Sweet Rhubarb Quick Bread

I always save some strawberries in the freezer for this time of year, when the rhubarb is ready to pick but the strawberries aren't. But rhubarb is great on its own, too. Make this recipe as written, or, if you like, substitute some strawberries (mash partly first).

Rhubarb in the garden

3/4 lb rhubarb stems, stringed and cut into 1/2-inch lengths
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan.

Place the rhubarb in a microwave proof bowl with a small splash of water and cover with plastic wrap or a plate. Steam on High for 1 minute, stir, then cook for another 1 minute and stir again. The rhubarb should be quite soft and will exude a good bit of liquid. If needed, steam for another 30-60 seconds. Set aside.

Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl and stir.

Combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and oil in a large bowl and stir well. Stir in the rhubarb with its liquid. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.

Makes 1 loaf.

No-Knead Bread II

This is my favorite adapted version of the famous no-knead bread recipe developed by Jim Lahey and popularized some years ago by Mark Bittmann. Back in 2009 I posted a version that's a bit closer to the original, but I've been playing with it since then and I like the version below better - plus this one is made entirely with whole grain flour, so more nutritious, too.

I get local wheat from  Upinngil Farm or Four Star Farms and grind it at home, though pre-ground flour is available from both farms and Four Star Farms grain and flour is available at Green Fields Market.

That's my flour mill

To bake this bread, you will need a good sized covered casserole pot, preferably ceramic or cast iron (I use a cast iron dutch oven). Glass is okay but not as good. Be sure the pot and lid are oven proof at high temperatures.

Overnight version
1 cup oat flour (whiz some rolled oats in a food processor if you don't have the flour on hand)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I use a hard red wheat)
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp yeast
2-3 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups lukewarm water
Cornmeal

Combine all ingredients except cornmeal in a large bowl. The dough will be very wet. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 15-18 hours (this is flexible: can be less, especially if the room is warm, or can be as much as 24 hours if you forget about it accidentally).

Liberally flour a work surface. Scrape the dough out of the bowl. Using well-floured hands and maybe a dough scraper, form the dough into a ball. You will need to keep sprinkling it with flour as you do this, until it is not sticky to the touch.

Sprinkle cornmeal onto a dish towel (not a fuzzy one!). Place the dough on the cornmeal and sprinkle more cornmeal over it. Cover with another towel and let rise for 30-60 minutes.

When ready to bake, put your pot and lid in the oven and preheat to 450 degrees. When the oven and pot are both nice and hot, take the pot out of the oven and put the dough into it. Give the pot a little shake to even out the dough if needed. Bake covered for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for another 15 minutes. Cool on rack.

Quicker version
This is not quite as good as the overnight version, but it's close. What I like about the overnight version is that it develops a faint sourdough flavor from sitting out so long rising.

Use 1 Tbsp yeast instead of 1/4 tsp. After combining all ingredients in the bowl, cover and let rise for about 4 hours. Follow the same procedure as above with the flour and cornmeal for the second rising. Follow procedure above for preheating and baking.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Quick Bread

After some experimentation, this is adapted from a few different recipes I found online.  It's nothing but whole grains, and unlike many quick breads it is made in a free-form loaf rather than a loaf pan.  The texture is satisfyingly hearty and toothsome but not too heavy.  It's best eaten fresh, but not at all bad the next day.  I find it just a little addictive.

I buy soft wheat from Upinngil Farm or Four Star Farms (available at Green Fields Market) and grind it into whole wheat pastry flour.  This yields a wonderful flavor but a somewhat fluffier and coarser flour than what you get if you just buy whole wheat pastry flour at the store.

1 cup coarsely ground oat flour or instant oats (not old fashioned rolled)
1 1/2 - 2 cups freshly ground whole wheat pastry flour (store bought may need less)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 Tbsp honey (use less or more depending on sweetness desired)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
3/4 - 1 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Combine oatmeal, whole wheat pastry flour (start with 1 - 1 1/2 cups), baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

Combine honey, oil, and milk (start with 3/4 cup) in a small bowl and mix well (honey will tend to stiffen with cold milk, so stir well).  Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients.  Add additional flour or milk if needed to form a soft but not too sticky dough.  It will not have the consistency of a yeasted bread dough, but you want to be able to handle it.  Form it into a roll about 2-3 inches across and 6 inches long.  Place on a baking stone or lightly oiled baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Makes 1 loaf.  Serves 4-6 as an accompaniment to soup, etc.

Grilled Focaccia with Herbs and Garlic

This is easy and awesome.  Make your own dough if you have time or use a ball of frozen dough from the grocery store.  Enjoy it now while the weather's hot and the herbs are coming into full production.

1 batch pizza dough
Olive oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil and parsley
4 cloves garlic, minced

Pat the dough out to about 1/2-inch thick, maybe a little less.  Oil both sides liberally and set aside on a plate.

In a bowl, combine the chopped herbs and garlic with about 2 Tbsp olive oil and set aside.

Get your grill going pretty hot, then carefully transfer the dough from the plate to the grill.  Close the cover and grill for about 3 minutes.  Use tongs to flip the focaccia over and quickly spread the cooked side with the garlic and herb mixture.  Close the grill lid again and cook for about 2 minutes more.  Remove from the grill.

Let the focaccia cool enough to handle, then tear or cut into pieces and serve.

Serves 4-6.

Asparagus-Ramp Bread Pudding with Goat Cheese and Rosemary

After making last week's Asparagus-Shiitake Bread Pudding, I've been thinking of ways to further adapt the recipe to make it faster to assemble. Here I've cut the assembly time almost in half, to about 30 minuets (it needs another 40 minutes in the oven) and made some changes to the ingredients for a fairly different flavor profile as well. To save yourself some prep time, buy the bread 1-2 days ahead and let it dry out a little.

With ramp season coming to an end, you could take this technique and use it with the ingredients in the other recipe.

1 1-lb loaf white bread (French or Italian work well), preferably a bit stale
3 cups milk
About 10 ramps (1 bunch)
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lbs asparagus, tough ends snapped off, in 1/2-inch rounds
Salt and pepper
2-3 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
6 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
4 eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter or oil two 8x8-inch pans or one 9x13-inch pan.

Slice the bread about 1-inch thick, then tear into chunks. Place them in a large bowl. Heat the milk to steaming, then pour over the bread and let stand.

Slice the roots off the ramps and remove any loose outer layers. Thinly slice the white part and the stems, then finely chop the leaves, keeping them separate from the whites and stems.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the asparagus and the ramp whites and stems. Season with salt and plenty of pepper. Saute over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes, until the asparagus turns bright green and is slightly tender. Remove from heat and set aside.

Turn the bread a bit in the bowl to make sure all of it soaks up milk. Then add in the asparagus and ramps, the chopped ramp leaves and rosemary, and the crumbled goat cheese.

Beat the eggs in a bowl with 1 tsp salt. Pour the eggs into the bowl with the bread and other ingredients and mix well so that everything is coated (trying not to turn the bread to mush while you do so).

Press the mixture into the prepared pan(s). Bake for about 40 minutes, until golden and a bit puffy.

Serve hot or warm. Serves 6-8.

Savory Asparagus-Shiitake Bread Pudding

This recipe, perfect for the chillier days of spring, is adapted from one in Deborah Madison's Local Flavors. I didn't have the mushrooms, the herbs, or the cheese that she called for, so I used what I had and it came out beautifully. I kept the method the same--be warned that, while not difficult, it is a bit elaborate. I think it could be simplified considerably, and am planning to experiment a bit with that in the coming weeks. This works well for dinner, but would also make a nice brunch centerpiece.

As the season goes on a bit, use green garlic and spring onion in place of the garlic and shallot, and vary the herbs with what's available and sounds tasty. Likewise, while I used Dutch Gold (Edam) cheese, this would work well with cheddar, Swiss, Parmesan, or goat cheese.

4-5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed with the side of a knife
3 cups milk
1 1-lb loaf white bread (Italian style is good), preferably stale
1 1/2 lbs asparagus, tough ends snapped off, and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
2 Tbsp butter
1 large shallot, minced
1/2 lb shiitakes, stemmed and diced
Salt and pepper to taste
4 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped sorrel
1/2 cup snipped chives
2 cups Dutch Gold (Edam) cheese, shredded

1. Butter two 8x8-inch pans or one 9x13-inch pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine the garlic and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let steep until ready to use.

3. Cut the bread into thick slices. If not stale, toast lightly in the oven. Break into chunks, place it in a large bowl, then strain the milk over it and let it soak.

4. Place about 1 inch of water in a Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Add the asparagus and simmer about 3 minutes, until bright green. Remove from the pot and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

5. Melt the butter in skillet. Add the shallot and saute over medium-high heat for 1 minute, then add the mushrooms and saute until tender. Add salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

6. Beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the sorrel, chives, 1 tsp salt, and pepper to taste.

7. Add the asparagus, mushrooms, egg mixture, and about two-third of the cheese to the bowl with the bread and mix thoroughly (trying not to turn the bread to mush while you do so). Spread this mixture into the prepared pan(s) and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until nice and golden. Serve hot.

Serves about 6.

Baked French Toast

This is an easy but festive breakfast/brunch meal to serve a crowd. Make the most of our local milk and eggs! To make the morning assembly easy, slice the bread and combine the other ingredients in a bowl the night before and store in the fridge.

This is fantastic with blueberry-strawberry sauce, but also great with maple syrup. This recipe is adapted from on in Didi Emmons's Vegetarian Planet.

Update, 9/15/12: I have made this with other types of bread with great success.  Any moderately soft loaf will do, and whole grain bread works fine.  I made this once with whole wheat cranberry walnut bread and it was fantastic.  Oatmeal bread is good too, as is buttermilk wheat.  Feel free to experiment, especially if you prefer something with some whole grain in it.

5 eggs, beaten
4 cups milk (I used a combination of whole and skim, but use whatever you have)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 baguette in 1-inch slices (about 24 slices), preferably slightly stale

Butter a 10x15-inch baking pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in a bowl.

Lay the bread slices out in the baking pan, overlapping slightly. Pour the custard mixture over it. If you have time, let it soak for 30 minutes or so before baking. Bake for about 35 minutes, until custard is set.

Serve with maple syrup, butter, and/or fruit sauce.

Serves about 6.

Blueberry Maple Cornbread

This you must try.

I used Whole Milk Maple yogurt from Sidehill Farm, which you also must try if you live in the Pioneer Valley and have somehow missed it so far. I also used a mix of ground sweet corn and regular cornmeal, which is lovely, but all regular cornmeal is good, too.

Butter for the pan
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup maple yogurt
1/4 cup maple syrup (ideally grade B for best flavor)
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 egg, beaten
1 cup frozen blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8x8-inch baking pan.

Combine the cornmeal, whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the yogurt, maple syrup, oil, and egg in a smallish bowl. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then gently stir in the blueberries. Scrape the batter into the greased pan and smooth out as best you can.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, until golden on top and cooked through in the middle. The end result will be moist.

Serves 5-6.

Variations:
1. Just blueberry: use plain or vanilla yogurt in place of maple yogurt and substitute sugar or honey for the maple syrup.
2. Just maple: leave out the blueberries.

Double (or Triple) Corn Cornbread

This is adapted from a recipe in Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook--I love the texture of cornbread made with yogurt. Fresh corn kernels are a marvelous addition at this time of year. I made this as triple corn cornbread by using ground dried sweet corn for the cornmeal in addition to standard cornmeal. I got the dried sweet corn from Crabapple Farm at the Greenfield Farmers Market earlier this season. Not something all that easy to come by, but if you do happen on it at some point, try some. (You can also cook it as you would dried beans--perhaps with dried beans, something I have done with tasty results.)

1 cup cornmeal (sweet, standard, or combination)
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tsp cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp sugar or honey
3 Tbsp canola oil
1 cup fresh corn kernels

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8x8-inch baking pan.

Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

Combine the yogurt, vinegar, sugar or honey, and canola oil in a small bowl.

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. The batter will be thick and sticky. Stir in the corn kernels.

Spread the batter into the baking pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until done in the center and lightly golden on top.

Serves about 4.

Variations: You can add other things along with the fresh corn if you like. Try chopped scallions, a minced chipotle pepper, or a chopped fresh jalapeno.

No-Knead Bread

This recipe is adapted from Jim Lahey via Mark Bittman at the New York Times, with a few minor changes of my own. Some folks may have seen it floating around the Internet already. With some local wheat on hand to go into it, I thought I'd share. I make this pretty regularly through the winter, when I can't get bread from El Jardin bakery at the farmers market. If you're looking for something to put your caramelized onions and goat cheese on, this is great. You can play with the ratio of flours--the amounts listed below are what I like, but it's pretty flexible.

The wheat I bought from Crabapple Farm was not ground, but I have a flour mill. I have found that freshly ground grains add wonderful flavor to breads and other baked goods.

To bake this bread, you will need a good sized covered casserole pot, preferably ceramic or cast iron (I use a cast iron dutch oven). Glass is okay but not as good. Be sure the pot and lid are oven proof at high temperatures.

Overnight version
3 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour OR 1 cup whole wheat flour + 1/2 cup millet flour (my favorite)
1/4 tsp yeast
2-3 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups lukewarm water

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. The dough will be very wet. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 15-18 hours (this is flexible: can be less, especially if the room is warm, or can be as much as 24 hours if you forget about it accidentally).

Liberally flour a work surface. Scrape the dough out of the bowl. Using well-floured hands and maybe a dough scraper, form the dough into a ball. You will need to keep sprinkling it with flour as you do this, until it is not sticky to the touch.

Sprinkle cornmeal onto a dish towel (not a fuzzy one!). Place the dough on the cornmeal and sprinkle more cornmeal over it. Cover with another towel and let rise for 2 hours.

After 1 1/2 hours or so, put your pot and lid in the oven and preheat to 450 degrees. When the oven is hot and the bread is done rising, take the pot out of the oven and put the dough into it. Bake covered for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for another 15-20 minutes. Cook on rack.

Quicker version
This is not quite as good as the overnight version, but it's close. What I like about the overnight version is that it develops a faint sourdough flavor from sitting out so long rising.

Use 1 Tbsp yeast intead of 1/4 tsp. After combining all ingredients in the bowl, cover and let rise for about 4 hours. Follow the same procedure as above with the flour and cornmeal for the second rising, but rise only one more hour. Follow procedure above for preheating and baking.

Pumpkin Ginger Bread

This is one of my favorite fall and winter treats. I always make this as a bread, but it's just as easy to make as muffins--just shorten the baking time (how much depends on the size of your muffins). I know that ginger is hardly a local product, but the pumpkin, milk, and eggs can be.

1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp dried ginger
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
2 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup vegetable oil
¾ cup brown sugar
1 cup mashed cooked pumpkin (or other winter squash)
½ cup chopped candied ginger

Preheat the oven to 350˚. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, then add the milk, vanilla, and oil and whisk together. Add the brown sugar and whisk until it is well blended. Add the pumpkin and whisk until fully blended. Stir in the candied ginger.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Fold together gently until just mixed.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the bread cool in the pan for a few minutes before removing, then cool the rest of the way on a rack.

Makes one loaf.

Variation: Substitute dried cranberries for the candied ginger.