Weekend in Review

Over the weekend, we welcomed a couple of days of rain, which meant that (other than sneaking in a little yard work Saturday morning) I spent a lot of time in the kitchen. 

But first, I picked these garden treasures. The broccoli is still putting off tender shoots, much to my delight. I finally harvested all the cabbages, which had been picked over pretty badly by cabbage-eating bugs. The winter garden is taking a cue and winding down, just in time for spring. 

We stopped by one of our local nurseries and picked up a few six-packs... of strawberries. They found a happy home in one of our small 4-by-4 beds; planting instructions be damned! They are in rows on the diagonal, which is so very appealing to the part of my brain that wants to be a designer.

After much reassuring that pursuing a fermented recipe would not make our house stink, I set about making a simple recipe for kimchi. I sort of combined elements of this recipe and a couple of tips from this one for an easy version, which to me seems like an easy refrigerator pickle. Not wanting to dirty up the processor, I mashed garlic, ginger, and red chiles together with a mortar and pestle.

I used our garden cabbage, local carrots and green onions from Johnson's Backyard Garden, and a few other organic ingredients. If it turns out tasty, I'll post the recipe. If not, we'll just call this a happy little weekend experiment. 

After an afternoon nap and a cup of tea, I found myself gathering ingredients for these unbelievably decadent salted caramel brownies from Smitten Kitchen. Shockingly, the recipe (which calls for you to make your own caramel candies and then make brownies from scratch) was very simple and I used only two dishes. It could not have been a more straightforward recipe. Which is all the more reason to go forth and make them.

And when they came out of the oven, well... These were, without a doubt, the most delicious thing I have ever baked in my life. Perfect. Fudgy and toothsome, with an impressive caramel flavor, a hint of salt, the bitterness of dark chocolate, and a rounded sweetness — these brownies are too good for ice cream but perfect with coffee.

Homemade Energy Bars

Dates, chia seeds, oats, coconut, cocoa powder, and cinnamon. Yum.

Homemade energy bars (let's be honest, we're talking about Larabars here) combine a number of healthy ingredients to create an awesome feel-good treat. Some people shape theirs into spherical nutritionally-packed bites, but I prefer the classically shaped bar. Everyone's made these, and it's no wonder: they are unbelievably simple (if you have a food processor), infinitely changeable, and delightfully tasty in any iteration.

Why are they so good for you? Dried medjool dates are little superfruits, packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Of course, they have a higher sugar content when dried, but that's the only sweetener in this recipe. The other ingredients come with their own lengthy healthy resume: oats are high in dietary fiber and are a source of heart-healthy whole grains; unsweetened coconut offers a healthy fat; chia seeds are well-known for their super concentration of omega-3s and calcium; cocoa powder is an antioxidant; and even cinnamon has long been revered in Ayurvedic practice.

There are hundreds upon hundreds of recipes for these all over the internet. I loved this version, but feel free to experiment with your favorite ingredients. Add pecans or almonds, sunflower seeds, raisins or dried cranberries, skip the cocoa powder, forget the coconut. All you need to keep an eye on is the texture. Too dry, and they won't come together; too wet, and they'll be difficult to eat.

Go forth and make these little energy bites, bars, balls, or what have you. They'll do the trick to tide you over, and they're so much better for you than a candy bar! And please share your favorite rendition in the comments.

Homemade Energy Bars
1 cup organic rolled oats (I used old-fashioned, but quick-cook oats would work too)
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups dried medjool dates
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1/8 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 cup water

Put all the dry ingredients in a food processor. Pulse to combine until the mixture is uniform in size (think sand-like consistency). With the food processor running, slowly pour in the water. The dough will start to pull away from the sides of the food processor.

Check the consistency at this point: open up the food processor and touch the dough. It should stick to itself without crumbling, and not stick to your finger. Add more water as needed. If you've added too much water, throw in another tablespoon or so of oats and process until it's just right.

Line an 8x8 dish with parchment or wax paper, and press the dough into the pan. The bars should be about 1/4 inch thick. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, slice into bars and keep chilled. Alternately, shape into bite-sized truffles and refrigerate.

This recipe makes about 8 four-inch bars.

a proper breakfast

One morning in January, when I had the day off and Ryan didn't, and I couldn't fall back asleep and the kitchen was begging to be dirtied and I just couldn't keep my hands off a new recipe, I made scones. 

And we haven't been quite the same since. You see, I never knew what having a scone really meant. The only time I'd ever, in my life, had a real honest-to-goodness scone was at my friend Ellen's house. She, being one of my highly cultured friends, made homemade scones with whipped cream (and having never eaten an honest scone before, I had to ask what the white fluffy stuff was) and strawberry jam, and Earl Grey tea with cream and lumps of sugar. 

So when I stepped out into the scone-making world, a bar had already been set; and I had to clear the bar, because no way was I going to disappoint myself, or the bf for that matter. That's when I reached for both Bittman's book and the Joy of Cooking: this is what I'd call scone research. 

What makes a scone a scone, you ask, and not a biscuit? Two words: heavy cream. Also known as sweet glorious nectar of the gods, don't you agree? Yes, my friends, heavy cream gives scones their decadent yet simple, lightweight yet filling, country-biscuit yet hi-falutin-pastry-like feel. 

The recipe I used went a little something like this (adapted from How to Cook Everything): 

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

4 tsp baking powder

2 tbls sugar

5 tbls cold butter

3 eggs

3/4 cup cream

• Heat oven to 450. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl, reserving 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Cut the butter into bits and either pulse it in the food processor (easier) or rub the butter into the dry mixture with your fingertips (messier and more fun). Make sure all the butter is thoroughly blended in before you move on. 

• Beat 2 of the eggs with the cream in a large bowl. With a few swift strokes, combine them with the flour mixture. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead only 10 times. The dough should stick a little to your hands. 

• Press the dough into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle and cut into 2-inch rounds with a biscuit cutter (I used a glass tumbler). Put the rounds on an ungreased baking sheet. Gently reshape the leftover dough and cut again. Beat the remaining egg with 1 tbls water and brush the top of each scone; sprinkle each with a little of the remaining sugar. 

• Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until the scones are light golden brown. 

• Serve with fresh whipped cream and local berries. Over and over again. The next weekend, Ryan's parents were coming into town and spending the night with us. I asked Ryan if I should make scones for them. "Are they going to be exactly like the ones you made last week?" he asked. Apparently I'd set my own scone bar. Thankfully, when I made them for his parents, they were just as good as the week before. Here's hoping that they'll be just as good from here on out.