Vacation Inspiration...Mango, Avocado & Corn Salad…with or without Steak

During almost every summer in recent memory I have been able to spend a week with my best friend from college.   It is a lovely break for both of us.  We let go of most of our commitments for a week…and spend our time doing whatever we like.  Most of our time is spent talking.  And of course, we cook too.

Since I am constantly behind on my cooking reading, I always take a stack of current and recent magazines, as well as a cookbook or two.  We often prepare our meals from the inspiration I find in my reading materials.  This gives me a chance to try new things….and she gets a break from planning meals for her family (and her family is the happy recipient of our efforts).

This year was a little bit different in that I didn’t spend too much time in my reading materials.  I’m not sure why.  But we still cooked almost every day.  For the most part we just cooked things that were familiar to me…but new for my friend:  A pizza with garlic cream (topped with roasted zucchini & potatoes—and olives—instead of asparagus and mushrooms)…   The  BLAT salad with torn croutons from earlier this month…  And a Beef, Mango & Soba Noodle Salad that I hadn’t thought about in a few years (I had forgotten how delicious it is!).   

Because we don’t want to spend all our time cooking, lunch is leftovers of whatever we have been cooking up during the evenings.  This year (for reasons that are still a mystery to me) we kept eating everything we prepared for the evening meal and there were rarely leftovers.  This made it so we had to get a little more creative with our lunches—which was just fine with me.    

One day I opened the fridge and spotted a mango and some limes (left from our purchases for the Soba noodle salad), an avocado, a bowl full of roasted corn and a little arugula (from the BLAT salad) and a wedge of Ricotta Salata.   I thought this looked like the makings of a pretty delicious salad.  And it was delicious.  Tangy, sweet, and salty…refreshing and not too filling…  Basically an ideal summer lunch. 

When I got home from my vacation I was still thinking about it.  Because I was also thinking about how delicious the steak had been with the mango (in the soba noodle salad), I decided to make the salad again—only this time I served it with steak…and we had it for dinner.  I am happy to report that it was equally delicious with the steak…thus making an ideal summer dinner too.  However you choose to serve it, I think you will find it to be perfect summer food.

Mango, Avocado & Roasted Corn Salad

1/4 c. freshly squeezed lime juice

1 fat clove of garlic, smashed to a purée with a pinch of salt

1 t. ground cumin

6 T. Olive oil

2 ears of corn, in the husk

2 strip steaks, about 12 oz. each and 1 1/4- to 1 1/2-inch thick

Kosher salt

1 T. olive oil

1/2 t. ground cumin

1/8 t. ground chili powder (ancho, chipotle, or a favorite blend)

4 or 5 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves picked

2 small to medium ripe mangoes

2 ripe (but firm) avocados

2 or 3 scallions—white and a few inches of green, washed, trimmed and thinly sliced on a long diagonal (you should have about 1/3 to a scant 1/2 cup)

2 handfuls of arugula

2 oz. (more or less) ricotta salata, crumbled

 Place the lime juice and garlic in a small bowl; whisk to break up the garlic.  Let sit for five to ten minutes.  Add the cumin and a generous 1/4 t. of kosher salt.  Add the olive oil in a thin stream while whisking constantly.  Taste for salt, adding more if necessary.  Season with freshly ground pepper.  Set aside.

Place the corn, in the husk, in a preheated 400° oven.  Remove after 20 minutes.  When the corn is cool enough to handle, remove the husks and silks.  Slice the kernels away from the cobs.  Use the back of the knife, or a spoon, to scrape the cobs.  Add the scrapings to the kernels.  You should have about 2 cups of kernels.  Set aside.

If time permits, salt the steaks ahead of time (earlier in the day or the day before).  About an hour before you are ready to cook the steaks, remove them from the fridge. Combine the oil with the cumin and chili powder.  Rub the seasoned oil and the oregano leaves all over the steaks.  Let sit at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes. 

You may cook the steaks on the grill or in a cast iron pan.

For Grilling:

Heat grill to high (you will only be able to hold your hand 2 to 4 inches above the grate for a count of 2 or 3 seconds). Place the steaks on the grill.  After 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, rotate the steaks a quarter turn (this will create attractive “crosshatch” grill marks). After another 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, turn the steaks over and cook for a total of 3 to 4 minutes, rotating the steak one quarter turn half-way through the cooking time.  Finally, using a tongs, sear the edges of the steaks—about a minute for each long edge. This steak should be more or less medium rare. For a slightly more well done steak, increase the grilling time slightly. For a substantially more well done steak, it may be necessary to reduce the temperature in addition to increasing the time over the flame. When the steaks are done to your liking, transfer them to a plate and allow them to rest for about 10 minutes.

In a Cast Iron pan:

Heat the pan over high heat until smoking hot.  Make sure your exhaust fan is on…and perhaps open a window.  If your smoke detector is near the kitchen, you might want to disable it (make sure you reconnect it when you are done).  Add the steaks to the pan.  You don’t need to add any oil to the pan—you have already put the oil on the steaks.  Turn the steaks occasionally, aiming for a nice char/sear on all the surfaces, including the narrower edges.  If the char is too dark, reduce the temperature slightly.  Total cooking time will be about the same as on the grill….about 8 minutes total for medium rare…another minute or two for medium, and etc..  (If you don’t have an exhaust fan that works well, I have found that if I start the sear on the stove and then transfer the pan to a 425° to 450° oven that I can contain the smoke a bit (don’t forget to turn the steaks occasionally so they will cook evenly).  When the steaks are done to your liking, transfer them to a plate and allow them to rest for about 10 minutes.
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While the steaks are resting, peel the mangoes and cut the flesh away from the pit in thick slabs on all sides.  Cut the slabs into rough, 1/2-inch pieces.  Place in a large bowl.  Halve and pit the avocados.  Cut the flesh of each of the halves before removing the skin.  Holding an avocado half in your non-working hand and your knife in your other hand, slice the flesh length-wise at half inch intervals, cutting all the way to, but not through, the skin.  Repeat this slicing action cross-wise.  Then, using a large spoon, scoop out the flesh in one motion while holding the half over the bowl of mangoes.  The avocado should fall into the bowl in a rough dice.  Repeat with all four halves.  Add the scallions and the corn.  Season to taste with salt & pepper and drizzle with enough vinaigrette to lightly coat everything.  Toss gently to combine.

Slice the steaks thinly and fan on one side of a large platter…or divide among four dinner plates.  Place the arugula in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.  Drizzle with a small amount of the vinaigrette and toss to coat.  Scatter the arugula over the platter…or plates.  Mound the salad over the arugula and on part of the sliced steak.  Drizzle any remaining vinaigrette over all.  Scatter the ricotta salata over all and serve right away.

Serves 4 generously

Temperature Guidelines for determining “Doneness”:

Rare (cool red center)  —  120°
Medium Rare (warm red center)  —  125°
Medium (rosy center)  —  130°
Medium well (pink center)  —  135°
Well done (no pink)  —  140°

Remember to remove the meat from the grill/pan/oven when the temperature in the center is about 5° lower than the desired final temperature—the meat will continue to cook as it rests

Notes & Variations:

• Omit the steaks for a light lunch…or a vegetarian meal. 
• Replace the strip steaks with flank steak. 
• Substitute Feta for the Ricotta Salata
• If you want a super quick version of the salad, you can skip the vinaigrette and simply dress the avocado, corn and mango with a generous squeeze of lime and a drizzle of olive oil. Don’t forget the salt & pepper! 
• For tips (including pictures) of how to cut a mango, check out the post for the Soba noodle salad

Printable Version

It's delicious with cold, leftover steak too!

The Pleasure of the Annual Tomato Glut...and a Recipe for Tomato Fondue

It happens every year about this time.   Whether you shop at a Farmers' market or have your own garden, beautiful, ripe tomatoes start piling up on the kitchen counter faster than you can consume them.  I always eat as many of them as I can raw...sprinkled with salt, drizzled with olive oil...sometimes enhanced with a bit of vinegar.  But inevitably there are just too many to eat.  Even though I regularly cook with them too, I almost always have so many that they decay faster than I am able to use them up.  

When it reaches this point of overabundance I begin to consider ways to preserve the harvest.  I almost always try to make tomato sauce for the freezer (in fact, I often purchase extra tomatoes for just this purpose...summer tomato sauce is a wonderful thing to have on hand during the fall and winter months).  And some years I make slow-roasted tomatoes (which turns them into concentrated flavor bombs for pastas, pizzas, pilafs, etc.).

Last week as I was considering the mountain of tomatoes on my counter, I remembered something we used to make way back in the early days of my cooking career at The American Restaurant: a delicious preparation called "Tomato Fondue."  



Contrary to what you might think, there is no cheese involved in this fondue.  This fondue is all about the tomatoes...tomatoes that have been cooked in an abundance of olive oil until the juices and pulp have melted (hence the term "fondue") into a jam-like substance of tangy tomato deliciousness.   There is also a bit of onion and garlic...  and a sprinkling of fresh herbs (thyme, oregano, and/or winter savory).  But not too much of any of these things.  Tomato fondue should be all about the tangy and sweet flavor of summer tomatoes.

Tomato fondue has a myriad of uses.  It can of course be used to finish a soup (stirred in, or served as a drizzle or dolloped garnish)...or to enhance a pasta sauce.  But my favorite way to use it is as a condiment—dolloped onto a piece of baked or sautéed fish

As a topping for pan-seared halibut..with a bulgur pilaf with corn and zucchini....

...mixed with a little more olive oil and drizzled over a grain bowl

The leftover pilaf from the previous photo...topped with an egg...

...extended with stock or water (and/or more oil) and used to dress vegetables.  

Romano beans...dressed with tomato fondue, kalamata olives, toasted pine nuts and parsley....

You could also use it for oeufs en cocotte (just use a small spoonful of the tomato fondue in place of the cooked leeks).  It would also make a delicious instant appetizer—on a crostini smeared with fresh cheese or bean purée, or spooned over a round of baked goat cheese and served with crackers or crisp toasts.  





And it could be used to enhance a spread/dressing of some kind (like mayonnaise, for example).  Once you make it (and taste it!)...and have it on hand...I'm certain it will catch your eye every time you open the refrigerator to gather inspiration for what to make for dinner. It is amazingly versatile.

Since I mentioned preserving the harvest at the beginning of this post, I hope it goes without saying that tomato fondue can be frozen.  The flavor is so concentrated that you can freeze it in small portions (rather than the larger quantities that you might opt for when freezing a less concentrated tomato sauce).  I think ice cube trays would probably be perfect.  Either line the trays with plastic wrap...or purchase trays designated for your tomatoes (the oil in the fondue will color and imbue every plastic surface it touches with its orange-y gold color).

I have to admit though, that I haven't frozen any yet this year.  Part of the beauty of tomato fondue is that it reduces a mountain of tomatoes down to a very manageable...and consumable...amount.  I have made two 1 pound batches so far and have managed to eat it all.  I'm so glad that it popped into my mind after all these years. After having it around for a couple of weeks and finding so many ways to use it, it is on its way to becoming a summer staple in my pantry. 

Tomato Fondue

1 lb. Vine Ripened Tomatoes
1/2 c. finely diced summer onions
1 t. (heaped, if you like) minced garlic
3 to 4 T. olive oil
1 bay leaf
Several sprigs of fresh thyme, oregano and/or winter savory—leaves picked and minced
salt

Halve the tomatoes horizontally (vertically if using Romas).  Holding the tomato halves over a sieve set over a bowl, scoop out the seeds (using your fingers).  Set the de-seeded tomato halves aside for a second while you stir and press the seedy juice around in the sieve (with a rubber spatula) until all the juices have gone through the sieve.  Discard the seeds.  Using a large-holed grater set on a plate or pie pan, grate the tomatoes by holding the cut side of the tomatoes against the grater and grating until just the skin remains in your palm.  Add the grated tomato pulp to the tomato juices.  (See note.)

Warm the oil in a medium sized sauté pan or shallow sauce pan set over moderately low heat and add the onions, along with a pinch of salt.  Cook gently until the onions are soft—about 10 minutes for juicy, summer onions.  Add the garlic and cook another 3 or 4 minutes.  

Add the tomatoes and herbs to the pan 

and bring to a gentle simmer.  Cook, stirring occasionally and regularly (carefully scraping down the edges of the pan as the fondue reduces) until the mixture is thick.  If you draw a spatula through the fondue, a path will remain (see picture at top of post).  You will also be able to mound the fondue on a spoon.  

(This will take about 20 minutes or so.). Taste and season with salt to bring out the brightest tangy flavor.

You will have 2/3 to 3/4 of a cup of tomato fondue.  Store in a Tupperware or covered jar in the refrigerator.

Notes:

• The original recipe called for the tomatoes to be peeled, seeded and cut into a fine dice.  Since the tomato flesh breaks down as it cooks, it seems easiest to me to simply grate the flesh as I have done.  You may of course peel, seed and dice if you like.
• We made the fondue in very large quantities at the restaurant—a batch made with four pounds of tomatoes would have been typical.  You may multiply this into any sized batch you like, just remember to use a wide (as opposed to deep) pan.  A large surface area will encourage the tomatoes to reduce and concentrate more quickly.  Large batches will still take longer, but the fondue will cook better in a wide pan.  When I make this in large batches, I multiply everything but the bay leaf. I find bay to be quite strong and even if I were making a four pound batch would still use just one leaf.

Printable Version

Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado & Tomato Salad…with Judy Rodgers' Torn Croutons… and Roasted Corn

Last fall…towards the end of tomato season…I made a Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado & Tomato (BLAT) Salad.  It was so good.  I had already shared several salads over the course of the latter part of the summer…and tomato season was winding down…so I decided not to post the recipe.  Then, a couple of weeks ago when tomato season really hit its stride (as in—they are so beautiful and abundant that I buy way too many at the market…), I remembered that salad.  I ate it twice this past week.  I’m sure I will make it a few more times before the end of tomato season.  Now seemed like a good time to share the “recipe.”

The “recipe” is truly simple…little more than a deconstructed BLT with avocado.  It is actually a bit like Panzanella in that there is much more bread than one finds in a typical salad.  I wanted to keep the ratios of the ingredients like what one would find in the classic sandwich.  Besides lots of toasty bread, this translates into loads of bacon and tomato…and just a little bit of lettuce.  The result is sort of like a BLAT sandwich that exploded artfully on your plate…and since eating a good BLT/BLAT sandwich involves dripping juices and a stack of napkins, the salad is frankly much easier to eat. 

I am particularly enamored with the croutons in this salad.  Rather than uniform cubes of crunchy bread, these croutons are randomly sized and present the eater with a variety of textures—from crunchy to chewy...with even a few soft bits.  I have borrowed the method for making them from Judy Rodgers’ famous Roast Chicken Salad.  I don’t think she calls them anything in the recipe, so I’m calling them “Torn Croutons.”  To make them, remove the crusts from a chunk of day-old baguette or peasant bread.  Cut the crust-less bread into largish chunks, brush them all over with olive oil, 

place them on a sheet pan and run them under the broiler.  Watch the bread carefully and turn it as it colors until all the surfaces are by and large a light golden brown.  There will probably be a few charred bits which may be scraped off—or left on, if that’s how you like it.  

Tear the now golden and toasty bread into bite-sized chunks.  You may have some larger pieces…and some “fat crumbs” (to quote Rodgers)…but this will just add more texture and variety to your salad.  A half pound chunk of bread (weighed before removing the crusts) should produce about 4 cups of croutons.

I have never made these ahead, but Rodgers mentions that they may be made a few hours ahead.  (If I made them too far ahead there probably wouldn’t be any left by the time dinner rolled around…they are quite snackable…).   I think they will be delicious anyplace you like to use croutons (salads, soups, pilafs, pastas, etc).  In a salad they are particularly delicious when dressed with some of your vinaigrette—which not only adds flavor, but will soften them slightly. 

One note:  You can control the ratio of crunchy bits to softer/chewier bits by altering the size of the chunks of bread to be broiled.  If the chunks you begin with are large, you will have lots of softer/chewy interior.  If they are smaller, you will have mostly crunch…with just a bit of chew.  For this salad, I like them somewhere in the middle.  (In her chicken salad, Rodgers leaves them larger…and softens them further by adding pan drippings from the roast chicken.)  After you make them a time or two, you will get the hang of it and find how you like them best.

The only addition to my BLAT salad that might seem surprising is the roasted corn.  Corn is—to me at least—an obvious partner for tomatoes…  and bacon…  and avocado….   (If you follow me on Instagram, you will know I eat corn, tomato and avocado salads all summer long.)  I have made this salad without it, but much prefer it with.  Good, fresh, summer corn adds texture, pops of sweetness and moisture…and turns this salad into something out of the ordinary. 

As I said, you don’t really need a recipe for this salad.  In fact, I hope you will just gather your ingredients they way you would if you were making a sandwich:  in quantities to suit your taste.  But since I know many people like to have a recipe for a starting point, I’m including a recipe for the vinaigrette and crouton… as well as estimates of how much of each ingredient I used for each person.  Enjoy!

Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado & Tomato Salad with Sweet Corn

For two salads you will need:

1 medium ear of corn, roasted in the husk

3/4 lb. mixed tomatoes (vine ripes, multi-colored heirlooms, cherry, etc.—anything you like as long as they are deliciously ripe)

Salt & Pepper

1 ripe avocado

A handful (about an ounce) of arugula (or any favorite salad green—tear large leaves into bite-sized pieces)

3 or 4 T. Red wine-shallot vinaigrette

2 to 2 1/2 cups Torn Croutons

6 to 8 slices of bacon, cooked until crisp and each slice broken into 2 or 3 pieces

Cut the corn away from the cob.  You can put as much as you like on each salad, but I think a third cup per person is about right.  Most local corn in my region yields at least a cup of kernels per ear during the height of corn season.  Any corn you don’t use in your salad may be stored in the fridge for several days (for salads, pilafs, etc.).  Place the corn to be used in the salad in a small bowl

Cut the tomatoes:  Halve any cherry tomatoes.  Large tomatoes should be cored and then cut in a variety of shapes—fat slices (half moon or round) and wedges.  Spread the tomatoes on a platter, the cutting board or a sheet pan and season with salt and pepper.

Halve and pit the avocado (but don’t peel).  Season the cut surfaces with salt & pepper

Place the greens in a small bowl (if you want to use fewer bowls, add the arugula to the bowl with the corn).  Season and dress the corn and the arugula with a small amount of vinaigrette (don’t use too much—you can always drizzle more over the salad at the end).

Dress the croutons with some of the vinaigrette (a tablespoon of vinaigrette for a cup of croutons is about right).  Taste and season with salt & pepper if necessary.

Build the salad in layers:

Arrange half of each of the tomatoes, bacon, croutons and corn on a platter or two individual plates.  Take an avocado half and using a spoon, scoop bite-sized portions of avocado, arranging them in and among the ingredients already on the plate(s) as you scoop.

Scatter all but a few leaves of the greens over all (see note).  Repeat the first layer with the remaining ingredients and top with any remaining greens.  Drizzle with more vinaigrette (and/or pass more separately).  Finish the salad with a good grinding of black pepper and serve.

Note:  If you dress the corn and arugula together, you will obviously be adding the corn to the salad in one layer…when you add the majority of the greens.   

Red Wine-Shallot Vinaigrette:

2 T. red wine vinegar

1 medium shallot (about an ounce), peeled and finely diced

1/4 t. kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil

Place the vinegar, shallot and salt in a small bowl and let macerate for 5 or 10 minutes.   Add a few grindings of pepper.  Add the olive oil in a thin stream while whisking constantly.   Taste and correct the seasoning.  Set aside.  Store covered, in the refrigerator.  Bring to room temperature and rewhisk before using.  Makes a half cup of vinaigrette

Torn Croutons:

Cut the crusts away from a chunk of day old baguette (or peasant bread...but nothing too grainy or hearty).  Cut the bread into large chunks.  Brush the chunks of bread all over with olive oil and place on a small sheet pan.  Place the pan under the broiler.  Watch carefully, turning the bread as it browns.  Your goal is surfaces that are crisp and as uniformly golden as possible.  When done, scrape away any bits that are too charred for your taste.  Tear the toasted chunks of bread into bite-sized pieces—you will have larger pieces as well as big crumbs.  Set aside until ready to use.

A half pound of bread (weighed prior to trimming away the crusts) should produce about 4 cups of torn croutons.

Printable Version

Plum Upside Down Cake

When I decided to teach a plum upside down cake in a recent class, I didn’t think I would write a blog post about it.  There are loads of recipes for plum upside down cakes on line.  Beyond that, I had already posted a recipe for individual plum upside down cakes a few years ago.  There just didn’t seem to be much to add to the conversation.  But when I started testing recipes, I discovered that the way I think one should put plums on top of an upside down cake is entirely different from what everyone else seems to be doing. 

If you look at my recipe for individual plum upside down cakes, you will notice that the top is covered with thin, shingled slices of plums. The fanned look of the arcs of the dark skins of the plums is gorgeous.  For this reason alone I expected that this was the way most people would do it on a large cake as well.  Instead, I found that most recipes simply direct you to cut the plum into wedges…and to lay them in the pan in concentric circles…sometimes directing you to overlap the wedges slightly…sometimes not.  

The first time I made my cake, I decided to follow suit (surely everyone couldn’t be wrong…) and cut wedges.  Because I already knew how beautiful the top of the cake could be if the edges of the skins were visible on the finished cake, I tried to shingle my wedges by overlapping the inner edge on top of the out edge as I placed each successive wedge.  As should have been obvious, this was almost impossible to execute.  I was only moderately successful at placing them…and the result was a cake that was so unstable that the outer circle of plums slid off the cake when I turned it over.  (There are mercifully no pictures to record this disaster.)

The second time, I tried wedges again and just arranged them in slightly overlapping circles in the most natural manner—with the fat edge/skin side of the wedge resting on top of the inner edge of the previous plum.  This of course looks beautiful in the pan but is not especially beautiful on the reverse side—which is of course what you see when the cake is flipped.  



It is not unattractive…  And it doesn’t fall apart when flipped…  But I think there is a better way.

So in my third and last run at the recipe, I did what I thought I should have done from the start:   cut the plums into thin, half circle slices.  



These can be successfully shingled so that the beautiful arcs of the skin are visible when the cake is flipped.  Furthermore, since the slices are thin, you can lay them in quite snuggly, which in the end, not only creates a lovely fanned plum effect, it results in a solid layer of cooked plum on top—rather than discrete wedges of plum surrounded by cake. 

Laying the slices of plum in this way is not intuitive if you have difficulty visualizing things spatially…and in reverse.  If this is you, then work it out with a real plum on your cutting board.  

Lay a plum half cut side down and slice it thinly. Then, fan it on the counter the way you want it to look on the cake (on the right, in the picture above).  Slide a spatula underneath the fanned plum and gently flip it over (on the left, in the picture).  The way it looks when flipped is how it should be placed in the pan.  Basically you will be placing each successive slice with the inner edge (where the pit was) on top of the outer edge (the skin side) of the previous slice.  It will not look nearly as attractive as the concentric circles of wedges in the pan—but when the cake is finished…and served upside down…it will be spectacular.    

Plum Upside Down Cake

4 1/2 T. (64 g.) unsalted butter

3/4 c. (150 g.) packed brown sugar

4 plums (about 1 lb.), halved and pitted

1 1/2 c. sifted cake flour (150 g.)

3/4 t. baking powder

1/4 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

9 T. (125 g.) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 c. (150 g.) sugar

1 egg plus 1 yolk (70 g.), at room temperature

1 t. vanilla

1/2 c. (120 g.) sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350°.  Butter the sides of a 9-inch round cake pan with 2-inch high sides.

Place the plum halves cut surfaces down on a cutting board.  Slice the halves thinly (about 3/16-inch) and evenly lengthwise.  Discard the “end” pieces of each half.  (You should be able to get about 10 slices out of each half, excluding the little end bits.)

Melt the butter and brown sugar in a sauté pan/iron skillet set over medium-low heat.  When the sugar has dissolved, increase the heat and simmer, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes together in a thick, smooth sauce.  Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan.  Tilt the pan and spread as necessary so that the bottom of the pan is covered with the sugar mixture.  Arrange the plums in overlapping concentric circles on top of the butter/sugar mixture (see note).  Set aside. 

Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside. 

Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy—this will take 3 to 5 minutes at medium-high speed using the paddle attachment.  Stop the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides.  Whisk together the egg, yolk and vanilla.  Add this mixture in two or three additions, beating after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.  When all of the egg has been added, beat briefly to restore the creamed mixture to fluffiness.  Fold in the dry ingredients in 2 additions alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Spread the batter evenly over the plums in the prepared pan. Bake in a 350° oven until the cake is springy to the touch, has begun to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean—about 40 to 50 minutes.  Let the cake rest for 25 to 30 minutes in the pan.  Run a knife around the inside edge of the pan.  Place a cake plate upside down on top of the skillet and holding the cake plate firmly to the skillet, quickly flip the cake over.  Leave the pan over the cake for a minute or two and then carefully lift up and away.  Allow the cake to cool for a couple of hours before serving.  Use a thin sharp knife, with a gentle back and forth sawing motion to cut through the plums and down into the cake. 

Serve the cake warm with whipped cream or ice cream.  Serves 10.

Note:  When building the fruit portion of an upside down cake you have to remember that you are working in reverse.  To get the look you want, you may need to shingle a few slices of the fruit on your cutting board and then use a wide spatula to flip it over so you can see how it will look on the finished cake.  For plums my experience is that the top looks best if the outer curve, or the skin side, of the plum (not the pit side) is what is visible.  So, when laying in the plums, lay down the first slice and then lay the next slice with the “pit side” of the plum shingled over the “skin side” of the first one…and then repeat this pattern for each successive slice, creating a spiral effect with the skins on the side you can’t see now…but which will be visible when the cake is turned out. 

Printable Version

Swiss Chard & Ricotta Fritters…a delicious way to enjoy the abundant greens of early summer

When I was planning the class I mentioned in my last post, I wanted to make sure I included a recipe that used loads of greens.  The goal of the class was to teach recipes that use things that are abundant during the late spring and early summer months.  If you are a member of a CSA…or you choose to purchase most of your produce from a farmers’ market during the growing season…up until about mid-June, an awful lot of what you have to cook with are greens.  In addition to wanting to teach something that used some of those greens, I wanted to choose a recipe that would be a nice accompaniment to the vegetable curry that Nancy was planning on teaching. While brainstorming with her about it, it occurred to me that a Swiss chard fritter I had made for dinner recently would fill the bill nicely.

The fritter I ended up making for the class was a blending of that first one I had made (a recipe I found at Delicious Magazine) and a recipe from Deborah Madison’s cookbook Vegetable Literacy. Some might not call Madison’s recipe a fritter because it is many ways similar to a ricotta pancake.  But since the batter is quite thick—almost as thick as the actual fritter recipe I made first—I’m calling it a fritter.  I loved the seasoning in the first recipe…and the texture of the latter.  Combined, it is just about perfect.

I have made these fritters with both Swiss chard and a combination of Swiss chard and Tuscan kale.  I’m certain they would be delicious with all kale, beet greens or spinach.  Beet greens can be substituted in the exact same quantity as the chard.  For kale, you might need slightly less…and for spinach, slightly more.  If you want to try and be precise about it, in the body of the recipe I give a volume and weight of the cooked greens.  But in practice, if you have a little more or a little less, I think the recipe will still be successful.

As for an accompaniment, I think a creamy-tangy yogurt or sour cream based dressing is essential.  It adds an important flavor counterpoint.  Although, you could probably sever them with a nice, tangy, fresh summer tomato sauce too.  If you want to make little one- or two-bite sized fritters to serve as an appetizer, the only adornment you might want (other than the sauce) would be a sprig of dill…or maybe parsley.  If you want to make large fritters to serve as an entrée, in addition to the tangy sauce, I think a chunky vegetable salad would be delicious.  Roasted beet, fresh tomato, roasted/grilled corn, shredded carrot, and cooked chickpea salads all sound pretty good to me. 

I admit to being partial to the combination of this fritter with beets.  The first time I made them I made an accompanying arugula and beet salad.  Recently, I served it with another beet salad (with mint, cumin and walnuts) and a quick tomato and cucumber salad from the cookbook Zahav.  It was delicious.  If you happen to purchase a bunch of beets with a large bunch of greens attached, you would pretty much have dinner.    

One of the things I love about teaching is that I have gotten to know…and make friends with…so many of those who have attended regularly over the years.  Among these are a father and daughter (Ed and Emma) who both happen to be accomplished cooks and bakers.  Ed is particularly knowledgeable about flours.  I share this because during this class I mentioned that I suspected that chickpea flour would make a nice substitution for the all purpose flour I chose to use in the recipe (Deborah Madison used white whole wheat flour).  Ed spoke up when I said this, saying that he thought the chickpea flour was a great idea, but that it should be substituted for only half of the all purpose.  About a week after the class, Emma relayed to me that they had tried it and that it worked perfectly.  So, if you want to bump up the protein and the substance of these fritters, I’m happy to report that the chickpea flour would be a great option.

I also want to mention that should you have any fritters leftover, they reheat beautifully.  I have reheated mine in the microwave and Ed shared that his reheated very nicely in a skillet.  They are also astonishingly good at room temperature (or even cold) if you just want to grab a few for an afternoon or mid-morning snack…or want to take them to work for lunch. 

All things considered, these fritters were a super addition to the class.  They went well with Nancy’s curry and they provided a versatile recipe (working well as an appetizer, entrée or lunch…) that exploits the early summer abundance of greens from the farmers’ market.  They were a hit with the class… and they have earned a permanent spot in my repertoire.

Swiss Chard & Ricotta Fritters

3 to 4 bunches of Swiss Chard, ribs removed and discarded or reserved for another use—you should have 454 g/1 lb. of trimmed leaves

120 g/4 oz/1 c. all purpose flour

1 t. salt

1 1/2 t. baking powder

250 g/1 c. whole milk ricotta

3/4 c. whole milk

30 g/1/3 c. finely grated Parmesan or more

2 eggs

3 T. olive oil, plus more for frying

Zest of 1 small lemon

1 peeled clove of garlic, finely grated using a microplaner or smashed to a purée with a pinch of salt

Pinch of cayenne (to taste)

1 recipe dilled yogurt sauce or plain yogurt or sour cream

Dill sprigs to garnish

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  Add the chard leaves and cook until just tender—about five minutes.  Lift out the cooked leaves and spread on a baking sheet to cool.  When the leaves are cool enough to handle, use your hands to squeeze out as much of the excess water as you can.  Chop the dried greens finely.  (You should have about 1 3/4 c./180 g. prepared greens.)

Place the flour, salt and baking powder in a small bowl and whisk to combine.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, milk, Parmesan, eggs, olive oil, zest, garlic and cayenne and whisk until smooth. 

When you are ready to cook the fritters, whisk the greens into the cheese mixture.  

Add the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula just until the dry ingredients are absorbed. 

Heat a non-stick or cast iron skillet over moderate heat.  Film the pan with olive oil.  Dollop in the fritter mixture using a spoon or a small ice cream scoop (you can make the fritters any size that you like—I like them made with a generous tablespoon of the mixture—for appetizers and a three or four tablespoon scoop when serving as an entrée).  As you add the fritters to the pan, use the back of the scoop/spoon to barely flatten the batter—resist the temptation to spread the fritters out.  The fritters should sizzle gently in the oil.  

Cook on the first side until they are golden brown and have puffed—about three minutes.  Carefully turn the fritters over and cook for another three minutes.  They should be golden brown on both sides and springy to the touch.  

Transfer to a platter or baking pan and keep warm while you finish cooking the rest of the mixture.

Serve the fritters hot with the yogurt sauce and a scattering of dill sprigs.

Makes about 36 appetizer-sized fritters (serving 8 to 12) and 16 to 18 large fritters (serving 4 to 6 as a light entrée)

(Recipe adapted from Vegetable Literacy by Deborah Madison)

Dilled Yogurt Sauce:  Combine 1 cup of thick yogurt (strained or Greek) with 1 T. minced fresh dill, a small clove of garlic (finely grated with a microplaner or smashed to a purée with a pinch of salt) and salt and lemon juice to taste.

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