Brown Sugar & Butter Peach Dumplings With Vanilla Gelato

Summer is practically summarized by the peach.  Sticky, sweet and blushing with the color of wild sunsets boasting orange-pink swirls. The warm, languid days of Summer simply beg for a ripe, juicy peach to send streams of juice running down the chin.

This year, much to my dismay, peach season got a late start.  Typically by the middle of May, there are abundant piles of this fragrant, ripe, stone fruit in markets far and wide.  

Well, needless to say, they've finally arrived and better late than never.  Upon venturing out to my local farmer's market today, I found troves of this golden fruit at just about every stall.  I could practically smell their sweet perfume wafting on the gentle breeze.  I stopped frequently to intimately fondle one here, or inhale the aroma of one there.  My kids were positively stumped, until finally my oldest rolled his eyes and said, "Mom, come on!  You have touched every single peach at the market already!"  Perhaps he was right... I may have gotten carried away looking for the optimal peach.  But unlike inspecting a car, when you might kick the tires, peach vetting is a whole different ball game.

I made my rounds, once, twice, and finally had a vendor slice open a specimen right in front of me.  The juices ran down his arm.  I nodded approvingly.  The peach was a yellow variety called "Flavorcrest".  It's aroma was intoxicating and its flesh was almost a rosy salmon color.  It was the quintessential summer peach.  Eating such a peach out of hand is unrivaled, but nearly as delicious, is wrapping it and baking it in a buttery pastry crust with a little nob of butter and brown sugar tucked in the center.  A scoop of vanilla ice cream might also enhance the experience, wink-wink, nudge-nudge.     

Brown Sugar Peach Dumplings

For the Pastry
2 cups all purpose flour
4 tablespoons ice cold shortening - in small portions marble sized poritons
4 tablespoons ice cold butter - cut in to small cubes
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4-6 tablespoons ice water
1 egg beaten

For the Peaches
4 large, ripe, freestone peaches - blanched, peeled, cut in half with pit removed
4 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter cut in to four cubes

Directions
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the dry ingredients for the pastry.  Add the butter and shortening and pulse a few times until the pieces are the size of peas.  Pulse a few more times adding ice enough water until the mixture comes together.  Gather the dough, press it in to a thin disc, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 400.  On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough in to a square.  Portion the square in to four smaller squares.  Place a piece of butter and a tablespoon of brown sugar in between the peach halves and sandwich the halves together.  Place on the center of the dough squares and bring up the sided to meet at the top.  Crimp the edges tightly and brush with the beaten egg.  Bake in a dish on on a pan lined with parchment paper for approximately 25-30 minutes until golden brown.  Serve with vanilla ice cream. 

Serves 4

Honey & Blood Orange Agrumato Olive Oil Bakalava

1 lb.phyllo dough 

For the filling:
6 ounces blanched almonds
6 ounces roasted walnuts
6 ounces roasted pistachios
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon fresh grated  blood orange zest

1 cup + 1 tablespoon Amphora's Fresh Blood Orange Agrumato Olive Oil

For the syrup:

1 cup honey
1/2 cup water
1 cup fresh squeezed blood orange juice
1 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2" strip of blood orange zest

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease the the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan with Blood Orange Agrumato.
2. Pulse the nuts with the sugar, orange zest and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor until finely chopped. Unroll and cut the phyllo sheets in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, brush with blood orange olive oil thoroughly. Repeat the process until there are 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, blood orange olive oil, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.
3. Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into four long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake in the center of the oven for approximately  50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
4. Make the syrup while baklava is baking. In a heavy sauce pan, bring the water, sugar and blood orange juice to a boil. Add honey, cinnamon stick and orange peel and simmer for about 20 minutes longer.
5. Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it and allow to cool.

Ricotta-Basil Olive Oil Spread

This easy spread has an aioli-like consistency but uses no eggs.  Instead, fresh, part skim ricotta stands in lending a creamy-dreamy texture and richness.

I chose to use a 40 day young Chilean Arbequina for this application.  With it's grassy-herbaceousness, apple peel center, and healthy peppery finish, it served to cut the richness of the ricotta and provide an interesting counterbalance.

A clove of garlic, squeeze of lemon and sprig of basil later, the spread came together magnificently.  I toasted some bread and liberally slathered it with the spread.   However, it would would be equally delicious as a mayonnaise replacement, a dip for crudites, or spread fresh grilled salmon.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup Amphora's Ultra Premium, ultra fresh 2011 Chilean Arbequina EVOO
five inch sprig of fresh basil, washed and dried
1 clove fresh garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice 
1 teaspoon sea salt or to taste

Directions

Place the ingredients inside the bowl of a food processor or blender and process until creamy and smooth in consistency.  Adjust seasoning and store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Fresh, Wild, Copper River Salmon Served With Creamy Rosemary-Balsamic Caramelized Onions & Wild Mushrooms

Ingredients

1 pound fresh, wild salmon fillets (4)
1/4 pound fresh wild mushrooms such as Chanterelles, Black Trumpets, and or Porcini, coarsely chopped
1 medium, sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 - 4" fresh rosemary sprig, leaves reserved
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh, vibrant, peppery, fruity Ultra Premium extra virgin olive oil such as Cobrancosa, Picual, or Frantoio 
1/4 cup Traditional Balsamic Condimento
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.

Directions

In a heavy bottom, large sauté pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.  Sprinkle sliced onions with a little sea salt and add to the olive oil, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Add the wild mushrooms and rosemary leaves, (discarding any woody stems).  Sauté until both the mushrooms and onions become deep golden brown and caramelized.  Add the balsamic to the pan with the mushrooms and onions and de-glaze.  Simmer gently and cook until the balsamic is reduced by half.  Add the cream, and stir to combine.  Cook until the mixture thickens slightly, approximately another minute.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and reserve.

Lightly score the salmon skin in several places with a sharp knife without penetrating the flesh. Pat the fillets dry and season with salt and pepper to taste.  In a pan large enough to hold the fillets, heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium high heat.  Pan sear the fillets, for approximately two minutes per side, taking care not to overcook. 

Serve the salmon with the balsamic-mushroom sauce over the top.  Can be accompanied by pasta, quinoa or brown rice.

Serves 4

When Life Gives You Cherries, Make A Cobbler

   

I asked my husband to acquire Bing cherries on Friday.  I wasn't specific about where he should go to get them or how much I wanted.  When I arrived home from work, I found a bulging 15 pound box of ripe cherries sitting on the kitchen counter.  Knowing how much I love them, my dear husband, bless his soul, drove all the way to the Oakland Wholesale Produce Terminal and bought an entire bulk case.

Do you want to know the most amazing tidbit about this story, he paid $17.00 for the 15 pound case.  No, I didn't stutter, that's well under $2.00/pound.  And, before you assume that these were culls, I'll nip that notion in the bud.  These cherries were top quality - sweet, plump, dark burgundy, grown locally in Stockton, and for a fraction of what you'd pay just about anywhere else.  However, as I adore them, and have dozens of recipes utilizing them, I've learned that there's a phenomenon called "cherry fatigue".

The weekend started innocently enough with cherry preserves, cherry gelato and panna cotta with cherry compote.  Last night however, as I pulled the latest cherry creation out of the oven and called my family to enjoy it, I was greeted by the sound of crickets.  Apparently my husband and children went in to hiding.  They were indignant, accusing me of tyring to induce them in to a "cherry coma".   I had managed to turn this beloved spring fruit in to a WMD.

And yet, after exhausting a plethora of the culinary applications, the box still brimmed  formidably.  In fact, it looked like I had barely made a dent.  So this morning, I ignored my nagging conscience and placed a big handful of fresh cherries in to my youngest son's school snack.  I know when he opens up his little snack bag this morning and sees those cherries, he will be very, very angry.  But what to do?  I  cannot let them rot - I loathe food waste and still have a gazillion recipes up my sleeve which call for fresh cherries.
 
If you're inundated with cherries as I am, or simply want an inventive way to use this fleeting spring fruit,  please find my latest cherry creation below.

Bing Cherry Cobbler

For the Buttermilk Biscuit Topping
 2 cups unbleached, all purpose flour + extra for dusting
2 tablespoons granulated sugar teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons chilled butter, cut in to 1/2" cubes
4-6 tablespoons chilled buttermilk
1 large egg beaten

For The Cherry Filling
4 cups ripe Bing cherries washed, stemmed and de-pitted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350.
Wash and pit the cherries.  In a large bowl, toss the cherries with the lemon juice.  Whisk together 1/2 cup of sugar and flour and toss with the cherries, coating evenly.  Butter a 2 quart casserole or 6 individual baking dishes and distribute the cherries evenly.

In the bowl of a food processor or a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda.  Add the chilled cut up butter and process or cut in to the dry ingredients with a pastry blender until the butter is the size of small peas.  Add the buttermilk a tablespoon at a time, gently mixing or processing in bursts until the dough becomes cohesive and can be rolled out.  Do not overwork  the dough or it will be tough.

Dust a surface lightly with flour and roll out the dough to 1" thick.  Use a biscuit cutter or a very sharp knife to cut the dough in to pieces to top the cherries.  Place the dough pieces over the cherries and brush with beaten egg.

Bake individual cobblers for 25-30 minutes or 45 minutes for a 2 quart cobbler, until the biscuits are golden brown and the cherries begin to bubble.  Serve warm out of the oven with vanilla ice cream.
Makes 6 servings

Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Bing Cherry Compote

Baked Char Sui Bao

BBQ Pork

1 pound boneless "Never-Ever" pork ribs
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. dark toasted sesame oil
2 Tbs. oyster sauce
2 Tbs. catchup
2 Tbs. dark brown sugar
 
For The Dough

1 cup warm milk
1/4 cup warm water
2 large eggs, (one reserved for egg-washing the dough)
3 tbs. safflower, peanut or sunflower oil
2 Tbs. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp. dry instant yeast

For The Filling 

1 Tbs. safflower, sunflower, peanut or grape seed oil 
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 Tbs. fresh grated ginger
1 Tbs. crushed garlic
1/2 medium onion diced fine 
1/2 cup water
1 Tbs. oyster sauce
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. plum sauce
1 tbs. catchup
2 tsp. corn starch

Directions

Mix all the ingredients for the B-B-Q- pork marinade together well in a plastic zip-lock bag.  Add the pork and marinate, in the refrigerator for a minimum of  6 hours or overnight.  Preheat the oven to 375 and roast the pork on a baking rack for 2 hours, basting twice during the process with the reserved marinade in the bag.  Proceed to making the dough once the pork is in the oven.  After two hours, remove from the oven and allow to cool.  Cut in to small 1/4 inch pieces and set aside.  

For the Dough

If using a bread machine to make the dough, follow the manufacturers directions.  If making the dough in a mixer or by hand, mix all the wet ingredients together in a large bowl.  Add the sugar and salt and whisk to combine.  Combine the flour and yeast and mix in to the wet ingredients.  Knead for up to three minutes and then allow to double in volume for up to two hours, covered in a warm place.  After making the filling below, preheat the oven to 350 and divide the dough in two equal pieces and roll in in to 10 inch long ropes.  Cut each rope in to 8 pieces. 

For the Filling

Mix together all the sauces, water and cornstarch together in a small bowl.  In a wok or saute pan over medium flame, heat the vegetable oil.  Add the diced onions and saute until tender and translucent but not browned.  Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.  Add the diced pork and the sauce mixture.  Cook until thickened and heated through.

To Assemble

Shape the pieces in to balls and then roll out in to 6" diameter rounds.  Place two tablespoons of the filling in to the center of each dough circle, like a pouch, pinching the edges tightly to seal.  Place seal side down on to a parchment lined baking sheet.  Allow to rest, covered for 30 minutes.  Brush each bun with a beaten egg and bake for 25 minutes until golden brown.      

Makes 16 pork buns