STACKED VEGETABLE TORTE

This Torte is ideal for high summer, because I was able to utilize everything I have been seeing at the Farmer’s Market. It’s a bit labor intensive, but well worth every second. When you break the goat butter crust with the tines of your fork and slice through all those gorgeous vegetables, you will literally be in heaven.

Since I’m gearing up for my trip to Squaw Valleyon Thursday, I found it more than fitting to post a recipe with a little bit of elevation.

So take a deep breath, roll up your sleeves, and as you exhale, just imagine all the joy you will bring to your friends and family when you place this work of art in front of them.

Yield: 2- 5 inch individual springform pans or 1- 8” springform pan

THE DOUGH:

Goat Butter Pate Brissee (Short Crust)

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons glutinous white rice flour
¾ cup cornstarch
1/2 cup +2 tablespoons tapioca flour
¼ cup sorghum flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 knife points of kosher salt
1 ½ teaspoons guar gum
14 tablespoons cultured unsalted butter
2 tablespoons goat butter
3 eggs
2 ½ tablespoons freshly chopped thyme

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients with the cultured butter and mix until the butter is the size of small peas. Add the eggs and mix just until the dough folds in on itself.

Using a plastic pastry scrapper, turn the dough out onto a clean counter that has been dusted with glutinous rice flour.

Knead with the palm of your hand several times until you have a leather smooth ball. Add the chopped thyme and knead until smooth. Divide the dough into two sections, quickly shape each section into a semi-flat disk, and wrap tightly with cellophane.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before rolling out the dough and up to three days or freeze for three weeks.

For this recipe, you will only need one disk of the dough, so store the second disk for another purpose.

If you don’t have a stand mixer, make the dough thusly:

Mix all the dry ingredients in a spacious bowl with a few turns of a whisk. Add the diced cultured butter and begin to cut it in with a pastry cutter, using a butter-knife to clean out the spokes when necessary. Repeat until the mix resembles a heap of damp, engorged seeds. Whisk the eggs and fold them in using two plastic pastry scrappers. Keep folding until you have a firm, somewhat sticky ball of dough.

Turn the dough onto a very clean surface that has been lightly dusted with glutinous rice flour and follow the above instructions.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Next, we began assembling the torte. I prepared the vegetables for the torte before David and Amanda arrived to help conserve time, but I did show Amanda how to salt the vegetables and roast them. For this recipe, you will need:

THE VEGETABLES

2 large organic zucchinis, cut in half and then sliced lengthwise into thin strips.
1 large organic eggplant, sliced
1 organic head elephant garlic, roasted
1 large organic red bell pepper, roasted
1-24oz. can of organic crushed tomatoes with basil, strained
¼ cup kosher salt
olive oil

Preheat oven to 375°F.

First wash and slice the zucchini and the eggplant as indicated above. Next you are going to slightly dehydrate the vegetables so the excess water will not come out during the baking process, causing the layers to separate and the custard to break down.

To do this, set the sliced zucchini and sliced eggplant on a cookie sheet or cutting board and lightly sprinkle with the kosher salt. You do not want to use all the salt, but the size of your vegetables will determine how much salt you end up using. If you coat the vegetables with too much of the salt, it will make the torte extremely salty, so keep this in mind as you work. Allow the vegetables to sit for about 20 minutes or until they are perspiring rather profusely.

Place the zucchini and eggplant between two layers of thick paper towels, like Viva, and gently press down with the palm of your hands to remove the excess liquid. Repeat until all of the slices have been dried.

Now lightly spray a wire drying rack with non-stick spray and then line with the sliced eggplant and zucchini.

Take your elephant garlic and slice off all the tips of all the cloves in one clean cut. Place the garlic in a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil, and then sprinkle with a pinch of the kosher salt. Pinch the aluminum foil over the top of the garlic so it looks like a little balloon. Set on a separate wire rack.

Cut the red bell pepper in half and remove the seed and any of the white interior flesh. Drizzle the pepper with olive oil and set the wire rack next to the elephant garlic.

Roast the zucchini and the eggplant on the middle rack and the red bell pepper and the elephant garlic on the lower rack, in your preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. The zucchini and eggplant are done when they look slightly shriveled. The red bell pepper and garlic are done when the skin of the bell pepper has blackened around the edges.

While these vegetables are roasting, strain your tomatoes by pressing on them with a wooden spoon through a fine sieve. Reserve the tomato juices for another purpose as it is delicious.

Spread the tomatoes on a jellyroll pan lines with aluminum foil. When the eggplant and zucchini are done roasting, remove from the oven. Check the red bell pepper and the garlic as they do take a bit longer than the more delicate zucchini and eggplant. If the red pepper is not blackened, continue to roast for about 5-10 minutes more. The garlic is done when the cloves are a dark yellow and their aroma has filled your kitchen. Add the tray of tomatoes and roast for 15-20 minutes.

Remove one of your disks of dough from the fridge and allow to sit on the counter to soften for 15 minutes.

Remove the red bell pepper and roasted garlic from the oven. Immediately place the bell peppers into a plastic bag. Set aside. Remove the garlic from the foil. When it is cool enough to touch, expel the cloves from the garlic pods and transfer to a clean bowl. Mash the garlic with a fork until smooth.

Remove the tomatoes from the oven. Set aside.

THE CUSTARD:

3 large eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

2 cups Asiago cheese

In the meantime, grate your Asiago cheese into a clean bowl and set aside. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together the eggs until smooth. In a steady stream, whisk in the heavy cream followed by the salt and pepper. Set aside.

TO ASEMBLE THE TORTE:

Lightly dust your counter with glutinous rice flour. Cut your disk of dough in half if using the individual sized springform pans. Leave the disk whole if using the 8”. Knead the dough several times until very smooth. Roll out the dough until about 1/8” thick. Nestle the dough into the pan. Gently press the dough into the bottom edge until smooth. Roll a rolling pin over the top of the pan to trim any excess dough. If you divided your dough, repeat to fill the second pan.

Now, begin assembling the torte. First line the bottom of the torte with a layer of eggplant slices in a concentric pattern, completely covering the bottom. Follow with a layer of the Asiago cheese. Next lay down a layer of the zucchini. Using a fork, spread the mashed garlic over the zucchini. Add another layer of cheese. Now, slowly pour the custard mixture over the layers, slowly tilting the pan to evenly coat the pan and to make sure the custard has reached the bottom layer.

Remove the bell pepper from the plastic bag and remove the skins. Now place the roasted peppers over the cheese. Your individual cases should be nearly full. If not, add another layer of eggplant followed by a layer of cheese. If using the larger pan, you will definitely need to repeat layers, but should have plenty of eggplant and zucchini to do so.

Cover the bell peppers with another layer of cheese and then divide the remaining custard between the two tortes. Cover the top of the tortes with a layer of the roasted tomatoes. They should be flush with the top of the pan.

Bake the torte(s) at 375°F for 1 hour. The large torte will need to bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes and the internal temperature is 175°F. The tortes will puff up to a considerable dome which a great sign that it is done.

Photography by Knoxy of Knox Photographics

DIMITRA KRITICOS!

As summer temperatures in Texas continue to rise, it seems only natural to gravitate towards dishes that are as bright, cool, and refreshing as possible to balance the humid heat that hangs in the air like a listing balloon, and that is what won me over with Dimitra’s recipe.

This colorful summer salad is a lovely expression of balance with the Texas grapefruit, the Boggy Creek sweet onions and the subtlety of the papaya that explode in your mouth much like the way an overly ripe peach or plum releases their juices when you take that first bite. The creaminess of the avocado brings your taste buds back down to earth, rounding out the zing of the lemon-lime dressing.

Plus, I have a major soft spot for salads (I have at least one a day), so I was a bit biased when I made my decision for the winner this week, but I’m pretty sure you’ll agree with me the moment you take your first bite.

Thank you, Dimitra, for taking the time to participate and for sharing your perfect expression of summer!

I actually made this salad twice: first to try the recipe and the second time to photograph the winner. The first time I was able to get my hands on a papaya but the second time, I was forced to improvise because when I went to the store they were out, so I grabbed a mango instead. Each version is equally delicious.

Texas Grapefruit and Avocado Salad

Salad

2 Texas grapefuits, peeled, seeded, and segmented
2 Haas avocados, peeled, seeded and sliced 1/4″
2 cups papaya, peeled, seeded, medium dice
1 Viadialla onion, peeled, cut in half, sliced thin
2 cups red leaf lettuce, washed, drained, torn into bite sized pieces
1 lime for garnish

Dressing

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons lime zest
sea salt, to taste

Directions

Combine all ingredients, except avocados, in a large bowl. Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Place salad on a plate and garnish with avocado slices. Drizzle with dressing and garnish with lime slices.
Salad will keep refrigerated for 2 days.
Enjoy!

Tip

Squeeze lime juice over avocados to keep them from oxidizing. Substitute Fredericksburg peaches of your favorite summer fruit for papaya. Red grapes are also a wonderful addition to this salad.

Paul Klee, b Switzerland, 1897-1940
Laughing Gothic, 1915
Watercolor over traces of pencil
on paper mounted on cardboard, 11 3/8 x 6 1/2″
The Museum of Modern Art, New York
Swiss German Cubist & Expressionist Painter

Thanks again to all the participants and keep the recipes coming! There is only one week left and remember, when you submit with Blackbird, you also have the chance to win with Arthouse, where your recipe will be served at their communal dinner on November 20th!

JAYNE ASTON’S PEROGIES!!!

Not only was this recipe incredibly easy to make, it was savory, deceptively light and I totally fell for it because I’d never heard of Perogies before.

Since Jayne hails from Canada and mentioned that you can find perogies in the freezer section at the supermarket, I assumed they were native to Canada. After I did a little searching, however, I discovered that Perogies are actually a traditional Polish dumpling that is typically filled with mashed potatoes, cheese, and fried onions, but can also be filled with mushrooms our sauerkraut.

I followed Jayne’s recipe to the T and it is fabulous! Her dumpling dough is superb and when I took my first bite of one of these pipping hot dumplings, I knew she was the stand out winner.

Since I can’t just mosey on up to Canada to the farmer’s market where Jayne shops for her local fare, I sourced my organic potatoes and eggs from Boggy Creek Farm, which is only a few miles down the road from where I live.

Congrats, Jayne, and thanks for contributing your talents to such a wonderful cause.

Perogies

1/3 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup tapioca flour
2 tablespoons potato flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon xanthan gum
2 organic eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil

Combine flours, salt and xanthan gum. Beat eggs lightly and add oil. Pour egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir. This will feel much like pastry dough. Work together into a firm ball. Knead for two or three minutes.

Roll out as you would pastry dough and cut circles using a tart or biscuit cutter (about 3.5 inches in diameter) or sharp knife. You should get 8-9 rounds.

Use your fingertips to wet the edges of each circle. Let the water sit for a few minutes, making a nice, sticky edge. (By the time you get to the last circle, the first one should be just sticky enough.) Spoon some filling into the center of each circle. Fold the circle in half, pinching and crimping the edges until they are sealed tight. A pastry or ravioli wheel works well for this.

For the Filling:

I like to use left over mashed potatoes, shredded cheese and minced onion.

Be creative. You can add bacon bits, finely chopped green pepper or whatever you like.

To cook, place perogi in a large pot of salted boiling water for 10-15 minutes (and hope that you sealed them tight enough!) Remove with a slotted spoon. Fry them in butter until golden brown.

Any that you are cooking right away, set aside. Any that you will be freezing, place on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer until they are dry. Once they’re no longer sticky you can put them in freezer bags.

Serve hot with sour cream for dipping.

Serves 3

Katsushika Hokusai, 1760-1849
Irises and Grasshopper, Series: Grande Flowers 1830-1831
Woodblock, 25.2 cm x 37.6 cm
The Art Institute of Chicago
Edo- Era Japanese Artist and Printmaker

Food Photo by Philip Clegg

For the remainder of July, I will be conducting a recipe contest!!!

There will be one winner a week and each Friday, I will post the winner’s recipe, fully photographed and presented in the trademark Blackbird style for everyone to see!

As a part of the Jason Middlebrook initiative, each submission made to Blackbird Bakery will also be forwarded to Arthouse where each recipe simultaneously has the chance to be a featured item on the menu at the communal potluck dinner to be held on November 20, 2010.

The deadline for submissions is JULY 31, 2010.

Please submit your recipes directly to me at fly@blackbird-bakery.com with the following information:

Your name, the source of your recipe (inspiration, family member, etc.), email address, your hometown, and phone number.

Rules:

Each recipe must have a gluten free component in order to qualify.
Each recipe must call for at least one organic, locally grown vegetable or dairy product; this includes eggs and cheeses. Please provide the name of the farm you source from, so they can get credit, too.
The recipes can be savory or sweet.
Each entry will be tested by me personally, without exception.
Each winner will receive full accredation from Blackbird Bakery for their achievement and will have their recipe photographed and published on the Blackbird Bakery site.

This is a very exciting event for all of us to be a part of and I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with!

Jason Middlebrook, b. 1966
Brillo Planter, 2007
American Artist and Sculptor

IMAGINE YOUR WORK HERE!!!!!

At long last! After toying with pizza crust recipes on and off for more time than I’d like to admit, I’ve finally struck upon a pizza dough that not only has a good crisp crust, you can actually fold the slices of pie in half and eat it like a taco. So why did it take so long?

Rather than just whipping something up that simply tasted good, I chose the path less travelled and set my sights on a horizon that was not only delicious, but nutritious as well. In this recipe, buckwheat, millet, and gluten free oat flour are the stars and boy do they shine! Not only do they lend fantastic flavor, they are loaded with fiber, complete proteins, niacin and a bevy of naturally occuring vitamins, so you can feel doubly good about having your pie and eating it, too–rather than it– eating you.

If you go to the supermarket and look at all the gluten free ready made pizza doughs, you will see that the main ingredient is always tapioca flour. Don’t get me wrong, tapioca flour is a cornerstone of gluten free baking and I use it all the time because it helps create a fabulous, smooth texture without overpowering the other flavors of the recipe. But I always try to use it sparingly because it is very caloric and low in dietary fiber. Therefore, making it the main ingredient in this case was not in keeping with my intention to impart flavor and nutrition, so I reduced it’s presence significantly in this recipe.

By this same token, I also wanted to create a recipe that was different in every possible way from what is readily available, so I let the recipe evolve in its’ own time and thank goodness I did, because in cooking, especially in baking, nothing can be forced, “if you try to force it, you are lost.”

Too true, Mr. Bresson.* A forced moment is just that: inauthentic, contrived and usually leaves you with a whole lotta nada lest a bad taste in your mouth. My chocolate chip cookies took me 87 trials and my pizza crust has taken me “through night and day, and in and out of weeks, and almost over a year, to where the wild things are.”

So after patiently waiting for so long to see the real thing grow, when the flood gates were finally flung open, I did what I am known for. I didn’t hold back one iota. I went full moon fever.

Decadent, full bodied flavors resound in this pizza. Filled with four cheeses and topped with caramelized shallots, a bouquet of sauteed mushrooms and drizzled with white truffle oil, this pizza will make your head roll, your heart flip and send your taste buds straight to the moon.

For the Crust:

1 teaspoon gluten free active dry yeast, proofed
1/2 cup organic millet
1/2 cup gluten free oat flour
1/2 cup organic buckwheat flour
1/2 cup glutinous rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup natural cornstarch
1/4 cup arrowroot flour
4 teaspoons guar gum
2 teaspoons pectin, like Pamanoa’s
1/2 teaspoon monocalcium phosphate
1 1/4 cups + 2 tabelspoons barely warm water
1/4 cup organic safflower oil
4 organic egg whites
1/2 cup micro grated parmesan cheese
2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

2 rounds freshly pulled mozzarella
2 cups freshly grated asiago cheese
1/4 cup Greek style feta, crumbled
2 cups mirco grated parmesan cheese

White truffle oil for drizzling

Makes 2 -14 inch pizzas. Divide the amount of cheese in half if you are only making one pizza at a time. The same goes for the mushrooms and shallots.

Special Equipment: Pizza Stone

To proof your yeast: In a small glass bowl, combine 1 teaspoon active dry yeast to 2 tablespoons barely warm water (~94 degrees F) with 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar. Whisk to cover all yeast granules with liquid. Allow to sit for 20 minutes and more than doubled in volume.

Add all the flours and the guar gum to your stand mixer bowl. Whisk to smooth. Set aside.

In a glass measuring cup, dissolve the 1/2 teaspoon of monocalcium phosphate in the 1 1/4 cups + 2 tablespoons of water. Whisk to ensure the calcium is fully dissolved. Set aside.

Once the yeast has proofed, add to the flour mixture and mix on the lowest setting with the dough hook attachment. Add the water + calcium mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, covering the liquid with the flours. Mix on medium for about a minute. Add the egg whites, the grated parmesan and the kosher salt. Scrape down the sids of the bowl as necessary and then mix on high for 7 minutes.

Using a pastry scrapper, transfer the dough to a counter that has been generously floured with one part glutinous rice, one part tapioca flour. The dough should be very soft and very sticky-perfect. Knead the dough pulling from the back to the front until the dough is very smooth. You may need to re-dust the counter as you go, which is to be expected. Knead about 8-10 times, more if needed. Shape the dough into a ball. Spray a glass bowl with non-stick spray and transfer the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in the warmest part of your kitchen for 3 hours.

Joan Miro, 1893-1983
Dawn Perfumed by a Shower of Gold, 1954
Watercolor on Plaster on Composition Board,
107.95 x 54.29 cm
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Catalan Surrealist Painter

For the Sauce:

1 14.5 ounce can organic diced tomatoes
2 1/2 tablespoons organic tomato paste
1 3/4 teaspoons organic dried oregano
3 organic garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon organic balsamic vinegar
kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste

In a food processor, pulse all the ingredients until smooth. Season to taste. Transfer to a glass bowl until ready to use.

For the Shallots and Mushrooms:

1/2 cup packed organic shallots, sliced
1 1/2 tablespoon organic unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup organic vegetable stock

1 tablespoon organic unsalted butter
7 organic shittaki mushrooms, sliced
6 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
5 white button mushrooms, sliced
kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. When the butter foams, add the shallots and toss to evenly coat all the shallots evenly. Add the salt and brown sugar. Stir until the sugar has melted, about 2 minutes. Pour in the vegetable stock, stir to smooth. Cook down over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until all the liquid has evaporated and the shallots are glazed. Transfer to a plate.

Add the additional butter to the pan, when melted and foaming, add the mushrooms. Stirring and shaking the pan, cook the mushroom just until they wilt. Remove from the heat and season to taste. Transfer to another plate.

When the dough is ready, dust your counter with equal parts glutinous rice and tapioca flour. Knead the dough till smooth. Divide the dough in half. Set one half into a glass bowl and cover with your reserved plastic wrap. Flatten one disk to 7 inches in diameter.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Generously dust your pizza stone with glutinous rice flour. Transfer your disk to the stone and using the heel of your hand, flatten the crust to your desired thickness, but no larger than 14 inches in diameter. Perforate the bottom of the crust with several dozen holes.

Pre bake your crust for 5 minutes. Remove and coat the bottom of the crust with a thin layer of the sauce. Add the sliced mozzarella from 1 round and 1 cup of the asiago. Sprinkle half of the shallots over the cheese, followed by half of the mushrooms. Crumble 2 tablespoons of the feta randomly around the edges of the pizza. Brush the edge of the crust with an egg wash and then finish the pizza off with 1 cup of the parmesan, being sure to coat the crust.

Bake the pizza for 10-14 minutes more and the cheese is melted and bubbling. 1 minute before you pull the pizza out, dash a few ribbons of chiffonade basil over the top.

If you are using a standard pizza pan, you will need to cook the pizza for longer for a crunchier finish, about 5 minutes.

Remove and transfer the pizza to a cutting board to slice. Drizzle with good white truffle oil. Cool for several minutes before slicing.

Repeat with the second round or freeze the dough for up to one month in an airtight container. If freezing, place the dough in the fridge the day before you plan to use it.

Of course, this pizza crust is just as good decorated any way you choose, but by all means, please enjoy!

Serves 4-6

*If you try to force it, you are lost.” Henri Cartier Bresson, from the documentary about his work, The Impassioned Eye.

I was reading through one of my old cookbooks, Simple Cuisine, by Jean-George Vongerichten the other day and came across a recipe for sweet pea pancakes. The name of the recipe alone was enough to keep my interest, but the thing that really grabbed my attention was the vibrant green color of the cakes. One of my favorite axioms about food is that if a dish cannot be eaten with the eyes then it shouldn’t be eaten at all, and these cakes were so simple in their beauty, I could feel my eyes begin to salivate. Then when I saw that the recipe called for browned butter, let’s just say the decision was made for me.

So I set out to make a gluten free version to share with everyone so you too can delight in these delicate little poppers.

Although Mr. Vongerichten serves his cakes with a tomato consomme, I decided to pair mine with mild kalamata tampanade, a touch of cream fraiche, and a few ribbons of preserved scotch peppers and chives. Served with a bright rose or a crisp sauvignon blanc, these sweet pea pancakes are ideal starters for your next dinner celebration.

Jean-George Vongerichten’s Sweet Pea Pancakes with Kalamata Tampanade, Crème Fraiche, Scotch Peppers and Chives

For the Cakes:

1 ½ cups organic sweet peas
1 ½ tablespoons glutinous rice flour
1 ½ tablespoons cassava flour (tapioca flour)
1 tablespoon gluten free oat flour
¼ teaspoon guar gum
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
scant ½ cup organic heavy cream or half and half
1 whole organic egg
1 organic egg yolk
5 tablespoons organic sweet butter
pepper to taste

¼ cup kalamata tampanade
¼ cup crème fraiche
2 preserved scotch peppers
1/3 cup organic chives
8 sage leaves

To begin, add the frozen organic peas to 2 ½ cups filtered water and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the peas and transfer them to a food processor with the blade attachment. Add the flours, guar gum, salt, heavy cream, egg and egg yolk and mix until smooth.

Brown 3 tablespoons of the butter and add it to the egg mixture. Process on high for about a minute. Season with salt and pepper and process again. Give the mixture one last taste and season accordingly, if necessary.

Melt the remaining butter in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter begins to foam, add tablespoon-sized drops of the batter and cook the cakes until golden brown around the edges, about two minutes per side. The trick with these cakes is to maintain the heat of the pan, so after you have cooked about half of the batter, reduce the heat slightly so the cakes don’t burn.

To Serve

First fan the pancakes in the center of your serving plate. Add a small amount of prepared kalamata tampanade, which is readily available at most specialty food stores, to the center of a pancake along with a dollop of crème fraiche. Finely dice 1/3 cup chives and chiffonade the scotch peppers. Garnish with one or two ribbons of scotch peppers followed by a light shower of chives. Place a couple of sage leaves in the middle of your fanned out cakes.

Serves 4

Joaquim Sunyar, 1874-1956
Pastoral, 1910-1911
Oil on Canvas
Generalitat de Catalunya, Department de Cultrua, Barcelona, Spain
Catalan Painter

I adore hummus. Whenever I’m out to eat and see it offered as an appetizer, I invariably order it because everyone seems to have their own interpretation. Some load theirs to the gills with garlic, leaving you with dragon breath for days, while others are much more subtle in their approach by keeping the ratio of ingredients balanced but adding a flash of spices to kick start your taste buds. I’m definitely much more subtle in my approach, where harmony is king and cumin, cayenne, and plump currents are my rock star additions. Naturally, because everyone has their own opinion about what makes a truly good hummus, all I will ask of you is have you ever tried it with cumin and currents? If not, this unlikely combination will be sure to surprise even the harshest of critics.

My homemade pita, made two ways, was a true labor of love. As you all know, in gluten free baking, when you add yeast to the equation, it creates a completely different set of very difficult challenges. In standard baking, the gluten proteins act like a rubber band. When yeast is added to this band, as the yeast expands, the band expands with it, stretching to incredible limits, resulting in all those gorgeous loaves of bread. Gluten free bread making is the elimination of that rubber band-leaving you with nothing to expand in tandem with the yeast, resulting in a dense, bitter, crumbly mess. So how does one make a yeast bread with no rubber band?

After four non-stop days of development that included mastering the art of proofing yeast, ten prototypes-seven of which had to be thrown out completely, and an unwavering will, I finally came up with two recipes that taste, according to my gluten-eating friends/taste testers, “EXACTLY like the real thing.”

So roll up your sleeves and have a moment of joy in the kitchen! You’ll be blown away with your own success.

Cumin and Current Hummus

1 cup dried organic chickpeas
1/2 cup organic lemon juice
2 cloves organic garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup filtered water
2 tablespoons organic safflower oil
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 teaspoon organic cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon organic cumin, ground
organic olive oil for serving
scant 2/3 cup organic currents

Soak the chickpeas overnight in a medium saucepan with 3 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, covered with a tight fitting lid.

The next day, add an additional 1 teaspoon of kosher salt to the water and boil the chickpeas until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the chickpeas.

Add the lemon juice, garlic, and salt to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and pulse until smooth. Add the chickpeas and water and again pulse until smooth. Add the safflower oil, tahini, cayenne pepper, and cumin. Mix till smooth. Salt to taste.

Pour the hummus into a large glass bowl and then stir in the currents. Transfer to your serving bowl or plate, bore out a crater in the center of the hummus and fill with olive oil. Garnish with a shake or two of cayenne and additional currents. Serve with fresh pita cut into triangles.

Will keep refrigerated in an airtight glass container for up to a week and a half.

Photos by Knoxy

Pita Bread, Two Ways

The trick to this bread is successfully proofing, or checking the viability of, the yeast. The water temperature is crucial here, so don’t get frustrated if the yeast doesn’t grow on your first try. If the water is just barely too cold, it kills the yeast. If it’s just barely too warm, it will have the same effect. It took me five proofs before I got it down, so don’t loose heart if it’s not a success after your first try. To do this, in a small glass bowl, add 1/2 teaspoon of gluten free active dry yeast to 1 1/2 teaspoons just barely warm water (~94 degrees F), with 1/4 teaspoon of granulated sugar. Whisk to smooth. Allow to sit for 15 minutes. The yeast should more than double in size.

For Way One:

1/2 teaspoon gluten free active dry yeast, proofed
1/4 cup sweet sorghum flour
1/4 cup organic millet flour
1/4 cup gluten free oat flour
1/4 cup arrowroot flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons glutinous rice flour
2 teaspoons guar gum
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons finely shaved parmesan cheese
scant 3/4 cup lukewarm filtered water
1 organic egg white
2 tablespoons organic olive oil

Combine all the dry ingredients, except the salt, in the bowl of your stand up mixer and whisk to amalgamate. Transfer the bowl to the mixer and add the dough hook attachment. Add the proofed yeast and begin mixing on the lowest setting. Add the lukewarm water, scrapping down the flour into the water and resume mixing on medium low speed. Now add the salt, parmesan cheese and then the egg white. Raise the mixing speed to medium high, add the olive oil and continue to mix on medium high for 5-7 minutes.

The dough will be very soft, but this is exactly what you want. Using a pastry scrapper, transfer the dough to a counter generously dusted with glutinous rice flour.

Dust the top of the dough with additional glutinous rice flour and knead the dough, by pulling the dough from the back to the front, until it is smooth. The dough will be sticky at the fore and will finish as a smooth ball.

Grease a glass bowl with just enough olive oil to slick the surface. Transfer the dough to the bowl, cover it with a flour cloth. Place the bowl in a non-draft area of your kitchen and allow to rise for 1 1/2 hours and has more than doubled in volume.

Don’t punch the dough down. Instead, using a pastry scrapper, turn the dough onto a counter generously dusted with glutinous rice flour and knead at least 21 times. The dough should again be a smooth disk.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Using a bench knife, quarter the dough. Shape each quarter into a ball. Dust a standard jelly roll pan with glutinous rice flour.

On your dusted counter, using only the heel of your hand, gently shape the dough into a flat disk no more than 7 inches in diameter. The dough is very delicate, so transfer to your prepared pan with a bench knife or pastry scrapper. Repeat with the remaining three balls of dough.

Bake at 500 degrees for eleven minutes exactly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan until you can handle the pita.

For Way Two:

Make in the exact same fashion as Way One, just substitute 1 tablespoon of the glutinous rice flour with flax flour. When you bake Way Two, the pita will puff up into little pillow, making them ideal for filling as a pita sandwich. Both Ways are incredibly delicious with the hummus.

To serve the pita, quarter each round with a very sharp knife.

Will store in parchment paper bags for two days.

Each Way Serves 4

Milton H. Greene, 1922-1985
Richard Burton, New York, 1960
American Fashion & Celebrity Photographer

While I was in New York a couple of weeks ago I had a deep need to be able to walk into a bakery and just buy something. I wanted something that was regional and I wanted something that was moist and would crumb all over my napkin while I sipped my morning coffee, but this desire just wasn’t realized. Is it too much for a girl to ask for a gluten free crumb cake while in the city? As difficult as it is to get around and the time restraints I had before me, I just couldn’t seem to find a moment to scoot down to Babycakes to see what gluten free items they had in store. Alas, next time.

So during my flight home, I carefully ruminated over my stay, making a careful mental list of the amazing encounters I had with old and new friends –that includes you, Laura and Aimee! The only thing that was left undone was satisfying that lingering wish to eat that elusive bit of cake. So as the plane sailed through the clouds, I began brainstorming. I pulled out my trusty recipe log and scribbled down what I’d been envisioning for the last three days…

A gluten free version of a New York style crumb cake that puts raised eyebrows back into your coffee break. The crumbs on top are delicate, crunchy little orbs of butter, exploding with flashes of molasses and waves of cinnamon that gracefully roll off the top as you bite into a supremely moist, vanilla infused confection. And even though I was back at my studio in Austin, I felt every bit the New Yorker, with a confetti party of crumbs covering my plate.

NEW YORK CITY CRUMB CAKE

For the cake:

½ cup gluten free oat flour
½ cup arrowroot flour
¼ cup glutinous rice flour
1 teaspoon guar gum
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ + 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
¼ + 1/8 teapoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons organic vegetable shortening, like Spectrum
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 organic eggs, like Jeremiah’s
2/3 cup organic sour cream
2 teaspoons double strength vanilla extract, like Penzy’s

For the topping:

¾ cup gluten free oat flour
½ cup tapioca flour
¼ cup glutinous rice flour
1 teaspoon guar gum
½ cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons organic ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick organic butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch glass or porcelain baking dish with vegetable shortening and set aside.

Into a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, pour all the dry ingredients and mix to combine. Add the vegetable shortening and mix on the lowest setting until you can no longer see any clumps of the shortening, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and sour cream and mix on medium high speed until the batter is thick and smooth. Finish by mixing in the vanilla just until you can no longer see brown ribbons through the batter.

Pour into your prepared baking dish and bake for 35-45 minutes and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and carefully top with the topping, being careful to avoid touching the sides of the pan.

Return the pan to the oven, turn the oven off, and allow the cake to sit in the oven for 14 minutes to set the topping.

Cool the cake on a wire rack for 30 minutes.

Slice into squares to serve.

Serves 12

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, 1886-1969
Honeycomb, Friedrichstrasse Skyscrapper, Berlin. Competition, 1921
Charcoal and pencil on brown paper, mounted on board, 68 1/4 x 48″
The Museum of Modern Art, Mies van der Rohe Archive
German born American Architect

Oh the meatball. Just how does one make a meatball that is both gluten free, moist, and flavor filled? Very easily as it turns out. Below is a super simple recipe for my Nonna’s Summer Meatballs that will make you feel like you are dining at one of the outdoor cafes in Rome.

So go out and buy a bottle of the bubbly, set up your outdoor dinning table and make a toast to the dawning of summer.

Photo by Knoxy

Organic Meatballs

1 lb. organic grass fed beef, (85% lean) like Organic Prairie
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon organic dry mustard
3/4 teaspoon organic fennel seeds
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese (organic if available)
3/4 teaspoon organic garlic powder
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 organic corn cakes, like Real Foods, pulverized
1 organic egg
1/4 cup filtered water

In a very clean glass bowl, combine all the the ingredients and mix thoroughly with your hands until all the liquids have been absorbed. Cover tightly, with cellophane, being sure the cellophane only comes into contact with the bowl, and refrigerate until you finish your sauce.

Nonna’s Spaghetti Sauce

1 medium organic red onion, diced
3 organic carrots, diced
2 organic celery stalks, diced
2 organic garlic cloves, minced
3 organic roma tomatoes, de-seeded and diced
2-24oz. cans organic diced tomatoes with basil, like Muir Glen
5 organic parsley stalks, leaves only, minced
25 organic basil leaves, chopped
2 organic bay leaves
1 teaspoon crushed, organic dried rosemary
2 cups water
3 cups red wine
kosher salt to taste
cracked black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil

1 lb. gluten free brown rice pasta, like Tinkyada

14 organic baby asparagus spears
1 cup organic peas

In a heavy bottomed, 9 quart dutch oven, heat the olive oil and then add the red onion, carrots, and celery. Sweat the vegetables on medium low heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and continue to cook the vegetables until the onions are translucent and the carrots are tender. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Then add the fresh roma and the canned tomatoes. Add the herbs, including the bay leaves, and the 2 cups of water. Stir with a wooden spoon. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 30 minutes. Pour in the red wine and stir to incorporate. Season to taste. Reduce the heat to low and cook down for 1 hour. Season again to taste.

Pass the sauce through a food mill and then return the sauce to the pan.

Now roll out 14 meatballs into 1-inch rounds. Heat about 2 tablespoons safflower oil in a 7.25 quart dutch oven. Fry the meatballs , 2-3 minutes per side until browned.

When the balls are done, transfer them to the red sauce.

Now boil your pasta in a 10 quart pot with 1 tablespoon of salt. Drain and rinse.

While the pasta is boiling, blanch the asparagus for 3 minutes. Blanch the peas until tender, about 4 minutes. If you are using frozen peas, simply cook them until tender. Transfer the vegetables to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. When the asparagus is cool enough to handle, cut in to thirds on the bias.

Coarsely grate 2 cups of parmesan cheese into a glass bowl.

Now plate the dishes:

Coil a pile of pasta in the center of serving plate. Spoon the sauce over the spaghetti. Sprinkle a few peas and arrange a few asparagus beside the pasta. Fill in the gaps with the meatballs. Garnish with the grated parmesan cheese and a sprig of basil. Place the additional parmesan on the table family style.

Serves 4

Photographer Unknown
Spaghetti Suckers

Although I have nearly phased fish out of my diet almost completely, I awoke last Tuesday craving a fresh fish salad, so I decided to whip up one last hurrah as I made the shift for good.

Rockfish, or striped bass, is a delicate white flakey fish that literally melts in your mouth in its lightness, so my choice of fish was simple after thinking about it for a spell and the way I chose to serve it bloomed quite quickly:

Lime infused corn cakes dressed with a rockfish salad that has been tossed in a cilantro and sea bean aioli, served with an organic mache goat cheese salad with toasted Texas pecans tossed in a light balsamic vinaigrette. As an alternative, you can also substitute the fish with freshly diced avocado, which, to me is equally refreshing.

Not only is this divinely delicious, it also happens to be incredibly easy to make. The corn cakes and the aioli can be prepared up to a day in advance, but the rockfish is best served at room temperature, so I suggest cooking the fish just before you are ready to serve. Furthermore, since mache is incredibly delicate, I strongly suggest not to dress the greens until moments before you serve so the leaves maintain their springy crispness.

Lime Infused Corn Cakes

2 cups masa harina
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon guar gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1/4 cup vegetable oil for frying

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the vegetable oil, water and lime juice. Briskly stir with a wooden spoon until thick yet smooth.

Scoop out the dough and pat into 7 rounds about 1/2 inch thick and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan and then fry the cakes, three to four at time, for 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer the fried cakes to a wire rack set over paper towels to drain.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Place the corncakes on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 7-10 minutes and they have a slight hollow sound when tapped on the top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack set over paper towels.

Next, prepare your aioli.

Cilantro Aioli

½ cup hellman’s mayonnaise
juice of ½ a lime
2 tablespoons finely shopped cilantro
1 minced garlic clove
7 sea beans, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
6 cherry tomatoes, quartered

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lime juice and cilantro just until smooth. Add the garlic, sea beans, kosher salt and pepper, whisking till smooth. Season to taste as necessary and set aside or store in a glass container until ready to use. If you are serving the next day, do not quarter your cherry tomatoes until this time.

Photos by Knoxy

Rockfish

1 8-ounce Rockfish filet (wild caught)
kosher salt
black pepper
2 tablespoons salted organic cultured prairie butter, like Organic Valley

Remove any bones from your filet of Rockfish. Salt and pepper both sides of the fish. Melt the butter in a 12” skillet and when it begins to foam, add the fish and fry for 4-5 minutes per side until golden; longer if the filet is quite thick.

Transfer the fish to a plate to cool. When the fish is cool, flake the fish into pieces and toss in 3/4 of the the cilantro aioli with the quartered tomatoes. Reserve the remaining aioli for dipping.

If you are substituting the fish with avocado, dice two small organic avocados and immediately toss in the aioli to prevent the flesh from browning.

Now, prepare your salad. First rinse your mache and gently shake each bundle to remove any excess water and place on a paper towel to drain for about 10 minutes, leave-side down. If you drain it in a colander, make sure it is a large one to leave ample space for the greens as they have a tendency to cling together, trapping tremendous amounts of water in the layers of leaves.

In a small glass bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar with 3 teaspoons grape seed oil, and a pinch of kosher salt until homogenous.

Toast your pecans (preferably the Texas variety are far sweeter; other varieties can be bitter) in a 350°F oven for 7-10 minutes. The moment you can smell the nuts, they are done. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Gently toss your mache in half of the salad dressing. If the greens seem overly dry, then add the remainder of the dressing. The key here is to not over-dress the mache because it will cause the greens to wilt.

To Serve:

Take one of your corncakes and slice it in half the way you would a bagel. Place the bottom of the cake on your plate and then spoon the dressed rockfish over the cake. Lean the other half against the top of the cake an garnish with two sea beans.

Place a handful of the dressed mache on the plate and then crumble a bit of the goat cheese over the greens and add a few toasted pecans.

Serves 4

The remaining 3 corn cakes will keep nicely in a glass container for up to 3 days in the fridge. You can also freeze them for up to 3 weeks.