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Chocolate Chip Cherry Snack Cake

Brittany wrote this on 26 July 2011 apples, cherries, chocolate, whole wheat flour

You may have noticed that the ingredients I have been using lately are all widely available at your local farmers market- i.e. in season. There is a reason for that. First of all, availability. As with today’s recipe, you can’t get fresh cherries year round, so if you are going to bake with them, now is the time. Yes, there are frozen cherries available any time (my own freezer has a few bags of them) but there is nothing like the flavor of fresh, homegrown produce. Second, quality. While my local super market proudly displays signs with the fruits and veggies grown right here in Illinois, and in some cases this very county, I always try to make sure I purchase the majority of my produce at the farmer’s market, rather than choosing items shipped from across the country sometime last week. I have gotten to know the people that grow the food and am reassured that what I am feeding my family was grown with minimal spraying and chemicals. Often times, small farms use organic practices but it isn’t worth the expense to be certified. Third, it is better environmentally. The fact that it was picked that morning, loaded in the back of a truck, and driven the few miles to town makes me breathe easier (literally) about the limited use of fossil fuels it took for me to have access to the peaches, vegetables, and grass-fed beef that I buy every week. My local options are a bit limited; we only have a half dozen vendors that come to our little market every week because we live in the middle of nowhere. But a 45 minute drive on a Saturday, and some parking and walking, gives me access a much bigger farmers market with dozens of local vendors, should I decide to expand my shopping experience.

The point is that no matter where you are geographically, nearly all of us live within a reasonable distance of a farmer’s market, a veritable treasure of freshness. Bonus! Bring the kids along and let them pick out something new! They may be more likely to eat it if they are the ones that discovered it!

But back to the cake…

I should let you know that this cake is not all that bad for you. Ergo, it is a little denser than a typical snack cake due to the addition of whole wheat flour. What pulls you in here is the flavor. It is basically the taste of chocolate covered cherries in a cake that is so moist, it won’t last longer than a day or two. The first time I made it I took a bite and sorta shrugged. Then I took another bite, and walked away. Then I came back and ate the whole piece, snagged a second helping, and then scolded my daughter for sneaking a bite and possibly ruining her supper. I may or may not have said this with my mouth full…Then I grinned conspiratedly and gave my daughter the fork, both of us finishing the second piece. And you know what? It didn’t ruin our dinner at all! My mother was wrong! This opens up a whole new world! “Excuse me?! Garcon! A third piece, s’il vous plait!”One Year Ago: Turkey Meatballs

Chocolate Chip Cherry Snack Cake
Recipe adapted from Emily Malone

3/4 c all purpose flour
1/2 c white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c raw sugar or brown sugar
1 egg + 2 T water, lightly beaten together
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
1 c cherries-not frozen-pitted and halved
1/2 c chocolate chipsOn a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Add the rest of the ingredients and fold together gently with a spatula, just until combined. Spread into a sprayed 8X8 or 9X9 pan and bake at 325 for 30-35 minutes or until evenly browned on top and a toothpick in the center comes out with only a few crumbs attached. Cool in pan for several minutes before cutting.

Posted by Brittany Arcand

Zucchini & Corn W/Basil

Brittany wrote this on 25 July 2011 basil, corn, gluten-free, zucchini

Sometimes you just know when a recipe is going to be successful. Maybe the title tips you off. For example, anything with ‘honey’ as a main ingredient has got to be worth trying, right? Perhaps a picture is enough to be sure of a successful dish. At one time or another haven’t we all been pulled in by a photograph of a juicy hamburger or a picture of gooey brownies that was so clear we could swear the scent of warm chocolate was wafting from the page? In this case, it was the ingredient list: fresh sweet corn, crisp zucchini, and plenty of basil. Yes, sir! I saw those and gave a little sigh. Three foods that are best mid-summer and all in the same bowl! Of course, if you are lacking the ability to mix flavors in your head to determine the flavor of a dish, here is another visual aid. Its fresh. Its crisp. Its light. And it drives me crazy that I didn’t think of it on my own! I found this recipe in my archives while I was searching for a new way to eat zucchini. My family loves zucchini and I have one or two recipes that we could not live without! However, given the abundance of zucchini recipes out there now that it is appearing at farmers markets (and maybe your own backyard) at an alarming rate, I decided to take advantage of the season and start trying new ideas. I also picked this one because I was planning dinner yesterday and I had all the ingredients so it did not require a trip to the store!

Do not be fooled by the simple appearance of this dish! It is fairly bursting with flavor. The fresh sweet corn right from the field is so sweet its almost sugary and the basil is something unexpected. It tastes great warm but can also be served room temperature. One Year Ago: Three Lemon Chicken

Zucchini & Corn W/Basil
Adapted from Martha Stewart.
This feeds about 4 people with no leftovers.

2 c fresh corn, cut from 2-3 ears of corn
1/2 large zucchini (or 1 small or medium), cubed into bite sized pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 c chopped basil, about 8 large leaves
splash of white wine vinegar

In a medium saute pan over medium heat, drizzle a few tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic and zucchini and lightly saute, just until the zucchini is bright green-about 3 minutes. Add the corn and toss together, cooking a few minutes more. Season with salt and pepper and taste for doneness. When done, toss in the basil and vinegar-these two cut the sweetness of the vegetables. Serve.

Posted by Brittany Arcand

1 Comment

How To: Grill Pizza & An Anniversary

Brittany wrote this on 21 July 2011 balsamic vinegar, basil, cheese, garlic, How To, tomatoes, whole wheat flour, yeast

Its here! Its finally here! We have arrived at the 1 year anniversary of this blog! Can you believe it? Thank you to everyone for stopping by and I hope that you will continue to do so in the future!

You may have noticed that Brittany’s Pantry is now on facebook! Click on the link and ‘like’ the page for updates on what I’m cooking currently, extra tips and links, and of course quick access to new posts. A Flikr Photostream is also a new addition so feel free to click here to check out my journey to understanding photography!

I mostly want to thank all of you who have encouraged me through this project! I have had a wonderful year (even with of five bouts of pneumonia and remodeling the kitchen-and house-I am supposed to be cooking in for this blog) and I have learned a lot! Blogging is such an interesting medium to me and the outpouring of support from all of you, my readers, is greatly appreciated! So now onto the food. I know, I know. Get to the good stuff, right?

Toward the end of my college education, I found myself on an all but deserted campus in the middle of the summer; living alone, cramming through a chemistry class I had to take but really didn’t want to be in, working until dinner every day, and then coming home to an empty house. My roommates were out and about for the summer and my fiancee was stationed in Hawaii on a nuclear submarine. I was in central Wiscnsin, missing my man, my friends, and a house with better air conditioning. To fill in the voids of alone time, earn a few extra credits (and to break-up my daily post-suppertime Food Network marathons-I had just discovered cable) I signed up for a night class. Outdoor Grilling. Yup. My university offered classes like that. Cool, huh? It lasted for two weeks, started an hour after I got off work, and finished just as the sun went down. The students were split into groups, each group was given 3 or 4 recipes and all the ingredients to make them, and then we were turned loose! We all completed our recipes and then filled a table with the finished dishes, every member of the class getting a taste of every recipe from that day. I left stuffed to my ears every night. I ate steak salad for the first time in my life, grilled fruits and then doused them in homemade chocolate sauce, learned a bazillion different marinades-and learned how to grill pizza. With the exception of the chocolate sauce (that was seriously so good our group drank the leftovers), grilling pizza was far and away the most eye opening food we made. It was easy, quick, made with few ingredients and in my opinion, the best pizza I had ever had.

I still feel that way about grilled pizza. Like many foods, it just seems to taste better made outdoors. Since it requires you to work quickly, it forces you to keep it simple. Here’s how to do it!

One Year Ago: Basic Wheat Bread

Grilled Pizza

1 lb pizza dough, purchased or homemade (see below for recipe)
roasted tomatoes, purchased or homemade (see below for recipe)
8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
1/4 c fresh basil, chopped
olive oil
cornmeal, optional

Pizza Dough
This recipe is adapted from my bread machine user manual. Awesome.

1 c warm water
2 T olive oil
1 T honey or sugar
1 tsp salt
1 c white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c bread flour
1 tsp active dry yeast

Add ingredients in the order recommended by your bread machine and select the ‘dough’ cycle. Can be refrigerated overnight if needed or frozen for several months. Defrost in the fridge and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before using. Alternatively, mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, turn out onto a floured surface and knead gently until smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes. Put the dough back in the bowl and drizzle with just a bit of olive oil, turning the dough so that it doesn’t stick. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. Punch down and proceed with recipe.

Roasted Tomatoes
Adapted from Ina Garten

12 Roma tomatoes, halved and seeds scooped out
4 T olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp sugar
Salt and Pepper

Toss all ingredients together in a bowl and dump out onto a foil lined baking sheet. Arrange tomatoes cut side up and roast at 375 for 45 minutes to an hour, or until tomatoes are caramelized. Use immediately, chill for a few days, or seal in a plastic bag and freeze for several months. These are great on pizza, sandwiches, diced and tossed with pasta, orserved on a platter of antipasto.

So… Lightly dust a sheet pan with cornmeal-I like the crunch it gives the final pizza. Plop your lovely dough in the middle of the pan. Gently press into a large rectangle. The bigger you go, the thinner the crust. Just don’t go too thin or it will create holes when you put it on your grill and burn.
If the dough is so elastic that it just retracts back and won’t stretch out, let it rest for 10 minutes and try again. Brush both sides of the dough generously with olive oil. Actually, I just drizzle a bunch on and smear it around with my hands and then flip and do it again. DO NOT FORGET THIS STEP! It isn’t pretty trying to remove un-oiled dough from a grill. Make sure you have all your toppings ready. Carry the whole pan outside to your well cleaned grill. Turn the burners down to low or use indirect heat if using a charcoal grill. Carefully, so as not to tear the dough-but with conviction!- lay the dough directly on the grates of the grill, quickly straightening it out to the correct shape. Watch your fingers! Its hot! Close the lid and let ‘bake’ for 3-5 minutes. The underside should be lightly browned and the whole thing slightly puffed. Carefully, and with a heatproof spatula or whatever happens to work for you-no plastic please-FLIP! Immediately top with tomatoes. And basil. And then the mozzarella. Admire your handy work… …and close the lid! The other side has been baking since you flipped it so you want to add the toppings quickly and get it closed so that the cheese has time to melt before the crust is done cooking. Hence, the low heat and toppings ready to go! By the time the cheese has melted, just a minute or two, your crust should be nicely browned on the other side. See?! Melty, wonderful, gooey goodness. Very carefully, with a sheet pan, or large cutting board ready, slide the pizza off the grill. Be careful! My husband is somewhat of an expert at this… Phew! Take a deep breath and dig in!! Variations:
-Saute chopped mushrooms in a bit of butter.
-Finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
-Puree roasted tomatoes or purchased sundried tomatoes in olive oil in a food processor. Add olive oil to make it as thick or as thin as you want, as long as it is spreadable. Spread this in the bottom, and then top with basil and cheese. This is out of this world good!
-Shredded fontina melts well and is awesome with nothing more with it than fresh basil.
-Add finely diced pepperoni or browned and crumbled Italian sausage.
-Cheese (mozzarella or fontina or heck!-sliced brie is good too) and a sprinkle of dried oregano. This is especially good as an appetizer, cut into smaller strips.
Note: Fresh sliced tomatoes are good, but the excess water makes the crust soggy.