SUNDAYFUNDAY

Sundays bring a multitude of events for me (usually involving me, something written in a dead language, and a dictionary), BUT...

Some Sundays

• I lay in bed and read. 
• I cook elaborate dinners for my friends (who gracefully indulge me).
• I bake.
• I attend my local community garden exchange.
• I go to church.
• I go out with the girls (SUNDAYGIRLFUNDAY!)

THIS Sunday I managed to finish writing a paper, discuss my dream of owning my own bakery with my baker uncle, talk to my dad, talk to my mom, read more Omnivore's Dilemma (don't EVEN get me started), and attend my local garden exchange via these French Apple Cranberry Bars! It was a banner day!!

AND... I even received a white fig tree from one my neighbors from the exchange! AWESOME RIGHT!!

So... this Sunday. Make these bars and watch the magic unfold!

French Apple Cranberry Pie Bars

adapted from Elinor Klivan's Apple Crumble Bars from Fearless Baking

ingredients:

for the crust:

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

scant 1/4 c. confectioner's sugar

scant 3/4 c. packed light brown sugar

6 oz (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces

for the filling:

3 c. peeled and cored apples chopped into 1/2" pieces (about 3 large apples)

1 tbs. granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tbs. fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon's worth)

1/2 c. dried cranberries

for the topping:

1/4 c. oats (not quick-cooking)

what to do:

crust and topping:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a  9X9X2" pan with parchment with a 2" overhang. Butter the parchment and pan.

2. Whisk together flour, confectioner's sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl. Add butter into the flour mixture and cut into mixture with pastry cutter (or mix by hand, taking care to rub the butter and mixture between your fingers) until fine crumbs form and there is no loose flour. (NOTE: should be the consistency of soft sand)

3. Remove 2 c. of mixture and set aside. Transfer the remaining mixture to the prepared pan and press it evenly over the bottom.

filling:

1. Toss the apples, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add the cranberries.

2. Spoon the filling over the prepared crust, distributing it evenly.

topping:

1. Add the oats to the 2 c. of reserved flour mixture.

2. Sprinkle evenly on top of filling and press gently.

Bake until the crumb topping is golden and the apples are soft when tested with a toothpick, about 55 min.

To eat it hot:

Carefully lift the parchment paper and bars from the baking pan. Loosen the parchment paper from the sides of the bars. Cut into 9 pieces (or 12). Use a wide spatula to slide the bars off the paper. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

To eat it cooled:

Cool the bars thoroughly in the baking pan at room temperature. The bars firm as they cool. Cut into 9 or 12 pieces. Use a thin metal spatula to remove the bars from the pan.

Salve!

Breakfast Veggie Tacos

What do you eat for lunch? Because I'm typically on campus and constrained by my meager student budget I bring a brown bag lunch to school everyday, so when I happen to be home for lunch I relish the opportunity and make something warm!

Today was such a day! I woke up to some early morning translating and then finally made it out the door for soccer class (yes, I'm in a class where I get units to play soccer... or as I have experienced - get injured) where I was met by what felt like 100mph gusts of wind in which I was to cycle to school in (YAY...). After a brief visit to the library for more books for my honors thesis research I cycled home against the wind (which always reminds me of Juno's wrathful wrath.... see the Aeneid book 1).

When I finally arrived home my legs were numb and my stomach eager for something filling, comforting, and warm (and... low in calories.) So I made this...

and it was gooood! I really think this can be eaten for breakfast or lunch and the veggies can be whatever you like or happen to have in  your pantry!

Breakfast Veggie Tacos

ingredients:

2 corn tortillas (or any type of tortilla you like)

1 egg

scant 1 tbs. milk (optional)

1 small yellow onion sliced into 1/2"-1/4" slices

1/2 red bell pepper (or green) 1/2" slices

a handful of spinach (1/2 c.?)

1/2 c. sliced mushrooms (white or cremini)

2 tbs. diced canned ortega chiles (found in the "Hispanic" food aisle of your local market)

olive oil

salt

pepper

what to do:

1. Heat a little olive oil in a skillet. Add onions and bell peppers and saute on a high heat until they begin to soften. Then add mushrooms and chiles until mushrooms begin to soften. Finally add the spinach, season to taste and lower heat.

2. Warm up two corn tortillas (NOTE: I just set them on top of the burner and heat them, but if you are not comfortable with the flames licking your fingertips then heat them as desired.)

3. Place the tortillas on a plate and prop them up against one another (NOTE: this keeps the veggies in). Divide veggie mixture in half and spoon each half onto each tortilla.

4. Place egg and milk into a bowl and mix. Season with pepper. Scramble in the skillet. Spoon the egg equally into each taco. Serve with some chile.

Salve!

Blackberry Galette

 

 I have a sister who is also a Classicist and she once told me about a class at her college called "Ancient Eats." I have always dreamed of what this class would entail. Experimenting with classical cooking? Translating ancient Greek recipes? Deciphering the Roman measuring system? Oooh! the possibilities!!

The Classics Club at my university recently had a TOGA PARTY and I decided to bring the desserts! Instead of translating Cicero (...groan) I imagined all of the decadent foods that might have been consumed at the religious festivals and opulent banquets.

So this is what I came up with. There would be simple rustic crusts. There would be fruits. And there would be cream and honey.

Voila! The Blackberry Galette.

Blackberry Galette

adapted from Nigella Lawson's recipe in How To Be A Domestic Goddess

for the pastry:

1/3c. all-purpose flour

4 tbs. fine cornmeal (or polenta)

1 scant tbs. sugar

1/4 tsp. sugar

1/4 c. cold butter (cut into 1/4" pieces)

1 tbs. vegetable shortening

1-3 tbs. ice water (or enough to bind)

for the filling:

1/2 pint blackberries (or as many as you can fit in the galette)

3+ tbs. sugar

3 heaping tbs. plain greek yogurt

1 tbs. heavy cream (whole milk is okay)

honey (to serve)

 instructions:

1. Sift together dry ingredients. Add butter and shortening and cut together with pastry cutter until resembles a coarse meal. (NOTE: This can be done in a food processor, if you prefer.)

2. Add ice cold water one tbs. at a time until a dough forms. Mix gently.

3. Form dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator to rest for 30 min.

4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

5. Roll the pastry out into a rough circle (NOTE: The pastry is delicate, so I recommend rolling it out between the two pieces of plastic wrap with which you wrapped it to rest in.)

6. Transfer to the baking sheet and scatter blackberries on top, leaving a 3" margin around the edge.

7. Sprinkle 1-2 tbs. sugar on top of berries. Add heavy cream to yogurt and mix thoroughly. Dollop yogurt mixture on top of berries. Sprinkle with more sugar, to taste.

8. Wrap the edges of the crust over themselves to form a rustic knobby rim and put in the oven for 30 min or until the pastry is cooked through.

9. Allow to cool. Slice, drizzle with honey and serve.

Yields: 6 servings

Salve!