arugula affair

In my last post about the farmers market I failed to mention that I went for one particular item: arugula. I love, love love the stuff. I use in in lieu of lettuce on egg salad sandwiches and I have made this super easy pasta for dinner twice in two weeks now. Everyone loves it and uh, did I mention how freaking easy it is to make?



Pasta (I used large shells)
Cherry tomatoes (about 1 pound), rinsed and quartered
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 pound arugula
1/2 cup Romano
Salt to taste (I just generously salt the pasta water.)

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Sprinkle in your salt.

In a separate skillet over medium high heat warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, cook until softened, about five minutes. Remove from heat.

Add the pasta to your boiling water and cook according to the directions. With about six minutes left in the time, add the arugula to the pot. Reserve half a cup of pasta water, and drain the pasta and arugula.

Turn the skillet with the tomatoes back to medium high, and then toss in the pasta and arugula. Stir together, and cook for a few minutes until warm. Add some of the reserved pasta water if it is too dry. Season with freshly grated Romano cheese.

like grandma's

I was randomly given rhubarb out of someone's garden on Saturday. (Do people really buy rhubarb from the grocery store?) The only thing I know how to do with rhubarb is make pie. My grandma used to make strawberry rhubarb pie with the fixin's from her garden. I had never made it personally but it turned out very well and it was such a comfort to eat out side on a warm summer evening. I might have to make this once a year from now on...


Crust :: adapted from fine cooking.

8 oz. (1 cup) cold unsalted butter
9 oz. (2 cups) all-purpose unbleached flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup cold water*

Add the flour, sugar, and salt into a bowl. Mix for a second or two to incorporate. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch pieces and add the butter to the dry ingredients. Mixing on low work the mixture until it's crumbly and the largest pieces of butter are no bigger than a pea (about 1/4 inch). The butter should remain cold and firm throughout mixing.

Sprinkle the cold water evenly over the flour and butter. (*I found that 1/4 cup wasn't enough but I would start out with that amount and add by the tablespoon until the dough is proper consistency.) Work the dough until it just pulls together as a shaggy mass. At this point stop mixing and get after it by hand to shape it into two round sections.

To roll out the dough for a double-crust pie pat each piece into a thick flattened ball. Lightly flour your work surface and tap one of the dough balls down with four or five taps of the rolling pan. Begin rolling from the center of your dough outward. Stop the pressure 1/4 inch from the edge of the dough. Lift the dough and turn by a quarter and repeat the rolling until the dough is at least 12 inches in diameter. Be sure to re-flour the work surface if your dough is sticking.

Filling :: partly adapted from grandma, my mother in law's cousin (get that?) and epicurious.

2 large rhubarb stalks trimmed to 1/2-inch-thick slices.
1 16-ounce container strawberries, hulled, halved (about 3 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
a skimpy 1/2 cup of flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom

1 large egg yolk beaten to blend with 1 teaspoon water (for glaze)

Spoon filling into crust. Layer with second crust pressing to seal. Crimp edges. Brush glaze over crust. Transfer pie to baking sheet to catch the drippings in the overn. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake pie until golden and filling thickens, about 1 hour 25 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool completely.

I am having a hard time not eating some for breakfast.

curable carrot cake

With a secret ingredient*.

CARROT CAKE
3 cups all purpose flour
2 3/4 cups sugar
1 TBSP baking soda
2 TSP ground cinnamon
2 TSP kosher salt
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups corn oil
2 TSP vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups grated carrot (about one large carrot)
8 ounces carrot puree (I use two 4 oz jars of organic baby food!*)
1 cups shredded sweetened coconut

CREAM CHEESE ICING
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
12 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temp.
2 TSP vanilla extract
1/4 TSP kosher salt


PREHEAT OVEN TO 350°

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

In a separate bowl whisk eggs, oil and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients mixing on low speed until incorporated.

Add grated carrot, puree, and coconut and mix.

Pour batter into your two greased 9 inch round pans. Bake in the center of the oven for 40-50 minutes until a knife comes out of the center clean.


TO MAKE THE ICING

Sift powdered sugar into a medium bowl.

In a separate bowl beat together a medium speed the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and kosher salt until smooth and fluffy (top photo).

Slowly add the powdered sugar until well blended (bottom photo).



Assemble cake by placing one cake flat side up on your platter. Spread part of the icing over the top then top with second cake flat side up and finish icing.



Pour a nice glass of white wine and eat your troubles away.

best bloody peanut butter pie

There is a local haunt, the legendary Colophon Cafe, that has some amazing grub. Specifically, their peanut butter pie.


While rummaging through a used bookstore I found Northwest Best Places Cookbook which features The Pie. I have made it several times. it rarely yields leftovers and it's one of those desserts where people tell you several times how delicious it is. Nodding with wide eyes to say, no really, I am not blowing smoke up your ass, "It's Delicious."

And you know what my lady friends? You deserve such accolades so I present The Pie adapted from Northwest Best and Colophon.

One discretionary warning: you do need to make it slightly in advance, it comes together very easily but needs three hours in the freezer, so don't wait until the last minute to whip it up, and making it the day before and letting it freeze overnight is A-OK.


PIE
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
8 oz cream cheese, sofened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped peanuts
COOKIE CRUST
8 ounces Oreo or other chocolate wafer cookies finely crushed (2 cups)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350°

FOR THE COOKIE CRUST

Combine the cookie crumbs and melted butter into a bowl and mix well. Pour mixture into an 8-ince pie pan and press evenly onto bottom and sides. Bake until set 7-10 minutes.

PIE

Put 1 cup of the whipping cream in a medium bowl, preferably stainless steel, and freeze for 10 minutes. Meanwhile beat cream cheese, peanut butter and brown sugar together in another bowl until creamy.

Take the whipping cream from the freezer, add the vanilla and beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and beat on high speed until soft peaks form. Do not overbeat.

Fold the whipped cream mixture into the peanut butter mixture. Pour the filling in the crust , spreading evenly and freeze for at least three hours.

When the pie is frozen, combine the chocolate and remaining 1/2 cup whipping cream in a small microwave safe bowl for 30-45 seconds. (Or heat over medium low on stovetop) Stir until smooth, let cool slightly.

Take the frozen pie from the freezer and spread chocolate over it. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts before chocolate sets. If not serving right away return to the freezer. 20 minutes before serving, take the pie out of the freezer. Cut the pie with a sharp knife that has been run under hot water, it's easier to cut if it's still a bit frozen. Let sit another 5-10 minutes and serve.

Now sit around with your company, don't think about calories and enjoy the compliments.