fresh cherry + raspberry muffins

It's that happy time of year when each time I visit the market a new berry or fruit is there to welcome me. The sucker I am, I scoop up little bundles left and right, not sure what to do, just sure that they're pretty and I'll figure something out. This week's big score was sweet cherries. I brought them home, popped a few in my mouth then started thinking about what they might become. Weekends in our apartment usually include one fancy breakfast, and by that I mean something requires me to turn on the stove or oven, so I immediately started thinking about muffins. I found a recipe that sounded different than the usual muffin recipe because it included jam, so I was sold. Only one problem, I didn't have any jam. I got resourceful though and used a handful of raspberries I had tucked away from last weeks fruit spree, combined them with about a third of my cherries and cooked them down to get a sort of compote. Perfecto! Oh, and here's a hot tip. I don't have a cherry pitter, so instead I used these reusable plastic straws to poke the pit out. It worked like a charm and kept my cherries in tact. I whipped up my batter, carefully folded in the remaining cherries and the jam until it was just mixed. Next I filled the cutest little polka dot tins about 2/3 of the way full. Then, as if cherries and raspberries aren't enough goodness for one little muffin, I made a crumble to top each one off. So basically these are bound to be the best little muffins you ever put in your mouth. My predictions were right. These muffins are SO good! They've got this perfect balance of buttery moist cake and sweet goey fruit, all topped off with a crumbly goodness. Your tastebuds just aren't going to know what to do. I did end up spending a while making these, between pitting the cherries, making the compote and then making the batter, but it was so worth it! I'm the first one to complain about effort vs. outcome ratio, but this ranks high. However, if that seems a little intense for you, this could easily be made much simpler by using just about any other fruit and any jam you have in the fridge as the original recipe calls for. fresh cherry + raspberry muffins adapted from Joy the Baker who adapted from the Gourmet Cookbook 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter 1/3 cup whole milk 1 large egg 1 large egg yolk 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cups sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup fresh cherries (or whatever berry you might have in your freezer or fridge, use as much of the bag or as little as you have left) For the compote: 1/4 cup raspberries 1/2 cup cherries 1/4 cup sugar 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice OR- 3 Tablespoons strawberry jam (or whatever fruit jam you have on hand) For the topping: 3 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 3 1/2 tablespoons sugar Put a rack in the upper third of oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.  Generously butter muffin cups or line with cupcake papers. 1 To make the compote, combine the cherries, raspberries, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until it becomes thick and jam-like, stirring often to prevent burning 8-10 minutes. 2 Remove from heat and set aside 3 To make the batter, melt butter in a small saucepan over moderately low heat; remove from heat.  Whisk in milk, egg, yolk and vanilla until well combined. 4 Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. 5 Add milk mixture and stir until just combined. 6 Gently but thoroughly fold in the berries and the compote. 7 Divide batter among muffin cups and spread evenly. 8 For the topping, combine all the topping ingredients in a bowl and rub together with your fingertips until crumbly.  Sprinkle evenly over batter in cups. 9 Bake until golden and crisp and a wooden pick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean, 18-22 minutes.  Cool in pan on a rack for 15 minutes, then run a knife around edges of muffin tops and carefully remove from cups. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Filed under breakfast and eat by Kelly. June 30th, 2009 . 11 Comments

market week 2009

Last year I did a little experiment that I called market week where I bought all my groceries including milk, cheese, meat, vegetables and bread at the greenmarket. It was really fun and I've found that in the year since, I do about 75% of my shopping at the market, which makes me really happy. I love seeing the farmers and people who make the food that I put in my body and knowing how much they care about what they're doing. This year I wanted to do market week again, but there needed to be something bigger and better about it. That's where YOU come in. Please join me in market week 2009, a week where we buy everything from the farmer's market, a farm stand, a local CSA or even grow it in our own gardens and create delicious meals. Maybe you can't do a whole week, maybe you can just commit a day, whatever it is, I'd love to have you participate. I realize this is quite a heads up, but I'm hoping to get people excited and thinking about what they'd like to do for market week. We all love delicious, fresh food and hopefully this little experiment will allow everyone share their goods and see what's in season across the country (and hopefully around the world). How it works: Buy your groceries Make a list and visit your local farmers market to buy your groceries for the week. Photograph your goods and upload to our flickr group: Whether it's at the market or in your kitchen, photograph what you've purchased and upload the photos to out market week flickr group right here. I can't wait to see what's in season around the country. Make delicious meals and upload to our flickr group: Now here's the fun part. Create a week's worth of meals and upload your photos to the flickr group. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at kelly(at)carambula.com or ask questions in the comments section.
Filed under events and market week by Kelly. June 29th, 2009 . 14 Comments

ginger cookies

Please let me introduce you to my favorite cookie ever. This, my friends, is my mom's recipe for the sugar-coated, molasses based ginger cookies that rock my world. I've been sneaking seconds of these ginger cookies since I was a little girl. Until recently, they actually contained no ginger at all, but you know me, I found a way to sneak some in and might I say, actually improve them! I'm still not sure what it is about this exact recipe that is so good, but as someone who jumps at the chance to eat a ginger cookie, these are most definitely the best I've ever had. My mom's directions were simple: mix well. There was no process to adding ingredients in any organized way, but somehow she always pulled them out and they would be perfect little mounds every time. She apparently had a magic touch because I've made them that way and sometimes they come out plump, sometimes they come out flat. I finally decided to put an end to that and came up with a little more detailed set of directions. Now each time I make them they come out slightly plump, crackled on the top and oh-so-soft. I suddenly felt the urge to have one, so please excuse me as I eat and write at the same time. Let's just say you'll get a more accurate description. Molasses is the predominant flavor but they're still sweet with a little cinnamon and the ginger chunks are a nice little zing every now and then. If you have a soft spot for ginger cookies, you're going to love these. ginger cookies makes 24 2 cups flour 2 t baking powder 1 T cinnamon 1/2 t salt 3/4 cup butter, cut into 1-inch cubes 1 cup sugar 1 egg 1/4 cup molasses 1/4 cup candied ginger, roughly chopped 1/3 cup sugar pinch of cinnamon pinch of ground ginger 1 Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in butter. 2 In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, egg and molasses. 3 Add the wet ingredients to the dry and combine well. Fold in the ginger and chill for at least 30 minutes. 4 Meanwhile, combine 1/3 cup sugar with a pinch of cinnamon and ground ginger in a small bowl. Preheat oven to 375° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 5 Once the dough has chilled, roll the dough into small Tablespoon sized balls and roll in the sugar mixture. Place on baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. (8 minutes will make for a delicious and soft cookie) 6 Eat up!
Filed under eat and sweets by Kelly. June 29th, 2009 . 17 Comments

heads up! market week

Get your tote bags ready because market week is coming soon! I'm super excited about this year's challenge and I'm hoping to get YOU involved. So start thinking of tasty seasonal recipes and I'll start getting my act together so I can tell you more. More information to come next week! Woohoo! Check out last years market week here.
Filed under read by Kelly. June 26th, 2009 . 3 Comments

happy hour: raspberry gin fizz

Oh how I love Fridays. It's such a relief to have a week behind you and free days to do fun stuff ahead. This week's happy hour is a simple one that uses fresh raspberries (the first of the season) from the market. A few muddled berries, a little simple syrup and some gin are mixed up and topped off with a little seltzer. It's fresh and refreshing, the perfect way to start off the first official full weekend of summer. Cheers to you my friends! raspberry gin fizz makes 1 cocktail 6 raspberries 1 oz simple syrup 1 1/2 oz gin ice seltzer 1 In a cocktail shaker, muddle raspberries, simple syrup and gin. Add ice and shake. 2 Pour everything into a glass and top off with seltzer. 3 Cheers!
Filed under happy hour by Kelly. June 26th, 2009 . 12 Comments

chipotle meatballs

Well, I'm just going to say it. These meatballs aren't going to win any beauty pageants. They are ugly little suckers, but man oh man are they tasty. I'm a big fan of ground turkey because it has nice flavor but also lends itself to other flavors so well. When I saw this recipe for chipotle meatballs in Simply Organic I was instantly intrigued and ready to whip up a batch. Making meatballs is a pretty easy, albeit a little messy. The only thing that makes these ones chipotle is the sauce on top, which is just a combination of ketchup, honey and chipotle. Simply combine the meat with an onion, carrots, parsley, bread, salt and pepper. In another bowl you'll combine some wet ingredients and then add it to the meat and get your hands in there to mix it up. Form the meatballs and line them up in a pan. Before placing them in the oven crown each with a dollop of sauce and in only about 15 minutes you'll have yourself a delicious bunch of meatballs. Like I mentioned, these little guys are not cute, but what they lack in beauty they make up for in flavor. The texture is light and moist while the sauce provides a nice smooth and tangy contrast to the meat. Not only were these good the evening I made them for dinner, but they were just as delicious the next day for lunch.  This recipe is ripe for experimentation too. With a few tweaks to the seasonings you could get a very different but equally tasty outcome. chipotle meatballs from simply organic by jesse ziff cool makes 12 1/2 cup ketchup 2 Tablespoons honey 1 whole can chipotle pepper, pureed or minced 1 1/2 lb ground dark turkey meat or chicken meat 1 medium onion, grated 2 medium carrots, peel and grated 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley 3 slices bread, torn into small pieces 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup chicken broth 1 large egg Preheat the oven to 400°F Generously oil broiler pan or baking sheet with sides. 1 In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, honey, and chipotle. Set aside. 2 In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, onion, carrots, parsley, bread, salt and pepper. 3 In a small bowl, lightly beat the chicken broth and egg together and add to the meat mixture. Mix well and form into 12 golf ball sized meatballs. 4 Place the meatballs on the prepared pan. Spread a scant tablespoon of the ketchup mixture on each meatball. 5 Bake the meatballs for about 15 minutes, until well browned, or until a thermometer inserted in the center of a meatball registers 165°F.
Filed under dinner and eat by Kelly. June 25th, 2009 . 2 Comments

guest post on the kitchn

If you missed it the first time here on eatmakeread, please check out my guest post for black rice with edamame over on The Kitchn. Thank you to Faith and the folks at Apartment Therapy & the Kitchn!
Filed under read by Kelly. June 24th, 2009 . 1 Comments

omnivore books on food

On our recent trip to San Francisco one of the places I just had to visit was Omnivore Books on Food. I've been wanting to visit ever since Lisa gave me a head's up about this dreamy cookbook shop last year. Omnivore not only carries an amazing assortment of new cookbook titles, but also a fabulous array of vintage cookbooks not only from the US but the UK as well. Unfortunately I happened to visit on a day when they were randomly closed. Wah, wah. Lucky for me, my lovely husband Aaron made an extra trip to scout it out for me. He came through in a major way when he surprised me with a lovely assortment of vintage cookbooks from the shop. I'm such a sucker for vintage cookbooks. I love everything about them from the recipes to the language to the typography and the musty smell. I also just love the history that they provide through the types of ingredients that are being used. The books I received were all pre-WWII, making them the oldest cookbooks in my collection. I love this one called "Plate Dinners for the Busy Woman" dated 1927. The author Mabel Claire (also the author of "The Busy Woman's Cook Book") provides advice on how to create meals that are easy to assemble and can be served on one plate rather than using serving dishes for everything. On time saving she says: "Whether a woman uses the times saved for business or for the betterment and advancement of the community— a task for which her sex is so well fitted— or employs it for the cultivation of her charm and intelligence, surely the world will reap the benefit. It will be a pleasanter place to live in because she saved time from routine labor" I also received a set of books on gardening from the UK that have these awesome 2-color dust jackets that make me really happy. The last book is "A Handbook of Cookery" which is actually a book from a cooking class from 1916. I love how these books are full of both recipes that sound familiar and recipes I've never heard of. I can't wait to dig in! I have to note that Aaron originally chose different books for me and had them sent out to Brooklyn. Unfortunately they got lost in the mail, so someone out there has a sweet set of vintage cookbooks. Celia Sack, the owner of Omnivore Books went above and beyond the call of duty and actually hand chose the selection of books above and brought them to New York on a visit to see her sister. Now that's some amazing service!
Filed under read by Kelly. June 24th, 2009 . 11 Comments

sauteed carrots with honey & rosemary

Growing up, cooked carrots were one of my least favorite vegetables, and quite frankly, until I saw these beautiful carrots at the market this weekend I haven't thought about trying them since. I was innocently perusing my favorite vendor's booth at the market when I spotted two bundles of carrots, one yellow, one orange, and well, the yellow ones looked so lovely and tempting that I just snapped them up without knowing exactly what they were or what to do with them. I came home and found a recipe that sounded too good to be true, sauteed carrots with honey and rosemary. I mean come on, honey and rosemary make everything better, even cooked carrots. According to my vendor, all carrots were originally white until in the 16th century the Dutch bred them to be orange in honor of the country's royal color. You learn something new everyday, right? She also told me the main difference between the whitish yellow variety and the orange is flavor, the yellow has a more subtle flavor profile. For this recipe, I simply peeled the carrots and quartered them length wise. I then just tossed them in a pan with olive oil (I used a little too much) and let them get a little brown and crispy on the outside. Meanwhile, I picked a sprig of fresh rosemary from my fire escape garden (yay!) and chopped it up nice and fine. When the carrots were golden on all sides, I added a little butter, some honey and the chopped rosemary to the pan. Pretty soon all the carrots were covered with a gooey, fragrant coat and were tempting our senses. I had to take a moment just to admire their beauty. This really is a pretty dish. But you know what, it tastes even better than it looks (and that's coming from a former cooked carrot hater). The carrots keep a fair amount of their crispiness but their sweet flavor is enhanced by the honey and rosemary. I might go so far as to say that these carrots are like dessert on your dinner plate. And that's why I like them so much. sauteed carrots with honey & rosemary adapted from Bon Appetit, November 2007 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 pound carrots, peeled, cut into 3x1/4x1/4-inch sticks kosher salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary 1 tablespoons honey (such as heather, chestnut, or wildflower) 1 Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat and add carrots. Sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and pepper. 2 Sauté until carrots are beginning to brown at edges, about 12 minutes. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. 3Add butter, rosemary, and honey to vegetables. 4 Toss over medium heat until heated through and vegetables are glazed, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if desired.
Filed under eat and sides by Kelly. June 23rd, 2009 . 9 Comments

rhubarb johnny

Rhubarb has a special place in my heart. Not only is it the first "red thing" (red things are my favorite) to arrive at the market each spring, but it's also a family favorite. Aaron and I went on a road trip a few months after we started dating and spent a few days with his grandparents up in Northern Minnesota. Rhubarb is one of the few things you can grow up in those parts, but it's something I'd never even heard of before that trip. Well, lucky for me Grandma Cooky has one heck of a rhubarb recipe that instantly won me over. It took a few more trips up to Minnesota, but on the last one I was handed down the 150 year old family recipe for Rhubarb Johnny. Rhubarb Johnny is kind of like a crumble, kind of like dumplings, but most of all it's purely delicious. Rhubarb is actually a vegetable but it's often used in desserts like crumbles or cobblers. On it's own is a little tart, so usually recipes include a fair share of sugar to sweeten it up, and this one is no exception. This recipe uses an egg and sugar base that coats the rhubarb slices and creates a sweet, gooey and slightly crispy layer. As if that's not tempting enough, drop biscuits are placed them on top of the fruity layer. Next you simply pop it in the oven prepare for the goodness that it about to take place. I pulled my Rhubarb Johnny out of the oven and it looked a little different than when Aaron's grandmother made it. That's always a little scary... but I think my egg mixture just got a little excited along the way and wanted to play a bigger role. Looks can be deceiving though and quite frankly, I couldn't see a way that this wouldn't be delicious, so I soldiered on and scooped a slice for Aaron and I. Now, here comes the secret. Ready? You have to pour heavy cream over the slice of Rhubarb Johnny. The first time it happened I thought my heart might stop, but it's so dreamy that you should just not think about that part. Aaron and I each took a bite and instantly smiled. This was it. This is the taste of summer in Minnesota and family traditions that have made stomachs ache with happiness for five generations. Rhubarb Johnny from Ray's (Aaron's Grandfather) Grandma Sjoberg filling: can be doubled for a thicker filling 2 cups rhubarb, cut 1/2" or less 1 cup sugar 1 egg, beaten 2 T flour drop biscuits: 1 cup flour 4 T butter 1/4 t salt 2 t sugar 1/2 cup milk 1 Butter an 8x8 pan and set aside. 2 Beat eggs til foamy. 3 Add sugar and beat until thick and foamy. Add flour and stir. 4 Stir in chopped rhubarb and spread into buttered pan. 5 In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients for the drop biscuits. Cut in the butter to make a meal texture. 6 Add milk and drop by tablespoons over rhubarb. 7 Bake at 375° for 40 minutes. 8 Serve warm in a bowl with a little bit of cream over top.
Filed under eat and sweets by Kelly. June 22nd, 2009 . 9 Comments