six spring zingers

May 25, 2011

Spring has zing. This is the truth.

The weather here in Minnesota has been typically crazy and all over the place. Just when you think those warm, sunny days, bare legs, and bike rides are here to stay, along come the thunderstorms and tornadoes. Zing.

You know what is amazing about Spring though, despite its surly nature?

Flavours. Colours.  Farmers’ Markets.

In honour of all the wonderful sensory things popping up and brightening this season as we finally climb out of the dark hole that was winter, here are six spring zingers to delight your senses. Enjoy!

1. Smashed Peas and Mint Bruschetta

This fancy sounding appetizer/snack is easy and quick to make and literally tastes like bursts of Spring in your mouth. Peas are in season in Minnesota and I have grand plans to march down to the Farmers’ Market this weekend, with this bruschetta in mind.

2. Radish Butter

A slightly different spin on using radishes, this butter is totally moreish. I’ve been eating it spread on toast for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Salty, sweet, spicy, crunchy. All those good words. Chomp.

3. Lemon Grain Salad with Asparagus, Almonds, and Goat Cheese

This is a great salad to make for dining outside. It’s got a lot going for it: creamy goat’s cheese, crunchy asparagus, fragrant almonds, and bright, tart lemon. This, friends, is what we call a winner.

4. Ramp Pesto

Ramps! New to me. New to you? Read all about ’em here and then go and make this pesto. Spread it on baguette, mix it into pasta, heck, eat it from the jar for all I care. Except don’t breathe near me if you do that.

5. Sweetcorn Fritters

If you haven’t had friends over for brunch yet and served these, we may not be on speaking terms any more. Seriously, make some. They are super easy to rustle up, reheat excellently, and are awesome vehicles for runny eggs, farmer’s cheese, sour cream, and more.

6. Ginger Oat Rhubarb Crumble

Crumble. A classic British dessert. Serve with piping hot custard if you’re brave. If it’s too hot for that already choose Greek yoghurt or vanilla ice cream for a hot/cold party in your mouth.


6 comments     posted in:   Links, Recipe


salted fudge brownies

May 23, 2011

I don’t know what to tell you except that I’ve become obsessed with salted chocolate goods.

There are the chocolate sea salt cookies that are my go-to baked good. And then there’s the Salty Dog chocolate bars that I’ve told you about before and are now a staple in my pantry {not kidding about the word “staple”}. And now. Now there are salted fudge brownies and all is well with the world.

What makes these puppies so fudgy? Well, it likely has something to do with the hour of cooling time in the pan, plus the hour they get to hang out in the fridge. Pure torture for my fella. And me for that matter. But so worth it when you bite into a rich, chewy, fudgy, square of salted chocolate brownie heaven.

Knock yourself out.

Salted Fudge Brownies
adapted from Food & Wine

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
  • 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa, sifted
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt/other coarse salt

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9-inch square metal cake pan with foil, draping the foil over the edges. Lightly butter the foil.
  2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter with the unsweetened chocolate over very low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. Whisking them in one at a time until thoroughly incorporated, add the cocoa, sugar, eggs, vanilla and flour. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the batter. Using a butter knife, swirl the salt into the batter.
  3. Bake the brownies in the center of the oven for about 35 minutes, until the edge is set but the center is still a bit soft and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out coated with a little of the batter. Let the brownies cool at room temperature in the pan for 1 hour, then refrigerate just until they are firm, about 1 hour. Lift the brownies from the pan and peel off the foil. Cut the brownies into 16 squares. Sprinkle with more coarse salt and serve at room temperature.

Note: These can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, and frozen for up to 1 month. Good luck with keeping them around that long.


13 comments     posted in:   Recipe


sitka & spruce, seattle

May 20, 2011

Like I said, I was just in Seattle for a few days with one of my best friends. One of the many, many reasons this lady is one of my closest is that she loves to eat as much as I do. I’d argue that I have a greater capacity for cake and cheese, but she wins on lamb. Oh and also sausages. Yep. True facts.

We knew we’d eat well this trip since it was all about catching up and spending time together and what better way to do that than over a bottle of red wine and a table of amazing food? In my world, there’s no better way.

The absolute food highlight for me was Sitka & Spruce in Capitol Hill. I’d heard about it from a couple of sources but hadn’t heard any real reviews. I’d just checked out their always changing brunch menu and swooned.

We headed in on a gloriously sunny day, the intimate restaurant swathed in bright sunlight through its huge, old windows. Waiting for our table we anticipated (very hungrily, I might add, since I accidentally took us to the old location – many miles away – first) the “Elevenses & Lunch” menu.

Our immense hunger meant that fresh bread, soft butter and a cheese plate were basic necessities. So delicate were those cheeses with their dollop of quince jam. The creamy camembert was my favourite; I couldn’t stop swiping at it with my bread.

The show stealers were without doubt our main orders. Megan ordered the Yakima asparagus with pistachio sauce and chopped egg. That pistachio sauce was a work of genius. We tasted garlic, lemon, and of course the nuttiness of toasted pistachios. Sheer bliss.

Nothing compared for me though, to this beauty. This dish sums up everything I loved about Sitka & Spruce. It was everyday, rather simple sounding food, prepared spectacularly and with such ingenuity and delicate flair. Love.

My order was brassica raab, cannellini beans, harissa brown butter and a poached egg. When I told Dan this his response was that it sounded like my perfect dish, totally “me”. Ahh he knows me so well…

The combination of flavours was so perfect to me. Megan can attest to the fact that I gobbled down half the bowl before I could come up for air long enough to gush over it.

The raab had an awesome element of crunch from the pan but was still fresh and sweet; the beans were cooked long and slow, so soft and melty they were; and that egg was poached to perfection for the dish – soft but not too soft.

The real kicker though? The harissa brown butter. Lord help me, I will recreate it if it kills me.

The harissa’s strong flavour was completely mellowed by the creamy, rich browned butter and it all just swam around the beans making a soupy bed that was such a delight to scoop up, I can hardly stand it.

If you live in or near Seattle or if you plan to visit soon, please make time for Sitka & Spruce. It’s a lovely, small, adorably charming and achingly cool spot with some of the best food you’ll find in town.


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