summer

Peach almond buttermilk cake with salted caramel gelato

Peach almond buttermilk cake

It’s peach season. Does anything else need to be said? This is the time of year to grab a juicy peach and eat it while standing over the sink while it drips all over you, or to slice one into your breakfast cereal (or try it combined with cucumber and lemon for a summery new twist), or to make into a cake that is as pretty as it is delicious.

Now, we don’t make desserts very often, because, really, nobody needs to take a simple and perfect ingredient like a peach and add sugar and butter and unbleached wheat flour to it to make it better. A ripe peach is already perfect. But every once in awhile, say once every three months or so, we veer away from simplicity and make a cake and enjoy every last crumb of it.

Ingredients:

  • 3 large peaches
  • 4 egg yolks, at room temperature
  • 2⁄3 cup buttermilk (the magic ingredient that adds tang and moisture)
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups cake flour
  • ½ cup almond flour, plus extra for dusting the cake pan
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ½ cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease and flour (with almond flour) a 9-inch cake pan.

Peel the peaches, cut in half and remove the pits, and chop coarsely. You want pieces that hold their integrity. If you chop the peaches too small, you’ll end up with mush.

Remove about 1/3 of the chopped peaches to serve with the finished cake and refrigerate until ready to serve. Set the others aside.

Measure out all the buttermilk, and then use a ¼ cup measure to remove the amount you’ll need first. (Otherwise, you’ll get stuck figuring out the math for what 2/3 cup of buttermilk minus ¼ cup buttermilk means, and that will take some time for most of us, and will probably also yield an incorrect result and a headache.)

Whisk together the egg yolks, ¼ cup buttermilk, and vanilla, and set aside.

Mix the dry ingredients, preferably in a standing mixer, but you can also do this by hand.

Add the butter and remaining buttermilk and beat until light in color and fluffy looking.  This will only take a couple of minutes in a stand mixer.  Prepare for some arm work if you’re beating by hand, but it won’t require a helper, as long as the butter is at room temperature.

Scrape down the sides of the mixer or bowl then add the vanilla–egg–buttermilk mixture in a few batches, mixing well after each addition.

Fold in the reserved chopped peaches by hand and pour into the prepared cake pan. (Don’t forget to lick the spoon and the bowl, one of the quiet yet deeply intense pleasures of being the cook. Share if there’s anyone around, otherwise, rejoice in your solitude.)

The prepared cake, ready for the oven.  You can see that the sides of the pan are dusted with almond flour.

Peach cake ready for cooking

Bake for 30–40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted near the center comes out clean. Be careful that the edges don’t burn, though—this is a very moist cake and the cake tester may pick up a couple of crumbs from the center. If you’re not sure, set your timer at 1-minute intervals while checking.

Place the pan on a rack to cool completely, then invert onto a plate. Lightly press the toasted almond slices onto the top of the cake.

Peach cake with almonds on top

Serve with the reserved peaches, and, if you’re feeling especially self-indulgent, ice cream. Vanilla would be fine, but we like the excuse to have a little bit of salted caramel gelato. If you serve gelato, buy the best. The cake (and you) deserve it.

P.S.  This cake is a candidate for a flourless treatment, using just almond flour in place of the cake flour.  It might be a little less light and more dense, but it would be easier on the conscience to eliminate unbleached white flour from, well, everything.

 

And here’s what a peach/cucumber breakfast looks like.  Drizzle it with a little lemon and peach balsamic vinegar if you have some.

Peach cucumber breakfast

Fig and Tomato Salad with Blue Cheeses and Pine Nuts

I have to admit that I when I heard about this recipe I wasn’t completely sure that figs and tomatoes would make a good match.  Usually when I make a salad with figs, it’s on a bed of greens and a very light, fruity vinaigrette.  But hey, it’s tomato and fig season, and so an experiment was in order.  We’ve had a disappointing year as far as tomatoes go in the garden—some kind of blight has taken all but the smallest cherry tomatoes—so we had to buy the tomatoes for this salad, which also made me doubtful, since I’ve gotten used to strolling out the back door to pick them warm when it’s time to make something.

For this salad, we went the extra step and peeled the tomatoes—probably not strictly necessary, but a nice touch.  And we used two kinds of blue cheese—a classic French Roquefort and a local blue.  If you’re not a fan of blue cheeses, any tangy, crumbly cheese will do.  As in usual in our dishes, we aren’t strict about measurements—we were feeding four people, so we cut up what looked like enough tomatoes and figs for four.

The ingredients list went something like this:

Salad:

4 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled and sliced
8 figs fresh figs, tips cut off, quartered
2 varieties blue cheese, crumbled

Handful of toasted pine nuts, cooled

Dressing:

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oi
Pinch salt, freshly ground pepper

A few sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only, whisked into the dressing at the last minute

And that’s it.  Assemble it on a platter in layers, starting with the tomatoes, then the figs, then adding the crumbled cheeses and pine nuts.  Drizzle the dressing over all just before serving.

I was wrong to doubt the tomato/fig combination.  We licked our plates. Our tomato sadness evaporated.  It tasted just the way summer is supposed to taste.

 

 

Grilled vegetables and couscous for a crowd

Chip at the grill 2This week, ChickDudeFood went to visit friends on Cape Cod–friends who have 5 kids.  We weren’t the only houseguests–there was another parent there with his 3–and they’re vegetarians.  Well, in exchange for a beautiful place to stay on Herring Pond in Eastham, with our choice of kayaks and paddleboards and sailboats, what could we say?  “We’ll cook dinner tomorrow.”  Or, to be more accurate, I said that, and, to his great credit, Chip didn’t flinch.

Not everybody goes to the supermarket on the prettiest day of the summer, but there we were in the early afternoon, checking out the produce section.  Our original plan was to make a white miso marinade for the veggies–a really delicious and reliable recipe–but there was no miso of any kind in the resort market.  So here’s what we left with:

  • A bag of lemons–about 12 lemons
  • A bottle of good olive oil–about 4 cups
  • Fresh thyme
  • Fresh oregano
  • Crumbled goat cheese
  • Crumbled blue cheese
  • Grated romano cheese
  • Israeli large-grain couscous–enough to make a dozen portions
  • Vegetable stock–about 8 cups
  • 3 multigrain baguettes

And vegetables. Lots of them:

  • Onions
  • Eggplant
  • Zucchini
  • Asparagus
  • Yellow bell peppers
  • Red bell peppers
  • Poblano peppers
  • Portobello mushrooms

When we got back to the house, the music went on, and I started slicing while Chip got the marinade started.  (Note to selves:  from now on, when the ChickDudeFood show goes on the road, take good knives–and/or maybe the mandoline, if there’s going to be a crowd.  This was a bit of a slicing nightmare–it took a couple of hours to get everything ready.)

I cut the veggies lengthwise, except for the asparagus, mushrooms, and poblano peppers, which were left whole for easier handling on the grill.

There wasn’t a recipe for the marinade–and it ran out about ¾ of the way through the grilling.  Chip used the same ingredients and made it again…and it was different, of course, but just as good the second time.  Here’s a rough approximation of what he came up with:

Ingredients:

  • Lemon juice
  • Oil
  • Cayenne pepper (which was already on the shelves)
  • Brown sugar (ditto)
  • Garlic (ditto)
  • Fresh thyme
  • Fresh oregano
  • Freshly ground black pepper (we’re thankful that vacation houses are now often stocked with salt and pepper grinders.  It’s better when it’s fresh.)

Generally, a marinade will be 3 parts acid to 1 part oil, where a vinaigrette goes the other way–3 parts oil to 1 part acid.  This one was more on the vinaigrette side of things–but that’s ok, vinaigrettes make fine marinades, especially for vegetables.

Start with some oil, then squeeze a bunch of lemons to make lemon juice.  Add the lemon juice to taste, along with a couple of cloves of chopped or smashed garlic, pepper, thyme, oregano, cayenne (which adds a nice bit of heat) and a little bit of brown sugar (which takes the edge off the acidity.)  Keep tasting until you have something you (and your co-cook, if you have one) want to have more of.

We were short on time, and wanted a “make your own” presentation, so we didn’t really marinate the vegetables–instead, we took each vegetable and shook it up with the marinade and put it on the grill immediately.  As food came off the grill, it went onto its own platter and everything cooled to room temperature.

I made the couscous in advance (cooking it in the vegetable broth to add flavor) and kept it warm in the oven, along with the baguettes.

Presentation was simple:  everything on the table, followed by a free-or-all while everyone chose their favorite vegetables.  The poblanos turned out to be hotter than expected, and the cheese selection added variety.  Some people skipped the couscous and made veggie sandwiches with cheese.  Everybody had seconds.  It was gratifying to see so many vegetables welcomed by so many kids (8!) and nobody complained that there wasn’t any animal protein.

We also put out a green salad with summer tomatoes and cucumbers, with bottled dressing from the cupboard, but that was overkill. The grilled vegetables with couscous and cheese and baguettes–more than enough to go around–served eight kids, five adults, one au pair (who was very relieved she got the night off cooking)–and everyone was full and happy.  Chip and Michelle and I then went out to listen to NRBQ band members in their new incarnation, but that’s a post (with snarky remarks about how some drunken white people dance, or fail to dance) for another day.

Grilled veggies 1

Baked halibut with rainbow carrots and mizuna, artichoke ravioli

Farmers market closeupThe farmer’s market comes to Arlington every Wednesday. I rarely have a chance to get to it because I don’t get home in time–but last week was an exception. This is a non-recipe recipe, because I made it up as I went along, inspired by the beauty of the carrots and the desire for something quick.  Really quick.

Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh halibut
A handful of baby rainbow carrots, each about the size of my pinky
A bunch of mizuna
1 lb. fresh artichoke ravioli

For the vegetables:
Chop the carrots into tiny rounds. Coarsely chop the mizuna. Saute them together in some high-quality olive oil for about 5 minutes until everything is tender.

For the fish:
Preheat oven to 350. Put the fish skin side down on some foil on a baking dish. Add a little butter and your best salt, along with some pepper or grains of paradise, and bake until just cooked through—about 10 minutes per inch.

For the pasta:
Heat water to boiling and add the pasta. They’re done in just a few minutes.

Once everything was plated up, I topped the pasta with some fresh goat cheese. As you can see, I might have taken more trouble with the presentation, but I was HUNGRY. Time from market to table? Less than an hour.

Curried Corn Chowder with Mussels and Cilantro

Corn chowder

This is a show-stopper dish to serve to guests, and it takes almost no work beyond mincing the garlic and chopping the cilantro. You can vary the spice level by playing with the amount of curry paste; this version is mild and summery. The sugar is entirely optional, since the corn adds sweetness. If you use frozen corn, try to get roasted corn, which is rich and nutty. Total time from prep to bowl—about 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

  • 6 lbs of mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
  • 2 13 ½ oz. cans unsweetened coconut milk
  • 3 Tbs. Thai red or green curry paste
  • 3 Tbs. minced garlic
  • 5 limes
  • 2 Tbs. fish sauce
  • 2 packages frozen corn or 4 ears of corn, cooked and cut off the husk
  • 1 Tbs. sugar, optional
  • 3 cups cilantro, roughly chopped

Juice the limes, you will have about ½ cup. Bring the coconut milk, curry paste, garlic, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and corn to a boil in a pan large enough to hold the mussels. Cook the liquid for two to three minutes, then add the mussels, cover tightly, and steam until the mussels open, about six to eight minutes. Check frequently and stir everything up from time to time.

When the mussels open, toss into a bowl and add the cilantro. Serve with a green salad and crusty bread for sopping up the broth.

Serves 6-8

Watermelon and tomato salad with (pine) nuts and (goat) cheese

Watermelon tomato saladSay hi to summer.

ingredients

  • some handfuls of 1-2 inch chunks of seedless watermelon
  • a more or less equal amount of ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into 1-2 inch chunks
  • grey salt, kosher salt, fleur de sel, or salt of your choice, to taste
  • 3-5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic or other vinegar of your choice
  • 1 cup tablespoons chopped assorted fresh herbs (such as dill, basil, mint, chervil, tarragon, fennel fronds). The important thing is to use only fresh herbs.
  • a bunch of cups fresh tatsoi, arugula, or watercress, or a combination of all three, about 3 cups
  • some crumbled goat cheese or other cheese that you like
  • some pine nuts, very lightly toasted, or other nuts that you like

preparation

  • combine melon and tomatoes in large bowl. Sprinkle with a couple of pinches of salt and toss to blend; let stand 15 minutes.
  • add some oil and vinegar, and herbs to melon mixture. Season to taste with pepper and more salt, if desired.
  • divide the greens and herbs among plates. Top with melon salad, sprinkle with the cheese and toasted nuts, or put some nuts and cheese out so that people can add their own

notes

This is a very forgiving recipe that can be easily modified depending on what you have around. The blend of sweet and tangy in the watermelon/tomato mixture is matched by the fresh and tangy of the greens. This salad is a great way to say hello to summer and to celebrate freshness all summer long. It takes about 10 minutes to pull together.

For this version, we visited our backyard tomato garden for basil, chervil, dill, and parsley. Use whatever you have around that will complement your main dish. This time, we didn’t use cilantro, although we have some, because we had some leftover green romesco sauce for the baked bluefish. (Take some bluefish, spread some olive oil on it with your fingers, sprinkle salt and pepper on it, bake in a 350 oven, skin side down, for about 15 minutes.)

The watermelon/tomato mix will get pretty runny; you can take advantage of this liquid in your dressing and only add enough vinegar to balance the oil. To avoid a watery plate, use a slotted spoon when you add the mix to your greens.

This is a casual salad—don’t get fussy about the sizes of the chunks. If you can fit them into your mouth, and they’re all more or less equal in size, that’s it. You can save the knife skills showoff for something more ambitious, like our veggie chili.