Springtime Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberries are the first local fruit to roll out in the spring, and there is truly nothing like a strawberry right off the vine. I'm dying to go strawberry picking, but for the meantime, pints of berries from the farmers markets that are just starting to open are just as good. And the perfect showcase for perfect strawberries is strawberry shortcake.

The best part of these strawberry shortcakes, though, was the whipped cream. It was the first time I had made whipped cream since getting my KitchenAid Mixer, and it was the easiest process ever. In the past, whipped cream would take upwards of 15 minutes, although it always felt more like 30, listening to the beaters of the hand mixer whapping against the side of the bowl. That cream was always underwhipped until it was suddenly curdled, never hitting that magical "stiff peaks" stage that's always spoken of. But this whipped cream? Three minutes from start to finish, and the addition of vanilla made it utterly heavenly. I could (and did) just eat it with a spoon.

Strawberry Shortcakes

Cream Biscuits
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Preheat oven to 450°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Place flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl and stir to combine. Pour in cream and mix until just incorporated. Turn out onto a piece of wax paper. Knead dough lightly, folding it in on itself to create layers. Using wax paper will allow you to knead the dough without adding extra flour. Pat dough into a rectangle about an inch thick and cut into 8 equal pieces.

Arrange biscuits evenly on the baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Rotate pan halfway through. Cool biscuits on a wire rack.

Vanilla Whipped Cream
2 cups heavy cream
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

Combine cream, sugar, and vanilla paste in a stand mixer. Mix together on medium-low for about a minute until frothy. Whip on high for 2-3 minutes, or until stiff peaks form. Do not overwhip or you'll get butter.

Strawberries
1 quart (about 1 1/2 pounds) fresh strawberries
1-2 Tbsp sugar

Wash strawberries and pat dry. Slice berries thinly. In a mixing bowl, sprinkle strawberries with 1 Tbsp sugar and stir. Add additional sugar if berries are tart. Refrigerate for at least an hour before use to allow a syrup to form.

Assembly
Split biscuits in half and place bottoms on dessert plates. Top with a big dollop of whipped cream. Divide strawberries between the biscuits. Place tops of biscuits on the strawberries, then add another big dollop of whipped cream.

Corn and Scallion Chowder

I love corn soups, but I don't have the best track record in making them. So it was with some hesitance that I decided to try a corn chowder from Fine Cooking magazine with what will probably be my last farmers market corn of the year.

I am very glad that I made this soup, though. It was just what I was looking for - creamy, sweet, salty, warm, and comforting - and will undoubtedly secure a place in my repertoire now. The scallions were a surprising ingredient for a soup, but I was really happy with the mild onion flavor, as well as the texture, that they added. I'm sure this chowder would be good without the bacon (I promised my roommate I'd make some bacon-free for him sometime) if that's your style.

Corn and Scallion Chowder (adapted from Fine Cooking)

6 ears of corn
1 bunch of scallions (5-6 ounces)
4 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 jalapeno, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
salt and pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1 large potato, peeled and diced
1/4 heavy cream

Clean the corn and cut the kernels from the cobs. Reserve two cobs and discard the rest. Finely slice the scallions, keeping the dark green slices separate from the white and light green slices.

In a deep pot over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy and brown. Remove the bacon pieces from the pot and cool on a paper towel. Drain off the bacon fat, discarding all but 1 Tbsp. Return the pan to medium heat and add the butter to the 1 Tbsp bacon fat. When the butter has melted, add the jalapeno, a pinch of salt and pepper, and the white and light green scallion slices. Stir until the scallions are soft, about 3 minutes.

Add the broth, corn, corn cobs, and potato, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard the corn cobs.

With an immersion blender, blend the soup for about 30 seconds, just until it begins to look creamy - you want plenty of chunks left. Alternatively, transfer about 1 cup to a blender and puree before adding back to the rest of the soup. Add the cream and 2/3 of the dark green scallions, and stir until the scallions are wilted. Serve topped with the remaining dark green scallions and the crumbled bacon.

Ricotta-Stuffed Squash Blossoms

I have been travelling and/or busy on farmers market days this summer, so I have sadly not been able to partake of all the available goodies very often. I did manage a visit last week, though, and I couldn't have been happier to see squash blossoms welcoming me.

I've been fairly obsessed with squash blossoms since I spent a summer in Italy. There was this fancy pizza restaurant/inn in the next town over, and they made a killer fritti misti plate, with all types of fried goodies. The best things on the plate, though, were the sage leaves and the squash blossoms - so delicate and crisp, it was like eating delicious air. Squash blossoms can be a little hard to find in the states, though, and at one point, I was almost resigned to ordered a whole box of them from a local farm (although how my family could have eaten that box before it went bad was beyond me). One summer, I convinced my father to plate extra zucchini plants so I could steal flowers whenever I wanted.
But now, I can count on seeing squash blossoms at least a couple of times a summer at the Hmong booth at the weekly market. Hell, they might have them every week, but I tend to go later in the day, so they might be sold out. And every time I see them there, I practically jump up and down with joy.



Stuffed Squash Blossoms
12 squash blossoms
1 cup ricotta
1/2 cup crumbled feta, or about 4 ounces
1/4 finely chopped parsley, or about 2 large handfuls of leaves
zest of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup flour
1/2 grated parmesan cheese
olive oil

Blossom cleaning tips: Before using the squash blossoms, gently open them up (which means you may need to rip a small tear down one side)and pry out the stamen using your fingers or a small knife. Then submerge the flowers in cool water while you prepare the filling so any dirt will rinse off.

Mix together ricotta, feta, parsley, and lemon zest until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. Gently place a spoonful of filling in each blossom, closing the flower around the filling and lightly pressing closed. Fill all the blossoms before beginning to fry.

Add olive oil to a large pan, about enough to cover the bottom, and heat over medium heat. Once oil is heated through, dunk the blossoms in egg, and then in the flour mixture. Shake off any excess flour before adding to the pan. Flip flowers over after they have browned. These cook quickly, so pay close attention! Serve immediately.

Grease-free Spanakopita

The farmers' markets have finally arrived! And while there's not much produce out yet, it's exciting to know that there will be so many fresh ingredients in the coming months. I picked out some terrific spinach this week with the hopes of making spanakopita. And yes, it's more time consuming to use fresh spinach (and not baby spinach or frozen spinach), the outcome is a much greener taste - you can tell that the filling didn't come from a bag.

I grew up eating things wrapped in filo dough - mostly berag, because I'm really not a fan of paklava. The filo we used was the very thin kind - the kind that rips when you just look at it. It's frustrating sometimes, but the results are worth it when you bite through a little crispy cloud of goodness. It wasn't until I visited Greece that I encountered the other kind of filo dough (although I'd seen it in our Armenian market before). The "other kind", labelled country-style or horiatiko or sometimes just "thick," is denser and not so fragile and is a great place for beginners to start. It also makes dishes a little heartier, as this dough has more body. And, as an added bonus, it sucks up any extra grease, making the results feel a little more healthy (even if there is still a stick of butter in there).

Grease-free Spanakopita
-1/2 cup olive oil
-1 yellow onion, finely chopped
-2 lbs fresh spinach, ribs removed; washed and chopped
-10 oz feta cheese, crumbled
-1/2 bunch parsley, washed and finely choppd
-2 eggs
-1/4 tsp nutmeg
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 stick unsalted butter (you may need more)
-1 package "country-style" filo dough (should be 8 or 10 sheets)

In a large pan, heat olive oil. Add onion and saute until the onions begin to brown. Add spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the leaves are cooked down. Pour the spinach mixture into a colander and drain out as much water as possible. Allow the mixture to cool, still draining in the colander. When it is cool, press out any additional water with your hands, then put the spinach in a large mixing bowl. Add feta, parsley, eggs, nutmeg, and salt and pepper, and mix to incorporate.

Preheat oven to 325°. Melt butter and brush the bottom and sides of a large glass baking dish. Carefully lay down one sheet of dough, then brush on a layer of butter. If the dough is too large, fold over the edge to fit into the pan, making sure to butter everywhere the sheet overlaps. Continue to layer the sheets and the butter until you have used half of the dough (4 or 5 sheets). Add spinach mixture and spread out so that all the dough is covered. Then lay down another sheet of dough, and continue alternating between dough and brushing with butter. For the final sheet of dough, instead of folding it over to fit into the dish, trim the sides so it fits exactly. Use any remaining butter on the top layer. Before baking, cut into servings, making the slices as large as you would like (I got 12 out of my pan).

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.

Only in Boston

Fresh ears of corn and freshly-fallen snow.

Only in Boston.

Parsnip Bisque

OK, so it's October. Maybe it's gotten cooler for good now. At the farmer's market last week, the booths were filled with root veggies and apples, and the corn was looking (and tasting) not so good, sure signs that summer is officially over.

Among my purchases was a large bunch of parsnips. These white carrot-like veggies are fantastic, with the sweetness of a carrot, but with a texture closer to a potato (no, I know potato is not right, but it's closer to that than anything else I can think of). I've only had them roasted before, in little caramelized bites. I was tempted just to roast them and enjoy them hot, but i realized that that wasn't going to let me have parsnips all week.

So I turned to a soup recipe. With all the soups I've been cooking lately, I should change the name of this blog to Cave Soupem. Anyway, with this recipe, I got the best of both worlds - by roasting the veggies before pureeing, I got to eat some of them fresh out of the oven.

This soup is very filling, and it's incredibly sweet and savory. With so little (in fact, no) seasoning, you'd think it would be bland, but it's packed with flavor. Yum!

Parsnip Bisque

1 pound parsnips, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 medium leek (white and pale green parts only), washed and chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a bowl, toss parsnips, onion, celery, and leek with oil to coat, then arrange in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Roast for 30-45 minutes or until the veggies begin to turn golden and caramelized. Toss occasionally. Let cool slightly.

In a large saucepan, simmer broth with vegetables, covered, for 20 minutes. Take off heat and add cream. Blend soup with an immersion blender or in a regular blender until smooth.

Monochromatic Pizza

So what do you do with monochromatic veggies? Make monochromatic pizza!


It was refreshing to have pizza that wasn't heavy or too salty. The vegetables were the star (although the herb dough from Trader Joe's was awesome too), and they tasted fresh and bright.

The trick is to slice all the veggies very thin. As the pizza cooked, it looked like there was too much water, but by the time it was done, the water had mostly evaporated/soaked back in, leaving juicy veggies and a crisp crust.

1 Trader Joe's herb pizza dough
1 medium (or 2 small) eggplant
1 purple pepper
1/3 red onion
2 plum tomatoes
6 Kalamata olives, chopped
olive oil
about 1 cup shredded mozzarella

Stretch dough out on a lightly greased baking sheet. Spray with olive oil. Layer eggplant, pepper, onion, tomato and olives evenly over the dough. Spray lightly with olive oil again, then top with mozzarella. Bake at 450 for 15-18 minutes.

Monochromatic Farmers Market

Can you tell what my favorite color is?

I know that veggies with deeper colors have more nutrients, so I can just pretend I bought them to be healthy. But really, I just loved the jewel tones.

Vomit Soup

The other day, as I was reading about Ugly Soup over at The Best Bite, I was thinking that her soup wasn't really that ugly. It wasn't beautiful, no, but it wasn't something that should be hidden from view.

And then, last night, totally without meaning to, I one-upped Andrea in the ugly soup department. A simple name of Fresh Corn and Tomato Soup won't do for this one. No, all I can picture is my 10-year-old nephew playing some nasty practical jokes on his teachers, and now the name Vomit Soup has stuck in my head. It tastes fantastic, though, uses the late summer crops, and was ridiculously easy to make. It's wicked healthy, too. This recipe yielded about 6 cups of soup, or 3 big bowls-worth. I served the soup with Trader Joe's Southwest Style Gourmet Flatbreads, little flat breadstickets baked with chilis and cheese.

Perhaps next time, I'll serve it in the dark in front of the TV.

Fresh Corn and Tomato Soup (aka Vomit Soup)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
1 tsp cayenne pepper (I think I used more, I didn't measure)
1/2 tsp salt (again, I didn't measure)
1/2 cup water
5-6 ears of corn, kernals cut off
fresh tomatoes (I used 3 small tomatoes and a pint of cherry tomatoes)
about 1/2 cup skim milk (you can also use whole milk or cream)

In a large pot, saute the onion in the oil. Add cayenne and salt. After 4-5 minutes, when the onion is tender, add water, corn and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, covered, for 30-45 minutes, until corn is tender. Remove from heat and puree using an immersion blender. Add milk as you puree. Serve with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro.

And no, I'm not going to give you pictures, because I like having readers.

Farmers Market Love

Nothing better than a meal made entirely from market fresh goods. It tastes like love...

I Have a New Love

The rain was beating down last week when I finally made it to the farmers market. I made my choices quickly, moving from booth to booth and picking what looked best. I really had my hopes up for some zucchini flowers, but there were none in sight. One booth had bunches of pea tendrils, something I've heard a lot about, but never tried.

The first time I heard that people ate pea tendrils, I was amazed. I would never think to eat the part of the plant that helps the peas climb. I thought they would be too tough, despite the thin curls, because the plant would need strength to climb. I was all wrong. The leaves and the vines were very tender with just a little bit of bite.

I didn't get around to cooking these until tonight, and I was afraid they wouldn't be any good after 4 days in the fridge. There were a few bad pieces, but there was more than enough left after I culled them from the bunch. I heated some oil in a wok on high, then added the tendrils for about 10 seconds. They wilted immediately, and with that, they were ready to eat.

My first bite made me smile. The flavor was still bright and fresh, even after so many days. It tasted like a wonderful combination of fresh peas and asparagus - not quite as sweet as good peas, with a little of the woodsy quality of asparagus. Just cooking it in oil let the real flavors shine through, but now I'm looking forward to trying new flavors with it. My Chinese five-spice peeked its head out of the cabinet as I reached for the oil, so I may had to give it a try next time. I'm so pleased that I finally tried these, and I can't wait to pick some more up at the farmers market this week.

The Geekiest Salad in the Universe

I've never been a big Star Trek fan. Well, ok, there were a few years when I was growing up when I thought Deanna Troi was the coolest woman on TV. But besides that, never a big fan. I think I might have seen one of the movies... once. So I was slightly disturbed when the first thought that came to mind while I chopped my farmer's market-fresh fennel was "That looks just like the Star Trek logo!"




And that's not even a good picture of it. It was kind of eerie... More eerie was that this proved that I'm a big geek. I mean, I've known it for a long time, but this really solidified the fact.

Anyway, when I shook myself out of my geeky stupor and finished cutting the fennel bulbs, I was at a bit of a loss for what to make with said fennel. This recent Chowhound post had given me some good ideas, but I was short on supplies. I already had some corn boiling, intending it as a snack for work the next day. Instead, I cleaned all the kernels off and threw them in with the fennel.

With a little more tweaking, I was left with a very brightly flavored salad. The fennel, still raw, is the focus with its vibrant anise flavor. I liked the texture combination from using both the fennel bulb and stalks. The corn brought a sweet burst of flavor to balance out the savory fennel. Adding lime juice incorporated a tart burst to each bite. This salad is simple to make, but it tastes so complex. It would be a great side dish for some grilled meat or fish.



Fennel and Corn Salad

2 small fennel bulbs, sliced thinly, plus 3 or 4 fronds, chopped
2 ears of corn, cooked, kernels scraped off
juice of 1 lime
pinch of sugar
pinch of salt

Toss all ingredients in a bowl. Make sure everything is coated in the lime juice. Season with sugar and salt to taste.