Strawberry and Honey Bran Muffins

Does anyone remember Strawberry Shortcake? The cartoon character. When I was really little, maybe four or five, I distinctly remember an older girl who lived across the street from me that had her entire room decked out in Strawberry Shortcake everything. Not even exaggerating. Her walls were painted pink, she had the bed-spread and sheet set, this crazy canopy thing, posters, dolls, clothes; she maxed it out. 

I remember wanting my room to look like hers so bad and strawberries became my fascination. But we soon moved away and I forgot about her room; and I soon realized that strawberries are good, but only when they are really good. Like in season, just picked locally good. Otherwise you have to settle for a mediocre good strawberry with some sugar sprinkled on top.

Of course if you had asked me then what my favorite fruit was, I would have still said strawberries no matter what it tasted like. There is something so sweet and alluring about these little berries and the fact that their bright red flesh, speckled with tiny seeds, is like no other fruit in the eyes of a little girl, cupping them gently in her little hands as if they might break.

When strawberries and other fruit are in season I feel like they're the perfect package all on their own, so it's hard for me to put them in baked goods sometimes because I just want to eat them. But these bran muffins really benefit from the sweet little bits of strawberry. Lightly sweetened with honey and a few added almonds for a little crunch, these are not your average bran muffin. I think the flavor of bran muffins always seems to deepen and get better with time, so if you plan to make them for breakfast or brunch, I'd make them the day before. We plan on packing a few for our weekend in Portand.

Strawberry and Honey Bran Muffins

Loosely adapted from Bob's Red Mill
about 15 muffins

1 cup wheat bran

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup toasted almonds or walnuts, finely chopped (optional)

1 cup milk (soy, rice, almond, or dairy)

1/2 cup honey

3/4 cup applesauce

2 tablespoons oil

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups strawberries, chopped

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Grease or paper line muffin tin. 

In a large bowl, combine wheat bran, flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir in chopped nuts if using.

In a separate bowl, mix milk, honey, applesauce, oil, and eggs. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and stir just until moistened. Fold in the strawberries.

Spoon the batter into prepared muffin tin, about 3/4 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Once muffins are completely cool, store in an airtight container for 3-5 days.

Baked Tofu Sticks

This entire past week has been a whirlwind of paper cutting, screen printing, fabric cutting, sewing, and packaging; all in preparation for the huge two-day Crafty Wonderland Spring Show in Portland we're attending this coming weekend. I have had less time to think about putting a complete meal in front of my face than I care to admit.

Considering I'm a big time snacker (I prefer to nibble my way throughout the day because it keeps my energy and my sanity in tact); weeks like this may be considered a snackers paradise. But when you start to realize that you've been nibbling on cheese sandwiches, cookies, and fruit for the past few days, it starts to get to ya.

If I had planned for this onslaught of busy days by pre-making meals and having them in the freezer at my every whim... well then I might not have made these tofu sticks, and I'd only be pretending to be that organized. So when I found myself craving something with a little more substance to snack on, protein filled tofu came to my rescue. Sure it took an hour of my precious time, but I managed to get a piled up counter of dishes washed and the floors swept; things that also needed to get done, while the tofu marinated and baked. Plus it made enough to last a couple days, possibly even longer if we didn't finish them off so quickly.

I usually have a block of tofu in my fridge because along with beans it's a staple in my diet, but this was my first attempt at breading and baking it, so it was definitely a new experience. They turned out to be the exact healthy, crispy-crunchy, protein snack I needed. They were delicious right from the oven, as much as they were the next day, and the day after that. I topped off my salad greens with them for a light lunch one day and it was perfect. 

If you have the best dipping sauce that you just have to dip everything into, well be my guest and use that, these tofu sticks are the perfect backdrop for a multitude of flavors. If you want to enjoy them warm the next day, reheat in a 350˚F oven for 10-15 minutes, they'll come out warm and crispy to enjoy again, but I found them just as good cold from the refrigerator too. *I used almond flour, but you could also use whole wheat or all-purpose flour too. If you don't regularly have bread crumbs in the cupboard, whirl a piece of toast in the food processor, that's what I usually do, works great.

Baked Tofu Sticks

Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics

makes 12 sticks

1 cake firm tofu (16 ounces), drained and pressed

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced or pressed

1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

pinch of cayenne, or to taste

3 tablespoons almond flour *see note above

6 tablespoons water

dipping sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon finely chopped scallions

Cut the cake of tofu horizontally into three equal slices. Stack the slices and cut down through them vertically in parallel lines, dividing the cake first into halves the quarters, and finally eighths, to yield 24 sticks. Arrange the tofu sticks in a baking dish in a single layer.

Mix together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and garlic and drizzle over the tofu sticks. Set aside for about 30 minutes, turning once after 15 minutes, so the tofu absorbs the marinade evenly.

Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Lightly spray or oil a baking tray.

In a large sallow bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, parsley, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne. In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together the almond flour and water until smooth. Dip each marinated tofu stick into the flour mixture and then coat well with the seasoned bread crumbs. Arrange the breaded sticks on the baking sheet so they're not touching and bake for about 30 minutes, until crisp and hot.

In a small bowl, whisk together the dipping sauce ingredients. Serve the baked tofu sticks warm, accompanied by the dipping sauce.

Whole Wheat Cornmeal Pancakes with Rhubarb Syrup

When I worked an nine to five job, I developed a routine. One in which I have to admit I kind of enjoyed. My internal clock would always stir me awake a few minutes before the alarm would go off and I would slowly pull myself out of bed, figure out what I was going to wear that day, and pack my lunch. On most days I would ride my bike through the city to where I worked.  This was above all the best part of my morning routine. Of coarse there were days I really didn't feel like riding, but I always knew I'd regret it if I didn't. I loved the smell of the salty sea air, the hustle and bustle of the city slowly coming to life from the night before. Things were so clear and I used to have some of the strangest encounters that I couldn't wait to tell Scott about when I came home.

I would even eat the same bowl of oatmeal everyday for breakfast. Mostly out of habit, but also because it was quick and convenient, and for me, its a comfort food that I grew up with and enjoyed. I would save my love of pancakes, eggs, and scones for the weekends.

Now that I work from home and that this month officially brings me to the two year mark of quitting my job and starting a small business, I still have my morning routine, it's just a little different, and sometimes it involves pancakes on a weekday morning.

When summer gets closer and closer, I always find myself waking much sooner than I set my alarm clock for. I already new that Scott and I had a ton of work set for the week, so on this particular early Monday morning I found myself wanting to make a large pancake breakfast, before we were all over the place and wouldn't have time for any meals together.

I realize not everyone can make such a breakfast before heading off to work, but if you find yourself waking early one morning to the sound of the birds, I say get up and make yourself some pancakes, or eggs, or whatever it is that you save for weekends. I bet you'll feel really good about it, and I bet if you share them, someone will love you just a little bit more too.

These pancakes are light and fluffy on the inside, but the cornmeal created a nice subtle crunch. The whole wheat flour gives them substance, which fueled me all through the morning. The rhubarb syrup gives these pancakes an unexpected twist; slightly tart, but a really great contrast to the wheat and corn taste. I think these would be great with blueberries mixed in, or as a syrup, but good old maple syrup is always good too. 

*I rarely have buttermilk on hand unless I'm planning on using it for something; so when I wake up before dawn, and I feel like pancakes, there is no way I'm going to the store just for some buttermilk. I usually will do the old milk (soy milk in my case) and lemon juice combination. It works perfectly in these types of situations.

Whole Wheat Cornmeal Pancakes

Adapted from Gourmet

makes 24 silver dollars

1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour

1/3 cup cornmeal

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk *see above notes

2 large eggs

3 tablespoons vegetable oil plus additional for brushing griddle

Whisk together dry ingredients in a bowl, then add buttermilk, eggs, and oil and whisk until smooth. Let stand 5 minutes (batter will thicken). If batter is too thick to pour easily (whole-wheat flours vary in how much liquid they absorb), thin with additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Brush a griddle or 12-inch skillet with oil and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Reduce heat to moderate. Working in batches of 4, spoon 2 tablespoons batter per pancake (a heaping large serving spoon works well) onto hot griddle to form 3- to 3 1/2-inch rounds. Cook until bubbles appear on surface and pop, edges are set, and undersides are golden, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Flip pancakes with a metal spatula and cook until undersides are golden and pancakes are cooked through, 45 seconds to 1 minute more. (Lower heat if pancakes brown too much before insides are cooked through.) Transfer pancakes to plates and brush griddle with oil between batches. Serve with warm rhubarb syrup or regular maple syrup. 

Rhubarb Syrup

makes about 1/2 cup

rhubarb juice left over from hand pies

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

extra water for thinning, optional

Pour the rhubarb juice into a small sauce pan over medium-low heat. Stir in the cornstarch and raise the heat. Once the mixture begins to bubble, stir constantly for about a minute, it will begin to thicken. Remove from heat and let cool. Add water one tablespoon at a time if you would like to thin the syrup out a little. Serve with pancakes or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week.

Rhubarb Hand Pies with Orange and Cardamom

Every single year around spring time, when rhubarb comes into season, Scott reminds me why he can not eat this long reddish plant that is always overflowing with abundance at the markets. I will not repeat the story for your sake, but it involves his brother eating a very large quantity of rhubarb pie when they were little, and a not so pretty ending. Since that day, probably almost twenty years ago, he has not eaten even the smallest bite of rhubarb anything.

I was bound to change that; first because I love rhubarb, and second because I didn't think I could stand going another season without baking something sweet out of this spring time delight. So last week while we were at the market, a wonderful lady was selling some of the best looking rhubarb I've seen and she gave me all kinds of tips for baking with it. I could just see Scott standing next to me, with the image of his brother on repeat going through his head. Later he asked me what I was going to do with all that rhubarb, I said "well, I'm going to make some hand pies and you're going to really like them." He was hesitant, but I knew he'd give in once they were fresh from the oven.

I decided on hand pies long before I had even bought the rhubarb. My reason being that just in case there was the chance Scott didn't end up liking rhubarb, I would not be left to consume a very large pie or crumble all to myself, and the size of the hand pies could easily find room in my freezer, where I could have them as convenient snacks.  Plus they're really cute. 

The moment of truth came when I watched as Scott took his first bite into the perfectly flaky crust and the tart, rhubarb filled center. He then asked if he could have another. Gladly.

We ended up going over to his sisters place for the night because his brother was in town for the weekend; the same one that the above accident happened to. I couldn't resist converting him to a rhubarb lover too, so I brought the hand pies along with us. We came home with nothing left but the plate that got them there, mission accomplished.

The only thing I would change next time is to make them bigger. I really wanted more of the filling! The filling was more on the tart side, but the orange and cardamom really enhanced the flavor; add more sugar if you like a sweeter filling. The crust was the best on the first day. The next day it was still good, but a little less flaky, the moisture of the fruit had softened it a bit. Some of the pies didn't seal properly too, this was a combination of me over-filling them, and I would have wanted to put the un-cooked, filled pies in the freezer for a half hour to an hour if I had time. This would have helped create a stronger seal, since my dough had started to get to warm from all the rolling. There will be some extra rhubarb liquid left over after straining, but hang onto it. I've made a yummy syrup for a later post coming soon!

Pate Brisee

adapted from Martha Stewart

2 1/2 cups un-bleached flour

1 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoons salt

1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces

1/4 -1/2 cup ice water, plus more if needed

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt; pulse to combine. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds. (To mix by hand, combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then cut in butter with a pastry blender.

With the machine running, add ice water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream, just until dough holds together without being wet or sticky. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Test by squeezing a small amount of the dough together; if it is still too crumbly, add a bit more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Turn out dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Shape into flattened rectangles. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. The dough can be frozen up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

Rhubarb Hand Pies with Orange and Cardamom

Adapted from Bon Appétit

makes 18 mini hand pies

4 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup cane sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice, or water

1 teaspoon orange zest

1/4 teaspoon cardamom

1 recipe pate brisee, above

1 egg, lightly beaten

demara or sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Combine rhubarb, sugar, orange juice, orange zest, and cardamom in a large deep skillet. Toss over medium high heat, until liquid starts to bubble. Reduce heat to medium. Cover and simmer until rhubarb is almost tender, stirring very gently occasionally to keep rhubarb intact, about 8 minutes. Drain the rhubarb mixture into a colander set over a bowl. Drain well and keep the extra juice, I've got a great use for it coming up in my next post. Place drained mixture back in skillet and let cool for about 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll half the dough on a lightly floured surface, about an 1/8-inch thick. Using a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.

Spoon about 1-2 tablespoons rhubarb mixture onto one half of each round. Lightly brush the edge with egg around one half of the dough. Fold over forming a half moon shape. Gently press edges together with the back of a fork to seal. Brush the tops of each pie with egg. Use a paring knife to slash a couple small holes in the top. Sprinkle with demara sugar.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer the pies to a wire rack to let cool before serving. Once completely cool, store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Roasted Asparagus with Herb Butter and Quinoa

When most people see asparagus popping up at their local market they usually think, ahh finally Spring is here. When I see asparagus, I think of my grandpa. He's been gardening and growing vegetables for as long as I can remember. Long before the green movement and the trendy urban gardens that are popping up everywhere(which I think is awesome), he's been growing his vegetables in a suburb of Seattle, on the small patch of yard he owns.

When I was younger he gave me little tasks of hunting for green beans and juicy ripe tomatoes. I'd bounce around the yard, water can in hand, giving all the plants a big long drink. I'd hit up my grandmas roses and sweet peas too.

I distinctly remember the day when I first learned how asparagus grow. I had no idea what these strange stalks of green poking through the ground were. When I asked my grandpa, he laughed and said "you know what those are, we eat them with dinner all the time." I thought about it, but then he bent down and cut the stalk of one right at the base of the dirt and that's when I finally realized; oh, it's asparagus.

My grandpa was raised by his full Italian mother and grandmother and Lithuanian aunt, so he must have learned a thing or two around the kitchen when he was young, because he can cook up a pretty delicious meal. I think the key to his cooking, is simplicity. He likes his asparagus lightly steamed or roasted and drizzled with olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. So as simple as my roasted asparagus with herb butter might be, it still might even be a little fussy to him. 

I wish I could say these fine green asparagus were from his garden too, but his always seem to come up a little later on in the season. Lucky me, because that means I can extend the season a little longer, I love asparagus! Plus once they do start coming up, they practically grow overnight, so you can have them with every meal. I know this because I once house-sat when he was on vacation and it was prime picking time. I had to go over to the neighbors and give them an offering, I had so many.

I had about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of left over quinoa from dinner a couple nights before and I didn't want it to go to waste. After seeing some inspiration on how to use up left over rice, I thought hmm, I could do that with quinoa too. This was a really quick meal to put together. Even if you don't have left over quinoa in the refrigerator, you can still cook some up pretty quick and go through the same process of incorporating the egg into it. Or just use left over rice in place of the quinoa. Of coarse the asparagus are perfect on their own too. Also, I didn't really measure anything, so I just gave an educated guess on what seemed like the right amount.

Roasted Asparagus with Herb Butter and Quinoa

serves 2

1 pound asparagus

2-3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

salt and pepper to taste

fresh lemon juice

2 cups cooked quinoa

2 eggs

salt and pepper to taste

Place oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 500˚F. Have ready a shallow baking pan.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Once butter has melted, stir in the parsley and marjoram. Add in the asparagus, toss to coat, season with salt, and pepper. Place asparagus in shallow baking pan and roast until asparagus is just tender when pierced with a fork, about 8-15 minutes, give the pan a good shake half way through cooking time.

While the asparagus are in the oven, crack the eggs into the same pan you melted the butter in, hopefully you will have some of the herb butter left over, if not add more butter. Lightly scramble the eggs, when they are still wet, add in the cooked quinoa and stir to combine well. Once heated through season with salt and pepper to taste.

When the asparagus are done, squeeze a little lemon juice over the top if you like. Serve warm alongside the quinoa.

Almond and Roasted Broccoli Penne

I'm the only vegetarian in my entire family and I've been one since high school. When I still lived at home I had to learn to cook vegetarian meals on my own. I never had anyone to really look up to and talk with when it came to feeding my body the things it needed. I had to read and learn most things on my own, which I think fueled my passion for food and healthy eating even more. Back then I ate a lot of cereal, cheese sandwiches, and bean burritos.

Because I learned mostly on my own, it has made me a some-what shy cook. I really love to cook, but most everyone who knows me always relies on my baking. I've grown into this role, where I am always the one who volunteers to bring the dessert. This also falls into the category of breakfast foods, because cinnamon rolls, pancakes, and muffins are all too close to being desserts anyways. I love this role, because sweets and treats make people feel good, it brings out celebration and smiles; and trust me when I say I'll never stop baking, I love dessert way too much, but it's not the only thing I know.

Baking cookies with my mom was my first introduction to the kitchen. I learned to cook, using skills taken from my mom and grandmothers, but using them in my own way. My style of cooking is definitely not one in the same, and because of this I rarely feel comfortable bringing a dish to share to a family function. I've taken my fair share of half joking comments over the years too, which probably didn't help with this fear.

Since I started this blog, I've been introduced to so many other talented cooks. I've come to realize that this is who I am and what I like to eat. So if I want to bring over a salad or side dish of pasta, than that is what I'm bringing. I need to stop hiding behind pound cakes and brownies and bring dishes like this pasta. Because it's good. Really, really good. And there is no meat in it, but I think you'll still like it.

I love reading through Heide's blog and cookbook, she throws down healthy, delicious food like nobody's business. What I love most about her cooking is not only the healthy side of it, but how many of the dishes she makes are easily adaptable. Take this pasta, she used walnuts, I used almonds. She used a pasta shape called farro strozzapreti, I used whole wheat penne. She served her's alone, I tossed in some roasted broccoli. It was fast, it was easy, it was simple. It was pure pasta love. It was the exact thing I was craving, and I was satisfied when I finished my bowl.

Almond and Roasted Broccoli Penne

Adapted from Coco: 10 World-Leading Masters Choose 100 Contemporary Chefs via 101cookbooks
serves 6

3/4 cup almonds

1 clove garlic, peeled

1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon marjoram, chopped

3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 cup pecorino Romano, grated

salt & pepper

1 pound whole wheat penne pasta

1 pound broccoli, cut into florets

extra-virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

Preheat the oven to 450˚F.

In a large bowl, toss the broccoli florets with a couple glugs of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Transfer to a large baking sheet and spread the broccoli into one even layer. Roast for about 20-25 minutes, until some of the edges have started to brown.

Meanwhile heat a large pot of water, it will take a while for it to come to a boil.

Place the garlic and salt in a mortar and pestle, and pound to a fine paste. Add the almonds to the mortar and pestle and pound into a paste, I left mine a little on the chunky side. You can also do this in a food processor.

Transfer the nut mixture to a bowl. Stir in the olive oil, then add most of the herbs. Stir in the pecorino, taste, and adjust the seasoning.

Salt the pasta water generously, and cook the pasta al dente. Drain and reserve a big cup of the pasta water. Toss the walnut pesto with the pasta and broccoli, if you need to thin out the sauce use the reserved water. Serve topped with a sprinkling of the remaining herbs.

Cinnamon Cake

This is the second cake I've made this week. The first was this pine nut butter cake and now a cinnamon cake. Completely different cakes, but both simple and both incredibly good.

This one however, was made special for my mom. Her birthday was this week and my little sister and I tried to devise a plan to come over and surprise her, mid-week, with dinner and dessert. The surprise part didn't really work to well; mother's always seem to know when something's up. The cake was still a huge hit.

I owe all my baking and cooking values to my mom. She always managed to have dinner on table every night, while also working full time and shuttling us off to swim lessons and soccer practices. When she noticed that I was always peaking over her shoulder in the kitchen, she gave me my very first cookbooks, which I still have, even though they are for children. The least I can do is bake a cake for her birthday.

My mom and I are similar in that we don't really like traditional "birthday" cakes with lots of frosting; it's always just a little too much sugar spread on top of a slightly dry cake. Something else we share, is a love for bundt and coffee cakes (if those count as cake?). My mom also loves cinnamon, her favorite cookies are snicker-doodles, so I wanted to make her a cake with cinnamon.

The inspiration for this cake was actually found in a little old Nordic Ware recipe book my mom had on her book shelf. It looked like the kind that comes with the bundt pan when you buy it, so I didn't have to high of hopes for finding anything I absolutely had to make. But I took it home anyway and searched through all the varieties, and the cinnamon cake I thought sounded perfect, it just needed a little tweaking to make it better. I didn't like the order of instructions and I basically changed ingredients and amounts for most of the recipe, so it's not really the same cake, but more of an inspiration from their version.

At the last minute I decided it didn't look very pretty for a birthday cake, so to help it out a little I sprinkled demerara sugar and cinnamon over the top. I guess I could have made a cinnamon sort of icing but once I tasted it, I kind of was glad I didn't. The cake itself isn't overly sweet and would work well as a brunch option. Actually it tasted quite good the next day too, so if you need to make it the day before to save time, go for it.

Cinnamon Cake

serves 10-12

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups cane sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup soy milk

3 eggs, room temperature

3 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 cup applesauce
turbinado sugar or cinnamon sugar for dusting (optional)

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Generously grease and flour a 10 or 12 cup bundt pan.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, until thoroughly combined, add the milk and vanilla.

Mix the wet ingredients in with the dry, just until combined. Spoon half of the batter into prepared bundt pan. Stir the walnuts, rolled oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and applesauce into the other half of batter. Spoon over the batter in the pan.

Bake 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool upright in pan for 30 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and serve warm.

Spring Vegetable and Apple Salad

Slowly, as spring has been creeping in, the local farmers markets have been filling up and the seasonal ones are just beginning; bringing with them all the fresh spring produce I look forward to every year. I get so excited bouncing back and forth between the vendors, seeing what each one has brought for the day.

The seeds I started for our little garden weeks ago, are slowly, one by one, emerging from the soft dirt. Every year I seem to go a little overboard, and now that April is here and the danger of frost will soon be gone, I can't wait to get them outside; considering almost every window sill in my apartment has been occupied since then. Along with all the vegetables, I planted some herbs too, and am excited to say that I snipped off the seasons first few chives and placed them in this spring salad. I love how simple and easy that was, well worth the short wait.

This feels like a lady salad to me. Not to say men won't enjoy it too, I know Scott did, but it's so light and refreshing, and has a cleansing feeling to it. I love the crisp texture it has and the soft wisps of fennel fronds add so much for the eye. It makes good use of sweet storage apples that are available now, I used Gala, one of my favorites. 

Sunchokes were nowhere to be found at my local farmers market, but if you happen to have some, slice them paper-thin and toss those in as well. Instead, I added a large handful of thinly chopped radish leaves, which have a peppery taste to them, almost like arugula. This salad only gets better if its had a chance to sit overnight in the refrigerator, I suggest making it the night before or early in the day, but it's just as nice if you run short on time and want it now.

Spring Vegetable and Apple Salad

Adapted from The Flexitarian Table 

serves 6-8

2 fennel bulbs, trimmed, fronds reserved, cored, and shaved or sliced paper-thin

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

2 storage apples(such as Gala, Winesap, or Red Delicious) quartered, cored, and sliced paper-thin

6 large or 8 small radishes, trimmed and sliced paper-thin

handful of thinly sliced radish leaves

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chop enough of the reserved fennel fronds to make 2 tablespoons (you can discard the rest).

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, rice vinegar, lemon juice, chives, and fennel fronds.

Add the apples and vegetables to the vinaigrette, toss well, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 1 day, to allow the flavors to meld.

Taste the salad again and add additional salt if necessary before serving.

Pine Nut Butter Cake

It has been quite a few years since I put on my white stockings and best Easter dress, only to come home with grass stained knees and more candy in my basket than I could ever consume. But now, as an adult, I find that all those little chocolate candies and jelly beans have nothing on a cake like this.

If you have your Easter menu all planned out, but are still looking for a last minute dessert to make, then might I suggest you bake this cake. It's quick, makes your home smell of warm butter and sugar, and it's a little unexpected. There is no chocolate, no carrots and cream cheese frosting, no lemon curd or ricotta; things you might typically see every year for Easter. Instead what you have is butter, sugar, eggs, and flour working together at there finest, all to be topped off with buttery pine nuts.

Simple, effective, and will have people asking you for the recipe before they've even finished their last bite. Plus since it only takes 35 minutes to bake with maybe 10-15 minutes hands-on time, you can have this cake out and done in under an hour. No frosting and waiting for layers to cool. There is no dough that needs to be chilled and rolled; just measure, mix, sprinkle with pine nits, bake. You can even make it the day before, that way you can finish filling all those last minute eggs with candy, for the kids. If you don't like pine nuts a good substitution would be roughly chopped macadamia nuts.

Pine Nut Butter Cake

Adapted from The Essential Baker
serves 12

6 ounces(12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

1 cup cane sugar or granulated sugar

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 extra large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons pine nuts

Center a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat to 350˚F. Generously butter or spray a 9" round cake pan. Dust the inside with flour, shake off excess. Cut a round piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan. Butter the parchment round and place in the pan, butter-side up.

Place melted butter in a large bowl. Add the sugars and stir together with a rubber spatula until thoroughly blended.

One at a time add the eggs to the butter mixture. Mix evenly, scraping the sides down as you go. The mixture may look curdled as the eggs are added, but it will smooth out. Then add the vanilla and stir to blend.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add to the butter mixture in 3 stages, blending well after each addition.

Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan. The batter is very thick, so use a rubber spatula to spread it evenly into the pan.

Sprinkle the pine nuts evenly over the top of the cake. 

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove the pan from the oven and cool completely on a rack. Invert the pan to remove the cake, then peel the parchment paper off the back of the cake. Re-invert the cake onto a serving plate.

Cut into wedges and serve at room temperature.

Store the cake tightly wrapped in aluminum foil at room temperature up to four days. Freeze up to 3 months, wrapped tightly in several layers of plastic and aluminum foil. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.