Simple Christmas Baking: Part 2 Dried Cherry Oven Pancake

Dried Cherry Oven Pancake

Here’s another recipe that can be served for breakfast or dessert. It’s easy to mix up and it can bake while you spend time with your family. Make this with dried Michigan cherries! (You can get them in big boxes at Meijer.)

1 T. butter, melted, plus more for the pan

3 large eggs, beaten

1/3 C., plus 1 t. granulated sugar

3/4 C. all-purpose flour (or a scant less whole-wheat pastry flour; the final product will not rise as high with whole-wheat flour, though.)

1 1/4 C. whole milk

1/2 C. dried cherries

Heat oven to 375. Butter the bottom and sides of a 2-quart baking dish. In a bowl, combine the eggs and 1/3 C. sugar. Whisk in the flour until no lumps remain. Whisk in the milk and melted butter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and scatter the cherries over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and bake until puffed and golden, about 45 minutes. Serve warm.

3rd Annual Mad Farmer Food Festival

What are you doing tomorrow? I’m speaking at the 3rd Annual Mad Farmer Food Festival at Calvin College. This is the first year the festival is being held in the autumn, and I’m so excited for this change! I’ll be giving the introductory lecture and will be co-leading a workshop on eating seasonally in West Michigan. Check out the website for further details. Hope to see you there!

Sweet Peach Tea

Peaches are a wonderful Michigan summer crop. I’m partial to Red Haven peaches, which (sadly) have been early this year. My last one is sitting on the kitchen counter waiting for me to eat it.

This tea recipe is one of my favorite things to make with fresh peaches. It is delicious and needs little introduction except to say that I broke a pitcher making this tea last week. There was a crack in it and the hot water caused the crack to come around and meet itself. Oh well, there are more pitchers.

Sweet Peach Tea

1 oz. tea leaves (black, about 1/3 C. loose tea or 7 bags)

1 lemon, sliced

1 piece ginger (about 2 inches) peeled and sliced

1 qt. boiling water

8 C. ice cubes

2 peaches, peeled, pitted and diced (I actually don’t peel them. I just wash them very well.)

1/2 C. sugar

8 sprigs mint

1 peach, pitted and sliced

Place tea, lemon and ginger into a heatproof container and add boiling water. Let tea steep 7-8 minutes. Place 4 cups of the ice in a pitcher, then pour in tea. Blend diced peaches and sugar in a blender until smooth; mix into tea. Serve in glasses over remaining ice and garnish with mint and peach slices.

Spanish Hot Dogs

In honor of my husband’s July birthday–and to correspond with the final World Cup game, we made Spanish-style hot dogs. Now, they’re probably not at all Spanish, with the exception of some of the topping ingredients, but it’s the spirit of things, right?

These are good. So good that someone at the table said, “These are the best hot dogs I’ve ever had.” Now, to some that may be a ridiculous statement, but I have to be honest and say that I love a good quality hot dog. Koegel hotdogs, made in Michigan, are one of my favorites, and those are what we used when we made these.

Now for a serious note: I am well aware of ethical issues surrounding the meat industry in the United States. If you’re not, watch Food Inc. or read The Omnivore’s Dilemma. However, I’m also aware of the grey lines we all walk each day. Though I don’t recommend eating hot dogs each day, I still eat them sometimes, especially in the summer. Maybe this is unethical and wrong of me, or maybe I just need to find an ethical source for hot dogs that are made from meat, not Monsanto soy products.

Manchego Cheese and Garlic Hot Dogs for those willing to be ethically grey at times…

adapted from Bon Appetit magazine

Relish:

2 large heads of garlic, top 1/2 ” cut off (Note: heads, not cloves!)

5 t. olive oil, divided

1/2 C. diced drained roasted red peppers

1 T. chopped fresh parsley

kosher salt

Hot Dogs:

6 grilled hot dog buns

6 grilled all-beef hot dogs

2 oz. Manchego cheese, grated (Manchego is a Spanish cheese made from goat’s milk. You can find it at most large supermarkets or specialty grocery stores)

sherry wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar

Relish: Preheat oven to 400. Place each head of garlic, cut side up, in the center of a square of foil. Drizzle each with 1 t. oil. Enclose in foil and place on oven rack. Roast until garlic is tender, about 45 minutes. Open packets and allow garlic to cool.

Squeeze the garlic into a small bowl. Mash enough garlic to measure 1/4 C. (Reserve what’s left over for something else, like pizza.) Transfer it to a bowl and add 3 t. oil, red peppers, and parsley. Season with pepper and salt (go easy on the salt!)

Hot dogs: Arrange the buns on a platter. Top each with a grilled hot dog, then cheese, relish, and a drizzle of vinegar.

Confess your sin. Enjoy the meal.

Swedish Split Pea Soup with Ham

I have a penchant for Swedish food. This is not something I’ve known about for a long time, but because Swedish and Japanese food are so similar (It sounds strange, but it’s true.), it does make sense.

Last Easter, in the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago, I purchased a Swedish cookbook. This was part of the inspiration for my family’s Swedish julbord this past Christmas.

The book itself (subtitled Recipes and Reminiscences by Judith Pierce Rosenberg) is full of great recipes and personal stories in need of a good editor. However, every recipe I’ve tried has been fairly simple and very yummy.

This particular soup recipe was especially exciting to me because I was able to make it with Michigan ingredients. I purchase Michigan-grown beans and legumes at Horrock’s in Grand Rapids and buy half a pig from Our Farm and Dairy in St. John Michigan. Of course the recipe only calls for one slice of ham, but if you live in Michigan, Our Farm is a great source for wonderful, sustainably raised (and happy) pork products.

Yellow Split Pea Soup with Ham

1 T. butter or other fat (honestly, I used bacon fat)

1/4 C. finely chopped yellow or white onion

1/2 C. chopped carrots

1 thick slice of ham (about 4-8 oz.) chopped into 1/2 inch pieces (If there is a bone in the ham, leave it in. It makes the soup more flavorful. Just remember to take it out before serving.)

1 lb. yellow split peas

1 t. salt

1/2 t. ground white pepper

1 t. fresh rosemary or 1/2 t. dried (I used a rosemary spice mixture I had hanging around in the cupboard.)

Melt the butter or other fat in the bottom of a Dutch oven. Add the onion, carrots, and ham. Saute for a few minutes, until the onion becomes soft and translucent.

Add the split peas and enough water to cover two inches above the surface of the peas (about 6 cups). Add the pepper and herbs. Bring to a boil and skim any foam from the surface. Lower the heat and simmer at least 45 minutes, adding more water if necessary, until the peas are tender and the texture is to your liking. The longer you cook the soup, the softer the peas will be (but I like them that way.)

Before serving, taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt.