strawberry-rhubarb pandowdy.

I know social media gets a lot of crap for being the worst thing that's ever happend to society - it's rotting our brains, disrupting out sleep schedule, tracking our every move, blah blah blah, but if I am being honest, I love (like really love) Instagram.  

I love Instgram for the sheer fact that it has afforded me the opportunity to discover/meet/become friendly with a whole world of really amazing cooks.  Women who are cooking the kind of food I always want to eat (i.e. in-season produce filled one pan salads and pastas, lots of fruit desserts, cookies!).  In a lot of ways Instagram has replaced my cookbooks when it comes to weeknight cooking.  I basically run through my feed and from there come-up with an off the cuff dinner plan solely based around someon

e's beautiful picture.  I'm really digging this on the fly, being inspired by whatever crosses my path kind-of cooking.  It feels really liberating.   

I got this recipe from one of those uber-talented women that I follow on Instagram.  Emily is a mom who somehow manages to get her kids to eat all sorts of really exciting foods that I am 100% sure I wouldn't have touched when I was 8 (fiddlehead ferns and rhubarb?!).  She posted this recipe and I was extremely excited about it - a cross between a cobbler and a custard but with a hilariously funny name, it's basically a dream June dessert.  I made it over Memorial Day weekend and we all loved it (I really love it for breakfast the next day).  It would be amazing come August filled with peaches.   



Strawberry-Rhubarb Pandowdy
Recipe from Emily C. at Food 52

To make the rye crust

1 cup (120 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (60 grams) rye flour
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 to 6 tablespoons ice water

In a food processor, pulse flours and salt to combine. Scatter butter pieces over the flour mixture, then pulse until the butter is the size of large peas, about 6 to 8 short pulses. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of water over mixture and pulse a few times, then repeat with 1 tablespoon of water at a time, or just until small curds start to form and dough holds together when pinched with fingers. It’ll look kind of crumbly but that's okay. (Alternatively, you can do this by hand.) 

Empty dough onto clean counter or piece of wax paper. Using bench scraper, gather dough into a rough rectangular mound about 12 inches long and 4 inches wide. Starting from the farthest end, use the heel of your hand to smear about one sixth of dough against your work surface away from you. Repeat until all of your dough has been smeared. Using bench scraper, gather the dough again into a 12-inch long and 4-inch wide mound and repeat smearing of dough with heel of hand. The dough should be smooth and cohesive at this point; if not, repeat smearing process again. 

Form dough into 4 inch disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm about 1 hour. The smearing process creates long layers of butter in the dough, which translates to long flaky layers in the cooked crust.

To make the filling and assemble pandowdy

1 1/2 pounds strawberries, hulled (leave small berries whole; halve any large berries)
1 pound rhubarb, chopped
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca (sometimes called granulated tapioca or tapioca pearls)
Pinch of kosher salt
Finely grated zest + 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 1 small lemon
1 large egg, separated into white and yolk (egg white lightly beaten with a fork)
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 400° F. 

In a small bowl, mix together the sugars, tapioca, and pinch of salt until well integrated. 

In a 10-inch cast-iron or ovenproof skillet, gently toss the strawberries with the sugar-tapioca mixture, lemon zest, and lemon juice. 

On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough into a 12-inch round, dusting with flour as needed. (Don’t worry if your dough isn’t perfectly round.) Gently lay round of dough atop the fruit filling, tucking and folding the dough edges around the fruit, leaving a small rim that sticks up against the side of the skillet. Brush with egg white and then sprinkle evenly with turbinado sugar. Poke a few small holes in the crust so steam can vent. 

Bake pandowdy for about 30 minutes (place a foil-lined baking sheet underneath the skillet to catch any fruit juices that spill over), then remove the skillet from oven and break the dough into large pieces with a sharp knife to “dowdy” its looks. Return to oven and bake until the crust is golden and firm and the fruit juices are bubbling up through the crust pieces, about 20 minutes longer. 

Meanwhile, whisk together the cream, egg yolk, and vanilla extract in a measuring cup with a spout. Remove the pandowdy from the oven and let the juices settle for a minute or two. Slowly begin pouring the cream mixture into each of the cuts; use the back of a spoon or a knife if needed to help with the flooding, working your way around the entire pandowdy. Some of the cream will go under the crust and much will pool on top. This is okay (and expected)! 

Return the pandowdy to the oven and bake until the cream just sets but is still a little jiggly, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Even when fully cool, the pandowdy will have lots of juice, part of its charm, so serve in bowls with spoons. It's best on the day it's baked, but it's not bad at all on Day 2 straight from the fridge (breakfast, perhaps?!).

potato pizza.

I am not much of a potato person.  To be honest, if you look at the recipe history of this blog, it's fairly devoid of potato recipes. 

To me, if I'm going to eat a starchy, carby, food, pasta will always win and for that reason, I tend to overlook potatoes.  But when the farmers market returned 2 weeks ago (hip hip hooray!) and they were selling what they referred to as "Fancy Yukon Potatoes" I felt I was doing myself a disservice by not buying them. 

I brought them home, looked at them and thought they were adorable and very fancy looking, and I had no idea what to do with them. That was until I made a lunch pitstop at Sullivan St Bakery and saw the potato pizza and realized combining your favorite thing (bread) with something you love less (potatoes) may result in a very tasty dinner.  

This is my ode to that in-between weather.   When you are aching for BBQ's but the weather isn't quite there yet so you make a pizza thats perfect for sharing with friends.   It's good with rose, it's good with beer, and it's even better the next day with an egg on it.   

Potato Pizza 
Recipe tweaked from Jim Lahey 

4 teaspoons fine sea or table salt
6 to 8 (1 kilo) small to medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil
4 pieces of spring garlic, white and light green parts thinly sliced
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan or pecorino 
1 recipe Pizza Dough (see below)

In a medium bowl, combine the 1 quart lukewarm water with salt, stirring until the salt has dissolved. Use a mandoline or your best sharpest knife to slice the potatoes very thin (1/16 inch thick), and put the sliced directly into the salted water, which prevents oxidation and also helps soften them so they cook up nicely. Let them soak for 1 1/2 hours or up to 12 in the fridge overnight.

Heat your oven to 500°F with a rack in the center. Brush a 13×18-inch rimmed half-sheet pan with olive oil. Use your fingertips, oiled or dusted with flour, to pull, stretch, nudge and press the dough across the bottom of the pan. The dough will be thin and imperfect. If holes form, just pinch them together. It’s all going to work out, promise.

Drain the potatoes in a colander and use your hands to press out as much water as possible, then pat dry on paper towels. In a medium bowl, toss the potato slices with the onion, spring garlic, parmesan and olive oil. Spread this potato mixture over your dough, going all the way to the edges so that there’s no uncovered edge; put a bit more topping around the edges of the pie, as the outside tends to cook more quickly. Usually the salt the potatoes were soaked in is enough, but you can sprinkle more on if desired.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the topping is starting to turn golden brown and the crust is nicely bronzed underneath. Serve pizza hot or at room temperature.

Jim Lahey’s Basic Pizza Dough

2 cups minus 1 tablespoon (250 grams) all-purpose or bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons (5 grams) instant or active dry yeast
A heaped 1/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
A heaped 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
2/3 cups (150 grams) room temperature water

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add the water and, using a wooden spoon or your hand, mix until well blended, about 30 seconds. Cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature until the dough has more than doubled in volume, about 2 hours. Continue using instructions above.

pistachio cake with strawberries.

I've been eating strawberries with such abandon (we're talking about 2 quarts a week in our house).   For breakfast with keffir or atop pancakes.  For lunch as a side to roasted vegetables and a wedge of cheese (such a lunch makes me think for about 15 minutes I'm not at my desk) and for dessert pretty much every which way. In a bowl covered in a thick layer of whipped cream, in galettes, and baked in strussel bars.  2017 has been the year of the strawberry.   

But for all the ways I've consumed them, this is perhaps my favorite.   I never thought much about the pairing of strawberries and pistachios (strawberries and almonds yes, but not strawberries and pistachios) but let me tell you, it is incredible.   A buttery, fragrant, tender cake (that is quite frankly even better on day 3 then day 1) gets paired with ripe, juicy, bursting with flavor with strawberries.   It's a dessert that epitomizes early June and everything I love about it.   

Pistachio Cake with Strawberries 
Pistachio Cake recipe (without Strawberries) from Smitten Kitchen

For the Cake 

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (140 grams) roasted, shelled, and unsalted pistachios
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
10 tablespoons (5 ounces or 145 grams) unsalted butter, cold is fine
3 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Slightly heaped 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (115 grams) all-purpose flour

For the Lemon-Pistachio Glaze 

1/3 cup (40 grams) roasted, shelled, and unsalted pistachios
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Heat oven: To 325 degrees F. Line the bottom and long sides of a loaf pan with a sling of parchment paper. Coat paper and exposed short sides of loaf pan with nonstick spray or butter.

With a food processor: In the work bowl of your food processor, grind pistachios, sugar and salt together until as powdery as you can get them without it turning to paste. Cut butter into small chunks and blend with pistachio mixture. It’s going to be lumpy at first, and then balled for a minute, but keep running the machine until the mixture loosens up into a frosting-like consistency, i.e. smooth and shiny. Add eggs, one at time, blending briefly between each, scraping down sides as needed. Add milk, blend to combine. Add extracts and baking powder and blend to fully combine, scraping down workbowl. Add flour and pulse just until it disappears.

Without a food processor: You’re going to want to start with 140 grams pistachio meal or flour and softened butter and can proceed as with a traditional cake. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy, then beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in milk, then extracts until smooth. Beat in salt and baking powder until fully combined, scraping down bowl well. Add flour and mix just until it disappears.

To bake: Scrape batter into prepared pan and spread top smooth. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes (see note up top by way of explanation/apology). Mine took 70, but it’s safest to check sooner. Look for a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake to come out clean and then, do a second check near the top. I find with loaf cakes that the undercooked batter likes to hover right below the top crust. It often takes 10 minutes extra (built into this baking time already) just for that to set for me.

Let cake cool in pan on rack for 10 to 15 minutes, then run a knife around cake and transfer to cooling rack. Let cool completely.

To make glaze (optional): Bring pistachios, sugar, zest, and juice to a simmer in a small saucepan; simmer for 2 to 3 minutes then pour over cooled cake.

To serve: Cut into slices.  Top with sliced strawberries (preferably macerated for about 10 minutes in lemon juice and a teaspoon or 2 of sugar) and some whipped cream. Cake is great on the first day but even better on the second, as the ingredients settle. Keep at room temperature for several days, wrapped in foil, or longer in freezer.

rhubarb "big crumb" coffeecake.

I’ve been thinking about this coffee cake for maybe 3 years now.  Every year I promise myself I’m going to make it and every year I forget.  

It’s a vicious cycle.  

This year, this year was different (throwing more brunches and dinners for friends ensures I get to try more recipes which is a win-win for everyone).  And now that I’ve made it, I can’t imagine how I ever lived without.  

This is quite possibly the best coffee cake I’ve ever had.  

Crumbs (SO MANY CRUMBS) sit atop a cake layer that is studded with rhubarb.  The tartness of the rhubarb pairs balances out the sweet (but not too sweet) crumb and spiced cake layer.  I’ve declared it the ideal breakfast pastry and if you were to show-up with it at the next group brunch, no one would be mad.

Rhubarb "Big Crumb" Coffee Cake
Recipe tweaked from the NYTimes

When rhubarb season ends, I plan on trying this with blueberries and sour cherries.  I think diced peaches would also be awesome.   This cake also freezes incredibly well.  I suggest wrapping individual pieces in plastic and foil and saving them for when you want to make your Sunday morning (or really any morning) feel more celebratory.      

For the Rhubarb Filling

1/2 - 3/4 pound rhubarb, trimmed
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon ground ginger

For the Crumbs

⅓ cup dark brown sugar
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon salt
½ cup melted butter
1 ¾ all-purpose flour or some combination of your favorite flours (I did 3/4 cup AP, 1/2 cup sprouted whole wheat, and 1/2 cup spelt)

For the Cake

⅓ cup sour cream or thick yogurt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons softened butter, cut into 8 pieces

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8-inch-square baking pan. For filling, slice rhubarb 1/2 inch thick and toss with sugar, cornstarch and ginger. Set aside.

To make crumbs, in a large bowl, whisk together sugars, spices, salt and butter until smooth. Stir in flour with a spatula. It will look like a solid dough.

To prepare cake, in a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add butter and a spoonful of sour cream mixture and mix on medium speed until flour is moistened. Increase speed and beat for 30 seconds. Add remaining sour cream mixture in two batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition, and scraping down the sides of bowl with a spatula. Scoop out about 1/2 cup batter and set aside.

Scrape remaining batter into prepared pan. Spoon rhubarb over batter. Dollop set-aside batter over rhubarb; it does not have to be even.

Using your fingers, break topping mixture into big crumbs, about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch in size. They do not have to be uniform, but make sure most are around that size. Sprinkle over cake. Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean of batter (it might be moist from rhubarb), 45 to 55 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

pan roasted asparagus with chimichurri.

Asparagus consumption is at an all time high in our apartment.  We are averaging a couple of pounds of week between the two of us and I don't expect this to stop until they are gone.  

We've been having them every which way - shredded on pizza, diced in tacos, and pan roasted which is perhaps my favorite way to eat them.   Pan roasting ensures you get charred, burnt bites while still keeping the asparagus pretty green and a little raw - it's the best of both worlds.   

This recipe takes those asparagus up a notch by pairing them with bright and tangy chimichurri.   Chimichurri is an raw herb sauce that is traditionally paired with meat but here it gets paired with tender asparagus, olives, and goat cheese.  It's pretty brilliant pairing and the epitome of spring eating.   

Pan Roasted Asparagus with Chimichurri
Recipe adapted from the NYTimes 

3 tablespoons finely chopped green garlic
½ cup finely chopped parsley or cilantro 
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 - 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 tablespoon red wine or sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper
1 pound pencil-thin asparagus, tough ends snapped off
4 ounces crumbled feta or a firm goat cheese 
Handful of olives
1/4 cup hazlenuts, toasted and chopped 
Crushed red pepper and sumac, to taste

Heat a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. 

Make the chimichurri sauce: In a small bowl, stir together chopped green garlic, parsley or cilantro, oregano, olive oil (start off with 1/4 of a cup), vinegar and 2 tablespoons water.  If it looks thick, add a little more olive oil and water until the desired consistency.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spread asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle very lightly with oil and sprinkle with salt.

Transfer asparagus to hot cast-iron pan.   Let asparagus cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until nicely charred, with a few burnt and blistered spots. Asparagus cooked this way tastes best if slightly undercooked and still bright green.

Put cooked asparagus on a platter and spoon chimichurri sauce generously over spears. Top with crumbled feta, olives, and hazelnuts , then sprinkle with crushed red pepper and sumac.  Serve immediately.

roasted rhubarb pavlova.

After tackling my first pavolva a couple of weeks back, I can't think of any dessert that is more fitting to usher in summer.  

Pavlova is a traditional Australian dessert and it's a fitting match.  Australia (at least in my head) is the land of eternal summer so a national dessert that is incredibly light and refreshing feels appropriate.      

For those unfamiliar with the gloriousness that is pavolva, it is essentially a meringue with crispy exterior and a soft and fluffy like marshmallow interior, covered in whipped cream and fruit.   This version uses caramelized roasted rhubarb as the fruit of choice and it's a brilliant decision.  The combination of tart and tender rhubarb with a sweet and crispy/creamy meringue is irresistible and incredibly seasonally appropriate.   

Roasted Rhubarb Pavlova
Recipe from Sweeter Off the Vine

Some things to note - This is a dessert that once assembled, needs to be eaten ASAP.  All components can be prepared ahead of time, but if you want more then a couple of hours to eat the pavlova once assembled it looses its crisp exterior and the crisp exterior is an important part of the dish.  

I omitted the addition of whipped cream as I didn't have cream on hand and also didn't feel it needed it (shocking I know).  The choice is yours.  It will be excellent no matter what.   

I also think it would be adorable to make individual pavlovas instead of one large one if you were serving them as part of a dinner party!

For the Meringue

1 cup (200g) superfine sugar
11⁄2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 large egg whites
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 
1 teaspoon white vinegar

For the Rhubarb

12 ounces (340g) rhubarb stalks, leaves removed
1 vanilla bean
1⁄3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
Pinch salt
Juice of 1⁄2 lemon (about 4 teaspoons)

For Serving

1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

Directions for the Meringue: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 225ºF (110ºC). Trace an 8-inch circle onto a piece of parchment paper and flip the paper upside down on a baking sheet.

To make the meringue: Stir the cornstarch and sugar together in a small bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a handheld electric mixer in a large bowl, beat the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar on medium high speed until soft peaks form. Turn the mixer up to high and with the mixer running, slowly add the sugar mixture about one tablespoon at a time and whip until the egg whites are stiff and glossy, about 7 minutes. Add the vanilla and vinegar and mix for 30 more seconds.

Dollop the meringue onto the prepared baking sheet and use an offset spatula to spread it evenly to the edges of the traced circle. Make a shallow (1⁄2-inch) indent in the center of the meringue leaving a 1-inch border around the edges; this will hold the rhubarb and whipped cream. Bake the meringue for 1 to 11⁄2 hours or until the outside looks dry and slightly creamy in color. Turn off the oven and prop the door ajar with a wooden spoon. Let the meringue cool completely in the oven. It should feel firm and crackly when you press it, but will be soft and marshmallowy in the center. When cooled, you should be able to gently peel it off of the parchment paper and place it on a serving platter or cake stand. The meringue can be prepared a day in advance and stored in an airtight container.

Directions for the Rhubarb: Preheat the oven to 375º (190ºC). Cut the rhubarb stalks into 3-inch lengths. Use the tip of a knife to split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. In a baking dish large enough to hold the rhubarb in a single layer, toss the cut rhubarb with the vanilla bean seeds, sugar, salt, and lemon juice; tuck the vanilla bean pod in among the rhubarb. Bake until the rhubarb is soft and juicy but not falling apart, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, then remove the vanilla bean pod, rinse it off, and save it for another use.

Directions for Assembly: Whip the cream and sugar together to stiff peaks. Top the cooled meringue with the whipped cream, then the cooled roasted rhubarb pieces. Finish by drizzling with the pomegranate molasses and any rhubarb juices left in the baking pan. Slice into wedges and serve immediately.

creamy tahini and lemon aspragus soup.

Can we talk about how no one tells you how absolutely awful the home-buying process is?  How it's an endless sea of spending money, how it occupies all of your time and energy?  It's truly awful.  I keep reminding myself that there is a light at the end of this tunnel and that the whole thing will at some point be worth it by my god does it suck getting to that point.   

With the home search occupying what feels like every waking moment, I haven't had much opportunity to cook all of the spring things I want.  By the time I finally make it to the kitchen on a Tuesday evening, all I want to do is cook whatever will get dinner onto the table the quickest.  This means a lot of vegetable salads paired with cheese and crackers.  No one is complaining so I take that as a good thing.   

This soup, a departure from our almost daily salads,  falls into the quick and easy dinner meal.  It comes together in under 20 minutes, involves staple spring ingredients (i.e. asparagus and lemon), and tastes as if you slaved over an hour.   The tahini turns the soup impossibly silky smooth making it taste a lot more decadent then it really is.  

Creamy Tahini and Lemon-Asparagus Soup

Recipe from Dolly and Oatmeal

Makes 2 large servings or 4 small 

1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 bunch spring onions (or spring garlic), chopped (roughly 1 cup)

2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 lb. asparagus, woody ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (preferably homemade!)

1/4 cup fresh chives

2 2-inch pieces lemon peels

1/4 cup tahini paste

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

sea salt & fresh pepper

Optional Garnishes 

Asparagus ribbons

Pea tendrils or baby greens

Tahini paste

Heat a large soup pot over medium heat.  Once hot, add the olive oil and onion or garlic, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes, until soft and translucent.  Add the garlic, stir and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the asparagus and cook for 1 minute, then add the broth, chives, and lemon peels.  Bring soup to a boil, then turn heat down to a simmer and cook until the asparagus is tender, about 10-15 minutes. Remove soup from heat and let sit for 10 minutes.

Carefully transfer soup to an upright blender, add the tahini paste and lemon juice.  Blend on high for 1 minute, until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust salt and/or lemon juice.

Return the soup back to the soup pot and bring to a simmer.  Garnish and serve hot. 

rhubarb and rye upside-down cake.

I won't lie, I didn't hate the weather NY experienced last week.  

Sure I was sick of lugging my umbrella everywhere, but I love the coziness that comes with gray skies and rain. After a winter that wasn't really a winter, I'm relishing in having a few extra weeks that allow me to nestle under blankets, wear cozy socks, and turn on my oven without sweating to death.   By this time next month it will probably be all sunny skies and humidity.   

This isn't to say I'm not happy about spring produce slowly creeping in. Tyler and I have eaten several pounds of asparagus over the last couple of weeks and rhubarb, probably one of my most favorite vegetables has finally made an appearance at our farmer's market.   

This cake is the perfect way to welcome rhubarb back into your life. Caramelized, impossibly tender rhubarb sits a top an incredibly moist flavorful cake.  I'm a sucker for using different types of grains in my cakes and the rye flour adds an incredible amount of nuttiness that pairs well with the tart rhubarb.   Served with a dollop of whipped cream, it makes for a delightful dessert but I also like having a piece as an afternoon snack with a cup of tea on a dreary May afternoon.   


Rhubarb and Rye Upside-Down Cake
Recipe from Sweeter off the Vine

Makes one 9-inch cake

Rhubarb Topping

1 pound (450g) rhubarb, leaves removed, cut into 2-inch (5cm) lengths
1 vanilla bean (or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
3⁄4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
1⁄4 cup (55g) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Pinch salt

Cake

1 cup (125g)
 all purpose flour
1 cup (130g) rye flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened
1⁄2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (page 235)
1 1⁄2 cups (355ml) buttermilk, at room temperature

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375F . Butter a 9-inch cake pan or springform pan, 3 inches tall, line it with parchment paper, and butter that too. Dust the pan and paper with flour.

To make the rhubarb topping: Use the tip of a knife to split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds; reserve the pod for another use. Combine the sugar, butter, vanilla seeds, lemon zest, and salt in a skillet and set over medium low heat. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar and butter begin to melt together, then add the rhubarb. Cook the rhubarb, turning it occasionally in the pan, until it is juicy, tender, and slightly caramelized but not falling apart, 6 to 8 minutes. Pour the rhubarb and its juices into the prepared pan and spread in an even layer. Set aside while you prepare the cake batter.

To make the cake: In a medium bowl, whisk the all purpose and rye flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together at medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing for 30 seconds after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix for 30 seconds. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Alternate adding the flour mixture and
 the buttermilk in three additions and mix until just combined. Carefully pour the batter over the rhubarb in the pan and smooth the top. Tap the pan gently on the counter to remove any air bubbles. If using a springform pan, set it on a baking sheet to catch any potential leakage.

Bake the cake until the top is golden and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let the cake cool on a rack 
for 15 minutes, then carefully invert onto a serving platter. Remove the parchment paper and re-position any rhubarb that has stuck to the paper. Cut into wedges and serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream, if you like. This cake is best served the day that it’s made.

strawberry rhubarb crumble.

I've been finding it hard to resist strawberries.  This berry situation has been particularly bountiful this year.  Or perhaps, after the longest winter ever, I'm just more attune to all the produce that is popping up around me.  I've been eating bowls of them for breakfast almost daily.  Drizzled with a bit of maple syrup they become positively addicting.  So addicting in fact that I've begun to hoard them with the intentions of freezing them.  Clearly I've already started planning for another tundra like winter except this one will be filled with strawberries - a fleeting memory of spring to be consumed in the depths of winter.

But I was willing to sacrifice some in the name of a crumble.  A strawberry rhubarb crumble to be exact.  You can go crazy for pies but I will continue to pledge allegiance to the crumble - the humble pie cousin.  I love a crumble for it's simplicity.  The fact that it doesn't require a crust but does beg for a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream.  I like that it is open to interpretations and somehow, no matter what you do to it, always tastes good.  Because what is better then fruit baked down to a puddley mess of sweetness topped with sweetly spiced nubbins of deliciousness on a Sunday night? Nothing I tell you, nothing.  

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble
Recipe adapted from the NYTimes 

For the Fruit

4 cups of rhubarb diced into 1/2 inch pieces

4 cups of strawberries, halved and quartered if large

Juice of half a lemon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar

For the Crumble

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup graham flour (can replace with all-purpose flour)

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup finely chopped almonds.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To prepare filling, toss rhubarb and strawberries with lemon juice, ginger, and sugar. Set aside.

To make topping, in a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, spices and salt. Stir in butter and almonds. Coarse crumbs will form.

Pour filling into a 9-inch square or round pan (do not grease first). Using your fingers, form topping mixture into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch crumbs and spread over cake. Bake until filling bubbles and topping is light golden, about 55 minutes. Let cool slightly. Serve.

rhubarb buckle.

In this day in age, with the world at our fingertips courtesy of the internet, it is easy to forget to leverage things like books for information (such a novel (pun intended) concept).  Despite my incredible wall of cookbooks, I don't use them nearly as often as I should.  Not because I don't want to, but it is so much easier to just ask Google for the best rhubarb cake recipes rather than flipping through a dozen cookbooks.  

The problem with Google is that the top results are almost always the same handful of recipes just made by different people.  It's hard to unearth something that hasn't been tried by thousands.  It's hard to find a unique point of view and a recipe that offers something just slightly different then all the others. 

This is why we have cookbooks. 

Cookbooks allow chefs and people passionate about food to tell a story through recipes – it’s why I find them so invaluable – I love that they have a very specific point of view.   Sean Brock’s Heritage is one such book.  Sure some of the recipes are so insanely specific that I want to scream at the impracticality of them but together they tell the story of Southern cooking – or the kind of Southern cooking he wants the South to be known for.  I can appreciate his desire to tell that story.   And! For every insane thousand step recipe lies a seemingly easy one.   (I love that this cookbook is filled with such juxtapositions.)  This rhubarb buckle is one of the easy ones.  It’s one of the ones I imagine I will eventually memorize and come to rely on because it is dreamy.  It’s not over-the-top or stuffy instead it’s reliable, comforting, and I will go so far as to say perfect.  

Rhubarb Buckle

Recipe adapted from Heritage by Sean Brock 

I have quite the love affair with fruit filled streusel topped cakes and have made MANY such cakes in the past.  This may be one of my favorites yet.  The streusel is killer, the cake bakes up like a dream, and I imagine this could be made with any number of fruit varieties – apples could be phenomenal and blueberries equally addicting.   I couldn’t help tinkering just a bit by adding some ground ginger to the mix – my love affair with spices knows no bounds.  Feel free to change the spices depending on which fruit you use (but I strongly suggest you try making it with rhubarb at least once).     

Makes one 9-inch cake

For the Buckle

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 cups, ¼ inch thick slices rhubarb

1 cup sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour (though you can sub ½ cup for whole wheat and rye if you choose)

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ cup whole milk or buttermilk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (you can also do ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and ½ teaspoon almond extract as I did)

1 large egg

For the Streusel

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup packed light brown sugar

¼ cup rolled oats

½ cup chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds

¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

For the rhubarb: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray.  

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the rhubarb and cook, stirring frequently until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add ¼ cup of the sugar and stir to dissolve it.  Remove the skillet from the heat and allow the rhubarb to cool completely. 

Meanwhile, make the streusel: Using your hands or a fork, mix the butter, sugar, oats, nuts, flour, salt, and ginger in a medium bowl until clumps form.  Set aside.  

For the Buckle: Put the flour, baking powder, salt, and ginger in a small bowl and whisk to combine.  Put the milk, vanilla (or vanilla and almond) extract, and egg in another small bowl and whisk to combine.  

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, cream the remaining  8 tablespoons butter and ¾ cup sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes.   Alternately add the flour mixture and milk, starting and ending with the flour.  Fold in the rhubarb.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  

Sprinkle the streusel over the top.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the buckle is golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let stand for 15 minutes.  Serve the buckle warm with ice cream.  

The buckle is best the day it’s made, but it will keep, covered, for up to 3 days at room temperature.  Reheat in a 325 degree oven for 7-10 minutes.  

asparagus with miso butter.

This past weekend was one of those weekends where it felt as if New York had finally awoken from the deep slumber that was known as the epic-ly cold and awful winter of 2015.  Our neighborhood farmers market returned! Windows were opended! Rhubarb was procured!  And the first asparagus of 2015 were purchased and eaten with such abandon that you would have thought I had never eaten them before.   

Asparagus are a beautiful thing and while my preferred way of eating them will always and forever be shredded atop a white pizza - my close second preference involves roasting them until impossibly crisp with a sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper.  I am capable of consuming almost an entire pound like that in under 5 minutes.  

But for the first of the season, I felt it was only necessary that I step-up my game.  And so these asparagus were not simply roasted, they were also coated in miso-butter which may be the greatest condiment that has ever existed.   Miso-butter makes everything it touches impossibly addicting, so it's safe to say these asparagus were gone quickly.  Thankfully asparagus season has only just begun.

Asparagus with Miso Butter

Recipe adapted from NYTimes

The original recipe suggests cooking these in a pan over high heat rather then roasting them.  I am going to try that method next, but I always find roasting easier - it is so hand's off!  I am including both sets of instructions here.  Also - your miso butter will look a little "smoother" then mine does in the picture - I waited a little long to toss them with the asparagus.  Still utterly delicious.   

Oh and if you want to make this a meal?  Put an egg on it.   

Serves 2 as a main for 4 as a starter 

3 tablespoons oil or rendered pork or bacon fat

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and peeled if necessary

Salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons not-too-salty miso, preferably white (if you use yellow take this down to 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon Mike’s Hot Honey

2 poached (or warm-bath-cooked) eggs (if you choose) 

If roasting the asparagus: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Place the asparagus on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with pepper (and a very very small amount of salt since the miso is salty).  Roast for about 20 minutes or until the asparagus are shriveled and blackened in spots. 

If cooking the asparagus via stove-top: Put oil or fat in skillet and turn heat to medium-high. Add as much asparagus as will fit in a layer, add salt (small amount of salt!) and pepper to taste, and toss and stir until browned and shriveled, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, over low heat in a small saucepan, warm and whisk together miso and butter, so they combine, and butter softens but does not melt. Whisk in vinegar and keep warm. Warm a serving plate.

When asparagus is done, put some miso butter on bottom of serving plate. Blot excess fat from asparagus if you like, put on top of the miso butter (or you can be lazy like me and just pour the miso butter over the asparagus), and top with poached eggs (if you choose). Serve immediately.