Weekend Fare & Winners!

First, we are so pleased to announce that the winner (by popular vote!) of the Friday Feature naming contest is Amy E. with her suggestion of Foodie Fridays! Congratulations, Amy! We will send you the Salad Cookbook. Thanks to all of you for the great suggestions! We look forward to beginning our new feature in September and we hope that many of you will join in with your recipes and photos and food stories!

And the random winner of the Deceptively Delicious Cookbook is Monica! Congratulations!

Today I wanted to share a couple of baked blueberry recipes. Blueberries are my husbands favorite fruit and I grew up picking and freezing blueberries every year – something I have continued to do! So, needless to say, we make lots of blueberry items. I tried a couple new recipes this week. The first is a crumb cake which I thought was good but a little dry – I should have baked it for a little less time. The second is cheesecake bars which were absolutely wonderful and the recipe would be quite adaptable for a variety of flavors – it will definitely be added to my regular dessert repertoire.


BLUEBERRY CRUMB CAKE - Ina Garten
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For the streusel:

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

For the cake:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (3/4 stick)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup fresh blueberries
Confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round baking pan.

For the streusel:

Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. Mix well and set aside.

For the cake:

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high-speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low-speed, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Fold in the blueberries and stir with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out with a knife. With your fingers, crumble the topping evenly over the batter. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. 

LEMON BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE BARS
(Adapted from Tyler Florence)
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For the base:

Butter, for greasing
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
9 graham crackers
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 eggs
2 lemons, zested and juiced
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

For the base:

Grease the bottom of a 9 by 9-inch baking pan with butter. Then place parchment paper over the top, pressing down at the corners. In a food processor, process the sugar, cinnamon and graham crackers until you have the texture of bread crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse a couple of times to fully incorporate. Pour into the lined baking pan and gently pat down with the base of a glass. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes until golden. When done set aside to cool.

For the filling:

Add cream cheese, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar to the food processor and mix until well combined. It should have a smooth consistency. Gently mix in the blueberries.

Bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until the center only slightly jiggles. Remove from the oven and cool completely before refrigerating for at least 3 hours. Once set, remove from pan using the parchment lining and slice into 10 rectangular bars. Garnish with fresh blueberries if desired.

Off The Shelf: Rustic Fruit Desserts

Rustic Fruit Desserts by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson is a scrumptious book filled with crumbles, buckles, cobblers, pandowdies and more. It’s the kind of book I want on my shelf. And, it’s the kind of book I would cook from as often as my conscience would allow. I think I might just have to put it at the top of my wish list.

The book is arranged by seasons. Take a look at some of the contents: Apple and Rhubarb Pandowdy, Sour Cherry Cobbler, Rhubarb Cream Cheese Pie with Fresh Strawberries, Upside-Down Sweet Cherry Cake, Double-Crusted Pluot Crisp, Apricot Raspberry Cobbler, Stone Fruit Slump, Caramel Peach Grunt, Maple Apple Dumpling, Huckleberry Buckle, Pumpkin Custard with Cookie Crumb Crust, Pear Cobbler with Shingled Hazelnut Biscuits, Cranberry Buckle, Apple Cobbler with Cheddar Cheese Biscuit, Caramelized Pear Bread Pudding, and Deep-Dish Winter Fruit Pie with Walnut Crumb.

I chose to try the Blueberry Cobbler with Cornmeal Biscuit. The sweet berries, combined with a not-so-sweet but rather soft and creamy biscuits, were delightful. I even gave in and served the leftovers to my kids for breakfast. Yum!

BLUEBERRY COBBLER WITH CORNMEAL BISCUIT
(Rustic Fruit Desserts)

1 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature, for dish

Fruit filling:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 fine sea salt
3 dry pints (6 1/2 cups or 2 pounds) blueberries, fresh or frozen
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)

Biscuit:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fine cornmeal
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 cup cold heavy cream
4 tsp. turbinado sugar

Preheat the oven to 375F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish.

To make the fruit filling, rub the sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a large bowl. Add the blueberries and toss to combine, then gently stir in the lemon juice. Spoon the fruit mixture into the prepared pan, being sure to scrape the bowl well.

To make the biscuit, whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Add the butter and toss until evenly coated. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the size of peas. Pour in the cream and stir just until the mixture comes together.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces and pat each piece into a 3-inch biscuit. Evenly distribute the biscuits atop the fruit filling, then sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of the turbinado sugar on each biscuit.

Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden and the filling is bubbling in the middle. Serve warm.

Storage: This cobbler is best if eaten the day it is made. Covered with a tea towel, any leftovers will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Serves 8.

Note: This post contains affiliate links.

My Kitchen View

This past weekend, I had a chance to rediscover my love for cooking and baking. Life has been busy enough lately with many things and I have really missed just enjoying the kitchen. It was wonderful. I paged through my new magazines, planned a menu to serve my brother and his girlfriend for Sunday dinner, and then made three new recipes. They were successful, dinner was lovely, and I loved having some creative time in the kitchen!

Our garden is getting closer to having ripe produce and I can’t wait. The green tomatoes are just starting to turn red and yellow and the zuchinni is almost ready to harvest. I’ve been using a lot of basil from my plants and using some thyme as well.

We are looking forward to the Indianapolis Devour Downtown which is August 2-15! You can check out all the amazing restaurants that are participating – they have some delicious looking menus!

I’m going to give you a little preview of the August issue of Saveur and share this yummy Greek Salad. It was flavorful, fresh, colorful, and really tasty. I used less feta then the recipe suggested but put a little extra on the table to pass for those who wanted more. We really enjoyed this salad!


GREEK SALAD (Horiatiki) – Saveur, August 2010
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2 tbsp. roughly chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into 1 1⁄2″ pieces  
1 small cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced crosswise into 1⁄4″ pieces
1⁄2 medium white onion, thinly sliced
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1⁄8 tsp. dried oregano, plus more
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 
6 oz. feta, cut into thick slabs
8 kalamata olives
Combine parsley, tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions in a bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, and oregano; season with salt and pepper and pour over cucumber mixture. Toss. Transfer salad to a serving bowl and top with feta and olives. Garnish with more oregano; season with pepper. Serves 2

Market Fresh: Blueberries

How I love blueberries! They are one of the chief delights of summer, a time when we can enjoy them fresh rather than frozen. 

Some years we’ve been able to go and pick our own. Most years I buy them on sale and freeze them in quart bags, ready to pop into muffins, pancakes, cobblers, and occasionally a blueberry pie (one of my very favorites!). Blueberry pancakes with real maple syrup and butter soaking in is a golden memory of childhood summers at Grandma’s house.

I do like to enjoy blueberries fresh: eaten straight from the bush, bucket, or plastic shell; dropped into a fruit salad with seasonal melons, sprinkled on morning cereal or oatmeal, and enjoyed for dessert with whipped cream. But, blueberries do gain a different level of delicious-ness when cooked, so be sure to buy enough berries for many different dishes.

I was intrigued to find this recipe for Blueberry Salsa and felt compelled to try it. The result: terrific! The sweetness of the blueberries, mixed with cilantro, lemon juice and red peppers, melded nicely with the salty tortilla chips.

BLUEBERRY SALSA
(Southern Living, Summer 2010)
Print this recipe

2  cups  chopped fresh blueberries
1  cup  whole fresh blueberries
1/4  cup  fresh lemon juice
3  tablespoons  chopped fresh cilantro
2  seeded and minced jalapeño peppers
1/3  cup  diced red bell pepper
1/4  cup  chopped onion
1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt

Coarsely chop 2 cups fresh blueberries. Stir together chopped fresh blueberries, 1 cup whole blueberries, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, 2 seeded and minced jalapeño peppers, 1/3 cup diced red bell pepper, 1/4 cup chopped onion, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in a large bowl. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Makes 3 cups.

    BLUEBERRY SALAD WITH BLUE CHEESE AND PECANS
    (The Cooks Next Door)
    Print this recipe

    10-12 oz. mixed greens and spinach (or just one of these)
    1 pint fresh blueberries
    3/4 cup toasted pecans
    3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

    Dressing (adapted from Country Living):
    3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
    2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
    1/2 tsp. salt
    1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
    1 clove garlic, crushed
    1/4 cup canola oil
    1/4 cup olive oil

    Make Dressing: combine lemon juice, vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic in a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, add the oils one at a time in a steady stream. Remove garlic and serve (or store refrigerated up to 1 week).

    Make salad: toss together the greens and blueberries. Just before serving add the pecans and blue cheese. Toss with dressing and serve.

    These amounts feed 8-12 but can easily be halved.

    Cast Your Vote & Simple Supper

    Here are our top favorite suggestions! Now it’s your turn…you vote for your favorite! The poll will be open for one week and the winner will win the awesome Salad Cookbook as well as the privilege of having their suggested name be the new feature name for at least the next 3 months! The random winner of the other cookbook will also be announced at the same time.

    And I’m sharing the simple meal we enjoyed last night. Veggie Egg Scramble, Roasted Potatoes, and Toast w/Homemade Peach Jam.

    I had vegetables left over from a veggie tray this weekend so I chopped up the red, orange, and yellow peppers, mushrooms, asparagus, and broccoli. I sauteed the vegetables in a little butter and then added beaten eggs (seasoned with salt and pepper with a little half & half), scrambled together, and topped with cheese.. The potatoes were diced and then tossed in a little olive oil, salt, & pepper and baked at 425 degrees for 15-18 minutes. The toast just had butter and peach freezer jam I made last summer – the perfect sweet, fruity compliment for the meal.

    It was nutritious, delicious, and satisfying! Who says dinner can’t be simple and quick and a little break-fasty?!

    Vacation & You Vote!

    Hello everyone! We decided awhile back that we needed to occasionally take a week off from the blog…so, this is our summer vacation! We will back next Monday with many new recipes and photos. In the mean time, I will post a poll tomorrow so you can vote on your favorite of the finalists we’ve chosen for the Friday feature name!  So be sure and check back in for that and cast your vote.

    As always, thanks so much for reading our blog, trying our recipes, and giving us great feedback! We are nine months into this project and it was about a year ago that this idea was born. It’s been a lot of work and even challenging at times but we are excited to continue bringing you inspiration (we hope!) and healthy, seasonal recipes. You are always more than welcome to contact us at thecooksnextdoor@gmail.com.

    Weekend Fare: Caprese Meatballs

    I was contemplating dinner and decided to incorporate the ingredients of a caprese salad into a meatball. So I picked some fresh basil, chopped some tomato, grated some parmesan, added a few other things and realized I was out of mozzarella. Oh well. They were good anyway. My original plan was to cube some mozzarella and form the meatball around it creating a melted, cheesy center when they were baked. I recommend it…it would be delicious.

    I served these meatballs with a spiral, brown rice pasta tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper. I garnished the plates with fresh basil, grated parmesan, and another drizzle of olive oil. My family devoured it. I like how the tomatoes roasted in the meatballs and how light and simple yet beautiful this was. Next time, I will definitely stuff the cheese in them creating more of a twist on one my favorite salads – the caprese.

    And as a side note, I’m hosting a family get together/family anniversary party this weekend and planning to make caprese salad on a skewer. We shall see how it turns out! I think it will be a beautiful presentation and a somewhat de-constructed version of the summery salad.

    CAPRESE MEATBALLS
    Print This Recipe

    1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
    1/2 c. oatmeal
    1/2 onion, finely chopped or grated (I was in a hurry and wished I had chopped it smaller)
    1 clove garlic, minced
    2 medium tomatoes, diced
    1/4 c. fresh basil, chopped
    1/2 c. parmesan, grated
    2 eggs
    1 Tb. olive oil
    Salt & Pepper to taste

    Combine all ingredients. Shape into 1 – inch meatballs. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until done. Makes about 35 – 40 meatballs.

    *If desired, cube a block of mozarella cheese and form meatballs around the cheese before baking. Bake as directed.

    Off The Shelf: Bean Appetit

    Bean Appetit by Shannon Payette Seip, Kelly Parthen, and Carisa Dixon is a captivating cookbook for children. Its goal is to get kids excited about healthy eating. It certainly did just that for my daughter who couldn’t wait to try out several of these recipes.

    The chapters cover topics such as: breakfast, snacks, going to the market, outdoor eating, food art, cooking-themed birthday party, winter food, summer food, international food, tea party, and book-themed food. There are activities and games interspersed with the recipes, making for a very fun book.

    We tried the Stick Stacks and the Stack ‘N’ Sip — both were much enjoyed by my children (not to mention me!).

    STACK ‘N’ SIP
    (Bean Appetit)
    Print this recipe

    Make 3 different colored smoothies. Pour one color in the bottom of a glass. Layer the second smoothie on top. Add a top layer using the final smoothie. It’s a triple-decker drink!

    Note: We used blueberry, banana, and strawberry smoothies.

    STICK STACKS
    (Bean Appetit)
    Print this recipe

    1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
    3 Tbsp. packed light brown sugar
    1 Tbsp. baking powder
    2 Tbsp. flax meal
    pinch of ground cinnamon
    3 eggs
    1 tsp. vanilla extract
    1 Tbsp. butter, softened
    1 cup milk
    4 strawberries, cut widthwise into slices
    2 kiwis, peeled and sliced widthwise into circles
    1/4 cup blueberries (we used blackberries)

    maple syrup, for serving

    Chant “Pancakes! Pancakes!” as you combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, flax meal, and cinnamon.

    Combine the eggs and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and milk. Slowly add the egg mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until smooth. Chill in the freezer for 5 minutes.

    Preheat a griddle to low. Lightly spray the griddle with nonstick spray. Ladle the pancake mixture onto the griddle to make 2-inch mini pancakes.

    When the pancakes start to bubble lightly and the edges turn golden brown, flip them over. all the bitty bakers should flip around the kitchen, as if they were just flipped with a spatula. Cook on the other side for 1 to 2 more minutes, until the pancakes come off the griddle easily with a spatula.

    Layer the pancakes and fruit on the skewers. Dip in maple syrup and eat one layer at a time.

    Makes 12 to 14 mini pancakes.

    Note: This post contains affiliate links.

    Counter Culture

    My sister and her family are staying with us just now and so together we are having plenty of fun in the kitchen. Our cooking styles are very similar, except for the fact that my sister, Christina, must stay gluten-free. That’s not hard to do when there is so much summer produce abounding just now. Meals are simple but bountiful, full of salads, fresh veggies, and sometimes even homemade ice-cream.

    Have you ever wondered what’s the big deal with fava beans? I have. And, when I saw they were available as an “extra” at our CSA this week I grabbed a few handfuls of the green-beans-on-steroids-looking-things. Later in the week my sister and I pulled them out and began shelling the beans. That’s when I remembered that favas have to be “double-shelled”. Once they are out of the bean husks, the favas must then be taken out of a further, tough-skin that surrounds the actual beans. That’s big deal number one about favas — they take a lot of work.

    We dumped the handful of beans we accumulated into the steamer and let them be for a few minutes before placing them on a dish and dressing them with butter, salt, and pepper. Then we took our first bite. We knew instantly why favas are a big deal. Wow were they good! One by one we popped them into our mouths. The texture was amazing. I’m comparing it with the reason I like Macadamia nuts so much: that buttery, melt-in-your-mouth feel. Favas have that. What did they taste like? Something very mild, nutty, a bit like a buttery green bean. Now I’m hoping there will be more next week at the CSA.

    I also came by some peaches in the last week. A friend is away for the summer and said I could have the harvest from her peach tree. The apricot-sized peaches arrived in between the July 3rd  parade and two afternoon celebrations. They were so ripe that they were going bad by the hour. That first night I salvaged what I could from the bad ones and the next day I blanched, peeled, and chopped the rest. Some of the peaches are destined for jam — those I chopped fine and froze in batches of 2 cups for easy conversion later on. The rest of the peaches will probably end up in smoothies and homemade ice-cream.

    I am so excited about grilled flatbread right now. A friend made it for us over the 4th of July weekend and I saw how easy it was to make and grill. The taste is amazing. We ate the flatbread with bruschetta and olive tapenade from Trader Joe’s. But, it’s easy to just turn it into a pizza by spreading foil on the grill after you’ve cooked the flatbread, placing the flatbread on top of the foil and then layering on your pizza toppings. Here’s Bobby Flay’s pizza dough recipe that was used.

    As we all know, it’s zucchini season. The recipe I always fall back on is the one I’ve been eating since I was a child. We saute zucchini (and sometimes onions too) in some olive oil. About half way through we throw in some fresh, chopped tomatoes and cook until all is tender. Sprinkle on some basil, oregano and garlic powder and then a good handful or two of shredded cheddar cheese. Good. Good. Good.

    One of the delights of zucchini season is fresh fried squash blossoms. Oh yum! I’m eyeing my plants right now, checking to see how many blossoms I have and how many I can sacrifice. Any day now I’m going to make them….

    Market Fresh: Zucchini and Summer Squash

    Zucchini and Summer Squash season are here! I hope you’re not sick of them yet. I resisted nearly every urge to buy them throughout the winter so I’ve been eagerly awaiting their arrival. And now my fridge and counters are groaning under their weight.

    Every year people come up with more uses for these easy-to-grow vegetables. There are saute, stir-fries, breads, quiches, casseroles, tians, pastas, soups, salads, and more that can be made with them.

    One afternoon we tried grilled squash kabobs. We used both zucchini and summer squash and added red onions. We brushed them with olive oil and sprinkled them with salt, pepper, and fresh thyme. Not only were they beautiful, they were also delicious served alongside our grilled chicken.

    This pasta is so good that I can’t wait to have it again. The recipe originally called for just summer squash, but I threw in zucchini too. Either or both would taste fine in this dish.

    CREAMY FUSILLI WITH YELLOW SQUASH AND BACON
    (Everyday Food Magazine)
    Print this recipe

    coarse salt and ground pepper
    8 ounces fusilli
    4 slices bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
    4 medium yellow squash (8 ounces each), quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
    2 garlic cloves, thinly slices
    1/2 cup heavy cream
    1/4 cup grated Asiago (or Parmesan) cheese, plus more for serving

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.

    While pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium. Add bacon, and cook until browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain (leave bacon fat in skillet).

    Place skillet over medium-high. Add squash and garlic to fat in skillet; season with salt and pepper, and toss well. Cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until squash begins to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover, and continue to cook until liquid is evaporated and squash is tender, 2 to 3 minutes more.

    Add cream and cooked pasta to skillet; toss well, and cook until cream begins to thicken, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in Asiago, and add enough reserved pasta water to create a sauce that coats pasta. Serve topped with reserved bacon and more cheese.

    Serves 4.

    This salad may look too simple to be good, but don’t be deceived. We loved this salad and thought it was perfect for a summer evening. You must try it!

    QUICK-MARINATED YELLOW SQUASH SALAD
    (Everyday Food Magazine)
    Print this recipe

    3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
    3 Tbsp. olive oil (or mix with canola oil if your olive oil is very strong)
    coarse salt and ground pepper
    2 medium yellow squash (8 ounces each), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
    1 shallot, thinly sliced crosswise (or use green onion or finely chopped red onion)
    1 to 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

    In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice and oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add squash, shallot, and thyme. Toss to combine. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

    Serves 4.

    Note: Try this again with zucchini instead.

    Zucchini bread always brings me back to my childhood when we would make 6 loaves at a time in a desperate attempt to use up all of the huge (almost baseball sized) zucchini that grew in our backyard garden. I don’t think we knew about picking them young and tender.

    This is the very recipe we used when I was a child.

    ZUCCHINI BREAD
    (More-With-Less Cookbook)
    Print this recipe

    3 eggs
    ¾ c. sugar
    1 c. oil
    2 c. raw, grated zucchini
    1 Tbsp. vanilla
    3 c. flour
    1 tsp. salt
    1 tsp. baking soda
    1 tsp. baking powder
    3 tsp. cinnamon
    1 c. nuts (optional)

    Combine eggs, sugar, oil, grated zucchini and vanilla in a bowl.

    In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.

    Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix just until combined.  Stir in nuts if using. Pour into two greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until done.

    Makes 2 loaves.