cucumber salad and spicy cornbread.

Dear friends, it's summer. Or, more accurately, and with apologies to any of you not on an academic schedule, it's my summer. The field exam is well in the rearview mirror, classes have ended, grades are in, and I have a season of research and writing in front of me. [No, this isn't a picture of my reading list. Those are cucumbers. I can tell the difference - must mean that I've learned something!]


It's also a new cooking season, one that coincides perfectly with two new additions to my cookbook shelf: Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty (a gift from the thoughtful C.) and Super Natural Every Day, by Heidi Swanson of 101Cookbooks. Both are gorgeous and inspiring, and I've been settling down with them as pleasure reading. Total cookbook-love-at-first-sight. Especially as more produce slowly makes its appearance on the farmers' market tables, these will definitely keep me happy and busy all summer.

First up, a cucumber-ginger salad to accompany J.'s feast of lemon-thyme salmon and couscous with chives and peas, topped off with M.'s decadent chocolate layer cake. (We're a well-fed bunch.) This salad was fantastic: light, zingy, and refreshing. Plus, you know how I feel about any opportunity to slice fruits/veggies paper-thin.


I also made this cornbread from smittenkitchen. I'd never made cornbread before - so easy! And so tasty! I searched high and low for the aleppo pepper recommended and couldn't find it, so I substituted a little bit of paprika, cayenne, and red pepper flakes. (The next day, I saw aleppo pepper at Williams-Sonoma - go figure - so eventually I'll invest and give this another shot.)



Cucumber-Ginger Salad
adapted slightly from Plenty

Dressing
3 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. canola oil [*or sunflower oil, which I didn't have on hand]

Salad
1 small red onion, sliced paper-thin
1 1/2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and sliced 1/8" thick
1 tsp. Maldon (or kosher) salt
2 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely sliced
4-6 small cucumbers (~1 1/4 lb.; Kirby cucumbers worked beautifully), peeled in stripes
1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
3 tbsp. chopped parsley

Make dressing: whisk together all ingredients in medium bowl. Add sliced red onion, combine well, and set aside for about an hour.


Place ginger, salt, and garlic in mortar and pound well with pestle (fun!) until crushed but not yet paste-like. Add to bowl with onion and dressing; stir well.


Cut cucumbers into thin - but not paper-thin, about 1/8" - slices. (If your cucumbers are larger, you might want to halve them as well.) Add cucumber to bowl, along with sesame seeds and parsley. Stir and let sit for 10 mins.


Stir again before serving, tipping out a little bit of the extra liquid.



Spicy Cornbread
Adapted slightly from smittenkitchen (original from Red Rooster Harlem)

1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. yellow medium-ground cornmeal
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. paprika [*I tried sweet Hungarian paprika - yum!]
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 c. sour cream
1/3 c. buttermilk
2 tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 400F; butter non-stick loaf pan.

Whisk together dry ingredients (through salt) in large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together wet ingredients.


Stir wet into dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake 25-30 mins., until toothpick in center comes out clean.

back to the books.

I started reading food blogs about two years ago, prompted in large part by other food-blogging friends. I'm grateful for my regular round-up of these blogs; they give me a great deal of relaxation and inspiration. However, I've realized recently that - as my growing "To Try" bookmark folder suggests - I've been doing a lot of cooking from the internet. Nothing wrong with that. However, to pull up a recipe while simultaneously keeping an eye on my email, perhaps popping into a different tab to check on the weather, The Sartorialist, or miscellaneous cute furry creatures, then continually reference the laptop screen (still checking my email periodically) while cooking is not a wholly focused experience, at least for me.

So yesterday morning, looking forward to cooking dinner for friends in the evening, I decided that I would restrict myself to my cookbooks. I made a pot of tea, grabbed a stack of my neglected favorites from the cookbook shelf, and settled down to page through them.


Here's what I ended up with:

Asparagus Tart {an experiment of my very own, using Breakfast, Lunch, Tea and How to Be a Domestic Goddess for reference}

Pasta all'Amatriciana (aka Pasta with Onion and Bacon) {How to Cook Everything}
Garlic Bread {Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics}

Deluxe Double-Chocolate Cookies {Tartine}

So fun! So relaxed! And so tasty.


Asparagus Tart
{Cobbled together as an excuse to use asparagus + the beautiful rectangular tart pan I received for Christmas. This worked wonderfully as an appetizer because it's relatively light; the minimal filling highlights the asparagus nicely, too. Success!}


Crust:
Use ever-reliable Orangette savory crust and prepare as detailed previously.

Filling:
1 bunch of asparagus
1/2 c. light cream
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Ground pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese (for sprinkling)

Prep and bake tart shell (a 9" round tart pan would also work here); let cool while you make the filling. Adjust oven to 350F.

Whisk together egg, egg yolk, and cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.


Trim asparagus to preferred length; I measured them to fit horizontally in the shell, but they could easily have been arranged lengthwise or, for a round tart, in a spoke pattern.


Sprinkle grated Parmesan (about 2 tbsp.) onto bottom of baked tart shell. Arrange asparagus on top, then gently pour in enough filling to cover the asparagus nearly all the way. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan.


Bake at 350F for 25 mins. (probably more for a larger tart). Let cool 5 mins. in pan, then remove base. Serve warm or at room temp.



Pasta all'Amatriciana
from How to Cook Everything


2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. chopped pancetta (or bacon)
1 small onion, minced
1 can (28 oz.) whole plum tomatoes, drained
1 lb. long pasta (*I used bucatini - the hole in the middle of each strand soaked up the sauce quite nicely)
Salt and pepper to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan
Fresh parsley, minced (for garnish)

In large skillet, cook pancetta in olive oil over med. heat for about 10 mins., stirring frequently, until crisp. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pan.

Add onion to pan and cook, stirring frequently, until browned - about 5 mins. Turn off heat.

Crush tomatoes by hand (fun!) or with a fork (less fun) and add them to the pan. Return the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens - about 15 mins.

Meanwhile, cook and drain pasta. Toss it with finished sauce; top with reserved pancetta, Parmesan, and parsley.



Garlic Bread
adapted very slightly from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics


6 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 c. fresh parsley
2 tbsp. fresh oregano leaves
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
scant 1/3 c. olive oil
2 tbsp. butter, room temp.
1 large loaf of ciabatta or similar bread (*I used a "pain rustique" - large, flat, holey, perfect)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Place garlic, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper in food processor bowl; process until finely minced.


Heat olive oil in med. skillet over low heat; add garlic mixture and cook for 3 mins., until garlic is tender but not browned. Remove from heat and set aside.

Cut bread in half horizontally. Spoon garlic mixture evenly onto bottom half; spread butter on top half; sandwich together. Wrap the loaf in foil and place on baking sheet.

Bake for 5 mins., then unwrap foil and bake for another 5 mins. Slice crosswise, serve warm.



Deluxe Double-Chocolate Cookies
from Tartine


8 oz. bittersweet, chopped roughly
1 c. + 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. + 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp.
scant 1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 c. whole milk (*I initially typed "mink," which might produce a rather different result!)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.

Melt chocolate in double-boiler or (carefully) in microwave. Remove from heat and let cool.

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder in small bowl. Set aside.

Using stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter on med-high speed until creamy. Slowly add sugar and mix until completely smooth and soft. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Beat in salt and vanilla, then add melted chocolate and beat until incorporated. Add milk and beat until combined. Then add flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined. (*The dough will look like dense chocolate mousse - YUM.)

Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1" apart. Bake until just barely firm on top, about 7 mins. (They'll get firmer as they cool.) Transfer to wire rack and let cool.

Makes 3-4 dozen.

birthday brunch i.

Things that make me nervous. Frisbees. Being forced to decide my food/drink order quickly. Shopping in crowds. And bread. Not eating it - baking it. Even with the inspiration of friends who nonchalantly produce delicious and creative loaves, I'm tentative and skeptical. (The majority of my few and feeble bread attempts, until recently, fell in the "could double as a handy doorstop or free weight" category.) I've started to have some success with the much-celebrated no-knead bread, though, and no longer automatically skip past a recipe as soon as I see "add yeast" and "let rise."

So after I bookmarked this one a while ago, I'd been waiting impatiently for the perfect opportunity to [gulp] give it a try. And what better opportunity than celebrating the lovely C.'s birthday with a boozy brunch?

I proofed my yeast, gave myself a stern pep talk, and got to work. The outcome? Bread that was not just edible but pretty darn delicious, if I do say so myself. Triumph! Even better: getting to share it with good friends on a shady porch, enjoying a perfect summer day and brunch bounty [documented by C. herself] that included coffee, quiche [more on that shortly], chocolate raspberry cookies, watermelon/feta/basil salad, blueberry muffins, and mimosas. Mmm. I have very talented friends. Happy birthday, C.!


I will, without any doubt, be making this bread again, and I'm already looking forward to trying different filling combinations. The dough is like a brioche, so you really couldn't go wrong. Plain old cinnamon and sugar? Dark chocolate? Cream cheese and strawberry jam? Walnuts and apples? Yes.

So proud!

Braided Lemon Bread
from smittenkitchen, adapted from King Arthur Flour

Sponge:
6 tbsp. warm water
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. instant yeast (*I used active dry and it worked just fine.)
1/4 c. flour

Dough:
Sponge (above)
6 tbsp. sour cream
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs (1 beaten for dough, 1 beaten with 1 tsp. water for egg wash later)
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
Pearl sugar for sprinkling (*I didn't have any - though apparently Ikea sells it and I may look the next time I'm there - so I did without and it was fine. It would be nice, though.)

Filling:
1/3 c. (2 1/2 oz.) cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp. sugar (*I only used a scant 1 tbsp. and might in fact leave it out entirely next time.)
2 tbsp. sour cream
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. flour (*I used 1.)
1/4 c. lemon curd (*Cheating with store-bought was a handy shortcut. If you have time, though, smittenkitchen includes a recipe.)

1. Make sponge:
In a small bowl, combine the sponge ingredients. Stir well, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and set aside for 10-15 mins.

2. Make dough: (*The KitchenAid mixer did, as usual, an awesome job on this. Directions for kneading the dough by hand can be found over on smittenkitchen.)
Combine sponge, sour cream, butter, egg, sugar, salt, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add flour and mix with the paddle attachment until dough is a rough, shaggy mass. Switch to the dough hook and knead until a soft, smooth dough forms, about 5-6 mins. Place the kneaded dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for 60-90 mins., until puffy and nearly doubled.

3. Make filling:
Combine all ingredients except for lemon curd in a small bowl and stir until smooth and lump-free. Set aside until ready to use.

4. Prepare bread:
Gently deflate dough and roll on well-floured counter (*using my mom's trick, I wet the counter and overlap two sheets of parchment paper - the water makes it stick well - then flour those, so clean-up is easier) to form a 10x15" rectangle. Transfer rectangle to a (new) sheet of parchment paper. With the side of your hand, gently press two lines down the length of the rectangle, dividing it into 3 equal columns. Spread the cream cheese mixture down the middle, leaving the top and bottom 2 inches free of filling. Spread the lemon curd on top of the cream cheese.


5. Braid bread:
Cut 1" strips crosswise down the length of each outer column, being careful not to cut the parchment paper. (*I held a ruler above the dough widthwise and gently marked the cuts with a knife so that the strips would be even on both sides. Compulsive? Yes. Pleasingly symmetrical? Yes.) Start by folding down the top and bottom flaps. (*If the dough seems too soft at this point, pop it into the fridge, as I had to, for about 10 mins. to let the strips firm up a bit.) Lift top strip of dough and bring diagonally across filling; repeat, alternating sides, until you're out. (*I was careful to make the strips touch each other so that no filling showed. Personal preference.)

6. Transfer braid (on parchment paper) to a baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for 45-50 mins., until puffy. Brush the braid with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar (*optional).

7. Bake at 375F for 25-30 mins., until golden brown.


To make ahead: After covering the whole thing with plastic, stick in the refrigerator overnight, and let it sit out for a few hours the next morning to complete its rise. (*I did this and it worked beautifully, particularly since there wouldn't have been time to make this start-to-finish in one morning in time for brunch.) Then bake as directed.