Celebrating Julia's 100th - Making Blueberry Flan

It was with great joy that we celebrated and reflected on the 100^th anniversary of Julia Child’s birth last month. She left a great contribution to home cooks, and so many learned so much from her experience. Her book (written with Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle) Mastering the Art of French Cooking helped American cooks better understand French cooking. More importantly, I think Julia Child inspired us and gave us the confidence to take on dishes that seemed complicated. It is still a joy to watch videos of her cooking programs and continue to learn from her.

As the world seemed to be recognizing her contributions on what would have been her 100^th birthday, it seemed fitting to make one of her recipes for Cavalcade of Food. I wanted something relatively straightforward but decidedly French. This blueberry flan recipe could also be made with a few hands taking part, as the cottage was filled with company that weekend! We put our friends Mark and Melanie into service for this one – and together paid homage to one of the great culinary teachers and mentors of all time – Julia Child!

 

Julia Child’s Blueberry Flan (Clafoutis aux Myrtilles)

1 TBSP unsalted butter (for the baking dish)

3 eggs (at room temperature)

1 cup flour

1 ¼ cup milk (use whole or at least 2%)

2/3 cup sugar (divided)

1 pint fresh blueberries

1 TBSP vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Generously butter the inside of a 9x9 baking dish and set aside. Using an electric blender, combine eggs, flour, milk, 1/3 cup of sugar, vanilla and salt. Blend on high speed until all is combined (you may need to scrape the sides a couple of times). If you don’t have access to a blender, you can do this in a large bowl with a wire whisk – beat vigorously until flour is completely incorporated into the batter.

Pour enough batter into the baking dish to cover bottom with a depth of about a quarter inch. Place baking dish on stove top, and over low heat, warm batter until it just begins to cook and film begins to form on the bottom. Immediately remove from stove top. Distribute berries evenly over top of batter and then sprinkle remaining 1/3 cup sugar over berries. Pour remaining batter evenly over the berries. Place in oven 45-50 minutes.

Top of flan should be lightly brown and an inserted knife should come out clean. The flan will slightly deflate as it cools, but it is best served while warm. Serve dusted with powdered sugar, or topped with fresh whipped cream or your favorite ice cream. Bon appetite!

Summer's Candy! Making Pan Fried Sweet Corn!

Here in the great state of Michigan, we gobble up sweet corn by the bushel every summer. It’s a treat that we look forward to, and if we are lucky it starts coming in by the end of July and we enjoy it through the middle of September. There are a number of farmers in the Thumb that specialize in growing this delicious corn, and I try to make weekly stops.  One of the farms is the O’Hair Farms. They grow a number of crops including sweet corn. Driving by their farm one will find a large wooden cart with the day’s harvest – it doesn’t get any fresher than this!

Getting our sweet corn fix at the O'Hair Farms

Normally, we just steam the corn, maybe add some butter and salt, and enjoy. But if you find you have a surplus of sweet corn or are just looking for ways to change up how you prepare it, here is a recipe that you can take in a number of directions. We added some cherry peppers that we found at the farm stand – these little beauties pack a lot of heat, so we just used a couple small ones that were finely diced up. If you didn’t want the heat, you could use a sweet red or green pepper, or a shallot or onion. Or you could just make it all corn!  

 

Pan Fried Corn

8 ears fresh sweet corn

3 TBSP vegetable oil

1 TBSP flour

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 TBSP hot cherry pepper, finely diced

¾ cup water

2 TBSP butter

¼ cup chopped scallions 

Shuck the corn removing all the husk and silks. With a sharp knife, cut the kernels off the cob. I use a Bundt pan for this job, which allows me to hold the cob up on end in the center hole of the pan, and then as I cut down the kernels fall into the pan (see video). You tube pan or Angel Food Cake pan would work just as well. After the kernels are removed, scrape cobs with a regular table knife to extract any additional “corn milk” from the cobs. 

Heat oil in a large skillet (I use my big cast iron skillet for this job) over medium heat.  Add corn and any corn milk you have collected. Saute until corn begins to slightly darken in color, about four or five minutes. Add flour, sugar, salt, pepper, cherry peppers (if using – or substitute with a sweet pepper) and cook until peppers begin to soften. Add water and stir until it is absorbed. You will notice something that looks like a light “glaze” on the corn. Add butter and stir until butter has completely melted. Garnish top of corn with chopped scallions. Enjoy!

Mexican-Style Pinto Beans

It took me a long, long time to understand that very often the best things are the simplest. In an age where everything is “epic” and “mega” and “huge,” there is great pleasure to be found in things that are straightforward and uncomplicated. A simple pot of beans slowly simmering on top of the stove can provide an aroma that warms the very soul.

When it comes to fixing a pot of pinto beans, I defer to Ralph’s expertise. He takes cues from the memories of his loving mother, who made beans all the time in a simple and flavorful way. One taste and it is easy to understand why this dish is a staple in Mexican cooking because it deliciously delivers good nutrition and energy. 

This is not a “quick fix” recipe – it takes a few hours, but it well worth the wait. They can also be reheated again and again, or even “refried.” This is a large recipe as Ralph prepared a big pot for his annual family picnic, so you could easily cut the ingredients in half if you wanted a smaller batch. It yields a pot of creamy, tender beans in a delicious broth – but the flavor of the beans really shines through. 

Mexican-Style Pinto Beans

3 lbs dried pinto beans

1 fresh ham hock (do not use a smoked hock...you can omit this if you want to make a vegetarian version)

Enough water to cover beans by two inches

2 medium onions, finely chopped

1 ½ TBSP salt

1 tsp ground cumin

Rinse dried beans in colander to remove any dirt and remove any small field pebbles that sometimes make their way into dried beans. Transfer beans to large pot (we used an 8 quart pot with lid) and cover with enough water to exceed the top of the beans by two inches. Place fresh ham hock in pot (make sure it is submerged in water) and cover. Bring pot to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer for 2 ½ to 3 hours.

Check beans for tenderness. If they are still a little firm, let them continue to simmer for a while longer. If they have softened, gently stir in chopped onion, salt and cumin. Cover and return to simmer for at least another hour. After, you can leave ham hock in or remove meat from hock, and add the meat back into the pot, if desired. Serve beans in bowl like soup, or over rice or on the side. Enjoy!

For Your Next Party - Pineapple Coconut Cake!

Different occasions call for different cakes. Some cakes are good, solid general-purpose standards – like a good pound or Bundt cake.  Some cakes are perfectly suited to go with coffee, milk or tea. And then you have an entire gamut of party and occasion cakes – wedding, birthday, anniversary, Easter, etc. So when we were getting ready to attend our dear friend Linda’s birthday extravaganza (she celebrates for the entire week surrounding the sacred date), it was clear that we just had to bring a dessert that screamed “par-tay!”

I knew that the women would outnumber the men at this shin-dig, so I chose to make a cake. In my many years of feeding people, I’ve observed that – given the choice – men prefer a piece of pie while women tend to opt for cake. This is a broad generality, and some people love either option (myself included). This cake needed to be special, but honestly, we didn’t have a lot of time. 

This cake worked perfectly because as its foundation it uses a box cake mix. While I’ll be the first to go on about the virtues of scratch baking, I have never turned my nose up at using a good cake mix. They are real time savers and, in my experience, can produce wonderfully moist, tender and flavorful cakes. I beefed up the cake mix by substituting the required water with pineapple juice and adding a little extra leaveners.

We also used other convenience items like a can of crushed pineapple in juice and a box of vanilla pudding. But we put some effort into toasting coconut to a perfect brown and using real whipped cream for the topping – this took the cake over the top and really made it special. 

This cake was a hit – and was the first one gone. I’m glad the birthday girl had the opportunity to at least get a bite! Bring this cake to your next party – whatever the occasion!

Pineapple Coconut Cake

1 box yellow cake mix (use your favorite brand)

Pineapple juice

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. pineapple extract (optional)

1 20oz can crushed pineapple in juice

1 cup sugar

1 TBSP corn starch

1 3.4oz box instant vanilla pudding

2 cups milk (whole or 2% works best)

I cup coconut

1 pint heavy whipping cream

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup toasted coconut

Cake

Prepare the cake batter as directed on box – except substitute the required amount of water for pineapple juice. You can also add a teaspoon of pineapple extract if you want, but the cake will still have a nice pineapple flavor just by using the juice. Also add a teaspoon of baking soda and baking powder to the cake mix. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Bake as directed. 

Pineapple topping

While the cake is baking, put the can of crushed pineapple (juice and all), sugar and cornstarch (if desired – this will thicken up the juice a little) in a medium sauce pan and slowly bring to a boil. Remove from burner and allow to cool down a little.

When the cake is done, remove from oven and using a dinner fork, gently poke holes in the surface of the cake. Spread pineapple mixture over the top of the warm cake – the holes you made with the fork will allow some of the pineapple juice to drip into the cake. Let cake cool completely.

After the cake comes out of the oven, and while it is still hot, take one cup of coconut and spread on a baking sheet and put in oven. Toast coconut until light brown – about five minutes. Keep an eye on it! Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Vanilla-Coconut pudding topping

While the cake is cooling, make the vanilla pudding as directed on package. Once mixed, put in refrigerator and allow to firm up and get cold. You are going to spread this on top of the pineapple layer when the cake has cooled completely. Before spreading the pudding over the pineapple, stir in one cup of coconut to the pudding and then put on cake. 

Whipped cream frosting

Make sure the whipping cream is cold. Pour into large mixing bowl and add sugar and vanilla. Beat with electric mixer on high speed until firm. Spread whipped cream over pudding layer. Top whipped cream with toasted coconut. 

Because of the pudding and whipped cream, this cake should be kept refrigerated until it is ready to serve. Enjoy!

Celebrating Summer Veggies - Stuffed Zucchini

Bushels of summer vegetables are stocking the local farmers’ markets and produce stands, and it makes me glad to live in a state like Michigan where we grow an abundant variety of fruits and vegetables. This has been a tough summer – very hot temperatures and little rain – but even under these conditions one kind find all kinds of wonderful seasonal bounty. 

Zucchini is a vegetable that does very well here, and many grow this mild squash in their yards and you almost always see it at the markets. Zucchini can grow quite large, but I prefer the medium sized as the seeds are smaller and they require less work. For this recipe, you can use three medium sized zucchini or even yellow summer squash if you prefer. 

This is a great dish that can serve as a main course if you want to take a break from meat but still feel like you are eating something substantial. It also makes a wonderful side dish to accompany burgers, chicken or pork. It’s a great mix of some of summer’s best fresh vegetables – enjoy!

Stuffed Zucchini

3 medium zucchini – ends trimmed, cut in half lengthwise with the inner seed core scooped out

4 TBSP butter

1 large onion, chopped

2 small hot cherry peppers, finely chopped (or you can use a half of a sweet red bell pepper)

8 oz. fresh mushrooms – coarsely chopped

2 large fresh tomatoes, diced

8-10 Ritz crackers (or ½ cup coarse fresh breadcrumbs)

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Trim ends of zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and using a tablespoon, scoop out center section of squash removing the seeds. This will create zucchini “boats” and provide room to put in the stuffing. Transfer squash to a 9x13 baking dish that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick spray and put aside.

In a large skillet, melt butter under medium high heat and add chopped onion and pepper. Sauté in butter until onions become tender and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add chopped mushrooms to skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are tender, fragrant and reduced in size. Add diced tomatoes to skillet and cook until most of their natural liquid has rendered, about four minutes or so. Turn off heat to skillet and stir in the cracker crumbs. 

Using a large spoon, transfer stuffing to zucchini, dividing it evenly between the six halves. Once the zucchini are filled, top with Parmesan cheese and put into oven for 45 minutes. Zucchini should be fork tender but still hold their shape. Remove from baking dish using a long spatula and enjoy!

Revisiting an Old Recipe: Oatmeal Macaroons

When the Junior League of Baton Rouge first published their “River Road Recipes” cookbook back in 1959, I’m sure they couldn’t imagine that it would go on to sell well over a million copies within a span of 50 years. I ran across my copy at a rummage sale a number of years ago and was delighted to pick it up. While some of the pages were “dog eared” and the cover was a bit worn (all good signs that a cookbook filled with lots of good recipes), I didn’t realize that for many this humble community cookbook is the last word in Louisiana cooking. 

There are lots of great dessert recipes in “River Road Recipes,” but one that caught our eye was for oatmeal macaroons. There is something so satisfyingly simple about oatmeal cookies. I continue to tell myself that the oatmeal offsets the butter and sugar, so I can indulge in oatmeal cookies all I like! This recipe was straight forward and easy and yielded moist, chewy cookies full of oat flavor. I modified it by leaving out the nuts (I didn’t have any on hand), but if you like you could add a cup of chopped nuts, raisins or coconut at the very end.

Oatmeal Macaroons

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 eggs

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 2/3 cup flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. nutmeg

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream together butter, eggs, sugars and vanilla with electric mixer. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture until it is all well incorporated. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl while you are mixing.  Add rolled oats to batter and mix in well. If you are using nuts, fruit or coconut, this is the time to add it to the dough.

Using baking sheets that are either lined with parchment paper or lightly greased, drop dough by about a tablespoon full onto sheet. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes, until they are golden brown. Be careful not to over bake – these cookies should be more chewy than crunchy. Makes 4-6 dozen, depending on size.

RumChata Bread Pudding

For my birthday last month, I was presented with a large bottle of liqueur called “RumChata.” Turns out that this concoction is a blend of horchata – the delicious Mexican rice drink – and rum.  I was first introduced to horchata many years ago while eating with some friends in the “Mexicantown” section of Detroit. I immediately loved the light and delicately sweet flavor of this drink and the way it cooled my tongue from the spicy Mexican food. But as much as I love horchata, I just wasn’t sure about what was in this big white bottle.

Our friend Jennifer, who really knows her way around all these liqueurs, said that she had a recipe that used RumChata to make bread pudding. That just sounded too good to resist! While bread pudding isn’t everyone’s favorite  - especially in the hot summer months – it is something that I always enjoyed. While the pudding should certainly stand on its own, part of the appeal of bread pudding are the things you put on top of it: fresh fruit and cream, whiskey sauce, hot caramel, ice cream, etc. 

So we took Jennifer’s recipe and tweaked it a bit by adding some fresh Michigan blueberries. The season has begun and I’m lucky to have a large blueberry farm a few miles from the cottage, so we try to stay stocked up!  I found that this was good dusted with powdered sugar and served warm with some vanilla ice cream.

RumChata Bread Pudding

4-5 cups dry bread cut into large cubes (use a “white” bread that is mild flavored)

4 eggs

1 cup milk (whole milk is best)

1 cup RumChata (could also use Amaretto, Irish cream, Kahlua, Frangelico, etc.)

1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp cinnamon

1 cup blueberries (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut up bread into large cubes and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, RumChata, vanilla and cinnamon. Whisk together well. Add bread cubes and blueberries (if using) to liquid and gently push bread down so it all gets coated . Let the bread soak in the liquid for 15 minutes. In the meantime, grease a 8x8 baking dish. Pour bread mixture into prepared dish and bake for 35 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream!