More from the Farmer's Market

Oh yummy yummy, I bought a fennel bulb this week at the farmer's market. Back in the days when my Grandma (who is now 99!) still cooked for all our family holidays, she always had finocchio, as she called it, on the table between courses. It's considered to be a digestive. So basically it helped settle your stomach so you could eat even more!

If you've never had fresh fennel you are missing out! It has the feel kind of like a celery, but it's so much more flavorful. It has a licorice flavor raw and is a wonderful addition to salads, or on it's own. But I love it even more roasted.




Just cut off the top and save the fronds if you wish, for garnishes or a nice addition to salads. Slice the fennel and put into a baking dish, drizzle with some olive oil and then sprinkle with salt, pepper and some of the chopped fronds.





Roast at 400 degrees for about 20-30 minutes. It should be slightly caramelized. It's a wonderful side dish to just about anything. If you don't like a licorice flavor then you will probably like it cooked. Mmm... fennel.

Farmer's Market fun

I recently went to one of my favorites places, Beilers Penn Dutch Market. It's half farmer's market, half Amish bulk store. Quite possibly the most perfect store on the planet! This was an especially good day and I got so much wonderful produce. I made today's dish with ingredients that were all bought at the market. It's a roasted garlic, grilled zucchini orzo side dish.

I started off with some wonderful zucchini. It's usually a lot smaller this time of year, but in a few months is larger and extremely plentiful. But check out these beauties!





So I started off with zucchini, sliced on a diagonal, drizzled with olive oil and then grilled. Then took one whole head of garlic, sliced off the top, drizzled with olive oil, wrapped in foil and put it on the grill. In the meantime, I cooked some of the bulk orzo I bought.





When everything was done, I chopped the zucchini and then mashed the garlic with some olive oil, salt and pepper and then mixed both with the orzo. I then added a large amount of chopped fresh flat leaf parsley.




This was absolutely delicious. And I think it would be even better with a different herb. I'm thinking mint. I served it warm on the side of some grilled turkey thighs.




If springs bounty is this good, I cannot wait for what summer will bring!

"It's risotto Vyv."

I have been wanting to make risotto for a long time. I don't know why I never do. Well that's not entirely true. I did once. I made butternut squash risotto and I wasn't all that enthused with it. I don't remember why because I love butternut squash. I guess I just didn't make it right. Well the same cannot be said of the Asparagus Risotto I made recently. I have to say it was probably one of the best things I have made in quite some time. I used a combination of recipes. I looked at several and they had elements I liked, but none had put all the elements I liked together, so I did it myself!

I started out with some beautiful fresh asparagus. It's still available at a pretty decent price.




I always prefer my vegetables roasted so that's what I did with the asparagus. All you do is break or cut it into bite sized pieces, drizzle with olive oil and put in a pan to roast in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20-30 minutes. I should be browned but not overly so. While it's roasting, heat 5 cups of chicken stock in a pan (I use Kitchen Basics). Then, in a good heavy pot place 2 Tablespoons of butter and 3 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in the bottom. Add one small onion, chopped. As you may already know, I generally use whatever sweet onions are available. It was large so I used about a third of the onion.



Once the onion has sweated a little, add 1 1/2 cups of Arborio rice. Now, if you have never made risotto make sure you have the correct rice. It must be a short grain rice like Arborio. Stir the rice with the onions and butter/oil mixture for a couple minutes. Generally most would add salt and pepper after each additional ingredient is added but since I'm using a boxed chicken stock for this, I am waiting to see if it will need additional salt.




Once the rice is well coated, add 2/3 cup of white wine. Stir until most of the wine is cooked in. Now it's time to start adding the stock. You do not need to keep the heat on under the pot with the stock, but it should be warm. A ladle full at a time, add the stock to the rice and stir until each ladle full is completely absorbed. This is kind of tedious but so well worth it! Don't leave the pot. It needs to be stirred often. Keep doing this, one ladle at a time until all the stock is gone. When you get close to the end, add the roasted asparagus to the pot.



You will be amazed at how this simple pot of rice turns into risotto! Before serving, stir in 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese. Check and see if it needs any more salt and add some pepper. Enjoy!

Pesto Bread Deliciousness

Did you ever get one of those flyer's in the mail advertising a new cookbook? They make them sound so and the pictures are so gorgeous. I fell for it. I ordered A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman. I wasn't sorry. It's a wonderful book chock full of amazing recipes. The first one I tried was Pain Pesto.

Start by putting a Tablespoon of rapid rise yeast in the mixing bowl with 1 and quarter cups of warm water and whisk them together. Let that set for a few minutes so the yeast can dissolve.




Add one cup of flour and stir. Then add 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil, 5 teaspoons of sugar (I actually only used 3, I'm not big on sugar in my savory breads), 2 and 3/4 teaspoons of salt and three more cups of flour (there should be 4 cups total).




Start by just adding 2 and half cups. Depending on the flour, the weather or any number of variables, 3 cups may be too much. It's better to add more flour than it is to add more water. This recipe calls for bread flour but I didn't have any so used AP.

With the dough hook knead the dough for 6-8 minutes.




This dough turned out absolutely perfect. After it all pulls together, form the dough into a ball and put into an oiled bowl, cover in plastic and let rise for about 90 minutes until dough doubles in size.




Gently deflate dough and remove to a lightly floured surface. Let set for 10 minutes. The dough is perfectly soft and pliable. Oh it was just so wonderful to work with! Don't you just love when something comes together so perfectly? Roll it out to a 20 x 20 inch shape and then drizzle with a little olive oil. Then spread the pesto over the dough.




I did use store bought pesto, but come summer when my basil plants are going crazy, you can bet that I will making my own pesto and making this bread again! For now, the Buitoni worked just fine. After the pesto is spread you then roll the dough jellyroll style. Then shape it into an "S" shape (or "U" shape as I did) and put on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with a little olive oil and then sprinkle with salt, pepper, parsley and Parmesan cheese. Let the dough rest for about 45 minutes, until it looks puffy.





Then bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until the bread is well browned. It actually only took about 30 minutes.




This bread is amazing! It's soft and chewy, herby and delicious. I had to force myself to stop eating it. It's going to be a wonderful accompaniment to the Asparagus Risotto that I'll be making for dinner tonight.

Pain Pesto
(courtesy of Marcy Goldman)

1 1/4 cups warm water (100 to 110 degrees F)
1 Tablespoon rapid rise yeast
4 cups (give or take) bread flour (remember, I used AP and it was fine!)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 teaspoons sugar
2 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 (10 oz) jar of prepared pesto (about a cup - my container was 7 oz. and it was plenty)

Olive oil, salt, pepper, parsley and Parmesan cheese for the top.

Stack two large baking sheets together and line top sheet with parchment paper.

In a mixer bowl, hand whisk water and yeast together and let stand 2-3 minutes to dissolve yeast. Add 1 cup flour and stir briefly. Then stir in oil, sugar, salt and most of the remaining flour. Mix ingredients and then attach dough hook and knead on lowest speed 6-8 minutes until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if needed.

Remove dough hook from machine and spray dough with nonstick cooking spray. Cover entire mixer with clear plastic bag (this step seemed so odd to me that I just did what I usually do and took the dough out, formed it into a ball and put it in an oiled bowl, covered in plastic and set aside to rise). Let rise for 45-90 minutes or until almost doubled.

Gently deflate dough on a lightly floured surface. Let rest 10 minutes and then roll out to a 20 x 20 inch shape. If dough resists, let it rest a few more minutes then roll out gently. Drizzle some additional olive oil on the dough and then smear on pesto all over dough's surface. Roll up jellyroll style. Shape into an "S" shape and put on prepared baking sheets.

Drizzle oil on top and dust with salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese and parsley. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy, about 45-60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350.

Gently press bread down slightly before it goes into the oven (I did not cover it, nor did I press it down before I put it in the oven). Bake until it is well browned, about 35-45 minutes. Cool to warm on baking sheet before cutting. I dare you to try and wait that long!!!

The Queen of PB and Chocolate Strikes Again!!

Here I go again. It's a peanut butter and chocolate compulsion. It's an obsession. A fixation I tell you!!! I just can't help myself.

I think the best brownie recipe I have ever found (and believe me, I've tried many!) is Nick Malgeri's Supernatural Brownies. Why mess with them? Am I so arrogant to actually think I can improve upon this great recipe from one of the best chocolate chefs out there? Well no, of course not.... but I kind of did. I couldn't do it without Nick's fabulous recipe to begin with though!

You will need a 9 x 13 pan for this recipe, greased or greased and lined with parchment. Then preheat your oven to 350.

Take two sticks of unsalted butter and melt them with 8 oz. of bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate cut into small pieces. You can do this in a double boiler, you can do this in a microwave. Then set it aside for a few. Mmmm melted chocolate.




In a mixing bowl, take four eggs and whisk for a moment.




Then add a cup of granulated sugar, a packed cup of brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons of vanilla and mix well. To this, add the chocolate mixture and mix with a spoon until incorporated.





Fold in 1 cup of flour.




We're talking brownie deliciousness right here. I would usually add nuts to these, but I just had to do it. I had to up the ante. I decided to add those fabulous mini buckeyes that I found not too long ago and have been using in my Buckeye Cookies.




I added about a cup and a half, maybe two cups of them. If you can't find them in your area (check Mr. Bulky's if you have one in your area. I have found them there as well the store mentioned in the cookie blog), fear not!! You can use Reese's Premier Baking Pieces.



Bake the brownie goodness at 350 for about 40-45 minutes. I prefer my brownies on the medium rare side and 45 minutes was just about perfect. They will get this nice shiny top to them.





Let cool for as long as you can stand it and then, devour!






Supernatural Brownies
(courtesy of Nick Malgeri)

16 Tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour

One 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan, buttered and lined with buttered parchment or foil. Set a rack at the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and turn off heat. Combine butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over pan of water. Stir occasionally until melted.

Whisk eggs together in a large bowl, then whisk in salt, sugars, and vanilla. Stir in chocolate and butter mixture, then fold in flour.

Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for about 45 minutes, until top has formed a shiny crust and batter is moderately firm. Cool in pan on a rack. Cut, enjoy!

Spring has sprung... Asparagus Couscous

Despite it's somewhat, um, unsavory after affect, asparagus is one of my favorite things about spring. I love it in one of my favorite Giada recipes. And I love to experiment with it and different ingredients. Granted, this is similar to the Giada recipe in some ways, but I didn't intend it to be. Couscous with Asparagus and Almonds, that's what it started out to be. But since I wasn't paying attention, I burned my almonds beyond recognition and had to go with a different nut. I opted for walnuts.

Start by cleaning and cutting your asparagus and then drizzling with olive oil, salt and pepper. I say salt and pepper because most people use it. I tend to not use a lot of salt. Especially if I'm making something that will use a boxed broth or stock, which contains more than enough salt. But since this is a couscous recipe, the more seasoning the better. It really needs it. I threw in a few whole garlic cloves in their skin while I was at it. Roast at 400 degrees for about 20-30 minutes. You want it to be a little caramelized, but not too brown.






Couscous itself does not take long to cook so make sure your asparagus is just about done and your nuts are roasted before you start to cook it. Cooking it in broth or stock helps give it more flavor. Follow your couscous package directions for measurements. Mine called for 3/4 cup of liquid to 1/3 cup couscous per person. Once the broth comes to a boil, put in the couscous and stir. Bring back to a boil then turn off the heat and cover for 10 minutes.





Then it's done! Just fluff it up with a fork.



Then add your accoutrements. Load that couscous up with as much stuff as you can!! Mine has the roasted asparagus, garlic and walnuts, in addition to Tuscan Sunset, salt and pepper. I served it with roasted chicken. Nice!

Monkey or Gorilla...Bear, Lion or Wildebeest Bread whatever it's called, it's good!!!

I love Paula Deen. I think she's a hoot and a half. Except for maybe on her Paula's Party show where's she's, as I like to say, too Paula. And quite honestly, I don't make her recipes very often. I just don't cook that way. But there are those times when you just have to try it. This is one of those times. I've heard it called Monkey Bread, but Paula calls hers Gorilla Bread. It's become an Easter staple in our house over the years. And it is SO good!

Start by spraying a bundt pan with non-stick spray and then putting about half a cup of nuts in the bottom of the pan (you will need a cup and a half total, of nuts, chopped). The recipe says walnuts, I used pecans.




In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup of granulated sugar with 3 teaspoons (or 1 Tablespoon) of cinnamon. And set aside.




Take one stick of butter (I always always use unsalted for any kind of baking) and 1 cup of brown sugar and heat together in a saucepan, stirring until butter is just melted. Set aside.




Next you will need one 8 oz. package of cream cheese, cut into small cubes. And set aside. We're kind of creating a little assembly line here.






Now, it's time to get down to it and assemble this wackadoo bread thing. This recipe uses refrigerated biscuits. The recipe calls for 2 packages of 10 biscuits, but I used 2 packages of 8 Grands biscuits and cut each in half. Take a biscuit and spread it out a little with your fingers and then sprinkle some of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top. Then place one of the cream cheese cubes in the middle.




Then roll it up into a ball. Try and seal that cream cheese in there!




Then you want to layer them over the nuts in the bundt pan. First in one layer and then pour half of the butter/brown sugar mixture over the top of them. And then more nuts!! OMG, I'm going into cinnamon sugar ecstasy right now and I've already eaten it!!




Repeat this process until all the biscuits are filled and placed inside the pan. Make sure you have some of the butter/brown sugar mixture and nuts saved for the top. Oh... oh my. I wish I had some leftover!





Bake at 350 for about 25-30 minutes. And when done, let cool for about 5 minutes before you invert it onto a platter. Make sure you don't let it cool in the pan too long or the brown sugar/butter will end up getting too sticky too release from the pan. It will still be warm though and may collapse a little onto itself. But it doesn't matter! This is finger food anyway. It's fun to pull apart and eat those delectable little pillows of love.

And of course, I had to take to even another level. I had cream cheese frosting leftover from a batch of Red Velvet Cupcakes I made for a customer for Easter, so I put that on the side in a bowl so when you pull off one of these nutty cinnamon delights, you could dip it in even more cream cheese! Which worked out well, because you'll find that the little blocks of cream cheese do kind of bake into the biscuit some.





Gorilla Bread
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen


1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
2 (12-ounce) cans refrigerated biscuits (10 count)
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon. In a saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over low heat, stirring well; set aside. Cut the cream cheese into 20 equal cubes. Press the biscuits out with your fingers and sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar. Place a cube of cream cheese in the center of each biscuit, wrapping and sealing the dough around the cream cheese. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the nuts into the bottom of the bundt pan. Place half of the prepared biscuits in the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, pour half of the melted butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle on 1/2 cup of nuts. Layer the remaining biscuits on top, sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar, pour the remaining butter mixture over the biscuits, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of nuts. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Place a plate on top and invert.