De Ma Cuisine

Apricots Archive

Wednesday

16

December 2015

0

COMMENTS

Garlic and Herb Bread

Written by , Posted in Appetizers, Bread, Cheese, Dairy-Free, Fruit, Gluten Free, Herbs, Nuts, Sandwiches, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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If you need me this winter, I’ll likely be cooking soup, eating soup, chilling soup, reheating soup, and baking all sorts of bread to go with the soup. This is my favorite time of year for that reason. Normally, I’m content with bread still a bit warm from the oven to go with it. You know how they say that there’s nothing like freshly baked bread? They’re right. (By the way, who are “they”?) Sometimes it’s fun to do more than just have bread and butter though. I mean, I learned while in Paris that there is probably nothing I’d rather eat forever and ever than a French baguette with French butter. Literally. I might be willing to give up bacon. But, as we crunched into this herby, garlic studded bread, I couldn’t decide what I liked better, the bread or the Turkey Noodle Soup I’d made to go with it. And I didn’t miss the butter at all.

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This isn’t an ordinary garlic bread. I threw in some fresh herbs (rosemary from last week’s Abundant Harvest Organics box, and basil from my garden) and a bunch of greens. I used spinach this time, but when I planned the recipe I did so with kale in mind. I’d also use arugula, mizuna, chard, or bok choy. If you don’t have greens, but you want it to be green in color, you could make it with peas… Why not?!

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For the cheese I opted for colby jack. But, parmesan, goat, feta, cream cheese, or ricotta would be great too.

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I added some nuts, just to make it interesting. To make it even more so, you could add: fennel, asparagus, mushrooms, cabbage, kohlrabi, olives, radicchio, apples (not with garlic or chives), or apricots (not with chives), depending on what’s in season.

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After I blended it up I realized that this is basically a pesto. Pestos often have something green, some nuts, garlic, cheese, and olive oil. This has all of that and more. The great thing about this realization is that if there are leftovers, there’s a lot to do with them.

– mix into pasta

– make into grilled cheese

– add to soup

– stir into risotto

– top a baked potato (or make into twice baked potatoes)

– add it to hasselback potatoes

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I love this bread served with whatever soup I’ve got on hand. But, on its own it also makes for a fabulous snack.

Happy Eating!

Garlic and Herb Bread

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 10

Garlic and Herb Bread

Ingredients

  • 8-10 cloves garlic
  • 2 t fresh rosemary or thyme
  • 2 T fresh basil or chives
  • 2 C greens (kale, spinach, arugula, chard, mizuna, bok choy etc...) or use peas
  • (optional) 1C any: fennel, asparagus, mushrooms, cabbage, kohlrabi, olives, radicchio, apples (not with garlic or chives), or apricots (not with chives)
  • 1/2 to 1 C nuts (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts)
  • 2 C cheese (parmesan - for vegan could use bread crumbs and capers*, goat, feta, cream cheese, or ricotta), grated or crumbled
  • 1/4 to 1/3 C olive oil
  • 1 t lemon zest
  • 2 t lemon juice
  • to taste salt
  • good pinch cayenne
  • 1 loaf of your favorite bread, sliced

Instructions

  1. Place garlic through cayenne in a food processor. Blend for 20-40 seconds, scrape down the sides and blend for about 10 seconds more. Taste for seasoning.
  2. Spread mixture on bread. Either broil for 2-5 minutes (watch it carefully so it doesn't burn), bake until bubbly and browned, or put between the slices of bread (or slice bread horizontally), wrap in foil, and bake until warmed through.
http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/garlic-and-herb-bread/

Monday

14

July 2014

1

COMMENTS

Apricot and Black Pepper Galette

Written by , Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert, Eggs, Fruit, Lunch, Vegetarian

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Remember that time when my blog was broken… for like two months… and then Tim and some friends fixed it?

Yeah, they fixed it just because they’re nice people.

So I made them a galette.

Sometimes thank you needs to be said in the form of food.

David, Andy, Vic, and of course Tim, thank you. I can cook the food, take the pictures, and type some letters in here. But, when something breaks, it takes brains like yours to know how to make things better. I am grateful.

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So grateful that I’m sharing our stone fruit. Sharing it and converting it into a thank you treat.

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We had some over-ripe apricots in the fridge. You know, the ones that are kinda wrinkly and you think they might be good for nothing? Instead, you find that they’re super soft and sweet. Just perfect for a galette.

Nectarines, peaches, plums, apriums, and pluots could all be substituted. You know, use what you have on hand.

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Lemon zest. It needed to be a part of this dish. I just can’t get enough. It’s an essential part of my pantry, so I try to have lemons on hand no matter what the season. They brighten almost any dish.

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Apricots are combined with a bit of butter, some honey, and maple syrup.

Aaaand black pepper.

Don’t skip this. Black pepper goes really well with stone fruit.

Seriously!

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I made a pie crust. I used Alana’s recipe from her cookbook, which is one of my favorites, called The Homemade Pantry (it’s on page 150). It was super easy and I really liked how it turned out. Sooo yeah, I’ll be making that again (along with her Maple Popcorn which I’ve made twice and can’t stop stuffing into my face).

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Alana suggests folding the crust in half and then in half again to move it from the counter to the pan. I did this. It worked well.

Winner.

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All that sweet filling is plomped in the center of the crust.

I think this is gonna be good.

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The filling is sprinkled with chopped almonds. For crunch. Walnuts would be great too. Or if you’re not nuts about nuts (sorry, I couldn’t resist), leave ’em out.

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To make the crust all shiny and pretty I whisked an egg and brushed it onto the crust. You don’t have to do this, but it’s an easy way to make your galette go from pretty to spectacular.

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I was all proud of myself for making a crust that held together and didn’t have any holes for the filling to leak out of.

Wrong.

It leaked all over the place. (This happened the first time I made a galette too.)

The good thing is that it turns into candy.

Accidental candy.

I ate most of it.

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The rest I scraped off the pan and drizzled over the galette.

Yep, now the galette has caramel sauce on it.

Super fancy.

(If your galette doesn’t leak, pat yourself on the back and then email me to tell me how you did it. Ok? Ok.)

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The whole process took me a while, from pie crust start to drizzling finish. But, it’s not all that complicated or difficult. And it’s so worth it.

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Make this ahead of time and then invite your favorite people to join you for dinner. I would like to eat this outside, under a nice shade tree, after some barbecue and potato salad. And the leftovers, if there are any, might get a dollop of Greek yogurt and turn into breakfast.

That’s how we roll at our house.

Happy Eating!

Apricot and Black Pepper Galette
Recipe Type: Dessert, Fruit, Summer
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time: 75 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Total time: 1 hour 45 mins
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 pie crust
  • 1/8 to 1/4 C honey
  • 1/8 to 1/4 C maple syrup
  • 1 t lemon zest
  • 1 T lemon juice
  • pinch salt
  • 1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 C super ripe apricots (plums, peaches, nectarines, pluots, apriums could be substituted or added)
  • 1 T butter, cut into small pieces
  • butter, for baking
  • flour, for baking
  • 2 T almonds, chopped
  • 1 egg, whisked
Instructions
  1. Prepare pie crust and chill for an hour. Remove from fridge 15 minutes before rolling out.
  2. Pre-heat the oven to 375F.
  3. Whisk together honey through pepper. Add apricots and butter, tossing gently to combine.
  4. Butter and lightly flour a piece of parchment paper, that’s on a baking sheet.
  5. Roll out pie crust to be about 12-14″ in diameter. Gently fold in half and in half again, and pick it up to place on the parchment paper. Unfold.
  6. Scoop the apricot mixture into the center of the crust. Sprinkle with almonds. Gently fold the crust up and around the filling, leaving the center open. Make sure there are no cracks, or the liquid will run. Brush crust with egg and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is golden and flaky.
  7. If any sauce leaks out, scrape off the pan with a spoon and drizzle over the galette (it will be like a caramel).
  8. Let cool completely before serving.
Notes
Prep time includes pie crust preparation.
3.2.1303

 

Friday

27

June 2014

2

COMMENTS

Vegan Fruit Crisp

Written by , Posted in Baking, Breakfast, Brunch, Dairy-Free, Dessert, Fruit, Gluten Free, Kid-Friendly, Quick and Easy, Vegan, Vegetarian

 

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A few weeks ago we were invited to a barbecue at the house of some friends. I brought the dessert. The only dessert.

One of my favorite go-to desserts is fruit crisp. I like to make it because it’s easy and because my mom used to make it all the time when I was growing up, so I have a sentimental attachment to it.

For this particular evening, I chose to make it because the friends who hosted are vegans. I wasn’t sure about trying to make a vegan cake. So I went with simple, and adapted my crisp to suit them.

Their son, Theo, was not impressed. He was expecting dessert. To a three year old, dessert means cake.

Oops.

The still warm crisp was dished out. Generous helpings. I was anxious to know if they liked it. As Theo was handed his plate his little face just crumpled and the cutest three year old voice says, “That’s not desse-wrt! Where’s the cake?”

Thankfully his parents liked it. 😉

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It’s the perfect dessert for whatever fruit is in season. Spring and summer: berries and stone fruit. Fall and winter: apples, pears, persimmons, and grapes. And it makes a fabulous breakfast the next day. Cold with some Greek yogurt, that’s how I like it. Or just standing in front of the fridge with the door open, shoveling spoonfuls into my mouth as I try to decide what to make for dinner. (I know, I know, I’m not supposed to decide with the fridge door open… My mom has told me a thousand times…)

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Sugars and juice are whisked together. Sweet sweet. But, it’s honey, maple syrup, and coconut palm sugar. No refined white sugar here. You can use white or brown sugar if you prefer. This is how I like it though.

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Super sweet and juicy, the fruit is tossed with the liquid and poured into a greased baking dish.

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I opted for summer fruits, because that’s what’s in season. Aren’t the colors pretty?

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A slightly less sweet, oaty, crumbly mixture will top the fruit.

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Oats for hearty goodness. And to make this a perfectly acceptable next day breakfast.

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Invite your favorite people over, or bring this to a barbecue.

Just be sure to remind them that it’s not cake.

(Sorry Theo.)

Happy Eating!

Vegan Fruit Crisp
 
Recipe Type: Dessert, Vegan, Fruit
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8-10
Perfect for any time of year, for vegans and non-vegans alike.
Ingredients
  • 2 C blueberries
  • 1 C strawberries (could sub blackberries), chopped
  • 2 C (heaping) nectarines (could sub apples, pears, plums, persimmons), chopped
  • 1/2 C apriums/apricots (could sub peaches), chopped
  • 1 T cornstarch
  • 1 t vanilla extract
  • 3 T orange juice
  • pinch salt
  • 1/3 C honey
  • 1/3 C coconut palm sugar (honey, maple syrup, or brown sugar will work too)
  • 1/3 C maple syrup (or honey)
  • 4 C oats
  • 1/3 C coconut palm sugar
  • 2 T whole wheat or Gluten-free flour
  • 1 t cinnamon
  • dash nutmeg
  • pinch allspice
  • 1/3 C maple syrup
  • 3 T coconut oil, melted
  • 2 T honey
  • 1 T coconut oil, plus more for greasing the pan
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
  2. Combine fruit in a bowl.
  3. Whisk together cornstarch, vanilla, orange juice, salt, honey, coconut palm sugar, and maple syrup. Toss with fruit.
  4. Combine oats, flour, coconut palm sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Add maple syrup, oil, and honey.
  5. Pour fruit into a greased 9×13 baking dish. Top with oat mixture. Press down slightly with a spatula. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until bubbly and hot.
  6. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving – it’s best just a little warmer than room temperature.
 
Notes
If you’d prefer a non-vegan crisp, use butter instead of coconut oil. If you have vegan friends who don’t eat honey, just use maple syrup. For gluten-free, use your favorite GF flour and oats.