Zucchini Ginger Cupcakes

Materials

Cupcakes

• 3 cup crystallized ginger (1 3/4 oz), coarsely chopped
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups coarsely grated zucchini (2 medium)
• 3/4 cup mild olive oil
• 3/4 cup mild honey
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest
• Special equipment: a muffin pan with 12 (1/2-cup) cups; 12 paper liners

Methods

Bake cupcakes

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin cups with liners.
2. Pulse crystallized ginger in food processor until finely ground, then add flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, zest, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and pulse until combined.
3. Whisk together zucchini, oil, honey, eggs, and vanilla in a medium bowl, then stir in flour mixture until just combined.
4. Divide batter among muffin cups and bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 24 minutes.
5. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely, 1 hour.

Make frosting

1. Beat together frosting ingredients with an electric mixer at high speed until combined well and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Frost tops of cooled cupcakes.

References
Epicurious
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Zucchini-Ginger-Cupcakes-1222207

Notes
Adriane Fresh's summer BBQ desert specialty!

Roasted Vegetable Galette

Materials

Pastry (or use pre-made)

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, chilled in the freezer for 30 minutes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chill again
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup ice water

Filling

Vegetables for roasting. Most anything will work. I used:

• zucchini
• japanese eggplant
• red pepper
• red onion
• carrots
• garlic

• olive oil
• salt (I used rosemary infused!)
• pepper

• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
• 2 Tbsp slivered basil leaves

Glaze

• 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Methods

Dough

1. Whisk together the flour and salt in a large bowl.
2. Sprinkle bits of butter over dough and using a pastry blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with the biggest pieces of butter the size of tiny peas.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add this to the butter-flour mixture.
4. With your fingertips or a wooden spoon, mix in the liquid until large lumps form.
5. Pat the lumps into a ball; do not overwork the dough.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Filling

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Chop vegetables into roughly equal-sized pieces and arrange on a roasting pan.
3. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to cover.
4. Bake vegetables for 25-35 minutes, until they start to brown. Check and move around every ~10 minutes.
5. Take out of the oven and let cool for ~10minutes.
6. In a bowl, mix vegetables and cheese together. Season to taste.

Assembly

1. Preheat oven to 400F
2. On a floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch round.
3. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet (though if you line it with parchment paper, it will be easier to transfer it to a plate later). Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the bottom of the galette dough, leaving a 2-inch border.
4. Fold the border over the filling, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open.
5. Brush crust with egg yolk glaze.

Baking

1. Bake the galette until the cheese is puffed and the galette is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.
2. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with basil, let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate.
3. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

References:

Baking barrister: http://www.bakingbarrister.com/2010/08/roasted-vegetable-galette.html
Smitten Kitchen: http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/06/zucchini-and-ricotta-galette/

Braised Fennel (Thanks to Dave and Chef Will)

Materials

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots
• seeds from 2 cardamom pods, crushed
• 1/8 teaspoon ground mace
• 2 medium fennel bulbs, cut lengthwise and into 6 pieces each
• 1/14 cups chicken stock
• salt and pepper to taste

Methods

1. Heat oven to 350F
2. Melt butter in skillet - saute shallots, cardamom and mace
3. Add fennel and toss to coat, stir in stock, bring to boil, cover and
4. braise in oven for 30 minutes
5. Remove and place skillet over high heat and boil until liquid thickens

Results

• Delicious!

Discussion

If more than 3 people will be eating, double the recipe as it will get
consumed quickly. Braising in the oven seems to be un-necessary.
Simply sauteing the fennel for about 5 minutes, adding the stock, and
reducing results in a fantastic dish with less messing around with hot
appliances. A low-sodium broth is recommended (vegetable would likely
work quite well).

Purple Potato & Carrot Quiche (Tasty, Pretty, Veggie & Gluten Free!)

This is a beautiful, colorful springtime quiche that replaced pie crust with a crispy shell of purple potatoes. Wonderful for veggie, gluten-free friends.

Materials:

Veggies for Roasting:

• 3 baby or smallish purple or blue potatoes, sliced into wedges/slices
• 2 small gold potatoes, sliced into wedges
• 1 medium carrot, peeled, cut into thin sticks
• A handful of small broccoli florets
• Half a medium zucchini, chopped
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

Custard:

• 5 large organic free-range eggs
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream, Half and Half, or sour cream
• Pinch of fresh grated nutmeg

• 1-1/2 c. your favorite cheese, grated. Swiss, Cheddar, or Gruyère - it's all good

Optional:

• Add a half cup chopped sweet onion to the roasted vegetable mix.
• Add some chopped chives or spring onions to the custard.
• Add a tablespoon of fresh chopped herbs to the custard - parsley, marjoram, or basil.

Methods:

1. First, roast your veggies. Toss the veggies and garlic in a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper; roast in a 375F oven until fork tender, ~40min. Remove and set aside. Keep the oven on.
2. Prepare the custard. Mix eggs, milk product and nutmeg. Whip with a whisk till frothy.
3. Butter a 9-inch pie plate or ramekin (the latter preferable).
4. Spoon the roasted veggies into the plate and arrange them evenly. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top. Pour the custard over the veggies and cheese, allowing it to seep in and around all the vegetables.
5. Bake the quiche in the center of the oven till set and golden, about 25 to 35 minutes. Test doneness with the wiggle method [jiggle the pie plate a bit to see if the center shimmies; if it does, cook for five more minutes] or if it's very close to done, insert a small thin knife into the center - if it emerges clean, you're good to go.
6. Set the hot quiche on a wire rack to cool a bit before slicing and serving (this allows for a more precise slice).
7. Serve with a salad of baby spring greens and glasses of crisp white wine. Raise your glass and toast spring.

Source:

Gluten Free Goddess

http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2007/03/purple-potato-quiche.html?m=1

Slow Roasted Leg of Lamb with Mint and Lemon

Materials

• 1 bone-in leg of lamb, 6 to 9 lbs**
• 1 c. coarsely chopped fresh mint, plus 1/2 c. small fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 c. extra virgine olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic (use more if you like!)
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 c. dry white wine
• 1-1/2 c. low-salt chicken broth

Optional:

• Potatoes, Onions and Carrots to Roast Alongside

Methods

1. Put the lamb in a 4-quart, 15x10-inch glass baking dish. In a small bowl, mix the chopped mint, olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, 2 tsp salt, a few grinds of pepper. Spread the mixture over the lamb and turn to coat. Cover with plastic and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight, turning once.
2. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking. Put on a v-rack in a 13x16-inch flameproof roasting pan. Cover the shank bone with foil. Add the reserved pelvic bone and 1 cup of water (or broth/wine!) to the pan.
3. If roasting vegetables, coat with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and position around the lamb.
4. Position the rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 450F.
5. Put the lamb in the oven and lower the heat to 350F. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the leg, away from the bone, reads 130-135F, ~1-1/2 to 2 hours.
6. Transfer the lamb (and vegetables) to a warm platter and cover with aluminum foil. Let rest for at least 15 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, skim the fat from the top of the pan juices and then set the roasting pan over two burners on medium heat. Add the wine. and with a wooden spoon, scrape up all the browned bts. Bring to a boil and cook until the liquid has reduced to ~1/4 c. Add the broth, return to a boil, and reduce the liquid again to ~1 c. Season to taste with salt and pepper, strain into a sauceboat, and stir in the mint leaves. Carve the lamb and serve with the sauce.
8. Wrap the leftover lamb and store sauce in airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 month.

** Look for young lamb, fine grain and pale-to-dark meat. Layer of fat should be smooth and white and any bone should be porous, moist and red. Ask butcher not to break shank bone but simply cut tendons that attach meat to the bone, allowing meat to shrink during cooking. Best to tie the meat to the bone to give it a more compact shape for better roasting and carving. Ask the butcher for a pelvic bone to give great flavor to the sauce.

Notes:

Made for College Ave Housewarming & Make Your Momma Proud Mother's Day Parties 2011.

Source:

Adapted from Fine Cooking April May 2010