Saturday, June 26, 2010

blueberry cornmeal (ricotta) cake

A recipe comes to someone in so many ways – and often so many degrees of separation.  This one comes via my mother via her new friend in San Mateo CA via Bon Appétit 5.10 via the Huckleberry Bakery & Café….. WHEW!  How’s that for attribution?  By popular demand from my FB & Twitter here it is:

Blueberry Cornmeal Cake or (as I referred to it) Blueberry Ricotta Cake

Special equiptment
10in. springform pan w/ 2 ¾ high sides
3 medium size bowls
1 large bowl

Ingredients
3 C fresh blueberries
2 Tbls for blueberries

1 1/3 C all purpose flour
2/3 C yellow cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
6 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp honey
10 Tbsp (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ C plus 3 Tbls sugar, divided
1 ½ tsp salt
1 C ricotta cheese
Nonstick vegetable oil spray

How to
Preheat oven 325°
Spray springform pan with non-stick oil.

Place blueberries in a medium bowl.  Sprinkle 2 Tbls of flour over and mix gently until blueberries are lightly covered.  Place in a sieve and jiggle over sink to gently remove any excess flour.  Set aside. 

Whisk first flour, cornmeal, baking pwd. &  soda in a medium bowl.  Whisk oil, eggs, vanilla & honey in another medium bowl.  With electric mixer, beat butter, ¾ C plus 2 Tbsp sugar & 1 ½ tsps salt in large bowl until creamy.  With mixer running on medium gradually add egg mixture; beat to blend.  Beat in flour mixture just to blend. Add ricotta & yogurt; beat on low speed just to blend.  Add floured blueberries and fold into mixture.  Sprinkle remaining sugar over batter.  Place in oven and bake cake until golden & a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Serves 12.

Note:  crusty on the outside and super moist & dense on the inside.

Posted by bpav on 06/26 at 02:29 PM
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Thursday, June 03, 2010

peach tart - a texas hill country summer dessert recipe

Oh the blessing’s of a Texas summer!! Thanks to my fab neighbors & a very wet spring, there were piles upon piles of sweet baby peaches to be had; right here in my hill country hood. These luscious tarts were made for a Chardonnay tasting I catered last week. The recipe seems lengthy but is really quite simple just a few steps; plus you can buy your tart shells at your local gourmet market. Yip!

for the peaches
3 medium size peaches, halved/pitted
1tsp white or brown sugar
½ tsp salt
1tsp extra virgin olive oil

for the honey cream
2 8-ounces cream cheese, room temperature
6 ounces of golden honey
Pinch of salt (optional)

1 package small to medium tart shells (a package of 12 works great for size)
½ jar of peach preserve

peach prep
Place prepped peaches into a medium size bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the peaches and mix so that the oil surrounds the peach halves entirely. Evenly sprinkle salt and sugar over peach halves. Heat a grill pan to high. Place peaches flesh side down, turn heat down to medium and cook until flesh becomes somewhat soft; about 2 minutes. Turn peaches over and cook until just soft. Peaches should be slightly charred and soft to touch but not falling apart. Take off heat and set aside on a sheet pan or tray. Cool completely. Once cool, slice the peach ½’s into ¼’s then 1/8’s then 1/16’s. These slices should be pliable but not falling apart. Set aside.

honey cream prep
Place cream cheese in a mixing bowl and mix on medium with a paddle implement until smooth. Add honey while continuing to mix. Stop mixing and scrape down bowl. Continue to mix until all honey has been poured. Scrape down sides and place in a container that has an airtight seal. Set aside.

tart shell prep
Unwrap tart shells and line them up. Place up to 2 TBSP of honey cream into each shell. Spread honey cream evenly inside the shell with an offset spatula.

putting tart together
Place peach slices on top of the cream beginning from the inside outer edge of the tart circle. Continue this process working from the outer edge in – overlapping the peach slices slightly until you come to the center. Take a small piece of peach or cut a small piece and fill in the center. It will eventually look like a peach rose. Set aside.

glaze prep
In a non-reactive saucepan, over low-heat, heat peach marmalade until just soft. Take off heat. With a wide brush – pastry brush, dip in marmalade, brush off excess on side of pan and gently brush over the peaches on each tart. Cool completely.

Cover tightly and refrigerate tarts until needed. Take out up to an hour before serving and bring to room temperature. Serve as is or with freshly whipped cream topping…maybe a little fresh mint from the garden.

Eat with pleasure. Serves 8-12.

Posted by bpav on 06/03 at 11:27 AM
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Monday, March 01, 2010

Sweet Roasted Peppers

Aren’t these peppers stunningly beautiful?  They’re 2-bites of sweet with a touch of heat.  Bite into one and their juices slide around on your tongue while the colorful flesh melts leaving a longing for more….many more! Here is a quick recipe for this delicious fall treat.

1 bag of sweet baby peppers
1/4 C of extra virgin olive oil
3 tsp of kosher salt
1.5 tsp of fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven 400°
Place the peppers on a half sheet pan.  Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt & pepper all over peppers.  Mix all ingredients so that the oil, salt and pepper surrounds each pepper.  Place in oven until the skins of the peppers begin to get soft and you see their skin charring slightly.  This will take up to 20 minutes.  Check at 10 minute intervals.  Once the peppers are done take out of the oven and cool.  Serve.

Yeilds 8 to 10 servings.

*these can be served by themselves, with a dipping sauce, sliced on salads – basically skys the limit!

Posted by bpav on 03/01 at 04:05 PM
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Ham & Boursin Roulade

This is an old school recipe that anyone can manage in a pinch.  perfect for the holiday cocktail parties, bring to work pot luck holiday appetizers.  and most perfect for a 1950’s theme party;  for which this yummy treat was made.

1/2 lb of smoked ham, thinly sliced but not shaved

Small bunch of Italian parsley, rough chop

Separate each slice of ham.  Pat dry any excess liquid.  Place each piece of ham on a cutting board and press flat.  Gently spread the Boursin cheese over the entire piece of ham – up to each edge.  Take the most narrow side of the piece of ham and make a small, tight roll into itself and towards the center.  Continue this process until you reach the opposite side.  Set aside and repeat whole process with each piece of ham.  You will have several ham rolls.  Take each roll separately and slice in the center making 2 halves.  Take each half and slice into 3 or 4 pieces depending on the side of the roll.
If the edge of each cut piece is coming apart from its roll – then add a bit more cheese to glue it together.  Place each piece of “roulade” on a platter, sideup and sprinkle with parsley. 
Serve.

Serves several!

*Rolls can be made the morning of and sliced before serving.

Posted by bpav on 03/01 at 11:00 AM
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