Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

We all love garlic bread.  I have made many versions over the years. But I have to say that this recipe is the most amazing I have ever made.  Brought to the internet by Bon Appetit, I couldn’t resist making it.  It helps that my weight-conscious husband is on a motorcycle trip and I can eat anything that I want for dinner.  Last night it was bread and wine with a very small helping of cole slaw and pork.

Usually a confit refers to the method of cooking duck or goose in their own fats.  But in this case, whole cloves of garlic are cooked in butter until they are golden brown.  the mixture is then mashed together with Parmesan cheese, oregano, lemon zest and red pepper flakes.

The mixture is spread on a sliced baguette and broiled. Be very watchful of the bread because it can burn easily.  Not sure what I will do with the leftovers, but I will worry about that later.  I thoroughly enjoyed my indulgence.  My, oh my.  This was good.

GARLIC CONFIT TOAST

•  head garlic, cloves peeled
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 teaspoons chopped oregano
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt
• 1 baguette

Spreading my wings in cultural awareness of Middle Eastern Cuisine has taken me to cookbooks by Yotam Ottolenghi.  In partnership with Sami Tamimi he wrote the cookbook Jerusalem, his home city, which reflects the diverse cuisines of the Muslims, Christians and Jewish communities within its borders.  Now a well known vegetarian chef and restaurant owner in London, Ottolenghi has received many awards for his innovative cuisine.  More cookbooks followed among them Plenty and Plenty More.

From the cookbook Plenty More, I made this savory Cauliflower Cake.  Many of Ottolenghi’s recipes require unusual ingredients, but this is a pretty straightforward recipe.  The only ingredient that I did not have access to was nigella seeds.  As they are only sprinkled on the sides of the cake along with sesame seeds, I did not consider them necessary.

We love this cake.  Cauliflower florets are suspended in an eggy cake batter with flecks of rosemary, basil and red onions.  To make it even better in my mind, I added cubes of ham.  But you could leave it vegetarian and it would still be delicious.  There is added richness with lots of Parmesan cheese.  I think an aged cheddar would also be good.  I will be looking for nigella seeds because some reviewers said the seeds on the edges added a nice crunch.

You can serve this cake along with a salad for a light supper or make it for a brunch with friends.  It makes me happy.  Enjoy the coming Father’s Day weekend.

CAULIFLOWER CAKE

1 small cauliflower, outer leaves removed, broken into 1 1/4-inch florets (about 4 cups)
1 medium red onion, peeled (6 ounces)
5 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
7 large eggs
1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated Parmesan or another aged cheese
Melted unsalted butter, for brushing
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
1 teaspoon nigella seeds (also known as black caraway)
Salt and black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Place the cauliflower florets in a saucepan and add 1 teaspoon salt. Cover with water and simmer for 15 minutes, until the florets are quite soft. They should break when pressed with a spoon. Drain and set aside in a colander to dry.

Cut 4 round slices, each 1/4-inch/5-mm thick, off one end of the onion and set aside. Coarsely chop the rest of the onion and place in a small pan with the oil and rosemary. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring from time to time, until soft. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Transfer the onion to a large bowl, add the eggs and basil, whisk well, and then add the flour, baking powder, turmeric, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt, and plenty of pepper. Whisk until smooth before adding the cauliflower and stirring gently, trying not to break up the florets.

Line the base and sides of a 9 1/2-inch/24-cm springform cake pan with parchment paper. Brush the sides with melted butter, then mix together the sesame and nigella seeds and toss them around the inside of the pan so that they stick to the sides. Pour the cauliflower mixture into the pan, spreading it evenly, and arrange the reserved onion rings on top. Place in the center of the oven and bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown and set; a knife inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean. Remove from the oven and leave for at least 20 minutes before serving. It needs to be served just warm, rather than hot, or at room temperature.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Tartlets and quiches are some of my favorite foods.  Add crispy kale and bacon and I am in heaven. While scrolling the internet, I found a blogger who had attended one of Mimi Thorisson’s pop-up dinners in France.  Mimi, of the blog Manger, has served dinner to many people in her home in Saint-Yzans-de-Médoc in the Bordeaux region of France.  The blogger showed a picture of the appetizer that was offered that night.  It was this tartlet.  I knew that I had to make it, so I searched Mimi’s blog and found it here.

I kept the concept of the dish but changed it up to suit my taste.  I wanted more custard and used heavy cream instead of crème fraîche.  The kale is indeed crispy.  It is added near the end of the cooking time.  It provides a surprise element to a simple tartlet.

Penny of Enjoying the Simple Things and I found a new shop in Hendersonville for all of you who love the “Fixer Upper” look of Joanna Gaines.  The shop is called Southern Chicks Market.  It is full of tempting merchandise.

I think you will also find these delicious tartlets tempting.

CRISPY KALE AND GARLIC CREAM TARTLETS (Adapted from Mimi Thorisson)

1 1/2 cups Kale, torn into small pieces, washed and dried
6 slices of bacon, fried and crispy
1 cup of heavy cream
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 egg yolks
Pinch of nutmeg

Pastry – Enough for a single 9 inch pie pan cut into 6 rounds large enough to fill 6 tartlet pans.  You will have to roll, cut, gather scrapes and roll again (probably twice).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prick bottoms of pastry in tartlet pans.  Place on cookie sheet and top each with parchment paper and pie weights. (I use dried lima beans). Bake until lightly browned.  Remove weights and parchment paper.

In a bowl, mix the cream and the egg yolks along with a pinch of nutmeg and the minced garlic.  Season with Salt and pepper.  Whisk all together.

Divide the mixture among the tartlets and bake until set, Approximately 15 minutes.  Add the kale, drizzle with a little olive oil and cook for a further 10 minutes or until crispy and the pastry is golden.

Place a slice of bacon on each tartlet and serve.

Printable Recipe

These are not ordinary scones.  First of all the flavor; lots of lemon flavor from grated lemon zest and a subtle undertone of finely chopped rosemary.  The texture is both crumbly and crisp.  Secondly the method of preparation; the dough is rolled into a long log, stored in the refrigerator and sliced and baked when you are ready.  This is perfect to have on hand for fresh scones for breakfast without the prep and clean-up.

The recipe came from a source new to me.  There is a small 40 seat restaurant in Freedom, Maine named {the} Lost Kitchen run by an intrepid strong woman named Erin French.  She had previously run a Secret Supper Club from her apartment.  These “pop-up” dining places have become popular.  Witness the seasonal pop-up that Mimi Thorisson established in her rural home in France.  Erin’s Pop-up restaurant and cooking garnered such enthusiasm that she eventually opened a restaurant in Belfast, Maine.  But after two years and much soul searching, plus a divorce, she eventually lost the restaurant.  Erin worked her way back, first by outfitting an Airstream trailer for cooking (bought in my neighborhood of Bat Cave by the way), and then by finding an old mill that she turned into a restaurant in her hometown of Freedom, Maine.

I would love to eat there some day.  The restaurant is opened from May 1st until New Years Eve.  Reservations open on April 1st of each year.  This year on April 1st the phone rang so often that 10,000 people called for reservations. Needless to say, the staff was overwhelmed and the waiting list is long for a 40 seat establishment.  You can hear Erin’s story in this  James Beard Award Winning Video.

All I can say about Erin’s recipe for scones is that I will be making them again and using her idea of forming a log from the dough so that I can bake them in my own time.  The flavor of these scones is amazing, but be sure to use lots of lemon zest.  I tried to hide them so I could keep them to myself, but David was not to be outdone. Even though bread is not in his diet, he managed to eat several.  They are delicious. Just imagine how many combinations you can come up with. I am planning another batch. Erin French is my new hero.  If I were younger I would want to be her.  I wish her the best. You will not be sorry to own this beautiful cookbook.  Buy it on Amazon.

SUGARED ROSEMARY-LEMON SCONES ( Erin French from Food & Wine Magazine )

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon ( Use a large lemon or two small ones)
• 1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 3/4 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

1. In a food processor, pulse the flour with the 1/3 cup of sugar, the rosemary, baking powder, salt and lemon zest. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with some pea-size pieces of butter still visible. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the 3/4 cup of cream until a shaggy dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead just until it comes together. Gently roll the dough into a 14-inch log, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees; and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the log into 8 rounds and transfer to the baking sheet. I sliced them into 10 rounds.  Brush the scones with cream and sprinkle generously with sugar. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the scones are golden. Let cool slightly before serving.

Printable Recipe

We will be spending Easter with out family in Cary, NC.  There are so many memories in my mind of growing up with Easter traditions. The cute dress accessorized with hat and gloves, the Easter egg hunt, and the clove spiked ham on the table.  Things have changed somewhat from my 50’s memories.  Now we can attend church in whatever suites us; no gloves, no hat necessary. But this year I did buy a polished cotton flowered dress with coordinating sweater to celebrate the season.  At my age, I even might add a jaunty hat.  Our kids are on a trip right before the weekend, so I am not sure what our Easter dinner will entail. We may be eating out.  But I had to contribute something.  This bread came about because I had some leftover King Arthur baker’s cinnamon filling mix.  But don’t worry if you don’t have the mix.  You can get the same results with 1/2 cup softened butter mixed with 1 cup of brown sugar and 4 to 5 tablespoons of cinnamon.

The bread looks complicated, but following the very simple directions you end up with a layered yeast bread with cinnamon swirls, bananas and dried pineapple.  The bananas and dried pineapple work well in this bread.  It is amazing toasted with the warm banana chunks and pineapple melting in your mouth.

Whatever you have planned for your Easter holiday, I wish you well and encourage you to try this lovely bread from King Arthur Flour.  Have a great Easter weekend.

EASTER BREAD (King Arthur Flour)