I haven't been home much recently to bake, but I did make this Fresh Apple Coffee Cake before I left for my father's last week.  I drizzled it with melted semi-sweet chocolate before eating.  Somehow the thought of pairing apples with chocolate seemed a little strange to me, but I actually liked it a lot - at least on this cake.  It's a dense, substantial cake, and great with a cup of hot coffee.


                        Fresh Apple Coffee Cake

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups peeled, finely chopped apples
• 1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup all-purpose, unbleached flour
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup melted, unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
• additional unsalted butter for melting with chocolate

1.  Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan; set aside
2.  In a large mixing bowl, beat together the 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup sugar with an electric mixer until well-combined.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
3.  Combine 2 2/3 cups flour, baking powder, soda and salt; add alternately to the beaten egg mixture with the buttermilk, beating until combined.  Fold in the chopped apples.
4.  In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, pecans, 1/3 cup flour and cinnamon.  Mix in the 1/3 cup of melted butter.
5.  Place about 2 cups cake batter in the prepared pan and spread evenly.  Sprinkle with 1/2 of the crumb mixture; repeat layers.  Bake in a 350˚F oven for about 70 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes before removing the cake from pan; cool on a wire rack. 
6.  Melt the 1/2 cup chocolate pieces with enough butter to give it a drizzling consistancy.  Drizzle over top of cake.

   I was hungry, but wanted something simple; something that didn't take a lot of time but left me feeling satisfied.  This is my go-to recipe when I don't feel like melting butter or whipping egg whites to fold into a batter, like so many waffle recipes require.  This recipe for cornmeal waffles couldn't be easier -- the ingredients are thrown into a blender, whipped and poured onto a hot waffle iron. As you can see, we ate our waffles sprinkled with fresh raspberries, but this savory cornmeal waffle would also be great topped with creamed chicken for lunch.  (I have a great recipe for that which I will share with you some time.)  

                           Blender Cornmeal Waffles

• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup unbleached flour
• 2 tablespoons cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

   Preheat the waffle iron.  Put all of the ingredients into the blender container; cover and process until dry ingredients are moistened.  You may need to clean down the sides of the container with a rubber spatula.  Do not over-process.  Pour batter onto waffle iron grid and bake until golden, about 3 minutes.

               This is what I've been enjoying with my morning cappuccino.


            Carrot Tea Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Icing

Carrot Tea Cake:
• 1 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup (10 2/3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup grated, raw carrots
• 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 1/2 cup unbleached flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
Orange Cream Cheese Icing:
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated, organic orange peel
• 1 teaspoon fresh orange juice

1.  Preheat oven to 325˚F.
2.  In a bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.  Stir in the grated carrots, eggs and pecans until well-combined.  Sift into this mixture the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; stir until blended.
3.  Butter a 1 1/2 quart loaf pan (or 8 small, individual loaf pans as I've done) and fill with carrot cake batter.  Place on the center rack of the oven and bake for one hour.  If using the individual pans, bake for 25-30 minutes.
4.  Remove from oven when cakes test done and turn out onto a cooling rack.  When cool, frost with cream cheese icing, if desired.
5.  Cream together cream cheese and butter until smooth; slowly add the confectioners' sugar and beat until well-combined.  Stir in the grated orange peel and orange juice.  Spread on top of the carrot loaf cake.

   I have to make this Plum Upside-Down Cake at least once during the summer plum season.  It's so good!  Serve it for dessert with sweetened cinnamon whipped cream, or include in a weekend brunch menu.

                              Plum Upside-Down Cake
                                   Bon Appétit Magazine | June 1995

• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup packed golden brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 6 large plums, halved, pitted, and each half cut into 6 wedges

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup milk

• Lightly sweetened whipped cream (with a touch of cinnamon)

1.  Preheat oven to 350˚F.  Stir 6 tablespoons butter, brown sugar and honey in heavy medium skillet over low heat until butter melts and sugar and honey blend in, forming thick, smooth sauce.  Transfer to a 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides.  Arrange plums in overlapping concentric circles atop sauce.
2.  Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl.  Using electric mixer, beat remaining 6 tablespoons butter in large bowl until light.  Add sugar and beat until creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla and almond extracts.  Add dry ingredients alternately with milk, mixing just until blended.  Spoon batter evenly over plums.  Bake cake until golden and tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 5 minutes.  Transfer to rack; cool in pan 30 minutes.
3.  Using knife, cut around pan sides to loosen cake.  Place platter atop cake pan.  Invert cake; place platter on work surface.  Let stand 5 minutes.  Gently lift off pan.  Serve cake warm with whipped cream. 

   There were more out-of-town visitors this past weekend.  My family was in town.  The Ratatouille Strata with Lamb and Olives is a perfect dish to serve when you have guests since it can be assembled ahead. 

   It's also perfect for this time of year--especially if you have a garden full of tomatoes, eggplant and peppers, as I do. 

   Add a green salad or fresh fruit and you've got brunch or, as we ate it, dinner on the patio (surrounded by roaring fire pits -- it was quite the chilly evening).

                    

                       Ratatouille Strata with Lamb and Olives
                     recipe by Max London | Food & Wine Magazine

• One 16-ounce loaf olive bread of sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 onions, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 6 large plum tomatoes--peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 cup Nyons or Calamata olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 2 small zucchini, cut into 2-by-1/4-inch strips
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 2-by-1/4-inch strips
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 2-by-1/4-inch strips
• 1 medium eggplant (about 3/4 pound), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 6 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups heavy cream
1.  In a large bowl, toss the bread with the milk.  Let soak, stirring occasionally, until moistened, about 30 minutes. 
2.  In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until shimmering.  Add the onions and cook over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.  Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thick and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 6 minutes.  Stir in the olives and basil and season with salt and pepper.
3.  In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil until shimmering.  Add the ground lamb, season with salt and pepper and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and lightly browned, about 8 minutes.  Add the lamb to the tomato sauce.
4.  Wipe out the skillet.  Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and heat until shimmering.  Add the zucchini and bell pepper strips and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 10 minutes; stir the vegetables into the tomato sauce.
5.  Wipe out the skillet again.  Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and heat until shimmering (Here I added additional oil to keep eggplant from sticking to the pan).  Add the diced eggplant and cook over high heat, tossing frequently, until very tender and deep golden, about 8 minutes.  Stir the eggplant into the tomato sauce.
6.  Preheat the oven to 350˚F.  Lightly oil a 3- to 4-quart glass or ceramic baking dish.  Arrange half of the soaked olive bread in the baking dish.  Spread the ratatouille evenly on top and cover with the remaining soaked olive bread.
7.  In a medium bowl,  mix the eggs with the cream and add a generous pinch each of salt and pepper.  Pour the custard evenly over the top layer of bread and let stand for at least 20 minutes.
8.  Bake the strata for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the custard is set and the top is golden brown.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. 
MAKE AHEAD:  The ratatouille strata can be prepared through Step 7 and refrigerated overnight.  Bring to room temperature before baking.
*  I cooked the vegetables and lamb on Day 1, assembled the strata on Day 2, and baked the strata on Day 3.
                                           SERVES 6-8

   Fortunately, I have a daughter who reminds me that, just because I like something it doesn't mean others will.  We invited people this past weekend for Sunday brunch.  We did not know the people.  We all had a connection to the "French Boy" that was still visiting this past weekend.  

   In August, the majority of my cooking is dictated by what's growing in my garden.  Right now I have beautiful lettuces; the result of a very cool summer.

     And look at these beets!  The bright red are Chioga; the darker ones, Detroit Red.

   I roasted the beets, then diced the dark red and sliced the Chioga.  Could there be anything more magnificent?  This platter is awaiting a drizzle of a vinaigrette and a sprinkling of Maytag Blue cheese and toasted walnuts (get my recipe here).  I also assembled and baked two tomato tarts.  We dined on the patio.

   Luckily, the night before the brunch my daughter told me I had to have something to eat besides the tomato tarts and the beet salad.  Even tho' I would be perfectly happy eating that, others may not like it.  She was right...  our guests were obviously not tomato and beet lovers (go figure!). They did, however, devour the Baked Blueberry-Pecan French Toast.

       Baked Blueberry-Pecan French Toast with Blueberry Syrup
                             Gourmet Magazine | June 1999

• a 24-inch baguette
• 6 large eggs
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup pecans
• 1/2 stick ( 1/4 cup ) plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups blueberries
For syrup
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1.  Butter a 13- by 9-inch baking dish.  Cut twenty 1-inch slices from baguette and arrange in one layer in baking dish.  In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, nutmeg, vanilla, and 3/4 cup brown sugar and pour evenly over bread.  Chill mixture, covered, until all liquid is absorbed by bread, at least 8 hours, and up to 1 day.
2.  Preheat oven to 350˚F.
3.  In a shallow baking pan spread pecans evenly and toast in middle of oven until fragrant, about 8 minutes.  Toss pecans in pan with 1 teaspoon butter and salt.
4.  Increase temperature to 400˚F.
5.  Sprinkle pecans and blueberries evenly over bread mixture.  Cut 1/2 stick butter into pieces and in a small saucepan, heat with remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar, stirring, until butter is melted.  Drizzle butter mixture over bread and bake mixture 20 minutes, or until any liquid from blueberries is bubbling.
6.  Make syrup while French toast is baking:  In a small saucepan cook blueberries and maple syrup over moderate heat until berries have burst, about 3 minutes.  Pour syrup through a sieve into a heat-proof pitcher, pressing on solids, and stir in lemon juice.  Syrup may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.  Reheat syrup before serving.

   I know... I'm doing this all backwards.  The berry tart I made, with a thin layer of vanilla pastry cream beneath blueberries and raspberries, should come first; not what I did with the left-over pastry cream.  But this was so good!  Another proven case of -- the simplest turns out to be the best.  I've been in my kitchen non-stop during the "French Boy" visit and will have a slew of recipes and photos of what we ate during his week with us.  For breakfast one morning, I took the pastry cream left-over from the tart I made the night before (about 1 1/3 cups) and  folded in ripe, fragrant, diced peaches (about 2).  We ate it along with toasted bread and French salted butter.  The peaches and pastry cream would also be fantastic with a good granola on top.

                                    Crème Pâtissière (Pastry Cream)
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1.  Blend one cup of the milk and the cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
2.  As the mixture is heated, put the egg yolks and sugar into a mixing bowl and beat until pale yellow.  Add the cornstarch to the yolk mixture and beat well.  Add the remaining one-half cup of milk and beat until blended.
3.  When the milk and cream mixture is at the boil, remove from the heat.  Add the yolk mixture, beating rapidly with a wire whisk.
4.  Return to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring constantly with the whisk.  When thickened and at the boil, remove from the heat.  Add the vanilla and let cool, stirring occasionally.
YIELD:  About two and one-quarter cups.

   I woke up this morning craving cranberry almond scones.  I decided to bake myself some for breakfast... if, that is, you still consider it breakfast, having gotten up at 6 a.m. and it was now 11:00.  Point is, I wasn't going to rest until I ate a homemade scone.  When I reached into my cupboard for the dried cranberries, I pulled an empty jar from the shelf.  O.k... I'd have to redirect my craving.  I did have a full box of currants, so currant scones it was.  If at all possible, I like my currant scones with crème fraîche and strawberry preserves, but unfortunately, neither was in my refrigerator this morning.  They were pretty good, nonetheless.

                                Buttermilk Currant Scones
             adapted from a recipe in The New York Time Cookbook

• 2 cups unbleached flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup currants
• cinnamon, for dusting, optional
1.  Preheat the oven to 425˚F.
2.  Whisk the egg and buttermilk in a large mixing bowl.  Set aside.
3.  Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse several times.  Add the butter and pulse until butter is the size of peas.
4.  Combine the flour mixture with the egg and buttermilk.  Add the currants and stir, quickly and lightly, until no flour shows.  Flour your hands, and gently knead the mixture in the bowl, about 10-15 times.  Cut the dough in half, and place on a parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet.  With lightly floured hands, pat each halve into a disc about 1/2-inch thick.  Cut each disc into 4 wedges, and with the blade of the knife, move each wedge so the sides do not touch.  Sprinkle scones lightly with cinnamon.
5.  Bake on the middle rack of the oven for approximately 16 minutes, or until a deep golden brown.
6.  Remove from oven and place scones on a cooling rack.
7.  Serve scones with crème fraîche and strawberry preserves.




 

  We watch the Tour de France almost religiously each summer.  I think I like cycling, but honestly, the reason I'm glued to the television screen  during La Tour is because of the scenery.  I'm a sucker for the cobblestones and tiled roofs of France.  When the cyclists are on secluded stretches of road, I'll find little jobs to do around the house.  But as soon as my husband yells, "Hey, look at this!", I run back to the t.v. and images of another village I now want to visit.

   Seeing the 20th leg of La Tour was especially important to me because we always stay near Mont Ventoux in the Vaucluse region when visiting  Provence.  Last summer we based ourselves in Carpentras and wherever we ventured during the day, Mont Ventoux was most likely in our sight.

   My husband, who has become more interested in cycling over the years and participates in Ragbrai (the bike race across Iowa) with our youngest daughter, has never joined me on my visits to Provence.  But he seemed intrigued, seeing the shots of lavender fields and vineyards during La Tour yesterday. I'm hoping he'll consider a trip with me.  He could ride his bike from village to village and I could meet up with him for lunch, taking a break from the markets and brocantes -- my favorite pasttimes in Provence.

  Since we would be getting up at 6 a.m. (on a Saturday!) to watch the ascent of Mont Ventoux, I decided to assemble a strata the night before, to have as breakfast Saturday morning.  The great thing about a strata is that you can work with what you've got.  I had 2 cooked hot Italian sausages in my freezer along with a baguette.  I sliced the baguette and covered the bottom of a buttered gratin with half.  Over that I layered the sliced sausages and mushrooms from a jar in my pantry.  I sprinkled about a cup of shredded Gruyére over the top, along with leaves of fresh basil from my garden.  I covered this with another layer of baguette slices and more shredded cheese.  I whisked together 4 large eggs and about a cup of half & half, seasoned with salt and pepper, and poured this evenly over the bread. (Feel free to add more cream or milk if the strata seems too dry). Covered with plastic wrap, the strata was placed in the refrigerator until the next morning when I popped it into a preheated 350˚F oven for 30 minutes.  I wish the red peppers in my refrigerator had been roasted when I assembled this late Friday night.  They would have been a great addition.