peach upside down pancake

This isn’t quite a pancake , nor is it a cake. It is fluffy, lightly sweet, and perfect for fruit.  It is a completely flexible and forgiving recipe.

I used a peach, but any fruit will do (apples, nectarines, plums, berries, bananas, etc).   The flavoring can be changed up too.  Sub in vanilla sugar in place of both the sugar and vanilla.  Try cinnamon or almond extract or even a splash of oj instead of lemon juice.

I drizzled a little honey on before serving, but you could serve it plain, dusted with powder sugar, topped with maple syrup, or anything else you like.  Serve it for dessert with a scoop of ice cream and/or fresh whip cream.

This recipe is for one, but can easily be doubled, tripled, or quadrupled – just make sure to increase the size of your pan as well.  Also, make sure your pan is oven safe.  I have a mini cast iron skillet that I used – perfect for a single serving.

Peach Upside down Pancake

• 1 peach (or any other piece of fruit)
• 1 tsp butter
• 2 drizzles of honey (1 for the fruit while it is cooking if it is not ripe and 1 for a topping before serving) – both optional
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp non-fat yogurt (greek or regular is fine)
• 2 tbsp flour
• dash of baking powder (I actually have a measuring spoon that says this – it is less than an 1/8 of a tsp)
• tiny pinch of salt
• spritz of lemon juice
• dash of vanilla

Pre-heat oven to 350F.

Chop the peach and melt the butter in a very small skillet over medium low heat.

When the butter is melted add the peaches and a little honey if your fruit is not completely ripe.  Stir to prevent burning and cook until just starting to soften.

While the peach is cooking, whisk together the batter. Whisk the egg in a small bowl.  Add the sugar and yogurt and whisk until smooth.

Next add the flour, baking powder, salt, and flavorings (vanilla and lemon juice) and whisk until smooth.

When the peaches have softened slightly, pour the batter over top and move the pan to the oven.

Bake for a bout 10 minutes until the batter is puffed and a bit firm to the touch.

Turn the pancake out onto a plate so that the peaches are on the top.  Tope with honey and serve.

kumquat beach balls

Huh?

After I used a double boiler to melt my chocolate for the Best Brownies Ever, I decided not to waste the energy that was used in boiling the water. I chucked about an equal amount of sugar into the water (as there was water in the pot).  By the way, that is how you make simple syrup – equal parts sugar and water brought to a boil so that the sugar dissolves.  Anyway, we had a few left over kumquats from our CSA last week (or was it the week before???), so I tossed those in too.  Candied kumquats couldn’t be bad…

 

They bobbed and floated until they split a little or started to look prunish (a little wrinkly).  I fished them out with a spoon and placed them in bowl to cool.  I reduced the syrup a little further and poured it into a little ceramic pitcher – orangey flavored simple syrup = yummy.  I figured I would find a use for them at some point.

Feeling festive this morning, I tossed a kumquat in my soda water (from my SodaStream which I am OBSESSED with)  and it floated around like an abandoned beach ball in an empty swimming pool.  Hence the title, kumquat beach balls.  Wouldn’t that be a phenomonal cocktail garnish?  Good for kiddy and non-alcoholic cocktails too.  Sweet, healthy, cute, fun – win, win.  I stirred a little of the syrup into my soda water - delicious.  You get a strong whiff of orange off of the floating fruit then a slight hint of orangey sweetness on your taste buds.

adventures in bagel making

Since I am doing the  Bread Baker’s Apprentice challenge, the next bread recipe I had to make was the ever illusive water bagel.  Someone kindly posted the recipe on the Fresh Loaf, so check out the recipe and instructions here.

As a native New Yorker, I basically refuse to eat bagels or pizza anywhere else in this country.  Call me a snob, I don’t care, this is one badge I wear with pride.  Only trouble is… I haven’t lived in NY since 2000.  I was sated for many years when I lived in Northern Virginia – even this girl admits that Brooklyn Bagels in Courthouse, VA had the bagel baking down cold.  It is the only (and I really mean the only) place outside of New York that makes, what I consider to be, an acceptable bagel.  Now in Utah, I feel there is no hope – I never found anything decent in Cali either.  For the past three years I have resorted to smuggling a dozen bagels in my carry-on and freezing them immediately when I arrived home.  As an aside – I apologize if you were ever on a flight in which I carried fresh everything bagels (or Italian cheese and cold cuts) that stunk up the entire plane, but it had to be done.

I used bread flour since I could not find the higher gluten/strong flour, and though I’m sure the strong flour would have made a difference, the bagels really turned out quite well.  The key to the chewy crust is really in the boiling rather than the flour.

I started with a sponge starter (flour, water, yeast) that had to sit for 2 hours.

After mixing in the rest of the ingredients (yeast, flour, salt, and barley malt), it turned into the stiffest bread dough I have ever used.  It actually overheated the engine on my Cuisinart stand mixer – that has never happened before.  I then kneaded it by hand since my machine was on strike.  It was a WORKOUT (especially when the kitchen was a balmy 83 degrees).  I did not get out every dry bit of flour like the recipe specified.  Sweat was pouring off my forehead and I just didn’t care after 10 minutes of kneading.  I formed the dough into 2.7oz balls (about half the size that was specified in the recipe for a smaller bagel – 20 total) and let them rest for 20 minutes.

After I drank a gallon of water (I was trying to hold out as long as possible before turning on our AC – to keep energy usage down), I formed the bagels by poking a hole in the middle and stretching it out to form a semi-perfect bagel shape.  The bagels were placed on parchment lined baking sheets, spritzed with oil, covered with plastic, and set aside to rest for another 20 minutes.

Next came the “float test.” Toss a bagel in a bowl of water.  If it floats, it is ready for the fridge.  If it doesn’t float, it needs to relax and rise some more.

The bagels were placed in the fridge overnight.

The next morning I assembled the toppings, started the water to boil, and preheated the oven.  And then the process began.  I boiled some bagels for 1 minute on each side and some for 2 minutes (supposed to make a chewier bagel).  I think I prefer the 2 minute boil.

The results were good.  The crust was chewy, the inside tender, and overall WAY better than anything in these parts.  I would make them again, but probably only for a special occasion or in the winter when the house is cooler.  They are a fair bit of work, but the flavor and crust is there.    It satisfies a New Yorker away from home like nothing else can in many parts of this country.

 

We schmeared our bagels with olive cream cheese.  It is my second favorite flavor of cream cheese – tofu veggie cream cheese is my numero uno (Sportsglutton feels differently).  The olive cream cheese is a little salty and tangy – perfectly delicious on a chewy bagel.

Olive Cream Cheese

• Olives – black and pimento stuffed green
• 1 block of softened cream cheese (regular, light, tofu, or neufchatel)

Chop the olives (the quantity of olives is up to you and your taste – I used about a handful of each for chockfull of olive cream cheese).

Put the olives and softened cream cheese in a bowl and stir to combine.

Schmear on your favorite bagel.

salad dressing in a snap

Sportsglutton and I had a fun chicken salad for dinner last night.  Shredded left-over chicken, avocado, grilled corn, grilled mushrooms, and grilled peppers (bell and jalapeno) were all tossed together, but what dressing to use?  How about a tomato dressing? The result was surprisingly good – light, tomatoey, and ready in about 1.5 minutes.  You have got to give this a try because it is sooooooo simple and quick.  It is a little sweet,  a little tangy, and perfectly savory -  perfect for a southwestern style salad or any regular tossed salad too.

 Quick Tomato Dressing

Makes enough for 1 large salad (4+ side servings) or 2 medium salads

• 1/4 c olive oil
• juice of 1 lime
• 2 tbsp El Pato Tomato Sauce/Salsa (it is in the little yellow can – check the Mexican isle)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in a jar or bowl and shake or whisk vigorously.  Toss with salad and serve.

Makes enough for many salads

• 3/4 c olive oil (approximately – you could use less or more to taste)
• 1 can El Pato Sauce (yellow can)
• juice of 3-4 limes
•  Salt and Pepper to taste

I made this in a pint-sized  jar and adjusted the amount of oil to make a full jar.  If you are making it in a similarly sized jar, add the salsa and lime juice, then top with oil until you reach the top of the jar.  Season with salt and pepper.  Shake vigorously.  If you are not making it in a jar (or are using a larger jar), place all of the ingredients in the bowl and whisk vigorously to combine.

kohlrabi remoulade

If you’re not familiar with kohlrabi, it is a member of the cabbage family and both its leaves and bulbus stem are edible.  In German, kohl means cabbage and rübe means turnip - and from that we get kohlrabi, there ya go.  The leaves taste similar to collard/turnip greens/chard (depending on the age of your plant and other gardening concerns like soil, climate, season) and can be prepared using similar recipes.  The bulb needs to be peeled, as the outside can be woody (older/larger bulbs can be more woody than smaller younger bulbs).  With a mild cabbage or turnip flavor, they can be eaten raw in salads and slaws, or on a crudité platter.  They are also often sautéed, battered and fried, and baked in a gratin (I’m sure among countless other ways to prepare them). 

Kohlrabi

I planted some in my yard this spring (both the green and purple varieties) and they are finally ready to pick.  I am picking them on the small side since they are very tender at this size, but you can let them grow much larger.  So far we have enjoyed the bulb part in a salad and the leaves sautéed with olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes (I did add some water to the pan so they would steam and soften). 

Tonight they are on the menu again… Kohlrabi Remoulade Salad.  This salad has a bunch of fun textures – the soft crunch of the kohlrabi bulb, the crisp crunch of the peppers and lettuce, the tender meatyness of the leaves, and the creamy dressing.  I purposely made the dressing a little thinner than the typical remoulade in order for it to act somewhat like a dressing for the rest of the greens.  This cool salad is really nice when paired up with a spicy main dish or a fish dish.

Kohlrabi Remoulade Salad

Serves: 2

• 1 medium or 2 small kohlrabi (leaves and bulbus stem)
• 2 c of lettuce (any type)
• 1/4 c julienned/thinly sliced bell pepper
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp mayonnaise
• 1 tsp grainy mustard (if you have a sweet variety, use that – if not add a little honey to the mix)
• 2 tsp sour cream
• juice of 1/4-1/2 lemon
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp fresh herbs of your preference

Pull the leaves off of the bulb part of the kohlrabi.    

Since the bulb part can be fibrous, you will need to peel off the outside layer.  Then slice the bulb into thin, julienne-style, strips.

Cut the peppers into similar sized pieces.  Place the peppers, julienned kohlrabi bulb, and herbs in a bowl and set aside.  I used Savory in my version (it is growing like wildfire in my garden), but tarragon, thyme, dill, parsley, or any other herb you favor will really do the trick.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt. 

While the water is coming up to a boil, strip the kohlrabi leaves from their stems and roughly chop.

Blanch the kohlrabi greens in the boiling water for 1-2 minutes (or longer depending on how tough the leaves are).  You want them to be tender, but still bright/dark green, not mushy or fadded, grey green.  Immediately plunge the blanched leaves into a bowl of ice water, or run under the cold tap.  Drain and wring out on a towel.

Mix the mustards, mayo, sour cream, lemon juice (add to taste – it will depend on how tart your lemon is), and honey if needed (if your grainy mustard isn’t sweet).  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add the mustard mixture to the bowl or peppers and kohlrabi.  Stir to combine.

In a serving bowl, layer the lettuce on the bottom, then add the blanched and drained kohlrabi leaves, and finally top with the pepper/kohlrabi mixture.  There should be some extra dressing – make sure it all gets added to the serving bowl, as this is needed to dress the lettuce and kohlrabi leaves below.  Chill until ready to serve.