happy holidays!

Almond Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing and Candies

the lot of 'em

holly leaves and coconut-hair cookie man

snowflake, star and wreath

little cookie man

Merry Christmas everybody!

the herbs

In all the years I never had the space for a proper garden, I always managed to have a sweet little herb bed to cultivate and nurture along - well, inasmuch as one can nurture an herb bed... They require little to no support whatsoever - just some sun and a few kind words (lucky for me!). So, this spring when I found myself in a new home with scads of earth to fill, one of the first things I undertook was the herb bed:

I'm so, so happy I did.

Now we're in the height of summer (fading oh, so quickly) and it's time to save what I can from this verdant and intoxicatingly fragrant plot of earth.
So, today I have two recipes for making the most of a variety of herbs.

First, the butters:
Chive-Parsley and Rosemary-Tarragon Butters

Really, just about any herb works well here - variations abound*

Ingredients:

For the Chive-Parsley Butter:

1 stick butter (salted or unsalted - your preference), softened
1 small bunch fresh chives, chopped
1 large handful fresh parsley, coarsely chopped

For the Rosemary-Tarragon Butter:

1 stick butter (salted or unsalted - your preference), softened
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped from stems
1 very large sprig fresh tarragon, leaves stripped from stems

For each butter, combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse to combine; continue to run machine until herbs are finely chopped and incorporated into the butter (cleaning the machine before making a butter using different herbs).

At this point, the butter may be used immediately, refrigerated or frozen for future use: using a rubber spatula, remove the herbed butter and place on a piece of waxed (or parchment) paper, using the paper, roll the softened butter into a small log, wrap tightly and freeze or refrigerate (if you're lucky enough to own a decorative butter mold, I think that would make a very nice presentation). I've been freezing mine to use in the winter when a bit of butter is a warming addition to hot-from-the-oven bread and just the ticket for rubbing under the skin of a chicken to be roasted.

*I also often mix thyme or lemon thyme in with a bit of butter for roasting chicken. These butters are also very nice additions to steamed or sauteed vegetables, corn on the cob, roasted potatoes, etc. I think it would be interesting to try making a lavender butter to use in a shortbread or oatmeal cookie recipe, too - maybe I'll try that one next... Of course, then there's cinnamon and honey butter...

Then, there's the basil...

Basic Pesto

I know pesto is about as common as salsa these days, but it's still a good pantry staple in my household - I make a batch or two each summer and then freeze them to be added a chunk at a time to minestrone's and other soups for a bit of summer in the depths of winter. Also, this recipe is quite adaptable to variations.

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup pine nuts, toasted
3 Cups packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
3-4 cloves of garlic
1/4 Cup good olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Add the pine nuts, basil, cheese and garlic to the bowl of a food processor. Start the machine and when the contents have just started to come together, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream through the feed. If a looser consistency is desired, more olive oil may be added. When incorporated, turn off the machine and season with salt and pepper (sometimes a pinch or two of red pepper flakes is a nice addition too). At this point I transfer the pesto to a freezer-safe container, layer a piece of plastic-wrap over the surface, put the lid on, and freeze it for future use. This year, I decided to try putting the pesto into ice cube trays and then transferring the cubes to a zip-lock bag for freezing - we'll see if this really is more convenient...
Of course, it is always tempting to eat it straight out of the bowl on a cracker...

stones and pits

One day last spring I visited some friends who happen to run an incredible organic farm in Pennsylvania. After a brisk evening camping on the grounds I was treated to some the best blueberry-oatmeal pancakes and the most welcome cup of coffee a frozen camper could ever appreciate. That one breakfast initiated a chain of blueberry pancake weekends that saw me through the whole season. I still haven't quite got the craving out of my system and just might not be sure if I'm hungry for the pancakes or simply wistful and nostalgic. Isn't it amazing how good company can make something so simple transcendent?

While blueberries are abundant for the time being, the following recipe takes advantage of two of the season's other specialties: yellow peaches and sweet cherries. My *appreciation* of cherries of all kinds is well documented among those who know me, so it might not be too much of a surprise that I post a recipe or two here including this most loved fruit. And who wouldn't love a sunny bowl of yellow peaches and blushing Rainier cherries with their breakfast? So, in nostalgia and hunger I offer this recipe:

Corncakes Two Ways: Yellow Peach and Sweet Cherry Compote and Butter and Maple Syrup
(I adapted the recipe for Corncakes from the cornmeal pancake recipe on the package of the highly regarded Bob's Red Mill Medium Grind Cornmeal)

Makes about 8 corncakes

Ingredients:

For the Corncakes:

1/2 C. boiling water
1/2 C. plus 2 Tb. cornmeal (medium grind, preferably, such as Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 C. plus 2 Tb. buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 C. whole wheat flour (I most often use King Arthur flours)
1/4 C. unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 Tb. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 Tb. granulated sugar (brown sugar might work well also)
2 Tb. corn oil, plus more for the pan

In a small bowl sift together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and sugar. Set aside. In a separate medium bowl, pour boiling water over cornmeal and whisk until thick. Add buttermilk, whisking to combine. Whisk in the egg. Add the flour mixture to the cornmeal mixture and stir in the oil.
Heat a skillet or gridle over medium heat (add a little oil, if your pan is not non-stick) and pour batter by small ladle-fulls onto the hot skillet. The batter will be thin and the cakes will not puff up as much as regular pancakes. When small bubbles begin to appear and pop on the surface (about 1-3 minutes), carefully flip the cakes over and cook another 1-2 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Remove from the skillet and place on a plate lined with a paper towl. Serve warm with Yellow Peach and Sweet Cherry Compote or the classic butter and maple syrup.

Yellow Peach and Sweet Cherry Compote
(double this recipe to have enough compote for all 8 corncakes in the previous recipe)

Ingredients:

1 medium yellow peach (slightly underripe is fine), peeled* and cut into quarters and then into thirds (12 slices altogether)
1-2 handfuls sweet cherries (Rainier's are quite nice if you can find them, but any sweet variety will be delicious), pitted and sliced into quarters
1 Tb. granulated sugar
1 Tb. water
1/2 small pat of butter (optional)

Heat fruit, sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until fruit begins to soften and water and sugar thicken - about 5 minutes. If desired, finish with butter: Add butter to fruit mixture and continue to stir until melted)

*The easiet way I know to peel a peach is to drop the whole peach into a pot of rapidly boiling water for 30 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice water just until the peach is cool enough to handle - the skin will peel away easily at your fingertips. However, as I was only using one peach in this recipe I just cut the peel away with a paring knife.)

**If your fruit is very ripe, cooking is not necessary. Simply slice the fruit and place in a bowl with a little bit of sugar (to suit your tastes) and let sit 30 minutes or so to release the juices.

Butter and Maple Syrup

Well, this is obvious and self-explanitory, but there is something really scrumptious in the combination of salty butter, sticky-sweet syrup and satisfying cornmeal. Just a suggestion with the syrup: the aforementioned farm friends introduced me to Grade B maple syrup for pancakes. If you can find it, it really does have more of that maple-y flavor.