Serving Up CSA: Broccoli Pie

Dedicated readers will remember my promise to deliver a fat-free crust for savory tarts.  Here’s an imperfect answer to that dilemma: artisan bread.This broccoli tart became more of a broccoli pie, as I rolled out the artisan bread too thickly.

Serving up CSA: Fake Fried Squash and a Book Review!

Isa Chandra Moskowitz has captivated many with her fake fried onion rings (hers are vegan too!), and I’ve adapted her recipe for fake fried squash of the vegetarian persuasion.

Chevre Stuffed Fig Salad

Figs may not be local, but they are in season!  Black mission figs have finally shown up at the neighborhood market I rely on for other treasures like squash flowers, masa, and cactus.

Lupita’s Homemade Cheese and Pepper Tamales

My nana is Polish, my papa is Italian, but I also have an abuela.  No, I’m not Mexican by birth, nor by rearing (though most of my friends growing up were); one of my mother’s best friends, Margo, who has been an aunt to me since the day I was born, provided me kinship, advice, love, support, and this recipe.

Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows

I’ve been putting off making marshmallows for years. Gelatin isn’t strictly vegetarian and I had been having a hard time justifying purchasing or using such a thing.  On a recent road trip, though, driving for hours with a friend, we turned to the subject of animal byproducts.

Okay, I realize this isn’t what a marshmallow hungry person wants to hear about, but suffice it to say, I weighed my personal pleasure against one box of gelatin and the economic, moral, and political implications of that gelatin, and in the end, it seemed fair that I could try this, at least once, in the interest of accomplishing something new.

Serving Up CSA: Carrot Latkes

The carrots are in, folks!   I have been waiting and waiting for carrots to arrive in my weekly CSA box.  They’re finally here!  And what do I do with them?  Bake them.  No question!

There’s no better carrot than a carrot baked. They become soft and sweet and somehow more substantial. These patties are usually pan-fried, but, of course, I’m baking them instead.  Baked or fried, this twist on latkes is extremely delicious and offers a few more vitamins for your buck.  Serve with a little greek yogurt (or sour cream).  Your family will think they’re at nana’s!

Michigan Cherry Pie

Remember that raspberry pie?  Well, once we had that, my aunt wanted more!  So the next day, she requested a Michigan cherry pie.  I, as always, obliged.

Cherries may not be Michigan’s most profitable crop, but they are the signature facet of Michigan agriculture.  I think this goes beyond the cherry-friendly climate and extends more toward the way Michigan views its relationship to the rest of the world.

Serving Up CSA: Red Pepper and Caramelized Onion Tartlets

Onions and red peppers are in season here in Chicago, Illinois.  Okay, well almost nothing is in season in Chicago itself, but the region has hooked me up with some beautiful red bell peppers.

If you’re a CSA subscriber or a farmer’s market dilettante, you might notice that red bell peppers from the farm have flecks of green.  Well, this isn’t always the case, but as a general rule, green bell peppers are often the unripe version of red ones.  It takes quite a bit of time for bell peppers to reach their sweet and colorful stage and often enough they’re ripe and ready before they’ve turned absolutely red.

Corn Souffle (and a book review!)

These terrible pictures do not do justice to this ridiculously good souffle from Art and Soul of Baking  by Cindy Mushet.

This book covers baking basics, breads, pies, turnovers, dumplings, tarts, fruit, cookies, bars, brownies, cakes, custards, puddings, cheesecakes, souffles, meringues, choux, and–my favorites–basic recipes and baking techniques to help you refine and enlighten your own recipes.

Mushet encourages you to experiment, to modify, and above all, to know.

(Raw-)Eggless French Silk Pie

On my train ride home today, I considered what I could make that would require enough time to take my mind off disappointment and soothe my pain upon completion. For me, that leaves only one realistic option: a monstrous triple chocolate french silk pie.

Oops! One problem. I don’t cook with raw eggs. Sure, I lick the beaters, test my cake batter and cookie dough, but I don’t serve raw eggs (pasteurized or not) to my loved ones. I’m not knocking those who do, I just don’t.

So, here’s my rendition of french silk pie. It’s not low fat. But today is not a day for counting calories. Today is a day to rejoice in the glory of chocolate.

The crust is a combination of chocolate truffle cookies and ground macadamia nuts, topped with more ground macadamia nuts, sea salt, and chocolate ganache. This is all topped with an eggless french silk, drizzled with warm ganache. Mmmmhmmm, this is a heart-stoppingly good pie.

This recipe requires four steps: 1) bake chocolate cookies, 2) make & bake pie cookie crust, 3) make ganache, and finally 4) make pie filling.

Raw-Eggless Chocolate Silk Pie

Chocolate Truffle Cookie Crust

• 1 batch Chocolate Truffle Cookies
• 1/3 cup & 1/4 cup ground macadamia nuts, toasted
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 batch ganache
• 2 tsp sea salt

French Silk Pie Filling

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 4 tbsp corn starch
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 egg yolks
• 4 oz semisweet chocolate
• 1 tbsp butter
• 3/4 tsp, and 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 tsp confectioner’s sugar

1. Prepare crust. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a food processor, grind cookies until smooth. Pour into a medium sized bowl.
3. Mix cookie crumbs, 1/3 cup ground macadamia nuts, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and butter.
4. Press into pie pan and let rest in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
5. Bake for 10-15 minutes (until crust just about holds its shape).
6. Set aside to cool (you can place in the refrigerator to speed this up as I did).
7. Once cooled, pour in ganache (reserve a few tbsp, do not refrigerate) and top with 2 tsp sea salt and 1/4 cup ground macadamia nuts. Set aside to cool (again, helping this along in the fridge will be fine.

1. Prepare french silk filling. Begin by preparing a pudding. In a small saucepan, combine sugar, 3/4 cup heavy cream, buttermilk, cornstarch, salt, stirring until smooth.
2. Raise heat to medium-high, bringing to a boil, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes.
3. Beat egg yolks; set aside.
4. Continue to boil for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Temper the egg yolks by adding about 1/4 of the hot mixture into the egg yolks. Stir until thoroughly combined. Add rest of hot mixture to the egg mixture, then pour back into the saucepan. Continue to stir for two minutes.
6. Pour mixture into a clean bowl; stir in chocolate, butter, and vanilla.
7. Cover pudding with plastic wrap placed directly on the surface and refrigerate until at least at room temperature.
8. When mixture has reached room temperature, in a stand mixer, beat remaining heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
9. Mix 1/4 of whipped cream with chocolate pudding to lighten the mixture and then gently fold in the rest of the cream until no white streaks remain.
10. Top with remaining ganache and refrigerate for 6 hours or, better yet, overnight. (Okay, I ate some almost immediately, but at this point, it doesn’t hold its shape and the consistency isn’t nearly as tasty).

Supplemental Recipe (See Above):

Chocolate Truffle Cookies

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Sift four, cocoa, and salt.
3. Place butter in a large bowl and beat with a whisk attachment until fluffy (at least 5 minutes).
4. Add sugar and vanilla and continue to beat (using beater attachment), about 2 minutes.
5. Combine ingredients. Beat until well mixed.
6. Spoon dough and shape into circles, placing on a parchment paper-lined pan and bake for 20 minutes.
7. When cookies have cooled, use as directed above.