It's Fall Back Brunch Time Again

It’s that weekend when the clocks are turned back and somehow you get an extra hour.   No one in the household knows whether its time for breakfast or lunch. It is the perfect Sunday for an impromptu brunch. 

With the extra time, you can leisurely put together a waffle batter while you sip on some tea or coffee.  Fluffy waffles topped with fruit, syrup, compound butters or yogurt and fortified with a slice of bacon or a sausage patty are easier than you'd think, especially if everyone dresses their own.  

Since it is autumn, try some buckwheat waffles.  They may look like hearty wholewheat health fare, but this surprisingly soft flour creates a mild cake that takes any topping beautifully.  It's fun to have a little waffle toppings bar set out as the waffles pop off the iron.

I learned to make buckwheat waffles after experimenting with buckwheat crepes.  The crepe recipe requires a bit of regular flour but the waffles are 100% buckwheat flour.  This recipe is adapted from the excellent Simply Recipes version that also uses an all buckwheat flour base.

I use 3 eggs instead of their suggested '2 eggs plus extra egg whites.' The additional yolk adds extra moistness and tenderness and 3 whites are plenty to help with the waffles' stability and structure.  Also, the original recipe uses butter which can result in a heavier waffle.  I use vegetable oil instead of butter but you can use half and half.   

A really fun topping to put out with these waffles is an 'all in one' butter made with maple syrup and fruit, Maple Cinnamon Cranberry Butter.  Fresh cranberries are in grocery stores (and on sale) right now and they are easy to rinse and cook down with maple syrup and a touch of cinnamon.  Folded into softened butter, this waffle butter keeps well in the fridge for a week and is good on toast too. (See below for more interesting uses.)

If you are up really early and want to get a jump on the morning, make the waffles and keep them in a preheated oven (under 200˚F) on a flat cookie sheet lightly covered with foil.  They freeze well too.  Place sheet of wax paper between each and store in a resealable freezer bag.

Buckwheat Waffles with Maple Cinnamon Cranberry Butter

Makes 8 waffles

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup buckwheat flour

baking powder

baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch salt

1 cup yogurt

1 cup milk

3 eggs, seperated

1/2 cup vegetable oil (canola, for example)

1-2 tablespoons sugar

 

Method

1. Combine dry ingredients (buckwheat flour through salt) in a medium bowl.
2. Combine yogurt, milk egg yolks and oil in a small bowl or pitcher.  Stir to break up the egg yolks.
3. In a large bowl, beat egg whites until foamy.  Sprinkle on sugar and continue to beat until soft peaks form.  (This small amount of egg whites can be whipped quickly and easily with a whisk but you can also use a hand mixer.)
4. Pour the yogurt milk mixture into dry ingredients and combine so that all ingredients are moistened.  
5. Stir into the batter a large spoonful of egg whites.  This will lighten the batter.
6. Pour the batter into the egg whites trying to pour down one side of the bowl so that most of the egg whites remain puffy.  Using a rubber spatula or large spoon, fold the egg whites into the batter by drawing the spatula through the mixture and pulling batter and egg whites up from the bottom.  When the egg wites are nicely incorporated into the batter, you are ready to eat the waffle iron. 
7. Waffle irons very in size.  Follow the manufacturers instructions on preheating.  Place a little cooking oil or spray oil on the cooking surface and pour about 1/2- 2/3 cup batter onto iron. 
8. Close and  cook about 3 minutes (more or less depending on your appliance, ours likes 3 minutes).
9. Use a rubber spatula to help lift the waffle from the iron onto a waiting plate or a platter (that can go in a low oven to keep the waffles warm). 

Serve with your favorite topping including our new favorite, Maple Cinnamon Cranberry Butter.  This lightly sweetened fruit butter goes beautifully on waffles and pancakes.  If you have any leftovers, try a spoonful with roasted acorn squash.  Good on turkey or roast pork sandwiches too.

Maple Cinnamon Cranberry Butter

Makes 2/3 cup

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed
1/4 cup water
4 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons softened butter

Method

1. Pick over cranberries and discard any soft berries and stems.
2. Place cranberries and water in a small, heavy-bottomed pot and cook over medium heat until berries burst and water is almost cooked out.  As the berries break down, they will release their pectin and create a thick sauce.  
3. Lower heat and add maple syrup and cinnamon.  Cook 1-2 minutes more until the jewel red sauce is quite thick.  Remove pot from the heat and allow cranberry mixture to cool. (Hint: you have just made a simple cranberry sauce from scratch).
4. When the sauce is room temperature, whip the softened butter - 1 tablespoon at a time- intot he mixture. 
5. Serve immediately or store in a covered bowl.  When chilled, Maple Cinnamon Cranberry Butter will harden.  It can be rolled and sliced for serving.

Baked Potato Soup

If you have some extra potatoes already baked, this soup is even faster on a chilly evening.  Just remove the peel and stir in the cooked potatoes once the cauliflower is tender.  Cauliflower adds a silkiness to the texture of the soup that is subtle but special.

Our Baked Potato Soup
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 slices bacon, chopped in inch wide pieces
2 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
½ onion, diced
1 large baking potato
3 medium eastern potatoes
½ head cauliflower
1 quart low sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
Optional garnishes: grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, chives or chopped scallion, bacon (reserved from rendered bacon fat), black pepper

1. In a large stockpot over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy.  Remove bacon as it crisps and reserve to garnish soup.   Leave bacon fat in pot.  
2. Lower heat and add celery and onion.   Cook vegetables until tender.  
3. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and cut into quarters.  Cut the large baking potato into eighths.  All the potatoes should be about the same size.  Add potatoes and chicken broth to pot and bring to a boil.  
4. Chop cauliflower into large florets.  When soup is boiling, lower heat to medium and add cauliflower.  
5. Boil soup over medium heat, partially covered for 30 minutes until potatoes and cauliflower can be easily mashed with a fork.   Add water if liquid becomes to low.  
6. When vegetables are fork-tender, remove soup from heat.   Using a large spoon, break up the potatoes so they are in smaller, bite sized pieces.  Stir in milk.  Stir in half the salt and taste.  Add remaining salt if needed.  Finally stir in butter.  
7. At this point you can serve the soup with garnishes or you can puree it.  To puree, use an immersion blender or allow the soup to cool about an hour before pouring into a blender to puree.  Soup may be made a day in advance.  Store covered and refrigerated.

Chili & Fire Prevention Week

This week's motto: Fire in the chili, not in the kitchen.  It's Fire Prevention Week. 

The leading cause of home fires and injuries is cooking.  (I always thought it was heating or electrical.)  In fact, two of every five home fires start in the kitchen.  So the National Fire Protection Association theme this year is "Prevent Kitchen Fires."

Some hot, fiery chili seemd like a natural companion recipe to a few simple tips and "best practices" to commemorate the week.  When making this recipe, you can put into use many of the habits of fire prevention in your own kitchen.

•  The leading cause of kitchen fires is unattended cooking and most of that involves stovetop cooking.  
•  If you are simmering, boiling, baking or roasting food, check it regularly and remain at home while food is cooking.  Use a timer to remind you to check on the cooking food.
• Keep anything that can catch fire- oven mitts, wooden utensils, food packaging, towels, long sleeves- away from the stovetop.
• Keep a lid nearby when cooking to smother any small grease fire.  Smother the fire by sliding the lid over the pan and turning off the stovetop.  Leave the pan covered until it is complete cooled.  DO not throw water on a grease fire.  
• If you decide to fight the fire, be sure others are getting out and that you also have a clear way out.  Have someone call 9-1-1.  When you get out, close the door to prevent spread of the fire.  

Let's make chili and show off some fire safety know-how. 

Recently, America's Test Kitchen did some very clever things to develop depth and oomph in a vegetarian bean chili.  Recipes for meat-based chilies can benefit from the addition of one of those tricks: dried mushrooms, ground in with your chili powder. The mushrooms add extra umami flavor, a deep flavor component that will mature your chili quickly. 

Kitchen Fire Chili
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
1 tablespoon ground, roasted and seeded chilies*
1 teaspoon ground dired mushrooms (porcini, shitake, etc)
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2-1 teaspoon ground cumin
14-ounce can chopped tomatoes in juice
2 teaspoon tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
optional: cayenne

Method

1. Over medium heat, brown the meat in a wide, deep skillet.  Stir and turn occasionally to cook all the meat completely.  Pour off excess fat, leaving no more that a tablespoon (not necessary if using a lean meat; wipe any fat from the outside of the pan before placing back on heating element.)
2. Lower the heat to medium-low and push the meat to the side of the pan. Sprinkle the chili, mushroom, oregano and cumin over the oil left in the pan and stir to coat and cook the spices for about one minute.  
3. Combine the meat and spice mixture together and add the tomatoes, juice and tomato paste.  Stir to combine well.
4. Cover and simmer over very low heat for 15 minutes.  Check mixture after about 5 minutes and add water, a few tablespoons at a time, if mixture is becoming dry. 
5. Remove from heat (and turn off stove top).  Cover and let sit for 10 minutes. 
6. Taste and add salt, up to 1/4 teaspoon if needed.  This is also the time to adjust for spiciness-- adding cayenne or hot sauce to suit your taste. 

Flecks of mushroom color freshly ground chili powder

*To make your own pure chili powder, roast whole dried chilies in a 300˚F oven for 10 minutes.  A nice combination is two ancho chilies and two gaujillo chilies.  Cool the chilies, abut 5 minutes so they are easy to handle.  Break open, remove seeds, stem and any large membranes inside each chili. Grind the chilies in a spice grinder (coffee grinder used only for spices) or food processor.   Grind with the dried mushrooms to make an instant, house-blend of chili powder. 

If you use a purchased chili powder that already contains cumin, oregano and other ingredients, simple add the ground mushrooms to your chili powder and proceed with recipe. 

Note: Beans are optional in your chili and can be added with the tomatoes.  Use one can, drained, for every pound of meat. 

Serve chili scooped into bowls over warmed tortilla chips or rice.  Garnish with any combination of chopped avocado, black olives and tomatoes, grated cheddar or jack cheese, sour cream lime quarters and fresh, chopped cilantro.  Pass the extra hot sauce. 

Special thanks to firefighters everywhere, especially the members of The Thornhurst Volunteer Fire & Rescue Co, our local heroes.

Carrot-Ginger Red Cabbage Slaw

Crispy salads from cabbage make really nice sides to fall meals.  We enjoyed this Japanese-inspired slaw with pork tenderloin.  If you like the carrot-ginger dressing on salads served at Japanese restaurants, you know what a nice match it is to grilled and roasted meats and fish.  Leftover sliced pork and the slaw make really good lunch tacos the following day.  This slaw is also a fresh and crunchy foil for vegetarian fall offerings like winter squash gratins.

Red cabbage is a vibrant choice.  You can also make this with green, savoy or napa cabbage.  Leftover steamed or roasted Brussels sprouts could get new life from this zesty dressing too. 

Carrot- Ginger Red Cabbage Slaw
Makes a little over 2 cups, serves 4

Ingredients
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 small carrot- finely grated
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 t grainy or Dijon mustard
Juice ½ lemon
Salt & pepper
Optional: ½ teaspoon honey, hot sauce

½ red cabbage, thinly sliced

Method

1. Make the dressing.  Combine the first five ingredients, ginger through lemon juice in a small bowl.  It is helpful to grate the ginger and carrot into the bowl first using a very fine grater.  
2. Then add the mayonnaise, mustard and lemon juice.  Taste and add salt and black pepper as needed.   
3. You may also enjoy a sweeter or hotter version—add honey or hot sauce to taste.  Start with ½ teaspoon honey and/or a few dashes of hot sauce.  
4. Combine dressing with thinly sliced cabbage.  Be sure to cover the cabbage entirely so it will all cure in the dressing.  
5. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour before serving.  Your slaw is ready when the cabbage is slightly wilted but retains some crunch.

Figs, So Simple

It's hard to beat the perfection of fresh figs over plain, whole milk yogurt.  Indulge while figs are in season. Today, no recipe; just cut the figs in slices or quarters. 

Perfect little 4pm snack, breakfast treat, late night dessert too.  No need to add honey even; the sweetness is inside each fig. 

Corn Muffins with Grapes

We do not all feel harvest time in the same way that our grandparents did.  Then, even city-dwellers were aware of when certain foods were at their peak and ready for market.  We see grapes all year these days but some varieties, like red grapes from our northern hemisphere, are abundant now.  It's nice to acknowledge the harvest season and nicer still when you can make something easy and pure. 

These corn muffins with grapes are a fun school lunch or after-school treat.  Adults really like the grape surprise inside too.  Simply take your favorite corn muffin recipe (or the one below) and drop a few grapes into each muffin tin before baking. 

This recipe was inspired by Harvest Grape Breads, a wonderful slightly sweet flat bread or focaccia from Tuscany. After looking around at Harvest Grape Bread recipes, I found a Harvest Cake made with grapes, olive oil and semolina.  Thus was born an original recipe for corn muffins with grapes.  In the recipe below, you may substitute olive oil for up to half of the butter. 

Corn Muffins with Grapes
Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup red seedless grapes (about 40 grapes) washed and dried

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Grease a regular sized muffin pan (12 muffins) with vegetable oil or spray.
3. Melt butter in microwave or small pot over low heat.
4. While butter melts combine cornmeal, flour and salt in a small bowl. 
5. Stir melted butter and sugar together in a medium bowl.
6. Add eggs and beat until well blended. 
7. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture sugar mixture.
8. Stir in cornmeal mixture until well blended and few lumps remain. 
9. Scoop batter into the prepared muffin pan.
10. Press a few grapes into the tops of each muffin.  (Batter will rise up around grapes.
11. Bake at 375˚F for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center muffin comes away clean.

Basil's Moment

Home gardens are closing up and a bag of over abundant zucchini from a neighbor may arrive unannounced at your door.  If you are lucky as me, there is basil there as well, lots of it.

The key now is to preserve the bounty quickly.  Most of this year's basil windfall will become pesto, frozen in small quantities to make pesto noodles, add to soups or smear on baked chicken breasts.  I'll also freeze some chopped basil alone in olive oil. Make sure the chopped basil is completely coated with oil before storing.   Preserving in oil is fine as long as you are freezing the mixture.  Do not solely rely on refrigeration to retard the growth of bacteria. 

Below is a simple recipe for pesto and since our basil arrived with just picked zucchini, I've included a recipe for a buttermilk-basil sauce for zucchini and tortellini.  This sauce makes a nice salad dressing as well.  

Buttermilk Basil Sauce for Pasta Salad
Yield: Enough to coat about 4-5 cups pasta/vegetables
Note: A mini food processor or immersion blender is perfect for this small quantity.  If you have neither, you can rough chop then mince the basil and combine with remaining ingredients to make a more rustic but equally tasty version of the dressing.

Ingredients
1 cup basil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
black pepper

Method

1. Combine basil and cheese in a food processor and pulse to create a rough chop.  
2. Add buttermilk and olive oil and process to a smooth dressing.  
3. Add black pepper to taste.

To use, pour over  cooked noodles (short pastas, tortellini, macaroni, etc) and steamed and drained zucchini or other favorite vegetable (about 4 cups total veggies and pasta).  Serve hot or at room temperature.  (Cover and refrigerate to store.)


Basil Pesto
Yield:
1 1/2 cups

Ingredients
3 cups fresh basil leaves, rinsed and dried, large stems removed
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 
1/8-1/4 teaspoon black pepper
pinch salt

Method

1. Combine the basil, garlic and nuts in a food processor with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  
2. Pulse to create a coarse chop of the ingredients.  
3. Slowly add 1/2 cup olive oil as you process to create a smooth paste.  
4. Add cheese and remainder of olive oil as needed to create a thick but pourable consistency.  
5. Add black pepper and taste.  Add salt, if needed (the dry cheese will add salty flavor so taste before adding more salt). 

To use, toss several tablespoons pesto sauce with hot, drained pasta. Toss to allow warm pasta to melt the cheese and coat pasta with sauce. Serve hot or at room temperature.  Pesto may be refrigerated for 1-2 days covered in olive oil. 

Storage: Unused pesto will keep in the freezer for 3 months.  Many recommend freezing portions in ice cube trays.  We like to freeze 1/4 cup servings in snack-size plastic bags.  Any leftover thawed pesto is enjoyed on sandwiches in place of mayonnaise or as a base for dip. 

Have You Tried Tempeh?

Move over tofu, tempeh is easy to find, store and cook.  Like tofu, it absorbs marinades and sauces beautifully but, for many, has a much more appealing mouth feel than tofu.  That’s due to tempeh’s more chewy texture, a result of its unique production process.

Most tempeh found at supermarkets here is a mix of grains and whole soybeans.  The taste is reminiscent of mushrooms with a little nuttiness. In fact, it goes very nicely in dishes with mushrooms like this starter tempeh recipe with pasta and mushrooms.  Despite having some Asian flavors in the marinade, this is not an Asian dish.  The cheese and mushroom flavor is what comes forward most.

The key to really tasty tempeh is to pre-steam before marinating.  This takes only 10 minutes in a steamer basket.  It opens the pores of the tempeh and allows the marinade to really penetrate. Cut your tempeh into the size you will use before steaming and simply cover and steam over (not in) boiling water or flavored broth.  Once steamed, cover with marinade and let rest turning occasionally for at least a half hour.  Now you are ready to grill, sauté or mix into stir-fries. 

Tortellini with Tempeh and Mushrooms
4 servings

Ingredients
1 package tempeh, cut into ½ inch blocks and steamed for 10 minutes
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sherry
2 teaspoons lemon juice or rice wine vinegar
8 oz sliced mushrooms (try a mixture of portabello and morels)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 16-ounce package fresh tortellini (cheese or your favorite flavor)
1/4 cup cream or while milk
2-3 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
Black pepper to taste
Optional garnish: fresh herbs (basil, parsley)

Method

1. Place sliced, steamed tempeh in marinade of soy sauce, sherry and lemon juice.  Set aside for half hour, turning tempeh several times to coat completely.  
2. When ready to cook, Boil water and cook tortellini according to package directions.  
3. Meanwhile sauté mushrooms in a wide skillet in olive oil over medium high heat.    When mushroom are almost tender, lower heat and add tempeh and cook until tempeh is heated through.  
4. When tortellini is ready, carefully drain pasta, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.  
5. Add cream and about an ounce of the pasta water to the mushroom-tempeh mixture.  Fold in tortellini and let all the ingredients cook together over low heat for a minute or two.  
6. Sprinkle with cheese and add more pasta water as needed to create a light sauce.  
7. Add black pepper and herbs, if using.  Serve at once.  Pass around extra cheese or herbs at table. 

Plum Tartlets

These are the fastest tarts ever and since they are not too sweet, you can have them for breakfast topped with yogurt.  My favorite eating plums are the black plums that have just about peaked.  For tarts, I use prune plums which are coming into season now.  They are smaller, very easy to pit and hold their shape nicely when baked. 

My recipe uses squares of purchased puff pastry.  You can make your own or use regular pie dough instead.  The tarlets are baked in regular-sized muffin pans to create their small uniform size. 

They freeze really well and reheat quickly in a hot oven-- no need to defrost.  Also good travelers for the last picnics of the summer.

Plum Tartlets
Makes 12-14 tartlets

Ingredients
1 pound prune plums
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoons jam (fig or your favorite flavor)
2-3 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
dash salt
2 teaspoons corn starch dissolved in 1 ounce cold water
1 sheet puff pastry (about 12" X 12")
2 tablespoons grounds almonds (or fresh breadcrumbs)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F.  Chill a regular 12-muffin pan in the refrigerator.  
2. Prepare plum filling. Halve each plum and remove pit.  Cut plum halves in thirds and place in a medium pot with a heavy bottom.
3. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, jam and water.  Cook plum mixture over medium-low heat and stir as needed to prevent sticking.  Cook unitl plums are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes.
4. Lower heat and add cornstarch dissolved in water and vanilla or almond extract.  Cook another 2 minutes.  Add a touch of salt. 
5.  Remove from heat and taste. Add a bit more sugar if your plums are not very sweet. 
6. Pour plums into a bowl to cool while you prepare pastry cups. 
7. Place puff pastry on a lightly floured board.  Using a rolling pin, roll out puff pastry to create a large square, a little over 12" X 12" inches.  Larger is fine.  
8. Using a non-serrated knife or pizza cutter, cut puff pastry into 12-16 squares.  (If you cut 16 squares, you will have leftover for more tarts or can form the remainder into a mini-tart (see photo below).
9. Press each square into the chilled muffin pan.  Spoon about 2 tablespoons plum mixture into each pastry. 
10. Bake at 375˚F for 18-20 minutes until edges of pastry are lightly browned and crisp.
11. Remove muffin pan from oven and let pastry rest 2-3 minutes.  Then, remove each tartlet to a wire cooling rack.  If fruit has spilled over and tarts are sticking to pan, place them back in the warm oven for a few minutes to help loosen.  

Farmers Market Potatoes

The humble potato is special when it comes from the Farmers Markets or a little mound in your back garden.  I love the really tiny ones that can only be gotten close to the source.  The first time I had such exquisite potatoes was at a dinner at one of those Vermont family houses with a name.  Not a ski house name like Trails End or Yodeler but a real architectural name. The house was built by a famous architect who had been part of a major shipping family and knew how to live on a grand scale hidden among the birch trees that dotted the property. 

In the interest of family privacy, I can tell you no more except about the potatoes. They came from my CSA portion for that week.   Each of us was bringing something to the dinner and the grand dame at the head of the table, the daughter of said architect and now a mature woman who knew her gardens and was a regular judge at the country's largest flower show in Philadelphia, scooped up a small bit of my simple potato salad and carried on to the more ornamental fare at the table. 

There were truly tiny potatoes.  None were larger than an acorn.  They took moments to boil and were served whole in their skins and a light dressing. A few larger ones were cut in half revealing a pale yellow interior. Their flavor was intense, what God had in mind when he made potatoes.

Halfway through dinner, the great lady who had earlier noted that potatoes tasted the same no matter the size, interrupted the conversation to search out the half empty bowl and asked for more potatoes.  Upon finding out they were from the organic farm that offered one of the state's first community supported agriculture programs to the southern Vermont area, she promptly signed up for a weekly delivery.  That is the power of the humble potato.  It can melt a gardening judge's heart.

When you get your hands on farm fresh potatoes, the key is to do almost nothing to them.  Boiled until just tender and stuffed into a grilled corn tortilla with some chorizo sausage like I once had in Oaxaca, Mexico or steamed then roasted in a small pool of olive oil in a 425˚F oven and lightly salted. Or, as we first had them, boiled and tossed in a light vinaigrette. 

Farmers Market Sour Cherry Pie

I feel a little guilty writing this and posting it in August. The sour cherry season is so brief that by the time you read this it may already be over in your area.  Luckily, there are canned sour cherries available. 

Sour cherries don't look very promising when you buy the at the farmers market.  They range in color from pinky red to orange-flecked yellow fruits.  As you pit them, you feel their thin skin and and soft flesh.  Eventually you are tempted to sample one-- always as tart as you remember.  Not for eating out of hand!

But the very qualities of the sour cherry which make it hard to handle raw, give it its strength to survive a hot pie-baking oven. Sweet cherries dissolve and turn into mush in a pastry shell while the sour cherries firm and plump up, retaining their integral shape and providing a nice pop of pure cherry flavor in the mouth when the pie is eaten. 

I was in a hurry when I made this sour cherry pie.  I'd picked up the cherries at a farm stand along the road on the way home from a visit to family in Vermont.  It was Sunday afternoon, a work week was looming and I had 2 more hours of driving before I could even think about making pastry.  Still, with a short growing season, I could not pass by a supply of fresh sour cherries.  I went the easy way and bought a pie crust that I reformed into two small pies that I could bake and freeze for later in the month.  The lattice top helped me extend the pastry for two 6-inch pies.  Here is the filling:

Sour Cherry Pie
Ingredients
prepared pie crust for one pie or two small tarts
5 cups sour cherries, pitted and rinsed
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons corn starch
1 tablespoon cold butter, diced very small 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Method

1. Place the bottom pastry in a pie shell and refrigerate it and the top pastry while you prepare the filling. 
2. Combine all ingredients for pie filling in a large bowl.  Let sit 10 minutes.  Preheat oven to 400˚F while filling is resting.   
3. Stir the filling to distribute sauce that has formed evenly.  Pour filling into prepared pie shell(s).  
4. Cover with lattice strips of pastry or a regular pie pastry top and cut holes into pastry top to allow steam to escape while baking.  
5. Lower the oven temperature to 375˚F and bake pie 40-60 minutes (less time for a small pie) until pastry is cooked and flakey.  
6. Remove pie from oven and allow to cool at least one hour before enjoying. 

Farmers Market Beets

Yellow,  red and white spiraled, pink and this year I learned the name for deep, maroon beauties. The farmer called them "Detroits."  Maroon beets are the most common in our supermarkets but I think these organic heirloom beets, which my sister bought, were another step into beet heaven.

During the summer, you can find a range of color and flavor in the beet family at your farmers market.  I took home as many colored varieties as they had--a bright red bunch, the mild apricot-yellow ones and the red and white candy cane striped beets named for Chioggia, a fishing town near Venice, Italy. (The very Venice where they dress in Chiogga-inspired stripes, colors and other harlequin patterns during pre-Lenten Carnivale.)

Perhaps your own garden yielded some of beet's best colors this year.  When I first move to this neighborhood years ago, a neighbor dropped off a 5-gallon bucket of deep ruby beets.  Some were the size of a small of cabbage.  I was momentarily overwhelmed.  Then grateful-- we had the best borscht, orange scented beets and beet relish and a supply to roast for fall. 

Can you believe we did not yet know about beets and goat cheese?  That salad combination was about to hit the big time at restaurants everywhere.  It is still a favorite, twenty years later.  Our favorite home combination surrounds roasted beets on a bed of greens with a tart or soft cheese and pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds) or roasted pecans. Here we had Camembert on hand, butter lettuce and roasted and salted pepitas.

That big beet windfall taught me how to prepare beets.  I tried a lot of methods to steam, boil, roast and even shave them thinly to eat raw and make into chips.  My favorite technique is to roast them in the manner that America's Test Kitchen recommends. 

1. Cut off the stems, leaving about an inch.  
2. Wrap washed but unpeeled beets in tin foil (wrap each individually if larger than a pin ping ball) and roast at a high temperature (400-450˚F) for 30-60 minutes.  
3. Test for doneness by carefully unwrapping and pressing into the flesh with fork tines  
4. When you can pass into the center, your beets are ready.  Remove from oven, open the foil and leave to cool until you can handle them (about 10-15 minutes).  
5. Cut off tops with a butter knife and peel back skin with the knife or use a paper towel to easily pull away the skin.  

Beets are ready for salads, soup, or sauteed with a but of butter, cream and pepper.  Roasted beets will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for 2-3 days.