The Best Blueberry Muffins

We got our first container of blueberries from our CSA this week, and the first thing my older son said was "Can we make blueberry muffins?" So the crisps, crumbles, and cobblers will have to wait until the next batch.

There are two things about this recipe that make it the best. First, the lemon really enhances the blueberry flavor. And second, the sprinkle of sugar on top gives it a great "crust". These do not last long in my house.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 C. flour
• 3/4 C. sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 C. blueberries
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1/3 C. vegetable oil
• 1/3 C. milk
• 1 egg
• sugar, for sprinkling

In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Carefully add the blueberries and stir to coat. In a separate bowl, mix the lemon zest, juice, vegetable oil, milk, and egg. Add to the dry ingredients and mix only until just combined. Spoon the batter into greased muffin cups (fill about 2/3 of the way). Sprinkle the top  of each muffin with a little sugar. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes until light golden brown. Cool for about 10 minutes in the pan, then remove and cool completely. Makes 10-12 muffins.

Sweet Cherry Cake

I had a bunch of sweet cherries that I needed to use up, but I just made a pie last weekend. I remember this yummy rhubarb buttermilk cake that I made a while ago, so that was my inspiration for this.

Do not be intimidated by this cake - it's actually super simple to make.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 C. unsalted butter (half a stick), melted
• 1/4 C. brown sugar
• 2-3 C. pitted, chopped sweet cherries

• 1 1/2 C. AP flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1/2 C. unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature
• 1 C. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 C. milk

Butter the sides of a round cake pan. Whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until combined. Pour evenly into the bottom of the cake pan. Sprinkle the cherries on top of the butter/sugar mixture.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix until combined. Add half the flour mixture and mix until combined, being sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the milk and mix until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until combined. Pour the batter over top of the cherries.

Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan. Invert the pan on a serving plate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Slowly remove the pan and you should have a beautiful cake.

Serve plain, or with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Beef Ribs with Pineapple Glaze

We don't eat a lot of meat around here, so for a special Father's Day treat, I decided to make the mother of all meat dishes: ribs. I've never made them before, so I scouted around a lot before deciding on what to do.

My main inspiration is this recipe from Kitchen Explorers. I used beef ribs, though, and the weather wasn't cooperative enough for grilling, so I had to modify the recipe.

I served the ribs with mashed red potatoes, sauteed swiss chard and fresh peas, and a simple green salad.

Ingredients:

• 1 rack of beef or pork ribs (about 2-3 lbs.)

• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. brown sugar

• 1 can pineapple rings, reserve 1/2 C. juice
• 1/2 C. ketchup
• 1/4 C. brown sugar
• 1/4 C. worcestershire sauce

Line a large baking sheet with alumnium foil and lay the rack of ribs on top. Combine the paprika, cinnamon, chili powder, salt, and brown sugar in a small bowl. Rub both sides of the ribs with the spice mixture.

Bake at 325 for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the pineapple juice, ketchup, brown sugar, and worcestershire sauce. Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes until thick.

Remove the ribs from the oven and baste them with the sauce. Flip the ribs and baste some more. Bake for another 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and flip them and baste them again. Bake for 15 more minutes.

Remove from oven and baste. Add the pineapple rings to the tray around the ribs and baste them with any remaining sauce. Bake for 15 minutes, for a total bake time of 90 minutes.

Let stand about 5 minutes, then slice and serve!

Blackberry Syrup

June is one my favorite months in the mid-Atlantic region, since berries are in season. I made a quick blackberry syrup to go with the crepes I made for breakfast. This syrup is also great over pancakes or ice cream!

For the crepes, I used Emmy's recipe, which only makes 6-8, perfect for our family.

This syrup recipe only makes enough for 2-3 people, but it is easily doubled or tripled.

Ingredients:

• 1 C. blackberries
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 a lemon, juiced and zested
• 1/2 tsp. corn starch
• 1 Tbsp. water

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the blackberries, sugar, lemon juice, and zest. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the berries begin to break down. Mix the corn starch and water in a small bowl to make a "slurry". Add the slurry to the berry mixture and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes more; the syrup will thicken. Turn off the heat and cool for several minutes before serving.

Carrot Fennel Soup

This soup is light and delicious, perfect for a hot day. Fennel has a anisey, licoricey flavor, but the carrots keep it from overpowering the soup. You will need a blender (stand-alone or immersion) as this is tastiest when pureed until smooth.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 fennel bulbs, thinly sliced (discard the stalks and fronds, or reserve the fronds for a salad or other use)
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 6-8 carrots, chopped
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 C. vegetable broth
• 1/2 C. orange juice
• 1/4 C. heavy cream or half-and-half
• salt and pepper to taste
• sliced spring onions, for garnish

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the fennel, onion, carrots, and garlic, and saute until browned and softened, about 10 minutes. Add the vegetable broth, cover, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for about 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked through. Puree in a blender until smooth. Return to the pot and stir in the orange juice and cream. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with spring onions.

I served the soup with a salad of lettuce, orange sections, radishes, cucumbers, pepitas, and goat cheese. For the dressing, I combined 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 2 tsp. dijon mustard, 2 tsp. maple syrup, and salt and pepper to taste. This is similar to my balsamic dressing, but it is lighter tasting due to the lemon juice, perfect for a salad with fruit in it!

CSA Week 3: Swiss Chard

The CSA parade of greens continues. In this week's box: dill seedling, peas, garlic scapes, spring onions, lettuce, swiss chard, and sweet cherries. I used the cherries to make some quick cherry-chocolate chip muffins yesterday.

I used the swiss chard, garlic scapes, and spring onions to make a quick pasta for last night's dinner. Swiss chard is super tasty, and you can eat the stems - they just need a little longer to cook.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. pasta, prepared according to package directions
• 1 large bunch of swiss chard, thoroughly washed, leaves torn, stems chopped
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced (I used a garlic scape)
• 3-4 spring onions, sliced (or use 1 regular onion)
• 1/4 C. pine nuts
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice (about half a lemon)
• olive oil, salt, and pepper, to taste
• feta cheese for garnish

Start cooking the pasta. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the garlic and onions and saute for 2-3 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add the stems of the swiss chard and saute for about 10 minutes, until they start to soften. Add the leaves and continue cooking until the leaves have wilted, about 5-10 more minutes. Turn off the heat and add the drained pasta, pine nuts, and lemon juice. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a sprinkle of feta cheese on top.

Note about cleaning greens: This time of year is when I'm glad to have a salad spinner. I have a tiny kitchen, so I'm not one for kitchen gadgets, but between the CSA, the farmer's market, and what we're growing out back, the salad spinner saves me a lot of time cleaning the grit off of all the yummy greens we're eating. 

If you don't have a salad spinner, here's a tip: Fill your sink halfway with cold water. Add the greens and swish them around to remove the grit (they should float in the water). The grit will fall to the bottom of the sink. Remove the leaves to a colander on the counter and shake out the excess water. Dry the greens with a towel before using. Don't forget to clean out your sink before you use it to wash dishes (not that I've ever done that or anything...)

Cherry Chocolate Chip Muffins

I love the combination of cherries and chocolate, so when my oldest asked if we could make muffins ("from scratch," he specified), I decided to try a cherry-chocolate chip muffin.

The thing that's great about baking is that if you know a basic recipe, you can tweak it pretty easily. You could easily change this recipe and replace the cherries with blueberries or the chocolate chips with nuts (or both) or use whatever combination your heart desires - for my 5 year old, that would be all chocolate chips!

Ingredients:

• 2 C. AP flour
• 2/3 C. sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 C. pitted, diced sweet cherries
• 1/2 C. chocolate chips
• 1/2 C. butter (1 stick), melted and cooled
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 C. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the cherries and chocolate chips and mix to coat (I find this helps keep them from sinking to the bottom of the muffin). In a separate bowl, mix the melted butter (make sure it's cool or you may cook the eggs), eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined. Spoon the batter into 12 greased muffin cups (they will be nearly full). Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan, then eat them warm or cool on a wire rack before serving.