us for 10 days in February and told me about an outstanding rice dish he had recently made. It sounded so delicious and so different from any rice I'd had that we decided to try to replicate it and this is what we came up with. And because I used Uncle Ben's Converted Rice, it's low glycemic to boot. I made it again later using a brown rice medley I'm fond of and it was equally delicious. So if you don't have to watch your intake of starches, go for whatever rice you desire.

I'm so very lucky to have both cilantro and parsley growing in my garden - still! They've been there all winter long through snow and heavy frost, refusing to give up. A lot of cilantro is used for this dish, imparting a beautiful green color (to say nothing of the flavor) just in time for St. Patrick's Day. The fresh lime juice adds sparkle and zip. Adjust it to your liking. Trust me, if you like cilantro, you're going to love this.

Green Low Glycemic Rice with Cilantro
With thanks to my son Jeff
Ingredients:
1 cup, packed, coarsely chopped cilantro
1/2 cup, loosely packed, coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
1 large onion, peeled, cut into eighths
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup, scant, fresh lime juice (2 large limes)
2 cups water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
A few grindings of good black peppercorns
1 1/2 cups Uncle Ben's converted rice or a rice of your choice
Preparation:

Place the cilantro, parsley, onion, garlic and lime juice in a food processor and buzz until finely blended.

Add the water, salt and pepper and pulse until blended. Yield is about 3 cups liquid.

If using a rice cooker:

Place the liquid in the rice cooker and stir in the rice. Place the lid on the cooker and turn on. The rice is done when the cooker turns off. Give the rice a stir to blend the herbs and let sit with the lid off for about 10 minutes before serving.

If using a saucepan on the stove:

Place the liquid in the saucepan and bring to a boil on high heat. Stir in the rice, cover with a lid and lower the heat to simmer. The rice will take 20-30 minutes to cook for the Uncle Ben's, longer for brown rice.

Suitable for vegans and vegetarians as well as all rice lovers!

Looks good enough to drink, doesn't it?

Copyright © 2005-2009, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Asparagus, Chard and Bacon Quiche With A Barley-Chevre "Crust"

Inspiration for this crustless quiche came from two places: Several weeks ago I prepared a vegan rice dish that my son Jeff gave me and a few nights later I put the leftovers in a pie plate, piled roasted winter squash over it, heated it in the oven and took it to Simona's for dinner (that recipe will appear on this blog soon, I hope); today yesterday my friend Leslie was coming came over for a late lunch. I wanted to make a quiche using our backyard chicken eggs but didn't want to make a crust. Cooked barley from the previous day was tossed with some local herbed chevre and made a grain crust that, along with the layers of crispy bacon, vegetables and cheese, created a dish that was exactly what I was trying to achieve. The egg custard finds its way to the bottom of the plate enclosing the barley in its eggy creaminess, and makes a most delightful platter for the quiche.

Making the layers

Ready for the oven

Asparagus, Chard & Bacon Quiche with Barley-Chevre Crust

Christine's Original Recipe

Serves 8-10 as a brunch course

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cooked barley, cool
4-ounces plain or herbed chevre, crumbled
pinch kosher salt
oil for the pie plate
1 bunch organic asparagus, rinsed, tough ends snapped off
4 strips Niman Ranch Uncured Bacon
6-8 small chard leaves, multi-colored is good
1 cup Lamb Chopper Sheep's Milk Cheese, grated
1 cup good Gruyère cheese (if you can't find Lamb Chopper, substitute another cup of Gruyère), grated
6 eggs (large)
2 cups half n half
1/2 teaspoon jarred mustard like Grey Poupon
a few pinches of kosher salt
Preparation:

Lightly oil the bottom and sides of a 12-inch glass pie plate. Wipe with a paper towel.

Toss the barley and crumbled chevre together and place evenly on the bottom of the pie plate, gently pushing it up the sides.

Bake in a 250-degree oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese melts somewhat. Remove from the oven, set the oven temp to 500-degrees.

With a large spoon, push some of the barley mixture up the sides of the pie plate and tamp it down a bit all over the bottom to make a crust. Set aside to cool.

Cut about 3-inches from the tips of each asparagus spear and reserve. Cut the remaining asparagus stems into 1/2 to 1-inch pieces.

Place asparagus on a very lightly oiled baking sheet and roast in the 500-degree oven for 10 minutes, shaking the pan as needed. Remove from the oven, turn the temperature down to 350-degrees, and allow the asparagus to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon strips in a heavy skillet on medium-high until crisp. Remove to a paper towel to drain and then tear or cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

Lay the chard leaves atop each other then roll up length-wise like a cigar. Cut off the stem ends cross-wise and save for another dish. Thinly slice the remaining chard roll cross-wise into very thin strips. Set aside.

Combine the eggs, half 'n half, mustard and salt in a large bowl and whisk until thoroughly blended.

Assembly:

Put the bacon pieces over the barley crust followed by the cut asparagus stems (reserve the tips for the top of the pie).

Sprinkle the cheese over and then spread the chard chiffonade over the cheese.

Pour the egg custard slowly over and around everything, allowing it to settle.

Place the asparagus spears in a pattern of your choosing and it's ready for the oven.

Bake at 350-degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and barely jiggles in the center.

Remove from the oven and cool for about 15 minutes before serving.

Cook's Notes:

I served a very nice, very affordable white wine from La Vieille Ferme that complemented the quiche to perfection. It's a bargain at $7 a bottle and also went well with the pear avocado salad that accompanied the quiche.

I realize that I used 3 different kinds of cheeses in this dish and I promise that they are very complimentary to each other.

Aside from putting the bacon on top of the barley, the rest of the ingredients can layer whichever way you want. Just be sure to put the asparagus on top after pouring in the custard.

Copyright © 2005-2009, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Down For The Count . . .

. . . hopefully not for long

Well, this is a fine howda-ya-do: Not only have I not been posting any recipes in what seems like forever, I missed my blogaversary - again.

I have to tell you that winter is not my favorite season (although I often fool people by trying to point out great things about it) and sometimes I can get downright morose. I think it's the darkness. Or the cold. Or the wet. Probably all three. Whatever it is, it can lay me low.

I do have a few recipes waiting for me to get my butt in gear and post. Like that cassoulet I've been promising.

And a simple, delicious lemon tart that anyone can make.

I know I'll get them up soon, but right now I want all my blogger friends to commiserate (begin playing tiny violin here) with me because my small-but-mighty Canon PowerShot SD450 Digital Elph is broken, and so is my heart.

I may have to send it away for a while to be fixed, if it can be fixed. Or I may have to find a new one. Whichever happens, it seems now that every where I look there's a photo begging to be taken.

Especially of beautiful vegan food that son Jeff has been preparing for us.

And the daffodils that are beginning to bloom.

And the tiny green leaves budding on the red current.

Sigh.

What do you do for the winter blues?

Copyright © 2005-2009, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

A Cassole For Cassoulet

It came a few days after my birthday. I'd forgotten that I mentioned it to him several months ago. So when I opened the box and saw the words Not Freres Poterie, I looked up in surprise, my mouth a big O. What a wonderful guy my Mr CC is. He must really, really love me.

No more excuses. I've got the duck legs confit, I've got duck breasts and sausages courtesy of son Josh, I've got real Tarbais beans, I've got lamb shanks waiting in the freezer, and I've got Kate's Camp Cassoulet recipe to put it all together. What a happy, happy birthday present!

Copyright © 2005-2009, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved