Oatmeal Cookies and Carrot Muffins

Cooler weather is finally here and I've had a low-key weekend, so last minute flights of baking fancy are known to occur. In the true spirit of my name (Demetria, after Demeter, Greek goddess of the harvest), I used some of the bounty early fall provides. Dinner last night was roast chicken with carrots and potatoes tossed in the crockpot and allowed to go for several hours on high. The resultant stock will be used in potato leek soup.

As for the title of this entry, I have been craving a soft, chewy oatmeal cookie for a couple of weeks now. The past couple of recipes we've used resulted in disappointment. Not enough chew, insufficient spice. I was bound and determined to be satisfied this time. Thankfully, I was. They are flavorful and soft, with the added bonus of containing only 4 Tbs. of butter for the entire recipe. I changed the base recipe a bit, but only in that I added more spices. Below, I used approximations of what I did.

The carrot muffins were simply an idea I had and went hunting for something that would be substantial in flavor and, again, changed things around to suit me better. They came out of the oven maybe 20 minutes ago and Luke has already eaten 2. They are not overly sweet (which is why I included the original amount of sugar for those with a sweeter tooth) and would be wonderful with some butter and honey and a steaming cup of chai.

Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
(350* 13-15 mins.
makes 3-4 dozen)

4 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. chunky applesauce (I used homemade)
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 c. rolled oats
1 1/2 c. flour
1 c. raisins
1/2 cup nuts (I chose pecans)

Preheat the oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a bowl, cream melted butter and both sugars. To that add egg, applesauce and vanilla, stirring to combine. In a separate bowl, mix together remaining dry ingredients, including nuts and raisins. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir until combined.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto baking sheets and bake for 13-15 mins. each. The centers should still be a bit soft, but the edges set. When done, allow to sit on the baking sheet for 5 mins. and then transfer to a wire rack to cool (if you can keep from eating them still warm).

Carrot Spice Muffins
(350* 15-20 mins.
makes 18 or so)

2/3 lb. carrots, grated
3/4 c. applesauce
1/4 c. canola oil
1-2 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
2 c. flour (I used half white, half whole wheat)
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 c. sugar (I used half brown, half white and reduced from 1 1/4 c. total)
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. each cloves, ginger, cardamom and nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 and grease or line a muffin tin. In one bowl, combine carrot, applesauce, eggs, oil and vanilla. In another, combine the dry. Add wet to dry and mix just until moist. Spoon into muffin tin and bake. When done, allow to sit in tins 5 mins. or so before allowing them to cool on a wire rack.

Lazy, lazy blogger...

I have been remiss lately, as life has been keeping me out of the kitchen. Plus, when I'm actually cooking, I haven't been thinking to photograph the results.

The above photo is one of my crisper drawer. It is full, clearly, of potatoes and carrots and we have easily that many more of both in the main body of the fridge. Our CSA is winding down and they've had a bumper crop of both carrots and potatoes. So many, in fact, that they're harvesting twice what they projected and are doling out double portions every week. Just this week, we received 3 pounds of carrots and 2 bags of potatoes, each a different variety. There is also a standard sized paper grocery bag of apples in there, 2 large bags of green beans, 8 or so ears of sweet corn and a bucket load of squash.

We plan dinners through a weekly menu. It helps us to keep grocery bills down and eliminates last minute runs to the store. Plus, we know what we'll be having on a given night and it eliminates the interminable "What do you want for dinner?", "I don't know, what do *you* want for dinner?" back and forth that used to be so common around here. Having all necessary ingredients on hand allows for switching around, so if we're not feeling like one thing, we can choose another.

This week, potatoes are the name of the game. For breakfast this morning I made a giant batch of home fries and some scrambled eggs. Then, on a couple of nights this week, we have planned potato leek soup and a potato, chickpea, chicken curry. There will still be a surplus, I guarantee.

Carrots tend to be a bit more of a challenge. I enjoy them both cooked and raw, but Luke prefers the former, claiming he gets tired of chewing on the raw. I know plenty of things to do with them, but they seem to get eaten less. It's something we need to work on since there's no end to carrots in sight, particularly because we signed up for a winter share (consisting of a giant size delivery once a month in November and December).

As for the rest, the apples will be turned into baked goods and eaten out of hand. The squash, more than likely, will go bad. I feel terrible about this, but it seems inevitable. The green beans, corn and broccoli will be blanched and frozen for winter. Odds and ends will have a use found for them.

Bubble Loaf!

I've been wanting cinnamon rolls, but not the work it takes to make them. Bubble loaf is the closest approximation. Most people know this cinnamon-sugar sweet bread as Monkey Bread, but here in the Tatertot household, that term is verboten. Luke has a preternatural hatred of all things simian passed down through generations of his family.

This is not good for you. If you become an addict, I am not to blame, for you took it upon yourself to make and eat it.

I've made it before, but it took a lot of work, so I went with using the bread machine this time. It took about the same amount of time, but not nearly so much work.

Again, I am a cheater when it comes to bread making, but normal bread techniques apply.

Bubble Loaf
(375* 20-25 mins.
serves ?)

Dough:
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
3 cups bread flour
2 1/2 tsp. yeast

Delicious coating:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter

Place dough ingredients in bread machine and set for the dough cycle. When the cycle ends, remove the dough from the pan to a lightly floured surface and knead 10-12 times. Cut dough into 1" pieces. Combine the brown sugar and melted butter in a bowl and coat all of the individual dough pieces with it, dropping each piece into a Bundt or tube pan evenly. Preheat the oven and lightly cover the dough-filled pan with plastic wrap and rise in a warm place (I put it on top of the preheating stove) for about half an hour or until it has risen to the top of the pan. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20-25 mins.

When the loaf is done, allow it to cool slightly before turning it out onto a plate and allowing people to devour it. Some people also put a confectioner's sugar glaze on it, but I think it's just fine as is.

In Spite of the Blight, Fresh Tomato Lasagna

I grew up with an Italian grandma. Garlic, basil and tomatoes are in my very DNA. That said, traditional lasagna is a lot of work. Delicious, yes, but also heavy and time consuming to make. Traditional lasagna is the sort of thing I crave when the leaves start to turn and the low spots bear frost in the morning. Fortunately for me, I have a wonderful friend who is also a wonderful cook. Molly Belle was my high school best friend's aunt and she would have the two of us over to her apartment in Cambridge (Massachusetts, y'all), take us to art-house movies and feed us artisan bread and spectacular dinners. This recipe is one she made us back in 2000 and it's been since then that I've had it. I'm making it tonight.

This morning I woke up and had to have this. We ran out to the smaller (better?) Hilldale farmer's market and grabbed an enormous bunch of basil, several plum tomatoes ($1.50/lb.!), some scallions and a huge number of patty pan squash for just over six dollars.

Mid-summer is a time for fresh vegetables and allowing them to show off their myriad wonders of flavor. Fresh tomatoes and basil cook down into a spectacular sauce that must be sopped up with a fresh loaf of Italian bread. Better yet, there is no fussing with pre-cooking lasagna noodles (though, I admit I gave that up the day Barilla introduced their no-cook noodles anyway).

Fresh Tomato Lasagna
(400* 1 hour)

6 large tomatoes, sliced 1/4" thick
4 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced
4 oz. fontina cheese, grated
1/4 cup fresh basil, chiffonade
1/4 cup Romano cheese, grated
lasagna noodles, as many as it takes
salt
fresh ground black pepper
olive oil

In the bottom of the dish (I am using an oblong 2 qt. Corningware) place a layer of tomatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place a layer of noodles on top, followed by another layer of tomatoes and salt and pepper. Next, layer all of the fontina, more noodles, all the mozzarella, 1/2 the Romano, further noodles and the remaining tomatoes, basil and Romano. Drizzle the top with olive oil and bake.

As I said before, it's soupy. Serve it in bowls with the aforementioned bread, buttered. This is a summer meal that cannot be beat and the ease of preparation makes it all the more alluring.

(As a side note, I had half a tomato left over, along with basil and mozzarella. I must confess to being a lifelong raw tomato disliker and know it is more a textural issue than a flavor one, but I have been teaching myself to eat them. I made a tiny Caprese salad with the remaining bits and enjoyed it thoroughly. So, to the raw tomato haters, give it a shot by taking slices of tomato, slices of fresh mozzarella and basil leaves, layering them, sprinkling with s+p and drizzling with olive oil before eating. You may be surprised. Alternately, you can take those very same things plus some Italian or French bread, turn on the broiler and have a nice little pizza.)

Rustic Peach Tart

It's hot here in Wisconsin and, while I appreciate the fresh food of summer, I actually hate almost everything else about it. I'm guessing that this is due to the fact that I can't bake. I obviously tossed the no baking thing out the window yesterday, what with the muffins and all, but I loathe turning on the air conditioning and baking in upper-80s weather makes you have to.

Peaches are in season. I had to have some. I also had to bake with some. Initially I had planned to make a pie, but I didn't really want to invest that much time. Thus, a rustic (also termed free-form) tart. This can be done with any fruit or combination of things you want. I've done combinations of plum, raspberry and nectarine in the past.

Rustic Peach Tart
(425* for 45-55 mins.)

For the crust:

1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup cold butter, shortening, lard (or combination thereof) cut into small pieces
1/8 - 1/4 cup ice cold water

Combine flour, sugar and salt in a bowl and drop bits of the chilled fat on top. With a pair of forks, pastry blender or your fingers work until you have the texture of coarse sand with some larger chunks here and there. Add water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, until dough comes together. Form a disk and place in the refrigerator or freezer until firm.

For the filling:

1 1/2 lbs. fresh peaches
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4-1/2 tsp. almond or vanilla extract.

Wash and slice peaches and place them in a bowl with the remaining ingredients and toss gently. Let them sit until you are ready to use them.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and, when the crust is sufficiently chilled, roll out the dough into a rough 14" circle. Gently transfer the dough onto the parchment lined baking sheet and spoon the peaches and accumulated juice into the center, leaving a 2" - 3" border. Fold the edges up against the mound of fruit, pressing gently so the folds adhere to one another. Brush with cream and sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake for 45-55 mins. or until the crust is golden brown and the visible juices are bubbly.

Serve warm or at room temperature with good quality vanilla ice cream.

This is the first time I've used this crust. I usually go with the America's Test Kitchen version which includes a bit of corn meal for stability. When slicing time comes, we'll see if it holds up.

Zucchini Muffins

Our CSA has been churning out produce like crazy lately. It's hit full stride and I'm both overjoyed and a little overwhelmed. We've gotten tons of carrots, garlic, green beans, cucumbers, lettuce, sweet corn and now, that perennial summer veg, the zucchini. After receiving 2 last week and 2 this week, I decided something had to be done. That something was muffins.

Zucchini Muffins
(350* 20-25 mins. Makes 24
or 50-60 mins. and 2 loaves))

3 eggs
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour (I used 1 1/2 whole wheat and 1 1/2 all purpose)
1 tsp. (heaping) cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chocolate chips, raisins, dried fruit or combination thereof

Preheat the oven to 350 and line 24 muffin cups with liners or grease and flour 2 5 x 9 in. loaf pans. Whisk together the eggs, oil, butter and sugar then add the zucchini and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine all the remaining dry ingredients. Add the wet to the dry and stir just until moist. Fill the muffin cups/loaf pans evenly and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for several minutes and then place on a wire rack to cool.

Homemade Ice Cream So Fast Your Head Will Spin

So, I did this on the fly and I neglected to take pictures a.) prior to eating it and b.) before putting it in an unsightly plastic container, but this is such an easy thing to make, given that you have a blender or food processor and 5 minutes to spare. I was skeptical when I came upon the idea, but not having the motivation to bake and wanting something sweet, in I dove.

This would make the perfect complement to a cookout with friends. It takes so little time and no hot oven. It is sweet, fruity and fresh tasting. I am pretty sure I will make it again, as I've learned I have little patience for the ice cream maker we bought and the space it requires in our tiny freezer for lengthy periods prior to even making ice cream.

Fast and Delicious Homemade Ice Cream
(serves 3ish)

12 oz. frozen fruit (I used raspberries and blueberries, some I had frozen myself and some store-bought)
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream (though yogurt or milk would surely work)
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Toss all ingredients into food processor bowl and let go until consistency is even and fruit is cut up. It should be the texture of soft serve.

Should you have leftovers, pop it into a freezer friendly container and press a layer of plastic wrap over it to prevent freezer burn and freeze.