Super Crispy Roasted Potatoes
On June 22, 2012 by sixtyacrebakerI realize this favorite isn’t homegrown, harvested, highbrow, organic, or local. I’m not even sure I can say something as clever as canned at the peak of freshness. But when you are craving crispy crunchy roasted potatoes without time
to par boil and pre-roast, these are just the trick.
Crispy Crunchy Roasted Potatoes
canned whole potatoes–drained
olive oil
salt
pepper
Preheat the oven to 450F. Dry the potatoes thoroughly. Using a fork, score each potato with nice deep ridges. The potato may fall apart in your hands…no problem. Toss the potatoes into a oven safe casserole dish. Take the fork and gently smash the potatoes…not to pulverize, but to open them up a bit, but so that they still remain in one piece. The idea here is to create as many scraggly surfaces as possible…that is what gives you the crunchy bits. Drizzle olive oil over the top…be generous, but don’t let them swim in it. Use enough oil so that each potato has a light coating. Mix them up with your hands to ensure proper coverage. Generously sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and kosher or sea salt. Roast, uncovered for 45min to 1 hour. Check on them periodically and scrape from the bottom to prevent sticking (maybe a couple of times during the hour).
*these potatoes have been canned in water, so they will retain moisture for quite a long time. even when the outsides are good and crispy, you will still get a creamy interior.
**these are also really yummy with some herbs tossed in…rosemary is classic, but i love thyme with few sprinklings of lemon zest.
Cherry Marzipan Ice Cream
On June 18, 2012 by sixtyacrebakerRecently, in an early morning whim, I dragged Mike to a far-off orchard to pick a bushel of cherries. As we stood in the shade of a tree, him reaching to higher branches, and I for the low hanging fruit; I, cherry stained and gleeful, half whispered “isn’t this just so much fun”. To which Mike responded, as he bent a branch to my reach; “No. This is torture, but i am happy you are enjoying it”. This ice cream is a love letter filled with sweetness of ripe fruit, rich-depth of ground almonds, & deep warmth of a stiff drink, from me
to him.
I must tell you this is not a difficult recipe, but it is complicated taking many steps and some time but if you are an ice cream person with a special occasion on the horizon, you should make this. It is seriously good
Cherry Marzipan Ice Cream
step 1
3/4 cup milk
2 cups pitted cherries (reserve pits)
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp kosher salt
step 2
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbs cherry herring liquor (optional)
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 cup heavy cream
step 3
1 cup chopped cherries
1 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
3-4 oz marzipan–cut into bits the size of a small almond
step 1
blend together the pitted cherries and milk to break up, but not puree the cherries. place in a heavy saucepan. add back the cherry pits and stir in 1 cup heavy cream, 1/4 cup sugar and salt. bring to a simmer then turn off heat. allow to steep a minimum of 2 hours or until cool. *if you allow to sit more than 2 hours, place in the refrigerator to steep after 2 hours have passed.
step 2
strain the mixture and place into a clean saucepan. meanwhile, whisk together, in a bowl, egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar, cherry herring (optional), and almond extract . whisk until the egg becomes pale and all ingredients are fully incorporated. heat the cherry-cream mixture to a simmer, then pour about 1/2 of cup into the egg mixture whisking the egg mixture while doing so. this is called tempering the eggs. slowly pour the remaining warm cream mixture into the egg, and whisk until fully incorporated. pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and place over very low heat. using a rubber spatula, continually stir the egg mixture until it begins to thicken to a nappe (you should be able to wipe your finger across the back of the spatula and have the “trail” remain. do not let the mixture simmer or boil. once you have obtained the desired consistency, pour mixture through a sieve into a clean bowl. allow to cool for 1 hour, then add 1 cup heavy cream and stir to incorporate. refrigerate 8 hours or overnight to meld the flavors.
step 3
at least 1 hour before churning, place 1 cup pitted and chopped cherries, lemon juice and 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a bowl and macerate for 1-2 hours.
step 4
prior to churning the ice cream, drain the macerating cherries and stir the juice into the ice cream base. churn your ice cream according to the manufacturers instructions. in the final minutes of freezing and churning, add in the cherries and marizipan and allow them to mix in fully. the ice cream will be quite soft. eat immediately, or freeze until ready to enjoy.
Cherry Frangipane Tart
On June 14, 2012 by sixtyacrebakerWe went cherry pickin’ this week. All i could think about was my corporate days when i said things like; “don’t cherry pick the good deals” & “let’s start with the low hanging fruit”. I thought everyone would understand the analogy, not fully realizing until in the orchard, how much more relevant the statement is when you are actually cherry picking, the low hanging fruit. Especially when you are only 5 feet tall. I love frangipani which is an almond paste custard, of sorts. Cherries & almond are a delicious combination.
Cherry Frangipani Tart
1 pie crust for 10″ tart pan
8 oz almond paste
1.5 oz sugar
3.5 oz butter (softened, but still slightly firm)
3/4 oz all purpose flour
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
4 extra-large eggs ( room temperature)
3 cups pitted sweet cherries (fresh or frozen)
Line a 10″ tart pan with crust. Refrigerate while you make the filling. Preheat oven to 350F. Using a mixer with paddle attachment, beat the almond paste and sugar. Gradually add in the butter in large pieces until fully incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time beating after each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides as you go. After all eggs are incorported, beat for 30 seconds on high speed. Add vanilla. stir in the flour and salt until just incorporated. Pour into the tart shell. Working from the outside in, place cherries in the almond custard in concentric circles, close together, but not touching. Place tart on baking tin and bake for approximately 50-60 minutes. The frangipani will rise and brown, but should not souffle. It is done when just firm to the touch and the crust is slightly golden.
Fiori Fritti
On June 6, 2012 by sixtyacrebakerEver since I was a child, summer meant; long days in the pool, big family gatherings, and fiori fritti. Squash blossoms picked before the dew dried, were gently washed, stemmed, stuffed, battered, and fried.
I picked my first flowers of the season this weekend, and filled them with fresh chevre, basil & parmesan. After dipping them in really cold batter, I simply fried in olive oil. Delicious.
Fiori Fritti Batter
1/3 cup flour
1 egg
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
1/4 cup sparkling water
2-3 ice cubes
more salt for sprinkling on the fried goodies when they come out of the oil
Whisk together the flour, egg, salt, pepper and sparkling water. add the ice cubes and place in the fridge while you heat the oil and prepare the flowers. the trick for a crispy batter is to have it very cold. Place about 6″ of vegetable oil in a sturdy pot—careful to leave another 3-4″ from the top of the oil to the top of the pan for safety. Dip the stuffed flowers in the batter and let the excess run off. Fry in the hot oil until begins to brown and is quite crispy.
Wedding + Cake
On May 31, 2012 by sixtyacrebakerAlthough I know how, I rarely make wedding cakes. Here’s the deal. Elaborate and fancy wedding cakes take time to build. This typically means that by the time you cut into that cake,it is old. Yes, there are tricks: soak it in syrup and it will seem moist (when really, it is just wet), freeze it and suspend the stale, or up the filling to cake ratio. These are all good ways to get the job done, but not my thing. I’m a bit of a jerk about it.
Wedding cakes are expensive and should be delicious. I think the only way to achieve this is to bake and assemble as the bride is donning her veil. That being said, there are times, when you can’t keep me from making a cake.
Last weekend was one of them.
My younger brother got married. Last of the lot. The bride requested lemon.
I made this.
Strawberry Lemonade
On May 21, 2012 by sixtyacrebakerWorking in the garden, pulling weeds and picking fruit, can make a girl glisten and parched. I like to wet my whistle with a talk iced glass of this.
Strawberry-Lemonade
5 large lemons-sliced
1 1/2 cups strawberries-sliced in half
2 1/2 cups sugar
6-6 1/2 cups water
ice to serve
Place lemons, Strawberries and sugar in a crock or bowl. Let sit for 30 minutes. After the wait time, use a potato masher or muddle to crush the berries and the lemons to extract juice from the fruit and the oil from the lemons. Really get in there and mash them up. Allow to sit for another 10 minutes and then give it another good mash. Leave all the bits in the crock (or bowl) and add water. Start with 6 cups and check for sweetness/flavor. add more water to your liking. Refrigerate until ready to drink. Serve over ice.
Creme Fraiche
On April 30, 2012 by sixtyacrebakerNo story. No fancy words. Just a simple plea. make.your.own. and use.it.liberally.
Creme Fraiche
3 cups heavy cream–room temperature
6 Tbs plain greek yogurt–room temperature
Stir the yogurt into the heavy cream. Put into a glass jar and cover with a bit of cheesecloth (to keep out bugs and dust, but allow for airflow). Let sit draft free at room temperature for at least 12 hours and up to 36 hours. The longer you leave it out, the more tangy it will become. Give it a good stir, it will thicken right before your eyes. Tightly cover and pop in the fridge.
enjoy where you would otherwise enjoy cream or sour cream
mix with a bit of brown sugar and pour over berries
stir into warm soup
create a calvados cream sauce for roast pork
pour over warm peas, carrots
or
cold beets
just for starters….
Carrot Cake
On April 24, 2012 by sixtyacrebakerI really like carrots. I like them raw dipped in a bit of sea salt, honey roasted with onion dip, and deep fat fried loaded into a feedbag. All good. But, best of all? Baked in cake
Carrot Cake
this recipe comes from my culinary school notebook, it is not my own–except the decor..that is all me
4 large eggs–room temperature
6 oz vegetable oil
14 oz granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
9 oz flour
1 Tbs cinnamon
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 lb carrots–peeled and grated
2 1/2 oz walnuts-toasted and roughly chopped
Whisk together sugar, salt, flour, cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder in a bowl. In a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment whisk together the eggs and oil until the eggs are thick and pale yellow (about 10 minutes). Mix in the dry ingredients, just to fully incorporate. Fold in carrots and walnuts. Split evenly into 2 prepared* 9″ cake pans. Bake at 325 for approximately 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Preparing cake pans includes spraying with pan spray and lining the bottom with parchment paper
allow to cool and split each cake round into 2 layers. Frost with your favorite cream cheese frosting** Decorate with marzipan carrots.
Cream Cheese Frosting
i’m not opposed to sharing my cream cheese frosting recipe, but truth be told…i don’t measure
1 part unsalted butter to 2 parts cream cheese, a pinch of salt a bit of vanilla and enough powdered sugar to reach your desired sweetness. Use the paddle attachment of a mixer and beat until creamy.
Strawberry Balsamic Shrub
On April 5, 2012 by sixtyacrebakerMy childhood summers had one constant; my grandparents. Although maybe not the true reality, I remember our last day of school coincided with their arrival; The Grandparents, all 4 of them (yes, both sets) ready to take on the summer in California. My Grandma Grace, oh how fitting that name was for this amazing woman; each and every summer night wandered into the kitchen with pin curls in her hair in a perfectly pressed house dress, and served herself a tablespoon of vinegar. She drank it with the flair
of pouring herself a nightcap. She passed a few years ago and was well into her 90s. Healthy as an ox until the day she died. Sturdy and strong with peaches and cream, wrinkle-free, skin. She ate fresh food all of her life. It was all that she could afford. I believe her nightly vinegar shooter, was her secret weapon.
I.
Really.
Do.
I like vinegar, but I take mine moderated in a shrub. A shrub marries the sweetness of fruit and sugar with the acidity and brightness of vinegar; in a way that makes that little shot every night, very palatable. A shrub is typically meant to be mixed with soda water, but
it is great in cocktails too.
Strawberry-Balsamic Shrub
2 cups ripe strawberries-cleaned, hulled & sliced
1 tsp fennel pollen (optional)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
10 black peppercorns-slightly crushed
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
Place strawberries, sugar, fennel pollen (if using), and peppercorns into a glass crock or wide-mouth jar. Allow to sit for about an hour, then macerate to break up the strawberries. Cover and allow to sit 24 hours. (i let mine sit at room temperature, but if you are concerned, it is okay to put it in the fridge). After 24 hours macerate the mixture again, aiming to crush the strawberries. You can move on to the next step, or allow to sit another 24 hours at this point. Add to the mixture the balsamic vinegar and the cider vinegar and stir well. Allow this to sit 7-9 days at room temperature, stirring daily. The sugar should eventually “melt” into the liquid. It is important that you tend to the mixture daily. After 7-9 days. Strain the mixture using a fine-mesh strainer (if you don’t mind a few bits in it) or a strainer with cheesecloth (if you do) and bottle for use. For longer shelf life, I recommend storing in the refrigerator.
Chocolate Easter Eggs with a Surprise
On March 30, 2012 by sixtyacrebakerI have always loved those giant chocolate eggs from Italy. This time of year they line the shelves of my local Italian market. Large and hollow, a handful of small candies tossed in the cavernous hole, and wrapped in bright mylar paper. Easter basket ready. The real joy is breaking through the chocolate shell to see what goodies lay within. This year, i am giving the Easter Bunny a helping hand. Extra special chocolate filled with toys and jewels; hand chosen for each recipient.
Imagine the joy and surprise when these beautiful eggs are cracked open.
trinkets
toys
and
jewels
tumbling out
A happy easter indeed.
If you want more details on how to make these leave a comment or drop me a line at sixtyacrebaker(at)gmail(dot)com
