Spring Green Frittata

March has been a happy month around here between pie for Pi Day, Irish Soda Bread for St Patrick's Day, and the first day of Spring! To celebrate the change in the seasons, I whipped up a frittata chock full of vegetables (plus a handful of grated cheese for good measure). It's perfect for a quick dinner or weekend breakfast! And wouldn't it be lovely for an Easter brunch? Here's to looking forward to warm weather and sunshine!

Serves  6

Ingredients

Filling

1 Tb olive oil

1 bunch swiss chard, stems removed and leaves sliced into ribbons

1 bunch of asparagus, tough ends removed and sliced into 2" pieces

4-5 mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp herbes de provence

Frittata

9 eggs + 3 egg yolks

1/4 cup heavy cream or half and half

1/2 cup gruyere cheese, grated

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

2 Tb panko breadcrumbs

1 1/2 tsp salt

black pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325F.

Heat oil in a large (10") oven-proof skillet (I used cast-iron) over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, herbes de provence, and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally for 8 minutes or so. The mushrooms should be browned and the extra moisture evaporated.

While the mushrooms cook, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, cream, salt, and pepper. Then stir in the breadcrumbs and grated cheese.

Once the mushrooms are browned, add the asparagus and swiss chard to the pan, stirring for 3-5 minutes until the swiss chard has just wilted. 

Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables, stirring to combine. If you need to, shake the pan a bit or carefully tilt it to make sure that the eggs settle all around the vegetables. 

Smooth the top of the frittata with your wooden spoon, and then place it in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the eggs are set and cooked through.

Remove from the oven when done, and let cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve sprinkled with a little pinch of grated parmesan if desired.

Tomato Goat Cheese Tart

Even though the calendar says it's spring, winter is still hanging on in Boston. Snow is in the forecast for tomorrow! But I firmly believe that spring is around the corner, and in the meantime I'll keep fighting the good fight to ward off the winter blues. If there's anything that's the polar opposite of winter, isn't it a bright, beautiful tomato? Sure, they're not in season, and they're not at their peak flavor like summer tomatoes, but roasting them on top of a flaky, buttery puff pastry tart helps them shine, even in the cold winter months. So if you're like me and can't wait for a little dose of summer, pop this tart in the oven. It's quick to make and delicious for a light dinner. If you are blessed with better self-control, maybe you can wait until tomatoes start to appear in your garden this summer! Either way, enjoy!

(recipe inspiration from The Endless Meal's Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart with Rosemary and Mascarpone)

Serves 2-4

(depending on what you serve with it)

Ingredients

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

1 large red tomato, sliced, juice/seeds gently removed

3-4 small yellow tomatoes, sliced, juice/seeds gently removed

4 oz package of goat cheese

3 sprigs rosemary, stemmed and leaves minced

zest of one lemon

salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

In a bowl, crumble goat cheese and mix well with lemon zest and rosemary.

Fold out the puff pastry sheet, and roll it out with a rolling pin, stretching it a little in each direction. Place the pastry sheet on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet (or use a Silpat mat).

Spread the goat cheese mixture evenly across the puff pastry, leaving about 1/2 inch exposed around the edge to form the crust. Top with sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle generously with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Bake for 25-27 minutes, until the crust is nicely browned, and the tomatoes are roasted. 

Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Variation: For a party, it would be really fun to make individual tomato tarts. To do so, cut the puff pastry sheet into 9 squares. Spread each one with some of the goat cheese mixture and top with one large tomato slice (or a few smaller slices).  Bake until the crust is puffed and golden.

Champagne Punch

My superstar husband, who recently completed a dual-degree graduate program at MIT, graduated this weekend, and our in-laws were in town to help celebrate.  I love an excuse to serve champagne, so we began graduation day with my husband's favorite donuts and a pitcher of this lovely Champagne Punch (originally created for a Memorial Day cookout upon realizing I had not properly planned ahead and needed a last-minute drink to contribute).

It's crisp and refreshing, and it must be good for you, as there's fruit in it (that's how it works, right?).  Great for brunch, I bet it would be a hit at summer picnics or at bridal or baby showers. For a non-alcoholic version, I think Ginger Ale or Club Soda would substitute nicely for champagne.  For whatever the occasion, here's to celebrating!

Ingredients

1 59oz bottle of orange juice 

(I use Tropicana Pure Premium with No Pulp)

1 pint (2 cups) strawberries, frozen

~1/2 cup sliced peaches, frozen 

1/4 cup triple sec
(I use Cointreau)

1 bottle sparkling wine 

(I use Mionetto's IL Prosecco, very good yet affordable so it's good for mixing)

Frozen raspberries for garnish, optional

Directions

Add frozen strawberries and peaches into a blender. Pour some orange juice over the fruit to ease blending (I poured until the blender was about half full). 

Blend until fruit is completely pureed, stirring periodically if needed (I have a wimpy blender so I stir every couple minutes to ensure that everything gets pureed).

Pour the mixture into a pitcher. Stir in the triple sec and remaining orange juice until well combined. 

(If preparing in advance, stop here and store the fruit mixture in the refrigerator. Only add the sparkling wine when  ready to serve.)

Top off with the bottle of sparkling wine, stirring gently to combine.

Serve immediately, garnishing each glass with a couple frozen raspberries if desired.

Lemon Rhubarb Buckle

I would like to take a moment to extol the values of a lesser-known rhubarb sidekick. Strawberry and rhubarb have had a good thing going for a long time now, but what about the lonely left out lemon? It pairs so nicely with the equally tart rhubarb, and it doesn't cover up its rhubarby flavor like strawberries can.  I think there's room for both pairings in the world.

You see, I had a bag of rhubrab in the refrigerator but nary a strawberry in sight when I got the urge to bake something last night.  I started with my Cranberry Orange Cake recipe and tweaked it a bit to get this Lemon Rhubarb Buckle*. I think I like it even better than the original! It's a moist cake dotted with fresh fruit and sprinkled with a crumbly topping.  Its sweetness balances with the tender tart rhubarb and bright lemon zest.  Perfect for a Thursday night of no significance at all, it would also be a great addition to a Mother's Day Brunch menu!

*Side Note: A buckle is usually a cake topped with fresh fruit and then a crumbly topping that "buckles" as it bakes. Here you mix some fruit into the batter, top the batter with more fruit, and then top everything with the crumbly topping.

Vanilla Crumb Topping

Ingredients

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup + 2 Tb white sugar

1/8 tsp fine sea salt

1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes

1/2 Tb vanilla extract

Directions

Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, combine on low speed until the texture resembles coarse crumbs.

Drizzle the vanilla over the mixture and mix briefly until incorporated. (All of this can also be done by pulsing the ingredients in a food processor). 

When the crumb topping is done, store it in the refrigerator so the butter stays cold while you make the cake. 

Lemon Rhubarb Buckle

Ingredients

1 Tb unsalted butter, to grease baking dish

1 cup Vanilla Crumb Topping (recipe above)

1 3/4 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter

zest of 1 1/2 lemons

2 eggs

1/2 Tb vanilla extract

1/2 cup 2% greek yogurt

4 rhubarb stalks (~2 cups), halved lengthwise and finely diced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter a 9-in square baking dish.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or a hand mixer), cream the butter, sugar, and lemon zest on medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.

Next, stir in the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the yogurt in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally. 

Fold in about 1 1/4 cup of the rhubarb, and then spread the batter into the prepared baking dish. Distribute the remaining rhubarb over the cake, and spread the crumb topping over the rhubarb.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until lightly golden and firm on top 

(a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean when done)

"Welcome to Boston" Apricot Buttermilk Scones

This weekend, our good friends Jimmy and Laura visited from Los Angeles.  We met as students at UT Austin, and then after graduation, Jimmy was one of my many roommates while living in LA. This was their first trip to Boston since I moved from LA, so we were thrilled to see them and to show them around this city we've come to love so much (despite the interminable winters).

I wanted to have a a few home-cooked treats in the house to welcome them to town, so I made one of my favorites dips (Roasted Jalapeno and Lime Hummus) for snacking and baked a batch of apricot scones for breakfast. Having buttermilk left from making Irish Soda Bread and Lemon Chess Pie last week, I based my recipe on Joy the Baker's buttermilk scones. They turned out well, flaky and buttery. This recipe can be varied countless ways (replace the apricot and orange zest with raisins, apple and cinnamon, cheddar and jalapeno, bacon crumbles, cranberries and orange zest, you name it), but simple apricot scones are my favorite!

Ingredients

1 1/2 c flour

2 Tb sugar

2 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp orange zest (I used a Cara Cara orange)

6 Tb cold unsalted butter

1/2 c dried apricots, diced

1 large egg yolk

1/4 cup + 3 Tb buttermilk

Directions

Preheat oven to 425

In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Cut butter into "pats" and add, with the orange zest, to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender (or two knives criss-crossing together. Or heck, your hands), cut the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse, crumbly corn meal.

Add dried apricots and stir until evenly distributed.

Lightly whisk the egg yolk and stir into the buttermilk. Add gradually to the dry ingredients, stirring until the dough just comes together. About halfway through I switch to using my hands to bring the dough together, pulling in remaining loose crumbs. 

(If your dough won't come together, just add in a little more buttermilk gradually until it does.)

When dough is pulled together into a ball, lay it on a floured work surface, and roll it out into a round disk, about 1 inch thick. Using a floured knife, cut the dough into six triangles.

Lay the scones on a Silpat (or foil or parchment paper) lined baking sheet. Brush the tops with buttermilk, and bake for about 12 minutes, until the edges turn golden.

Swiss Chard & Pancetta Quiche

Pi Day is right around the corner, so I've been thinking about pies this week. (I'm an engineer, what did you expect?)  To get into the spirit of things, I decided that a quiche was in order.  Quiche is a great way to use up whatever vegetables are stashed away in the fridge (like a bunch of swiss chard), and for me, it's a good excuse to use my favorite pie dish, courtesy of Emile Henry.

With a quick saute of pancetta and the earthy chard, a handful of grated hard cheese, and a pinch of cayenne to spice things up, all held together by eggs and cream, you have yourself a quiche! I served it along with a green salad for a simple, yet indulgent, dinner.  This would be perfect for brunch as well, or bring it to a Pi Day Party with friends. A homemade crust would be even better, but some weeknights call for a pre-made crust. I'm not ashamed! For a vegetarian-friendly version, ditch the pancetta and maybe throw in some sliced mushrooms. Really, it's hard to go wrong here!

Ingredients

1 9-in refrigerated pie crust

2 oz pancetta, sliced into small pieces

1 bunch swiss chard, strems removed and roughly chopped

6 eggs

1 1/4 c half and half

2 Tb sour cream

pinch cayenne

1 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated

salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. 

Heat a large skillet over med-high heat. Add a little olive oil, and once heated, add in pancetta. Cook until crisp. 

Add swiss chard to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted.  When chard is done, remove the skillet from the heat. 

Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, half and half, sour cream, cayenne, and salt and pepper. 

Lay your pie crust into your pie pan, ensuring that it is formed to the bottom and sides of you dish. Fill with one half of the chard/pancetta mixture, and sprinkle with half of the grated cheese. Layer with the final half of the chard/pancetta mixture and the remaining cheese.

Pour egg mixture over the top, and then fold over or crimp the pie crust edges in whatever pattern your heart desires (see these tips for ideas).

Bake for about 45 minutes, until the eggs are golden and set. 

Slice into wedges and serve fresh out of the oven (or even at room temperature).

Cranberry Orange Cake with Vanilla Crumb

I bought a little basket of fresh cranberries at the Medford Winter Farmers Market last week, not quite sure what I would do with them. They were just so shiny and vibrant that I couldn't pass them up. Alas, they sat languishing in the fridge all weekend until, finally, inspiration struck.

I pulled out one of my favorite cookbooks, Rustic Fruit Desserts, and flipped through a couple cranberry recipes. One in particular was calling my name -- the Cranberry Buckle. Now, buckles are basically cakes with fresh fruit studding the batter and a crumb topping. This one involves one of my favorite power couples in the baked goods world -- cranberry and orange zest. I tweaked the recipe a bit to avoid a grocery store run, and then brought it to work for our annual Holiday Treat Week (after snagging the first piece for myself of course). It's a wonderful balance of sweet and tart and would be perfect addition for Christmas parties, dinner with the family, or a brunch with friends.

Vanilla Crumb 

Ingredients

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup + 2 Tb white sugar

1/8 tsp fine sea salt

1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 in cubes

1/2 Tb vanilla extract

Directions

Combine flour, sugar, salt, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Combine on low speed, until the texture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle the vanilla over the mixture and mix briefly until incorporated. (This can also be done by pulsing the ingredients in a food processor)

Cranberry Orange Cake

Ingredients 

1 Tb unsalted butter, to butter baking dish

1 cup Vanilla Crumb (recipe above)

1 3/4 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup sugar

zest of 1 orange

2 eggs

3/4 Tb vanilla extract

1/2 cup nonfat greek yogurt

2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9-in square baking pan

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or a hand mixer), cream the butter, sugar, and orange zest on medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. 

Stir in the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the yogurt in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally. 

Fold in 1 1/4 cup of the cranberries, and then spread the batter into the prepared pan. Distribute the remaining 3/4 cup of cranberries over the cake, and sprinkle the crumb topping over the cranberries.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until lightly golden and firm on top.