Cherry-Rhubarb Pie

Cherries are just coming into season here in the mid-atlantic, and I love cherry pie. But it is often too sweet for my taste, so I added some rhubarb (much like I do with strawberry pie). The result was fantastic. I made a two crust pie this time - it definitely makes for a more elegant presentation.

I had some leftover rhubarb, so I also made rhubarb sauce (see below), which is a tangy version of applesauce, sort of like cranberry sauce.

Cherry-Rhubarb Pie

For the Crust:

2 C. flour

1/4 C. sugar

1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

2 egg yolks

1/4 C. water

For the Filling:

1 1/2 C. pitted chopped cherries

1 1/2 C. chopped rhubarb

2/3 C. sugar

2 Tbsp.  corn starch

Pinch of salt

Mix flour and sugar in a bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in egg yolks. Add the water slowly until a smooth dough forms. Separate the dough into two balls and chill until ready to use, at least 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the cherries, rhubarb, sugar, corn starch, and salt.

Take one ball of dough out of the refrigerator and quickly roll it to form a thin circle. I do this in between pieces of parchment paper. Work quickly before the dough gets sticky. Put the dough in the bottom of a standard pie dish, trimming any excess dough from the edges.

Pour the filling into the crust.

Remove the other ball of dough from the refrigerator and quickly roll it to form another thin circle. Carefully place the dough on top of the filling and seal the edges, trimming excess dough as you work. Cut a few slits in the center of the crust to allow steam to escape.

Bake at 375 for 45-50 minutes until the crust is light brown. Allow to stand at least an hour before serving.

Rhubarb Sauce

1/4 C. water

1/4 C. sugar

2 cups chopped rhubarb

Add water and sugar to a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the rhubarb and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until the rhubarb has broken down and a thick sauce has formed. 

Allow to cool, then cover and refrigerate until serving. It is great as an ice cream topping or eaten by itself.

Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Pizza

This is a delicious white pizza (no tomatoes) that is fancy enough to impress dinner guests. As is typical for a weeknight, I used frozen pizza dough (just thaw on the counter for a few hours), but homemade would be even tastier.

And because I had some super ripe peaches, I made peach sangria (recipe below) to make dinner a little more festive.

I typically use garlic in this recipe, but I had some garlic scapes from our CSA, so I used one of those instead. If you've never had a garlic scape, it's the top of the garlic plant. It looks like a curly Q spring onion. It has a mild garlic flavor and can be substituted for garlic or spring onions in any recipe.

Ingredients for the Pizza:

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2-3 onions, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic scape, chopped
• pizza dough for 1 pizza
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1/2 C. chopped basil or other fresh herbs (or substitute a smaller amount of dried herbs)
• 4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a skillet over medium low heat. Add the onions and cook slowly, so that they caramelize, about 20 minutes. Add the garlic scapes and heat for 1-2 more minutes.

Meanwhile, stretch the pizza dough onto a pizza pan. Brush with 1 tsp. olive oil and top with the basil and goat cheese. Pour the onions over the top. Bake at 450 for 20-25 minutes, until the crust is brown and crispy.

For the Sangria:

• 2 ripe peaches, sliced
• 1 bottle white wine
• 3/4 C. Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur

Put half the sliced peaches in the bottom of a pitcher. Use a potato masher or wooden spoon to crush the peaches. Fill the pitcher halfway with ice. Add the wine and Grand Marnier. Still thoroughly. Add the rest of the sliced peaches. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Note: The peaches make this plenty sweet for my taste, but you could always add a little simple syrup if it's not sweet enough for you. To make simple syrup, heat equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Cool and use in mixed drinks, lemonade, or iced tea. 

Crispy Tortilla Wedges

This is a take on tortilla chips, made with flour tortillas. I served them as a crunchy addition to the salads we were having for dinner, but they are also great for snacking. I usually bake them in the oven, but it is just too darn hot around here to turn on the oven. So I fried them in a small amount of oil on the stove-top. You could also do this with corn tortillas for a different flavor and texture.

Ingredients:

• flour tortillas
• vegetable oil (do not use olive oil!)
• salt

In a large skillet, pour in enough oil to coat the entire bottom of the pan (probably about 1/4 C). Heat the oil over medium-high until it begins to shimmer. Do not let it smoke - that means the oil is too hot. Meanwhile, stack the tortillas and cut them into wedges (I think 6ths is perfect). Have a plate lined with paper towels ready. When the oil is shimmering, gently add a few wedges at a time. Do not crowd the pan. After 30-60 seconds, you will see the edges browning. Using tongs, carefully turn the wedges over and let them cook for about 30 seconds more. 

Remove the wedges to the paper towels to drain and sprinkle with salt. Repeat until all the tortillas have been fried. Try not to eat them all at once!

Black Bean "Falafel"

I got the idea for this from my weekly Scramble menu - one of the meals was a black bean burger, but we had a bunch of tortillas that I wanted to use up. So I started thinking about how I could change the recipe to make it easier to serve in a tortilla, and then I thought of falafel. Normally falafel is made out of chickpeas so this is a very loose interpretation.

Ingredients:

• 1 can of black beans, drained and mashed
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 C. panko bread crumbs (could also use regular bread crumbs)
• hot sauce, to taste
• 1/4 C. cornmeal
• 2 Tbsp. oil
• tortillas, for serving
• salsa, for serving
• shredded cheese, for serving
• greek yogurt or sour cream, for serving

Combine the mashed black beans, egg, panko, and hot sauce in a small bowl. Have the cornmeal ready on a shallow plate. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Use a large spoon to scoop out a few tablespoons of the black bean mixture into the cornmeal. Use your hands to make a small disc, coating with cornmeal and shaking off any excess. Add to the hot oil and do not move. Continue until you have used all the black bean mixture. Cook without moving for about 3 minutes. Then flip over and cook for about 3 minutes more. 

Cut in half and serve on tortillas, topped with salsa, cheese, and yogurt.

I served these with sweet potato fries and roasted asparagus and spring onions.

I have made my own sweet potato fries in the past, but for me, the best ones are the frozen Alexia brand - my 5 year old just gobbles them up. 

To make the roasted asparagus and spring onions, toss them with olive oil and a little salt and pepper and roast them at 400 for 20-30 minutes. If you've never tried roasting spring onions, you are missing out! They become sweet and crunchy and are a delicious compliment to the asparagus.

I Love Our CSA!

A few years ago, I was introduced to the concept of a CSA - community shared agriculture - otherwise known as a farm share. If you're not familiar with the concept, you buy a share of a local farm - paying upfront in the winter to help finance their operations. In return, you get a weekly delivery of the produce that is grown throughout the summer and fall. Not only is the produce fresher and tastier than what I'd normally get at the store, it's grown without chemicals or pesticides and using more sustainable methods. I'm a big fan of supporting local businesses, especially farmers. If you've never seen the documentary Food, Inc., you should - it really opened my eyes to industrial farming practices and has changed how I shop and eat. If you're interested in this sort of thing, I'd also recommend the book The Omniovore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan.

This is our third year as members of Great Country Farms in Bluemont, VA, about a 90 minute drive from DC. I love this farm not only for the produce deliveries, but also because members can pick produce at the farm every week and they have lots of great family activities like slides, mazes, tractor rides, and so on. Even if you're not a member, you can pay admission and check it out. I'd highly recommend it!

I love the assortment of produce that we receive every week starting at the beginning of June, especially because it makes us eat more fruits and vegetables and allows us to try things we wouldn't normally buy. I enjoy the challenge of what to make with the various items in our box - my neighbor Kathleen once compared it to the TV show Chopped.

Every week, I'll try to post what was in our box and some recipes that I came up with to use everything.

This week, our box included spring onions, asparagus, basil, kale, lettuce, garlic scapes, and strawberries.

Last night I made Kale and Bulgur Wheat Pilaf for dinner and Strawberry Shortcake for dessert. Kale is an intimidating ingredient, if you've never cooked it before, but it's one of my favorite greens. It has almost a nutty flavor, and it is so good for you! I used all of this week's kale in the pilaf, but next time, I'll be sure to make kale chips, which are roasted pieces of kale with olive oil and salt. They are like potato chips - so addictive!

This year, we're also growing a little garden in the back, mainly as a learning experience for the boys. We planted from seed and so far, things are looking good. I did a little research and planted things that grow well in our area: zucchini, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, and snap peas. I'll keep you posted on our progress - the lettuce is almost ready to harvest.

As I've done in the past, I'm also growing herbs on our patio. Even if you don't have space for a garden, all you need is a sunny spot, pots, and potting soil to grow your own herbs. It is so nice to just run outside and snip some of whatever I need. This year, we're growing cilantro, basil, parsley, chives, and oregano. Our farm also sends seedlings occasionally, so I will probably pot those too when they come.

Strawberry Shortcake

This recipe is NOT low-fat. But I only make it once per year, right at the peak of strawberry season, so I'm okay with it.

Ingredients:

• 2 C. strawberries, chopped
• 1-2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1.5 C. AP flour
• 1/4 C. sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 C. (1 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 C. heavy cream
• 1 egg, beaten

Macerate the strawberries in 1-2 Tbsp. of sugar and set aside. If the strawberries are really ripe, they won't need that much extra sugar. In a small bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the cream and egg and mix until combined. Drop the batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to form 6 round shortcakes. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, until light golden brown around the edges. 

Cool slightly. Slice in half, fill with some of the strawberries, then top with whipped cream or ice cream and more strawberries.

Kale & Bulgur Wheat Pilaf

Here's a great way to use kale (or other leafy greens, like spinach, collards, or chard). I love bulgur wheat - if you've never tried it, it's got a delicious nutty flavor, sort of a mix between brown rice and quinoa. It is super easy to cook too. If you have trouble finding it in the rice/grains section of your grocery store, look in the cereal aisle, near the hot cereals. If you still can't find it, you could substitute quinoa, brown rice, orzo, or cous cous.

Ingredients:

• 1 C. bulgur wheat (or other grain)
• 2 C. chicken broth
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
• 1/2 C. white wine (or can use more chicken broth)
• juice of one lemon, divided
• big bunch of kale, washed and torn (remove the bigger stems as they can be tough)
• 1/2 C. pine nuts
• salt and pepper to taste
• feta cheese, for garnish

In a medium saucepan, combine the bulgur wheat and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and half the lemon juice and stir to deglaze the pan. Add the kale. Do not panic if the kale is overflowing the pan. It will cook down. Stir the kale for about 5-7 minutes until it has wilted. 

Add the bulgur wheat, pine nuts, and the rest of the lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper.

Serve with feta cheese on top.