Nectar

Remember how I said I'd never tried a Brussel sprout before? Well, I have another one for you. I've never tried rhubarb. I like to blame it on growing up in the Heartland - don't recall seeing it on a lot of the diner menus all that much. And as transplants to the South, I find it my unofficial duty to expose my girls to as much of the regions culinary charms as possible - or as palatable. And as we try to explore more seasonal cooking and baking (never mind our little blue and blackberry detour earlier this week) - I've noticed the rhubarb starting to show off it's rose-hued legs at the market.

This post will also set off a new series on Nectar featuring recipes from Bubby's (started informally here.) I'm currently doing some photography and art direction for the restaurant and we thought this would be a fun way to sort of bring Bubby's home. Ron Silver, the owner and founder of the New York institution is quoted in his Bubby's Homemade Pies, "We have no secret recipes (except for one: our barbecue sauce), and I have always made it clear to our customers that I would rather they eat great food at home, and if they want our recipes I am happy to share them." I mean seriously. Does it get anymore refreshing that that? So every couple of weeks, I will be cooking and baking from both of Bubby's current books as well as recipes from the restaurant itself. I hope that it not only encourages you to seek out this NYC icon next time you're in town, but more importantly, encourage you to seek out seasonal ingredients and get flour in your hair in your own kitchen!

 

RHUBARB CRISP

(for the topping)

1 1/2 c. packed light brown sugar (I only had dark on hand and loved the result)

3/4 c. flour

3/4 c. rolled oats

1/2 c. chopped nuts (I used sliced and toasted almonds)

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1/8 t. ground cloves

1/8 t. ground nutmeg

12 T. unsalted butter (melted)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

(the filling)

3 lbs. of rhubarb (sliced in 1/2 inch pieces - about 6 cups)

3/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. flour

1/2 lemon (juiced)

1 T. lemon zest

2 T. unsalted butter (melted)

pinch of salt

 

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Add all of the dry topping ingredients together and mix thoroughly. Add the melted butter and coat everything completely. Place in the refrigerator while preparing the filling...

Toss all of the filling ingredients together and mix well so that everything is evenly coated. Pour into an 8 or 9 inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Top with the crisp topping so that it covers all of the fruit.

Place your prepared dish on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the top just begins to turn brown. Turn the heat down to 350F and bake for an additional 25 minutes or until the juice is bubbling and the top is crispy and brown.

Let sit for 10-15 minutes before cutting. You can keep the crisp at room temperature for a few days - crisp the top again by placing servings in the oven at 350F for 5-10 minutes.

 

ROSIE {for my Rosie (above) who's fallen in love with rhubarb}

Roses : Blouse

I Wanna Be Adored : The Stone Roses

Big Red Rose : Golden Animals

Stolen Roses : Karen Elson

Dog Roses : The Duke Spirit

The Last Living Rose : PJ Harvey

Red Red Rose : The Weepies

Blood and Roses : The Smithereens

Hustle Rose : Metric

Razzle Dazzle Rose : Camera Obscura

Winter Rose : A Band of Bees

Listen here.

One of the best things about our move down South was the waiting arms of Ashley English. Ashley and I had known each other for some time online, but upon our arrival to Asheville last summer, she immediately took us into her flock and made us feel at home in this quirky little town. She has introduced me to some of my favorite people in my life and has been a wonderful friend. And she inspires me endlessly - whether we decide to delve into the world of keeping chickens and bees or not (and her new book about pies looks beyond amazing), she is our resident expert who I can turn to for all sorts of homesteading questions. We were lucky to work together recently on a shoot for the new issue of Kinfolk. Ashley and her husband Glen put together a delicious breakfast after gathering eggs with their son Huxley, and I had the honor of photographing their morning together. Here we are sharing some of the outtakes of the shoot, the recipe and a playlist Ashley created. For more images and Ashley's story, be sure to either download the latest issue here or buy it in print here (or both!). 

 

 

Ashley says: "We're huge frittata makers, chez English. Whatever is in season, either picked straight out of the garden or gathered from local farmer's markets, gets chopped, diced, minced or otherwise broken down and added to eggs from our flock, a bit of milk, and, typically, some cheese. This particular frittata is special as it's sort of a nod to the fortitude and perseverance of things growing and living out here. We planted the collards this past September, in our autumn garden, and, given the mild winter, they've continued to grow and thrive ever since. The eggs are from our flock of laying hens and pullets, with blue eggs we've just been able to begin gathering from the newest flock members, Blue Wheaten Ameraucanas. I love harvesting the collards and eggs with our young son, Huxley, and then cooking them together, as a family. He's privy to the entire process, and gobbles up the results with gusto!"

BACON, COLLARD & PARMESAN FRITTATA

Serves 4-6
 
- 3 pieces thick cut smokey bacon

- 1/2 onion, diced

- 1 bunch collards (ribs removed and chopped into bite-sized pieces)

- 1 c. chicken, vegetable, or ham stock

- 6 eggs

- 1/4 c. milk

- Pinch of salt

- Several drops of hot sauce (optional)

- 1 T. butter

- Several grinds black pepper

- 1/4 c. grated Parmesan 
 
Cook the bacon in an ovenproof pan over medium heat until it starts to get a little crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan, and set aside to cool on top of a plate covered with a paper towel. Drain off about half of the bacon fat from the pan and reserve for a later use. 

Add the onion to the pan containing the bacon drippings and cook for about 8 minutes. Add the collards, stirring to coat them fully with the bacon fat. Cook for 2-3 more minutes. Add the stock and cook down for about 25 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated. Remove the collards from the pan, and set aside in a bowl. Turn the burner heat down to low.

Whisk the eggs, milk, salt, and hot sauce together in a large bowl.

Melt the butter in the same pan used to cook the bacon and collards. Coat the bottom of the pan with the butter, then add the egg mixture. Add the collards evenly across the eggs. Turn your oven to the "broil" setting (we used the "Hi" setting). Crumble or cut the bacon into bite-sized pieces and distribute evenly over the pan and sprinkle the Parmesan evenly on top. Add a few grinds of black pepper.

After the eggs have been cooking for about 4 minutes, remove from the burner and place under the hot broiler for 3-4 minutes. Remove from oven and let it cool for 2 minutes. Invert the frittata onto a platter, then invert that onto another platter, so that it is right-side-up again. Use a pizza cutter to neatly cut into 6-8 wedges. Serve and enjoy.

 

CHICKEN & EGG

Family Affair : Sly & The Family Stone

Upward Over The Mountain : Iron and Wine

Viva La Vida : Coldplay

Over The Rainbow : Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole

Little Bit : Lykke Li

I Feel It All : Feist

The Scientist : Willie Nelson

Home : Edward Sharpe

Beauty In The World : Macy Gray

Oh Bring Back the Egg Unbroken : Rasputina

Mother And Child Reunion : Paul Simon

Light & Day : The Polyphonic Spree

Do You Realize? : The Flaming Lips

Listen here.

Spring in Asheville is wildly gorgeous. The cool mountain air coupled with copious amounts of sunshine reminds me so much of southern California - I love it. We moved here during the summer last year and missed all the blooming trees and gentle cleansing rains - it just makes your heart swell. We've been spending as much time as possible outside and the girls are sort of drunk on the sweet air.

Though berries are traditionally a summer treat, I couldn't help picking some up in the market. They make these little tarts so easy to put together and are the perfect treat for an impromptu spring picnic...

 

 

BLACK AND BLUE TARTS

- 1 pie crust (recipe and instructions here)

- 1 1/2 c. blackberries

- 1 1/2 c. blueberries

- 1/2 c. sugar

- 1/4 c. flour

- 1 t. cinnamon

- 4 T. butter

Preheat the oven to 400F. Prepare four small pie or tart dishes.

Roll out the pie dough and carefully cut out four equally sized circles of dough. It is easiest to turn one of your tart dishes upside down on the dough and trace a circle around it about 1/4 to 1/2 inch (depending on the depth of your tart dish) larger than the dish. Fit your dough into each dish and poke a few holes on the bottom of each with a fork. Place in the oven for 5 minutes, then pull out and cool.

In a large bowl, combine your berries, sugar, flour and cinnamon. Fill each tart dish equally with the berry mixture. Cut the butter into small cubes and dot the pieces evenly over the top of the four tarts.

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the filling begins to bubble. Let cool and then turn out onto plates to serve.

 

BLACK & BLUE

Ghost : Blue Foundation

It's Your Touch : The Black Ghosts

The Letter : The Black Heart Procession

The Best Way To Travel : The Moody Blues

Wild Wind : Black Mountain

Have Love Will Travel : The Black Keys

Put My Name In The Sand : The Blue Van

Snake In The Grass : The Black Angels

Electric Funeral : Black Sabbath

Long Way Down : Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Astronomy : Blue Oyster Cult

Listen here.

I never know when it hits, but when it does - it's like a brick. Growing up my brother and I would spend two months every summer with my father who, at the time, lived in San Diego. After retiring from the Navy, he fulfilled his dream of opening a bakery - in fact, I learned most of my scratch baking from him. But before the bakery, my grandmother Helen, his mother, would watch us during those warm, salty summer days. My grandmother, who passed away when I was living in Italy, baked and cooked constantly. Otherwise she was watching Perry Mason or Wheel of Fortune, or reading a book while sipping on a Gin and Tonic.

She was a force. A tiny little Irish pixie full of moxie. My dad once told me that when she was 19 she was dying of scarlet fever and received her last rites. Before falling ill she had a head full of glorious black tresses. After recovering from the fever, her hair grew back red and curly. It was one of my favorite stories - I always imagined that the fever scorched not only her body, but her soul and she rose again as a fiery spirit you just didn't mess with. And I miss her terribly. When I miss her, I bake something that reminds me of the meals she created those summers. One of my favorites was her corned beef bake - or baked Rueben - I don't think she ever actually named it. She did however, make it at least a couple times for us over the summer. One of our favorite ways to eat it was the next day, sliced and eaten cold late in the evenings as my girlfriend (who is now my sister-in-law!) and I snuck beers out of the refrigerator and watched Headbanger's Ball. It was also something my Dad always wrapped in tinfoil and threw in the cooler on our days at the beach or hiking in the canyons.

GRANDMA'S RUEBEN BAKE

- 1 pizza crust (recipe below - or if you're in a hurry a store bought crust will do)

- 8-10 oz. corned beef (thinly sliced)

- 3 T. 1,000 Island Dressing

- 1/2 c. sauerkraut (drained)

- 4 oz. Swiss cheese (shredded or thinly sliced) 

The Crust:

This recipe is from Baking With Julia by Dorrie Greenspan - it's a wonderfully diverse recipe and what I love most is that you can make it and freeze it for later use just after the second rise.

1 1/2 t. active dry yeast

1 1/2 c. tepid water (about 80F)

2 T. olive oil

2 1 /4 c. flour

In a mixing bowl, combine the yeast and water together and let sit for about 5 minutes, allowing the yeast to activate. Add olive oil and flour and mix until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again. Cover and allow to rise (should double in bulk) in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours. 

Deflate the sponge a bit with a spatula and add 2 to 2 1/4 additional cups of flour and 2 t. of salt. Mix with a dough hook until completely incorporated. Knead with the dough hook for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth.

Lightly oil a large bowl and turn the dough out into it. Turn the dough gently to oil the entire surface of the dough and cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours. 

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Prepare a large baking sheet with a light spray of non-stick cooking spray. Transfer your dough to this baking sheet and roll or flatten the dough with your hands into a long oval shape.

Working down the middle of the dough, first spread out the 1,000 Island dressing. Ensure that you are leaving about 1 1/2 inches at each end of the dough. Layer your corned beef on top of the dressing, then add the sauerkraut and top with the Swiss cheese.

 

Take a paring knife and make diagonal cuts in the dough - to create strips - down each side of the dough. Careful not to start your cuts too close to the filling. Then working from one side to the next, fold the strips of dough on top of each other to enclose the filling inside the dough (you can pull them a bit as needed as the dough is fairly elastic). Brush very lightly with olive oil (so lightly, I use my fingers) and sprinkle the top with caraway seeds.

Bake for 20 minutes (or until top begins to turn light gold and you can see the cheese bubbling through the holes in the dough). Let cool for about 15 minutes before slicing.

 

MY YOUTH

White Rabbit : Slapshot

With The Quickness : Bad Brains

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida : Iron Butterfly

We Care A Lot : Faith No More

The Sweetest Drop : Peter Murphy

Fire Woman : The Cult

Looking Down A Barrel Of A Gun : Beastie Boys

Promises : Fugazi

Soul On Fire : Danzig

Pigs In Zen : Jane's Addiction

Passing Me By : The Pharcyde

I'm The Man : Anthrax

John The Fisherman : Primus

I Awake : Soundergarden

Listen here.

p.s. My Smoked Salmon, Asparagus and Goat Cheese Quiche was feautured on The Cooking Channel's Blog today - thank you so much for that CC! 

p.p.s. I'm giving away an advanced copy of my upcoming title, Instant Love: How To Make Magic and Memories With Polaroids over at Nectar & Light - enter to win!

 

Tomorrow is the first day of Spring... or to some, Ostara. The weather here has been incredibly obliging to Mother Nature's schedule and the girls have been running about the yard in shorts and begging for me to set up the sprinkler. We threw open the windows this weekend and filled the house with early blooms from the garden, it's been lovely.

 

And what is Spring without salmon and asparagus? Sunday we put together this quick and beautiful dinner to celebrate the season. You can make this without the goat cheese, but it's my favorite element. I paired the quiche with a simple watercress salad full of greens - enjoy!

SMOKED SALMON, ASPARAGUS & GOAT CHEESE QUICHE

Preheat oven to 325F.

1 pie/quiche crust (see my recipe and instructions here)

3 eggs

1 1/2 c. heavy cream

salt & pepper

1 bunch of asparagus

olive oil

8 oz. smoked salmon

8 oz. goat cheese

Make and roll out your crust and place into a pie or tarte pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then pull from the oven.

Wash, then cut about 2 inches off the ends of the asparagus and lay them on a lightly oiled baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse black pepper and sea salt. Roast for 10 minutes, then pull out and cool. Cut the asparagus into 3-4 inch pieces and set aside.

 

Mix heavy cream, eggs and salt and pepper together until thoroughly combined. 

In your partially baked crust, layer half the smoked salmon, a third of the asparagus (you'll save the final third for the salad) and half of the goat cheese. Repeat to create another layer, then pour the cream and egg mixture over this. Place the pie dish on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Let sit for 15-20 minutes until firm enough to cut. Enjoy!

 

(For the salad, I just threw together watercress, the remaining asparagus, green grapes cut into half pieces, chopped green onions and diced green apples - toss with a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar - salt and pepper to taste.)

And our soundtrack to Spring...

OSTARA

Waiting For The Sun : The Doors

Changing The Rain : The Horrors

Bright Futures : Gyspsyblood

Rise From The Shadows : Alberta Cross

At Home : Crystal Fighters

Navigate : Band of Skulls

The Task : Ume

Rainbow : Oh Land

One By One : The Ting Tings

Forever Young : Bob Dylan

Gifts and the Raft : The Cave Singers

Fog Emotion : Vetiver

Dream Evie : Dirty Three

Listen here.

Today a special, and rather indulgent, treat. I wanted to make something sweet that you could enjoy over the weekend and I immediately thought of Potato Chip Cookies (coupled with a Guinness glaze) - insane right? Well after a quick Google search, I found this recipe and really didn't feel like it could be outdone. Well, maybe with a Guinness glaze. 

So another idea struck - which I didn't bother Googling so I hope it's at least not too overdone - but it's what I wanted to eat this weekend - and that was enough. We love bread puddings around here (like this breakfast one from Bubby's) and I've made a Chocolate Bread Pudding with homemade Challah for years. So how do we give it a little Irish twist? We add Guinness of course - and substitute potato bread for the Challah. The potato bread gives the dessert surprising depth (and normally - loving to make bread - I would have made my own, but as you can see from the lack of new posts, it's been crazy in these parts) and the Guinness adds a delightful bitter bite to the chocolate.

 

DARK CHOCOLATE POTATO BREAD PUDDING WITH GUINNESS GLAZE

1 loaf of potato bread (torn into rough pieces)

14 oz. dark chocolate (chopped)

1 c. heavy cream

1 c. half + half

1 c. Guinness

4 egg yolks

4 eggs

1/2 c. sugar

Preheat oven to 350F.

Place your bread in a large bowl and set aside. Place the chopped chocolate in a large bowl and that set aside as well.

In a medium sized, heavy saucepot, combine the heavy cream, half + half and Guinness. Bring to a gentle boil. Meanwhile, in another bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolks and sugar.

Once the heavy cream mixture just comes to a boil, pour it over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is fully incorporated into the cream. Then slowly - about a cup at a time - add the chocolate/cream mixture to the sugar and eggs. If you add it too fast you are at risk of scrambling your eggs - not good.

 

Once both mixtures are completely combined, pour it over your bread and toss with a large spoon to saturate all of the bread pieces. Transfer to a prepared 9x13 baking dish and let sit and soak for 15 minutes.

Place in the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes or until knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.

For the glaze combine...

1/2 c. Guinness

1/2 c. sugar

4 T. butter

... over medium heat and stir until the glaze begins to thicken slightly. Pour over the baked bread pudding and let soak in for 15-20 minutes. Cut and enjoy!

 

And if you've heard enough of my Irish folk music... here's something a little harder... with a little sugar sprinkled in!

IRISH EYES

Barroom Hero : Dropkick Murphys

Whiskey Makes Me Crazy : The Tossers

Drunken Lullabies : Flogging Molly

Wild Cats of Kilkenny : The Pogues

Whiskey In The Jar : Thin Lizzy

King of the Fairies : Horslips

Zombie : The Cranberries

Sunday Bloody Sunday : U2

If I Should Fall From Grace With God : The Pogues

Finnegan's Wake : Dropkick Murphys

Warriors : Flatfoot 56

A Fine Lass You Are : The Tossers

Banshee : Young Dubliners

Listen here.

p.s. Registration for our Instant Love Retreats in Marrkech, Morocco is now open - want to join us?

 

Sharing some snapshots from Morocco - still burning a lovely little hole in my heart. Be sure to check out the gorgeous Polaroids on my friend Heidi's blog today too - they make my heart skip. Instead of a recipe here, I've put together a Moroccan inspired cocktail over at Design*Sponge today. And while you're sipping on that - have a listen to this playlist. After drowning out road noise with Metallica for a few miles - I slowed down and watched the road from Marrakech to Essaouira listening to this; it became my soundtrack for the trip as I watched the landscape change from pink and brown dust to rolling green hills that led to a sparkling sea.

THE ROAD TO ESSAOUIRA

Coastline : Gentleman Reg

Another Reason To Go : Vetiver

Travel : Thao

Walking On A Dream : Empire Of The Sun

Shower Your Love : Kula Shaker

Like An Arrow : Lavender Diamond

Some Velvet Morning : Nancy and Lee

On The Road Again : Canned Heat

Jeepster : T. Rex

Golden Touch : Razorlight

Outlaw : War

Follow Me Down : Golden Animals

Half Awake :Widowspeak

Desert God : Sleepy Sun

These Days : Nico

Listen here.

Have a wonderful weekend. Taking the girls to Atlanta for a few days to celebrate Adie's 8th birthday - I can hardly believe it.