Mitzi’s Plum Cake

blog mitzi plum 020

Mitzi’s Plum Cake

¼ pound unsalted butter softened plus 1 tablespoon

½ cup fine sugar, plus 1 teaspoon for topping the cake

1 egg

1 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

6 italian plums

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Split plums and remove pits. Place plums in bowl, cover with lemon juice, mix and set aside. Using electric mixer combine  ¼ lb butter and sugar until fluffy, then add egg and combine. Next add  the flour and  baking powder and combine. This makes a soft dough.  Take an 8” non stick cake pan line with parchment and butter and flour the pan. Press the dough into the pan covering the bottom of the cake pan. Use a spatula to spread evenly on the bottom of the pan. Press plums into dough with the cut side facing up in a concentric circle. Combine 1 teaspoon sugar with ½ teaspoon cinnamon, mix and sprinkle on top of the plums. Dot with extra butter. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, until  cake tester is clean.

Variations: replace plums with apricots or peaches

Peach Almond Crostata

blog peach crostada

Peach Almond Crostata
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup almond flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 stick butter diced and chilled
4- 5 tablespoons ice water (approx.)
2 peaches stoned and sliced
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons peach jam
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Directions:
To make pastry place into a food processor the flour, almond flour , salt and sugar. Pulse to blend. Add the chilled butter and pulse until the texture is grainy . With the motor running add the water slowly, stop just when the dough comes together.  Remove dough onto parchment paper, flatten into a disk and cover. Place in the refrigerator for at least one hour. While the dough is chilling place remaining ingredients into a bowl and mix. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Once the dough is chilled, remove  from the refrigerator and  keep dough on parchment paper and lightly flour top of the dough. Quickly roll out into a circle approximately 10 inch diameter. Transfer parchment paper with dough onto a baking sheet. Place peach mixture in the center , leaving a 2 ” border. Fold border over the peaches making a circle. Place in the over and bake foe approximately 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Chilled Zucchini Soup with Mint and Roasted Zucchini and Summer Squash Pizza

Walking into my favorite farm stand on the weekends always reminds me of my childhood when I walked along the side my grandmother to pick vegetables and foods to prepare for the next meal. The walk was always filled with a beautiful array of colors and shapes. With produce at it’s glorious peak right now I have the same experience at the local farm stand. This week, I was confronted with an abundance of zucchini and summer squashes in a riot of colors – from sunshine yellow to pale green. I gathered a wide of variety of  squash filling a basket , added some onions , mint and thyme and made my way back to the kitchen to try a few different recipes. I’m sharing here with you the best fruit of my labor.

From by the bay wishing you the sunniest of food memories!

Maryann

 

blog zuchini soup

 

 

Chilled Zucchini Soup with Mint

Serves 6

4-5 medium zucchini sliced in rounds approximately 2 pounds

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small white onion, chopped

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, plus extra for garnish

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ cup fresh mint chopped

1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

additional coarse sea salt to finishing

Directions

In a large pot heat olive oil and sauté the white onion until softened about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini, salt and pepper stirring occasionally until the zucchini is softened, about 5 more minutes. Add the broth to the pot, bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer until the zucchini is tender, about 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Using a food processor puree the zucchini mixture along with the parmesan cheese, pine nuts, mint and lemon juice. Pour into a bowl adding the buttermilk and blend. Cover and place in the refrigerator to cool for at least 3 hours. Adjust seasoning with coarse sea salt. Serve chilled and garnish with toasted pine nuts and a drizzle of olive oil.


blog zucchini pizza

 

Roasted Zucchini and Summer Squash Pizza

Serves Six

 

1 small zucchini

1/2 small summer squash

1/2 medium vidalia onion

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

6 tablespoons ricotta

2 slices prosciutto

2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

4 sprigs thyme 

pizza dough for one 14″ pizza ( home made or store bought)

additional coarse sea salt

semolina flour to roll pizza dough

Directions

Preheat over to 400F. On a lined baking sheet add zucchini and squash sliced into 1/4″ rounds. Next add the onions thinly sliced. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt an pepper. Place in oven to roast until vegetables begin to brown, approximately 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. When ready to made the pizza preheat oven to 500F. Divide the pizza dough into two portions. Spread some semolina flour on a clean surface to roll dough and also a little on top. Using a rolling pin,  roll each portion into a rectangle approximately 15″ by 5 ” . Bake each pizza in the center of a pizza pan. Divide the toppings on to each rectangle first the roasted squash and onions, then little bits of ricotta cheese, sprinkle with the parmesan cheese, thyme leaves removed from sprigs and finally tear the prosciutto into pieces and add to the top. Bake in the oven until crisp approximately 15 minutes. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and serve.

Zucchini Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting

blog zucchini cake

Zucchini Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 1 loaf

1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 ½ cup light brown sugar

½ cup vegetable oil

2 eggs beaten

3 tablespoons warm water

1 cup grated zucchini

½ teaspoon lime juice

½ cup raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray loaf pan with oil. In a small bowl combine raisins and warm water and let sit for 10 minutes so raisins can get plump. In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients: flour, salt, nutmeg, and baking soda, cinnamon and brown sugar. In a medium bowl combine oil, eggs, grated zucchini and strained raisins, plus 3 tablespoons of the water the raisins were soaking in. Add to the dry ingredients. Mix well and pour into loaf pan. Bake for one hour until the tester comes out clean. Cool on metal rack for 20 minutes. When cool remove bread from pan. Frost the bread with cream cheese frosting right before serving.

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 oz softened cream cheese

4 oz confectionary sugar

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon lime zest

Directions

Combine ingredients using an electric mixer until smooth. Use to frost zucchini cake or keep in refrigerator until ready to serve cake and frost just before serving

Corn Soup with Basil Oil

blog corn field

 This is a very special time of year, when all the farm produce is bursting with flavor at the farm stands and local markets. My very favorite is corn. Growing up most of my summer corn eating was from the cob. Nothing wrong with that , it’s delicious . I thought I would a pick a few of the recipes I developed with either left over corn on the cob or using corn a little differently. There are so many great recipes for corn here are just a few. I plan to write a second blog later this month to cover a few more. Go out and buy some corn today and start cooking.

 

Wishing you the “corniest” of food memories!

Maryann

 

blog corn soup

Corn Soup with Basil Oil

Serves 4

6 medium size ears fresh corn

4 cups chicken broth

4 cups vegetable broth

½ cup white wine

½ cup half and half

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ cup fresh basil

1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt

¼ cup olive oil

Directions

In a large pot add both chicken and vegetable broth, along with white wine and corn. Cover pot and bring broth to a boil for 5 minutes. Remove corn from broth and let cool. Slice the kernels off the cob. Using a food processor puree kernels along with 4 cups of stock in two patches. Strain the puree into a bowl, squeezing out all the corn liquid. Throw the kernel mash away. To the soup add half and half, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt. Chill soup for at least 4 hours before serving. Right before serving, place basil leaves into a boiling pot of water for a few seconds, strain and place in ice water to cool. Puree the basil along with oil and ½ teaspoon sea salt. Drizzle on top of soup the green basil oil right before serving.

Fresh White Corn Salad

blog corn salad

 

Fresh White Corn Salad

Serves 4

4 ears of white corn, shucked ( or use yellow corn if white is not available)

1/4 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon fine sugar

2 tablespoons good olive oil

 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the corn for 3 minutes. Drain and immerse it in ice water, this will stop the corn from cooking. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob.

In a large bowl add all the ingredients and mix well .Serve cold or at room temperature. Mix again and garnish with extra cilantro right before serving.

Goat Milk Braised Pork Loin

Goat Milk Braised Pork Loin

This recipe is adapted from a meal I shared at a friend’s home outside of Florence many years ago. It started my love for the herb rosemary. I had never had meat braised in milk before and  as an inexperienced american it seemed odd to me, but it was so delicious. The milk creates a lovely gravy after braising. Over the years I have evolved the recipe by adding onions for another dimension of flavor and by trying goat milk . Although this dish works great with cow’s milk, I find the results with goat milk to be slightly sweeter and makes for a creamier gravy. This is probably a matter of personal preference.  Either way this is recipe that is simple to make and big on taste.

From by the bay, wishing you milky food memories,
Maryann

blog milk pork

Goat Milk Braised Pork Loin

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

3 lb boneless pork loin roast

2 mediume vidalia onions, peeled and thinly sliced

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 cups organic goat milk or cow’s milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
optional: garnish with gremolata – recipe below

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. In dutch oven heat butter and oil on stove until hot, add the pork loin and brown on all sides. Remove from pan and place to side. In same pot please add the onions and sauté until soft, add back the pork, add rosemary and milk. Cover and place into the oven for two hours, stirring occasionally. Let pork rest slice and serve with onion and milk gravy. Garnish with gremolata.

Gremolata

Ingredients
1/2 cup italian parsley, finely chopped
1 lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions
In a bowl add parsley and minced garlic. Into this bowl finely zest the lemon. Add salt and mix. Refrigerate until ready to use. This can be used to compliment veal, pork or fish.

 

Date, Artichoke and Jalapeno Pizza

blog jalapeno pizza
It’s the time of year to start moving activities outdoors. Setting up my outdoor space reminds of the wonderful time I spent in Napa Valley. So naturally, I decided to relive my wonderful memories of the wine country by making a pizza with some favorite Napa ingredients: baby artichokes, dates and jalapeno peppers. The result is this zesty pizza , which balances both sweet and salty with a touch of heat. The artichokes definitely add to the taste of Spring. I’ve also added the recipe for Nancy Silverton’s pizza dough from “The Mozza Cookbook”.  She worked on a recipe that works for home ovens and I find this is the recipe I use over and over again with great results. It was developed with bread baking technique’s developing a sponge to ferment before adding the remaining ingredients. The result is a delicious crispy crust.From by the bay wishing you zesty pizza food memories!
Maryann
Date, Artichoke and Jalapeno Pizza
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 portion pizza dough
4 medjool dates
4 artichoke hearts, canned in water or freshly steamed
1 jalapeno
1 onion, sliced thinly
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 ounces asiago cheese, in thin slices
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 portion fresh pizza dough
Directions
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Spray pizza pan with olive oil. Prepare toppings. Heat oil and saute onions until they start to caramelize. Remove from heat and set aside. Slice jalapeno into thin rounds about 1/8 inch thick. Cut each artichoke in half. Pull dates apart into 3 pieces. Roll out pizza dough into a 17” round to fit pizza pan and transfer dough to pan. Layer pizza with asiago cheese, onions, artichokes, dates and jalapeno rounds. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Let rest 20 minutes. Place pizza in oven and make pizza on center rack until the crust is crisp and brown on bottom and the cheese is melted on top, about 10 minutes. Cut pizza into 8 slices.
Nancy Silverton’s Pizza Dough Recipe 
 
Makes enough dough for 6 pizzas; each pizza serves 1 or for 2 large pizzas
 
Ingredients
22 ounces warm tap water (2 cups, 6 ounces)
1⁄2 ounce (1 Tbsp) compressed yeast or 1 tsp active dry yeast
26 ounces unbleached bread flour, plus more as needed
1⁄2 ounce (1 Tbsp) dark rye flour or medium rye flour
1 1⁄2 tsp wheat germ
1 1⁄2 tsp barley malt or mild-flavored honey, such as clover or wildflower
1⁄2 ounce (1 Tbsp) kosher salt
Olive oil, grapeseed oil, or another neutral flavored oil, such as canola oil, for greasing the bowl
Directions
To make the sponge, put 15 ounces of the water and the yeast in the bowl of a standing mixer and let it sit for a few minutes to dissolve the yeast. Add 13 ounces of the bread flour, the rye flour, and the wheat germ. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine the ingredients. Wrap the bowl tightly in plastic wrap and tightly wrap the perimeter of the bowl with kitchen twine or another piece of plastic wrap to further seal the bowl. Set the dough aside at room temperature (ideally 68 to 70 degrees) for 1 1⁄2 hours.
Uncover the bowl and add the remaining 7 ounces of water, the remaining 13 ounces of bread flour, and the barley malt. Fit the mixer with a dough hook, place the bowl on the mixer stand, and mix the dough on low speed for 2 minutes. Add the salt and mix on medium speed for 6 to 8 minutes, until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Note that the dough will not pull so much that it completely cleans the bowl, but if the dough is too sticky and is not pulling away from the sides at all, throw a small handful of flour into the bowl to make it less sticky. While the dough is mixing, lightly grease with olive oil a bowl large enough to hold the dough when it doubles in size. Turn the dough out of the mixer into the oiled bowl. Wrap the bowl as before. Set the dough aside at room temperature for 45 minutes. Dust your work surface lightly with flour and turn the dough out onto the floured surface. Acting as if the round has four sides, fold the edges of the dough toward the center. Turn the dough over and return it, folded side down, to the bowl. Cover the bowl again with plastic wrap and set it aside for 45 minutes.
Dust your work surface again lightly with flour and turn the dough out onto the floured surface. Divide the dough into six equal segments, each weighing approximately 7 ounces. Gently tuck the edges of each round of dough under itself. Cover the dough rounds with a clean dishtowel and let them rest for 5 minutes.
Lightly flour your hands and use both hands to gather each round of dough into a taut ball. Dust a baking sheet generously with flour and place the dough rounds on the baking sheet. Cover the baking sheet with the dishtowel and set them again at room temperature for 1 hour to proof the dough. (Or leave the dough on the counter to proof instead.)
Excerpted from The Mozza Cookbook by Nancy Silverton with Matt Molina and Carolynn Carreno. Copyright © 2011 by Nancy Silverton. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.