Peach Streusel Cake

Peaches/nectarines are in my top #5 foods of all time. One of the items I would choose if I had to “live on a desert island with only 5 foods.” So I get excited when they are ripe, ready and in season.

But I overdid it on the peach order recently.

Really, there are just so many I can eat in one day.

After a few days some were softening quicker than I planned and I had to use them. So I baked this cake — based on one that I usually make with apple slices and applesauce. Only I used peach slices and pureed peaches.

Perfect.

Peach Streusel Cake

Streusel:

• 1/3 cup quick oats

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Mix the oats, flour, brown sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and work it into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs (food processor on pulse is fine). Set aside.

Cake:

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup butter

• 1/2 cup pureed peaches

• 1/3 cup plain yogurt

• 1 large egg, beaten

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/3 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8” square cake pan. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon peel and set aside. Beat the sugar and butter together with a hand mixer or electric mixer at medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the peaches, yogurt, egg and vanilla extract and beat for 1-2 minutes or until smooth. Add half the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat until well blended. Add half the milk and beat until well blended. Repeat until all the ingredients are used up. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the streusel over the batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan 10 minutes then invert onto a cake rack. Turn the cake right side up to cool completely.

 Makes 8-10 servings

Corn, Avocado and Tomato Salad

Vegetable salads are a big deal at my house during the summer. I make them at least 3-4 times a week. They go with everything: meat, fish, poultry, vegetarian dinner. They’re colorful. They can be made ahead. They’re dairy-free, (although you can certainly add some crumbled cheese to most of them, including in the recipe below).

I’ve made this particular salad dozens of times, adding ingredients here and there if I have them — cucumber, canned chick peas, celery, crumbled feta or goat cheese (and once I made it with blue cheese), etc.

All good. This dish is a good pick for a July 4th weekend barbecue. We eat it at room temperature, when the flavors are at their best.

Corn, Avocado and Tomato Salad

• 2 ears of corn (about 1 to 1-1/2 cups kernels)

• 1 small red bell pepper, deseeded and chopped

• 3-4 scallions, chopped

• 1 avocado, cut into bite size chunks

• 2 cups cut up grape or cherry tomatoes

• 2 tablespoons olive or avocado oil

• 2-3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Steam, poach or grill the corn, let cool and scrape the kernels into a bowl. Add the bell pepper, scallions, avocado and tomatoes. Pour in the olive oil and toss the ingredients to distribute them evenly and coat them with the oil. Add 2 tablespoons of the white wine vinegar, the thyme and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Taste and add more vinegar if desired. Let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 4-6 servings

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Blueberries

I’ve been buying lots of blueberries lately — for muffins, cake, pie, soup —- and also this roasted sweet potato-baby arugula salad, among others. My family loved the combo of sweet and earthy. I added some red onion for crunch but you can also throw in some pepitas if you want more.

Sweet Potato Salad with Baby Arugula and Blueberries

• 3 medium-large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size chunks

• 5 tablespoons avocado or olive oil

• salt to taste

• 2 cups packed baby arugula

• 1 cup blueberries

• 1 avocado, chopped in chunks

• 1/2 cup red onion, chopped

• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

• 1/2 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese, optional

• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• pepitas if desired

Preheat oven to 450° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the potato chunks on the parchment and pour 2 tablespoons of the avocado or olive oil over them. Toss to coat all the chunks. Sprinkle with salt. Roast for 22-25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and crispy, turning them once or twice during cooking time. Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them cool, then place them in a bowl. Add the baby arugula, blueberries, avocado and red onion. Pour in the remaining avocado oil and toss the ingredients. Pour in the white wine vinegar and toss again. Add the cheese, if desired. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. scatter pepitas on top if desired.

Makes 6 servings

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

I’ve read a lot about the health benefits of blueberries so I’ve been using more of them recently in recipes. More about that in the next month or two —

Meanwhile, this lemon-blueberry cake will do! The sweet berries and the tangy lemon are a perfect pair and the cake’s texture is dense, like pound cake, but also is fabulously moist.

It got rave reviews from my tasters.

I’ve made this recipe with and without the extra lemon sauce. I love the powerful tang of lemon, so I prefer it with —- but it is still delicious without.

This is a good dessert for sure and a good bet for a buffet or brunch meal.

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 pound butter

• 2 cups sugar

• 3 large eggs

• 1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

• grated peel of 2 medium lemons (about 1/4 cup)

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 cup blueberries

Lemon Sauce (optional):

• 1/2 cup lemon juice

• 1/4 cup sugar

Grease a 10-cup bundt pan, then sprinkle the insides with flour or plain dry bread crumbs. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together at medium speed for 4-5 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the yogurt. Beat after each addition and scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add the lemon peel and lemon juice and stir into the batter. Fold in the blueberries. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 60-70 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven. Mix the Lemon Sauce ingredients and brush some onto the surface of the cake while it is cooling in the pan. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a cake rack. Brush the remaining Lemon Sauce over all the remaining surface area of the cake. Let cool and serve.

Makes 16 servings

Country Captain (Curry Chicken)

Country Captain

A few years ago I cooked a recipe for Country Captain — a curry chicken dish that’s very popular in the South.

We liked it so much that I made it many times over the years and in fact, used to include the recipe in a few of my cooking classes.

Then, “knowing how way leads onto way” I prepared other recipes, new ones, experimental ones, riffs on old ones — and forgot about Country Captain.

Recently, when I was cleaning out some files, I found my old recipe (computer paper version, sauce-stained of course).

I made the dish for dinner recently and lo and behold! We liked it again!

Country Captain started as an Indian dish but somehow, because of its popularity in the Lowcountry of South Carolina and Georgia it became a Southern specialty. There are all sorts of stories about the recipe’s provenance and why it became such an iconic regional dish. I’m not sure of the whys and hows. All I know is how delicious it is. Apparently it was a favorite of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and General George Patton.

Basically Country Captain is braised chicken and tomatoes with curry seasoning and served over cooked white rice. There’s usually a garnish of toasted almonds, which add some crunch and flavor, but I’ve made the dish without the nuts and it’s just fine!

Country Captain

• 1 broiler-fryer chicken, cut into 8 parts (or 4 breasts or whole legs)

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 medium onion, sliced

• 1 medium bell pepper, cut into chunks

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 3 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped

• 2 teaspoons curry powder, mild or hot or a combination

• 1-1/2 teaspoons thyme leaves (or use 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)

• 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

• freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1/2 to 2/3 cup chicken or vegetable stock or tomato sauce

• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

• 1/4 cup raisins or currants

• Cooked white rice

• 1/4 cup chopped toasted almonds, optional

• chopped parsley for garnish, optional

Wash the chicken and dredge the pieces in the flour. Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add pieces of the chicken a few at a time and cook for 5-8 minutes until lightly browned, turning pieces occasionally. Remove and set aside on a plate. Heat the remaining vegetable oil in the pan. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until vegetables have softened. Add the garlic and cook briefly. Add the tomatoes, curry powder, thyme, salt and pepper, and stir to combine ingredients. Pour in 1/2 cup of the stock. Return the chicken to the pan, spoon the pan ingredients over the chicken, cover the pan and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in the parsley and raisins or currants. Add more stock if the pan seems dry. Cook another five minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serve over cooked white rice.  Sprinkle with the almonds and parsley if desired.

Makes 4 servings

Pashtida

If you haven’t tried Pashtida, you’re missing out. This dish — so popular in Israel — is kind of like a cross between a quiche, a frittata and a kugel. Sometimes it’s made with meat, sometimes dairy and sometimes just vegetables. Any way at all — this is one delicious treat!

Pashtida is filling and hearty enough for dinner (add a side salad) but light enough for lunch. It’s also the kind of dish that’s made for weekend brunch. Leftovers are good too — easily reheated for weekday breakfast.

If you’re looking for a new dairy dish for Shavuot (and, thinking ahead, during the Nine Days or for your Break-the-fast) I encourage you to try this one. My recipe is a melange of eggs, cheese and veggies that you spoon into a casserole and bake until the eggs are set and the top is crispy.

This dish is also amazingly versatile, so I’ve listed a variety of options for substitution.

Vegetable Pashtida

• 1 large Yukon Gold potato, peeled and diced

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped (3 scallions; 2 shallots)

• 1 cup chopped fresh: spinach; kale; (diced) zucchini; or chopped cooked veggies (such as green beans, carrots, bell pepper, asparagus; eggplant); or thawed frozen peas or corn

• Halved mini-tomatoes (such as grape or cherry; about 7-8); chopped sun-dried tomatoes, optional

• 4 tablespoons cream cheese, cut into small pieces (or 1/3 cup dairy sour cream or 1/2 cup cottage cheese)

• 5 large eggs

• 1 cup whole milk or half and half

• 1/2 cup shredded meltable cheese such as Swiss, cheddar, Havarti or mozzarella

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (dill, basil)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a casserole dish (such as approximately 8”x 6” or a 6-cup round) and set aside. Cook the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water for about 3 minutes or until barely tender. Drain and set aside. Heat the butter and olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and looks foamy, add the onion and cook for a minute. Add the potato and cook for 5-6 minutes or until the pieces are lightly crispy, stirring occasionally. Add the vegetables and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they have softened. Add the tomatoes, if used, and cook for another minute. Add the cream cheese and continue to cook and stir until the cheese has melted into the vegetables. Remove the pan from the heat and let the ingredients cool slightly. Beat the eggs and milk together and pour over the vegetable-cream cheese mixture. Add the shredded cheese and stir gently until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Sprinkle to taste with salt, pepper and parsley. Spoon the ingredients into the prepared casserole dish. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the eggs are set and the top is crispy.

Makes 4-6 servings

Grilled Carrots

I always think of Memorial Day Weekend as the start of the official grilling season where I live. Silly, maybe. Lots of people I know grill year round. But I don’t like being outside cooking chicken breasts or hamburgers when the weather is what the weather is in Connecticut during the winter.

So — the grill is open now, thanks to warmth and sunshine.

This recipe for grilled carrots is my official start to the official start of grilling season. We’ve eaten the carrots hot, with the cold sauce. We’ve eaten the leftovers at room temp, with the cold sauce. Winner, either way.

Also - you can cut the carrots into smaller pieces and use them with the sauce, for crudites.

Grilled Carrots with Yogurt Sauce

• 1 dozen medium carrots

• 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 cup plain Greek style yogurt

• 1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon peel

• 1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or use crushed red pepper)

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Preheat an outdoor grill to medium heat. Peel the carrots and coat them with the olive oil. Grill the carrots, turning them occasionally, for 12-15 minutes, or until browned and tender. While the carrots are cooking, mix the yogurt with the lemon juice, lemon peel, Aleppo pepper and 2 tablespoons of the mint. Serve the carrots with the yogurt sauce. Sprinkle with fresh mint.

Makes 4-6 servings

Roasted Cauliflower with Tomatoes and Green Olives

A colorful side dish always makes dinner more special and festive no matter what you’re serving as an entree.

I love the colors in this dish — I’ve made it with different veggies on different occasions but this combo seemed the prettiest to me (black olives work too though). And the olives add a surprisingly tasty tang. It’s perfect for Shabbat dinner

Bonus: if you have any leftovers you can sprinkle them with vinaigrette for a lovely salad. Add cooked potato or hard cooked egg if you have some.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH Tomatoes and Green Olives

• 4 cups bite sized cauliflower florets

• 4 tablespoons olive oil

• kosher salt or sea salt

• 2 dozen halved cherry tomatoes

• 10-12 green pitted olives

• 2 tablespoons chopped chives or green scallion tops

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place the cauliflower pieces on the parchment and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Toss the pieces to coat them evenly with the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt. Roast for about 20 minutes, tossing the pieces once during that time, or until lightly browned. Sprinkle the tomatoes and olives with the remaining olive oil and add them to the cauliflower. Toss the ingredients and roast for another another 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chives and serve.

Makes 4 servings

Banana Bread with Orange Marmalade

Before Mother’s Day I bought the usual 16 tons of fruit my family consumes over a weekend, including several bananas.

But, as things happened, Covid called off the visit and I was left with 16 tons of fruit, including several bananas.

I used up the bananas in a couple of banana breads, including this one, to which I added orange marmalade. The marmalade added a nice tangy flavor and also a lovely, tender texture. Have a slice with creamy sweet butter for a real treat!

Banana Bread with Orange Marmalade

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup orange marmalade

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

• 2 large eggs

• 3 medium very ripe bananas

• 1/4 cup orange juice

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9”x5”x3” loaf pan. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt into a bowl and set it aside. Beat the sugar, marmalade and vegetable oil in a mixer (or with a handheld mixer and bowl) set at medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Mash the bananas and add them to the sugar mixture. Beat thoroughly until the ingredients are well blended. Add the flour mixture and beat for 1-2 minutes to blend the ingredients thoroughly. Stir in the juice and vanilla extract. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan 15 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and let it cool on a cake rack.

Makes one bread serving 8-10

Kentucky Bourbon Cake

Everyone who knows me knows I am a bourbon drinker. Why? Because when I was young my older brother, who was cool and knew all sorts of stuff, drank bourbon. So, if he said it was the best thing to drink, it was.

There’s something sweet and rich about good bourbon, and it’s not just for sipping but also for flavoring baked cakes and such.

Like this Kentucky Bourbon Cake, with both cake and frosting flavored with my favorite booze. We’ll feast on some while we watch the Kentucky Derby this weekend.

If there’s any left —- we can have another round on Sunday, Mother’s Day!

Kentucky Bourbon Cake

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 tablespoon grated fresh orange peel

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1-1/4 cups plain Greek style yogurt

• 1/4 cup bourbon

• 1 cup butter

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 3/4 cup brown sugar

• 4 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10-cup bundt pan. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, orange peel and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt and bourbon until well blended. Set aside. Beat the butter, white sugar and brown sugar together at medium speed for 1-2 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Alternate adding half the dry and liquid ingredients, beating after each addition; repeat with the remaining dry and liquid ingredients and beat for 1-2 minutes or until the batter is smooth and uniform. Spoon the batter into the bundt pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a cake rack to cool completely. While the cake is still warm, pour the glaze over the top.

Makes 10 servings

Bourbon glaze

• 6 tablespoons butter

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 3 tablespoons bourbon

Melt the butter and sugar together in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly and cook for several minutes until the sugar is nearly dissolved. Add the bourbon and whisk continually to incorporate it into the butter mixture. Cook for several minutes until the sugar dissolves completely.