Peach cupcakes.

I wanted to share these lovely gems with the world, after I baked them this past Saturday for dessert after our BBQ dinner.  They are moist and sweet, with a tangy hint of fruit and a luscious, unique brown sugar-cream cheese frosting.  I think this might be my new go-to frosting!  It reminded me of a caramel frosting that I made over Christmas, though less intense, but more satisfying in its smooth flavor (and much easier).  And the cake itself was a special treat; I found myself thinking of other flavor combinations to try because the crumb was so moist.  Sometimes home-made cakes suffer from a dry, dense crumb.  Not these!  They are elevated by a good dose of buttermilk (it's what I used, but you can also use sour cream or yogurt). 

 The recipe is called "Peach Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting" and it can be found here, from Smitten Kitchen.

 I didn't change a single thing about the recipe, with the exception of halving everything to make a total of 12 cupcakes (I do not need 24 of these lying around!).  I couldn't have done the math alone - my husband was the Master of Measurement Fractions.  I would stand in the kitchen, holding three different measuring cups, whining "What's half of one and a half??" and "What's half of three-quarters?"  Somehow the butter conversions seemed the toughest...

Math was never my strong point.

Instead of trying to re-create my pathetic math skills, I thought I would just point you to the original recipe.  We used peaches from our box, and they were great!  My only recommendation would be to use pretty good sized chunks of peach.  Mine got a little lost in the cupcakes, but a fruity sweetness did permeate these goodies, making it all worthwhile.

Try these!  You won't be disappointed. 

Veggie BBQ: tofu & potato salad.

Most things taste better on the grill.  What doesn't benefit from a little char, a little smoke?  And while some may debate the merits of charcoal vs. gas, a gas grill can really make grilling a reality any night of the week.  With a quick turn of a knob and flip of a switch, you can have dinner on the grill in 10 minutes, and on your plate in another 5.  We love to grill veggies, tofu, bread, and fruit, especially pineapple, which caramelizes beautifully.

We had some friends over this weekend for a little good-bye party to fete my former co-worker.  She is on her way to a bigger and brighter future at a new firm (bye, Katie!!!!).  What better way to celebrate than to drink wine, eat food, and play some bocce ball and Wii bowling?  We discovered that our furbaby Cosmo, whom we have had for 5 years now, has suddenly developed the funny habit of chasing after the bocce pea and then picking it up in his little mouth and running it back to us.  You know, like fetch?  He has never ever played fetch.  We were shocked.  He's missing that last little piece of the game, where you drop the ball at your master's feet, but it was still a bit shocking.  And a little disruptive during the game!  I also discovered that my best chance of winning is to spin around three times and then chuck the ball behind me over my shoulder, eyes closed.  Who knew?

 The menu was fun and tasty.  We had grilled tofu with ginger-sesame vinaigrette, summer vegetable potato salad with balsamic vinaigrette, grilled bread, and watermelon.  For dessert, we scarfed down peach cupcakes.  Everything was great!!  I experimented with nigari tofu instead of my usual water-packed variety.  It's is a bit more dense and I thought that might work well on the grill.  It was good, but it didn't soak up the marinade the same way that the water-packed tofu does.  Still, it was smokey and delicious, especially with a squeeze of grilled lime.

 But the star of the night was the vegetable potato salad.  It was a recipe given to me by another co-worker from Better Homes & Gardens magazine, and it was really a hit.  I used the red new potatoes and fresh basil from our box, along with corn and the first cherry tomatoes of the season (sungolds from the Food Co-op).  The flavors were great and would stand up well to other grilled items.  We will definitely be making this again!

Here are the recipes for the tofu and potato salad; I will write about the peach cupcakes in a subsequent post.  They were simply stellar.

Summer Vegetable Potato Salad
Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens Magazine

1 pound red new potatoes, scrubbed
3 ears of fresh corn (cook them if they aren't super fresh - I did because mine were a bit old, from the grocery store)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1/4 cup fresh basil, torn, plus a few extra leaves for garnish
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon shallot, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Place the potatoes, whole, in a medium saucepan and cover with water.  Add about 2 teaspoons of salt to the water, then bring it to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and partially cover; simmer actively for 5 to 10 minutes, until your potatoes are barely tender when pierced with a knife (try one at 5 minutes to see how it is - if your potatoes are small like mine, they are likely done).  Drain and cool the potatoes.  (If you want to cook your corn, remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon and then use the water again to boil the corn for about 5 minutes.)

To prepare the dressing, place the oil, balsamic vinegar, shallot, mustard, and sugar, plus salt and pepper to taste, in a medium bowl and whisk until emulsified.

Slice the corn off the cob and place it in a large, shallow serving platter.  Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise if they are small, or into quarters if they are larger, and add them to the serving platter, along with the tomatoes and torn basil.  Pour the prepared dressing over the veggies and stir to combine.  Sprinkle the top with feta and the remaining basil leaves.

Can be made ahead and refrigerated, covered, for 4 hours.  Allow salad to come to room temperature before serving.

Grilled Ginger-Sesame Tofu
Adapted from Cooking Light

Note: Make the vinaigrette first, then move on to the assembly stage of the recipe.  I've included a double-batch version of the tofu recipe, as we were feeding four and I find that one pound of tofu is never enough for that many people.

Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup filtered water
1/4 cup white miso
3 green onions, white and light green parts, chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons peeled, minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil (do not use light sesame oil)

In a medium bowl, combine the vinegar, water, and miso, whisking until smooth.  Add in the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.

Vinaigrette can be made ahead and refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to five days.  This recipe makes about 1 1/3 cups vinaigrette.

Grilled Tofu  
2 pounds of extra firm water-packed tofu, drained (it's okay if your packages are smaller - mine were 14 oz each)
1 batch of Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette (above)
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons soy sauce
8 lime slices

Pat the tofu dry with paper towels, and slice each block crosswise into 8 slices, for a total of 16.  Pat the exposed side dry with paper towels, then flip the tofu over and dry the second side.  Press to get out as much water as possible.  Place the tofu in a 13x9 baking dish (use an extra dish if it doesn't all comfortably fit).

Add the cilantro and soy sauce to the prepared vinaigrette and stir to combine.  Remove 1/3 cup of the vinaigrette mixture and reserve for later.  Pour the rest over the tofu and flip each piece to coat it in the marinade.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, flipping occasionally.  When you are about ready to grill, add the lime slices to the marinade. 

Heat the grill to medium-high and coat the grate with cooking spray.  Place the tofu slices and the limes on the grill rack and grill, cover down, for about 3 minutes (reserve the marinade).  Before flipping, baste with the remaining marinade. When the tofu has nice grill marks and is heated, flip and baste again with marinade.  Grill for another 3 minutes or so, until both sides of the tofu are nicely grilled.  Remove from the grill.

Serve with the grilled lime wedges and the remaining 1/3 cup of vinaigrette.

Chard quesadilla.

We needed something quick and tasty on Friday evening, and it was late by the time I got into the kitchen.  After work, grocery shopping at two stores (welcome to my life), and vacuuming the whole house, dinner was the last thing on the to-do list.  Well, second to last.  There was also prep to be done for a simple and delicious BBQ the next day.  So it had to be quick.

We have celebrated chard in many ways in our household, and I have featured a number of chard recipes on this blog.  And I dare say ... this is one of the best.  It's not health food, and its not going to move mountains with its creativity.  But it's delicious, and sometimes (most of the time?), that's what really counts.

 Our chard this week was crisp and green and lovely.  It played a starring role in ... chard quesadillas!

We love chard tacos, and this recipe is inspired by that amazing chard taco treatment.  Try it - you won't be disappointed!

 Chard Quesadillas
Note: Since there are so few ingredients in this recipe, use the best tortillas you are willing to spend money on.  Seriously.  They make a huge difference.  Mine are a local tortilla company, and I pick them up at the Food Co-op and freeze half for a rainy day.  They are thick and sumptuous but don't bust the diet - only 180 calories, and every single calorie is worth it. 

1 bunch Swiss chard, washed, center rib removed, sliced into ribbons
1 yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced, or 1 teaspoon dried
2 medium-size tortillas
Shredded cheese - about 1/3 to 1/2 cup per tortilla
taco sauce and salsa - your preference

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a saute pan and add the onion.  Saute the onion for about 7 minutes, turning the heat up slightly if needed to get a hint of a browning.  Add the garlic and cook for one minute.  Add the chard and oregano, plus salt and pepper to taste, and mix.  Add a drizzle or two more of olive oil if needed.  Add about 1/4 cup water to the pan, stir, then cover and reduce the heat to medium if you've got it up any higher.  Cook the chard for 6 minutes, stirring once or twice.  Remove from the heat.

To prepare your quesadillas, place a layer of cheese on one half of each tortilla, then top with a generous serving of the chard mixture.  If you like, add some taco sauce or a bit of salsa, then top with a little more cheese.  Place the quesadillas in a large pan, sprayed with cooking spray, over medium heat.  Heat until the tortilla browns a bit on the bottom and the cheese is melty; I like to cover my pan to facilitate the melting.  Flip the tortilla to cook on the other side.  Serve with extra salsa on the side.

What's in the box?

When I pulled everything out of the bag this week (my husband usually picks up our box - thank you, baby!), I was stunned.  Everything just looks so fresh and delicious this week!  I wasn't expecting such a bountiful selection based on the list that I received in my email.

Our box this week contained:

Green basil
Beets
Cabbage
Carrots
Spring Crest Peaches
Chard
Oregano
Spring Onions
Potatoes

Now for some glamor shots.

Basil - a fragrant summer staple:

Cabbage - it's a cute petite cabbage, not one of those gargantuan grocery store specimens:

Beautiful peaches - wait until you see what I've got planned for these!

Oregano:

Doesn't that resemble thyme??

A spring onion:

And teeny tiny red potatoes.  One of these is the size of my last pinkie knuckle!

Look at all that delicious stuff!  The list doesn't do the food justice.

I'm really looking forward to our week.  Maybe I will even get up the courage to try the beets.  Eeeek!  My working theory is that I don't like purple vegetables ... but I do like radicchio, so maybe that theory doesn't hold.  And eggplant.  Hmmm...

Have a great week!

How'd we do? Plus Bing cherries star in a cherry clafoutis.

Here's how we used up all our box ingredients this week:

Sugar snap peas - A simple tofu and sugar snap pea curry, over rice.

Strawberries - Smoothies! 

Arugula & Spring Onions - Food on bread*, i.e. Greek Flatbread Pizzas with Grilled Onions, Zucchini, and Feta.

Chard - Food on bread*, i.e. Braised Greens & White Beans on Toast

Parsley & Spring Onions - Played supporting roles in Spelt Salad.

Lettuce - Big Salad!  Our mix included dried cherries, carrots, green onions, parmesan, chickpeas, and hardboiled egg.  Tasty!

New potatoes & Parsley - Potato Salad.  Yummmmmmmm. 

  I also had to pick up some cherries after I saw the bag of glorious Bing cherries that a co-worker bought at our Wednesday downtown farmer's market.  The cherry season is fleeting, and those fruits beckoned.  I have never cooked with cherries, and I worried that they would be difficult to pit.  Not so!  I meant to pick up a pitter while I was out and about last Saturday, but I never did.  So I took matters into my own hands - literally - and pitted the pound of cherries all by myself.  And it was really easy!  The only bad thing was that the dark cherry juice stained my cuticles for a few days, but that was just the price that had to be paid for succulent, sweet, and juicy cherries.  Here's what I made:

Cherry clafoutis - a traditional French dessert/breakfast.  It's like a baked custard dish, and with all the almond extract I added (twice the recommended amount!), it tasted like my Southern favorite, Chess Pie.

And here's the link to the base recipe.  I made the following changes: doubled the almond extract, didn't do the almond-pulverizing-milk-soaking step (I just used plain milk), before baking, topped the clafoutis with about 1/4 cup blanched slivered almonds.  This was a super delicious and relatively healthy dessert, and it made an awesome breakfast the next morning.  Three cheers for cherries!

P.S. You can make clafoutis with other fruits, such as raspberries or plums.  Yum!

Make this now: If I had to pick just one recipe to recommend you try, it would be ... drumroll please ... Spelt Salad!!  Everything that I cooked this week was delicious, so it's hard to pick a favorite, but I think it's important to experiment with new ingredients.  I'm betting that most people have never cooked spelt in their home kitchen.  Try it!  You will be pleasantly surprised.  If you can cook beans (and believe me, you can), you can successfully cook this ancient form of wheat.  You can find it at your health food store and probably at Whole Foods or another health-focused retailer. 

*Food on bread sure had its moment this week, didn't it???

Twist on an old classic: potato salad.

In my house, sometimes we get a little crazy when it comes to food.  Lucky for me, my husband is usually up for the challenge.  On Monday night, we went all out: we ate potato salad for dinner.  That's right.  Potato salad.  For dinner.

 It was supplemented by a lovely, wholesome fruit smoothie.  I packed a lot into those glasses.  The base of our smoothie mix was all fruit; I pureed the strawberries from our box into a kind of strawberry juice, then added frozen berries (cranberries from last holiday season, plus another berry-cherry mix from Trader Joe's).  Here's where things got a little wild.  I also added: flax seed, orange juice, yogurt, honey, and a banana.  This was a serious smoothie.  (Note to self: must try adding spinach at some point!!  Green Monsters are all the rage in the blog world, and I have never tried one.)

The potato salad wasn't some ordinary picnic potato salad, though it was a creamy-based rather than French-style (dijon vinaigrette) potato salad.  I started with a recipe from Ina Garten and, of course, tweaked it a bit.  I added parsley (from the box!), 2 hard-boiled eggs, prepared horseradish, and a bit of white vinegar for some tang.  That's two Ina-based meals in one week!  She never disappoints.  I have a secret girl crush on that lady.  I want to live with her in the Hamptons and eat her scones every morning for breakfast.

 Here's my version of the recipe.  It was definitely a bit piquant but totally delicious!  I highly recommend it.

Potato Salad
Adapted from Ina Garten via The Food Network

1 1/2 to 2 pounds new potatoes, scrubbed (use the lesser amount if you plan to add hardboiled eggs)
1/2 cup Miracle Whip or mayo (I love the Miracle Whip - no clue why!)
1/8 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
3 green onions, white and light green parts, sliced
2 hardboiled eggs, peeled and diced
salt and pepper

Put the potatoes and salt in a medium saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until barely tender.  Drain the potatoes in a colander, then place the colander over the empty pot (off the heat) and cover with a clean kitchen towel.  Allow the potatoes to steam for 15 to 20 minutes.

While the potatoes steam, make the dressing.  Combine the Miracle Whip, buttermilk, mustard, horseradish, and vinegar; add salt and pepper to taste.  When the potatoes are done, cut them into 1/2 inch pieces and place in a medium bowl.  Add the prepared dressing while the potatoes are still warm, mixing to coat evenly.  Stir in the parsley, red onion, green onion, and hard-boiled egg.  Taste and adjust the seasonings as necessary.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before eating.  Serve cold or at room temperature.

Beat the heat: spelt salad.

There is no better time than the hot summer months to indulge in the chewy flavor party of a grain salad.  When it's hot out, I love a good grain and veggie concoction, dressed in a tangy vinaigrette and finished off with a dash of nuts and a sprinkle of cheese.  My favorite grain salad is sold in the deli case at the Sacramento Food Co-op.  It is a spelt (sometimes kamut) salad with vinaigrette, assorted veggies, cranberries, and feta.  Over Memorial Day, I accidentally spent $10 on a "medium" size container of the stuff - it fed me for four days!  Grain salads are hearty and substantial without being heavy.  They are a great way to use up produce or to try out a new ingredient or two without depending on it to carry the entire dish.  For example, when I made wheatberry salad (the recipe inspiration for today's post), I added a couple handfuls of French breakfast radishes, which were new to me.  They ended up being a fantastic, crunchy addition.

I had a bag of spelt hanging out in my pantry for weeks, a purchase inspired by one of my Food Co-op spelt salad dates.  This weekend I finally decided to take the plunge.  I have never cooked spelt before.  It is an ancient form of wheat, related to farro (though not identical, as some sources claim).  If you have had wheat berries before, then you have experienced the chewy, toothsome texture that also characterizes the spelt experience.  As far as cooking goes, you need to do some advanced preparation in order to enjoy it.  Spelt benefits from a lengthy soak, much like you would soak dried beans, and also requires at least an hour simmer (I cooked mine for at least 90 minutes, after a multi-hour soak).

I started with Ina Garten's Wheatberry Salad recipe, tweaked a bit for spelt.  Plus, I couldn't help but throw in a couple of ingredients that were hanging out in my pantry and refrigerator.

Check another new grain off the list!  This was a very satisfying accomplishment.  I'm already looking forward to my next spelt-based meal, and I'm secretly a little bit sad that the leftovers have all been voraciously consumed.

P.S. In the spirit of beating the heat, I went for a run on Sunday morning and ultimately decided that I need a new game plan.  I left the house around 8:30 for a quick three miles, and boy was it not ideal.  The temperature was lovely - just shy of 70 degrees - but the sun was killer.  It's the time of year where the sun just feels intense.  Running through the shady patches was pleasant, but most of my time was spent in the sun - and it was tough.  That, plus whatever pollen is floating around in our air, made for a bit of a challenge.  It was a "mind over body; strong mind, strong body" mantra kind of run.  So my new plan is to get up early, before the sun is direct and intense, to get my runs in.  And guess what?  I did it today!  I was up at 5:30 am and out the door by 5:45 for three miles before work.  The weather was insanely perfect, and the world was bright and calm at that lonely hour.  If I am going to work on my training over the summer, it's going to have to be at that ungodly hour.  Priorities!  Chalk this one up as another first: my very first totally voluntary pre-work workout.  Woohoo!

Spelt Salad

Adapted from Ina Garten via Food Network



1 cup spelt, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups filtered water

1 red onion, finely chopped

4 or 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 red bell pepper, small diced
2 carrots, chopped

1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup parsley, minced
1/4 cup dried cranberries and/or cherries, chopped
3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled



Cook the spelt: Heat the water and salt in a medium pot over high heat until boiling; add the spelt and return to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook the spelt for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.  (You can cover partially in order to keep an even simmer.)  Simmer until the the spelt is plump and tender but still al dente. You may need to cook it for up to two hours (mine took about 90 minutes).  Drain. [Time this so that you drain your berries once your dressing is just finished, as described below.]



Make the dressing: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a medium pan. Add the onion and salt and pepper to taste; saute until onion has softened and is beginning to brown, about 8 minutes.  Turn off the heat and stir in 2 to 3 additional tablespoons of olive oil and the balsamic vinegar.



Bring the components together: Place the spelt, still warm, in a large bowl. Add the onion mixture and mix together. Add the red bell pepper, carrots, chickpeas, parsley, cranberries, and feta, stirring to incorporate. Add S&P to taste. Let the salad sit for at least 30 minutes for the vinaigrette to infuse the spelt.  Serve at room temperature.