Blackberry Cobbler

Typically, grocery store blackberries are too sour but are treated like prized jewels, packed in little cushioned boxes at 4.99 apiece. Better—and cheaper—summer berries will soon be available at local “pick your own” farms. Check out the link above to the The Washington Post’s Weekend section for a list of farms in the Metro area. There's also a harvest calendar showing peak seasons for such summer delights as sweet corn, peaches and true tomatoes.

When you go, you’ll pick far more berries than you can possibly eat. Give some to your neighbors and use the rest for a blackberry cobbler. This recipe from Edna Lewis’ The Taste of County Cooking (1983) calls for 5 cups of blackberries—suggestive of the open-handed abundance of “pick your own” farms.

Ingredients:

For the Pastry--

1/ 2 cup crushed cube sugar

2 cups of flour (I use a whole wheat pastry flour)

½ teaspoon salt

½ cold butter

1/3 cup iced water

¼ cup light cream

For the Filling--

5 cups blackberries

¾ cup crushed cube sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon butter

To crush the sugar, put a small handful of cubes in a large “zip lock” bag, press out the air and seal. Place the bag in a folded tea towel and give it a few good whacks with a rolling pin to break the cubes into chunks, then roll into finer crumbs. Though it seems like a lot of bother, the rough sugar makes a tastier, “crumbly” cobbler crust.

Mix together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with two knives until well-blended. Add the iced water and quickly stir the flour mixture into a stiff dough. Divide into two equal portions, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for a few minutes.

On a lightly floured board, roll out one dough portion to line the bottom of an 8 x 8 Pyrex dish. Sprinkle with about 3 tablespoons of the course sugar. Cover with plastic wrap while you roll out the second dough portion for the top. Place that in the dish, cover and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the cobbler.

Gently wash and pat the berries dry and put them in a large ceramic or glass bowl. Mix ¾ cup of course sugar with the cornstarch and nutmeg, then toss into the berries. The fruit should have a wonderful “grapey” color and sort of smell as if it is fermenting. Watch out! The juice will leave a stain that’s impossible to wash, so wear a old t-shirt.

To bake the cobbler, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Take the dough from the refrigerator and remove the top layer. Fill the pastry-lined dish with the berry mixture, then dot with butter. Top with the second dough portion, brush heavily with cream and cover with the remaining sugar. Place the cobbler in the preheated over and immediately reduce the heat to 425. Bake for 45 minutes and remove when top is golden brown. Let the cobbler sit and cool for at least 15 minutes. Serve with ½ cup of cream that has been whipped and slightly sweetened with a tablespoon of sugar and a ½ teaspoon of vanilla. Makes 6 to 8 generous portions.

Black Bean Salsa with Tortilla Chips

This dish is ideal to share at the round of potlucks that crop up in May as classes, sports clubs and other groups break up for summer. The sweet and hot combination of mango and jalapeño is a new taste thrill for many while the black beans pack a serious nutritional punch. The original recipe was created by Arthur Birnbaum for the Eating Well Guide used by Food & Friends, a wonderful organization here in Metro-Washington that offers cooking classes, nutrition counseling and home-delivered meals to people facing life-challenging illnesses. For more information about Food & Friends, check out their website by clicking on the link above. Then try this recipe below:

Ingredients:

1 package of corn tortillas

1 jalapeño pepper, finely minced

1 /2 cup diced red onion

1 crushed garlic clove

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (or parsley), chopped

1 ripe mango, chopped

1 15 oz can black beans, drained

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (or 1 cup chopped fresh tomato)

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

Process:

Prepare the tortillas first so they can bake while you put together the salsa. Preheat the oven to 325. Cut the tortillas according to your preference—I like “Doritos-sized” chips, but you might want to cut the tortillas into quarters for hearty “dinner” chips. Spread on a foil covered cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. You may want to flip the chips mid-way, but don’t fuss. The baked chips will crisp further as they cool.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix the jalapeno, onion, garlic and cilantro. Add the mango along with the drained black beans and tomatoes. Stir thoroughly, then sprinkle the olive oil and salt over the salsa and stir again.

Serve the salsa and chips as a snack—or add a green salad and corn on the cob for an easy summer dinner.

Balmoral Scones

(Adapted from Royal Style, 1988)

Queen Elizabeth II arrives in Virginia this week for a round of walkabouts to celebrate the 400^th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. Remember, when you meet, she will extend her hand to you to shake and she speaks first. A curtsey is not necessary.

If you don’t get a chance to meet Her Majesty, you can still raise a cuppa in her honor. Don your garden party hat and bake some scones, using this recipe from the kitchens at Balmoral.

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup of sugar

4 tablespoons cold butter

1/3 cup currants

1 egg, beaten with

1 table spoon plus 1 teaspoon milk

Process:

Sift the flour, salt and soda together into a large bowl. Next, thoroughly mix in the sugar. Cut the butter into the flour with two knives to create a course, crumbly mixture. Add the currents and the egg and milk, reserving a spoonful to glaze the scones. Stir the dough into a soft ball, then turn onto a lightly floured surface. Pat into a circle about ¾ of a inch thick. With a sharp knife, slice into eight wedges and place on a foil-covered baking sheet. Brush the tops with the reserved egg-and-milk. Bake at 450 for ten minutes.

Serve piping hot with some strawberry jam. And for a serious treat, spread the scones with clotted cream, available at Whole Foods. The thick cream doesn’t keep for long—essentially the day you open it, you eat it. So invite a friend and have a tea party!

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Wait to make the salad with in-season strawberries: the sweet tang of the fruit contrasts beautifully with the slight bitterness of spinach. After you try this spring version, use the recipe as a pattern to create your own seasonal combinations!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 oz Maytag Blue Cheese

1 pound of in-season ripe strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced into bite-sized pieces

1 6 oz bag of washed baby spinach leaves

handful of toasted pecans*

In a wide salad bowl, crumble the blue cheese into the olive oil and beat with a fork until well mixed. Toss in the strawberries and coat evenly, then the spinach a handful at a time, mixing well after each addition. Top with the nuts and serve.

With some whole wheat rolls or a baguette, this salad is enough for a light dinner for two.

*Instead of toasting nuts, try drying them for a better crunch. Set the oven on 250, then spread two generous handfuls of nuts on a foil covered cookie sheet. Put in the oven and occasionally stir the nuts with a spatula to make sure they don’t burn. Depending on the type of nut, drying should take 20 minutes or so. Try walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts. (Almonds, for some reason, may take up to an hour to toast.) These are great for a “little something” to have with a drink.

Theme and Variations

• For a zingy winter variation, try thin slices of a Granny Smith Apple with a ½ cup of dried apricots, cut into quarters.

• For another winter combo, toss together sections from two oranges, half a fennel bulb thinly sliced and some feta cheese crumbles.

• In the fall, slice a red pear into sections and add a quarter cup of dried currents. Replace the pecans with walnuts.

Lentil Soup

Brrrr! It’s gotten cold again! Give yourself courage during Winter’s Last Stand with some hearty lentil soup.

This recipe comes from a marketing brochure found inside of an All Clad 3.5-quart soup pot Dave and I received as a wedding present. The original recipe was created by Mark Strausman of Campagna Restaurant in NYC. I’ve tinkered with the ingredients a bit to suit our household. Ham and wine give this soup a rich, deep flavor; but if you don’t eat meat, try the “veggie” version below.

Ingredients:

1 pound small green “French” lentils

1 small onion, chopped fine

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 slice of good quality ham, cut into small cubes

½ cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon of a fresh savory herb like thyme or rosemary leaves, chopped fine

(or ½ teaspoon of dried thyme)

salt and pepper

1 quart chicken stock, plus one small can to thin soup later to your preference

Process:

In a deep soup pot with a lid, sauté the onions and garlic until translucent. Rinse the lentils in cold water and go over for “duds.” Add the rest to the soup pot and stir to coat the lentils in the onion mixture. Add the ham, wine and herbs and cook for a moment more. Next pour in one quart of the chicken stock and cover the pot so the lentils will cook down. Check on the soup occasionally and stir.

When the lentils are soft, the soup will have a thick “stewy” quality, sort of like dal from Indian restaurants. I like to eat it right then with some naan or rice. For a thinner soup, gradually add more chicken stock to suit your tastes.

Recipe makes six full servings.

Theme and Variations

To make a vegetarian lentil soup, omit the ham and add a half-cup of crushed tomatoes. Replace chicken stock with a vegetable broth and add a dash more of the spices.

St. Paul’s Cheese Soufflé

During Lent, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Richmond runs an informal weekday lunchroom to raise funds for its outreach programs. The menus undermine any notion of Lenten discipline with crab cakes, lasagna and ice cream topped with St. Paul’s famous hot fudge sauce. Wednesdays tend to draw the most customers because it’s cheese soufflé day—really, a “Church Lady” casserole made with Pepperidge Farm white bread, eggs, milk, butter and lots of cheddar cheese. Here’s a home-sized version of this Lenten delicacy, developed by St. Paul’s parishioner Frances Carter.

Ingredients:

softened butter for spreading

18 slices of white bread (Pepperidge Farm)

4 cups of sharp cheddar cheese, grated

4 eggs

2 ¼ cup whole milk

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Worcestershire

½ teaspoon red pepper

Process:

Cut the crusts off the bread and generously butter each slice. While you’re at it, butter a 2.2-quart Pyrex dish or similar baking dish measuring about 7 ½’ x 11”. Cover the bread with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and set aside.

Blend the mustard, salt and red pepper together in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, beat the eggs and gradually add the spices, then the milk and Worcestershire sauce.

Place a layer of bread in the baking dish and cover with cheese. Repeat, reserving one cup of the cheddar. Pour the milk and egg mixture over the bread and top the casserole with the remaining cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least twelve hours.

To bake the soufflé, remove the casserole from the refrigerator to reach room temperature. Place in a 350 degree oven and bake for 45-50 minutes. The top should be gently browned. Remove and let the casserole “set” for 15 minutes.

You can serve the soufflé right them or reheat it later at 250, covered, for 20 minutes. This casserole makes six generous portions.

Easter Menu

St. Paul’s Cheese Soufflé makes a great “centerpiece” for Easter brunch. Serve with warm baguette slices, a green salad with vinaigrette and some champagne, orange juice and coffee. There’s enough Easter candy around already, so for dessert offer a dish of fresh strawberries, raspberries and blackberries with some crème fraiche and plain sugar cookies.

Thyme Baked Chicken with Broccoli Orzo

While not complicated, this dish requires a bit more time than you might have on a weeknight. Try it one Saturday and invite some friends to dinner. Keep it simple—serve pinot grigio with the chicken and have some fresh fruit, like in-season cantaloupe or strawberries, for dessert.

Ingredients for the Baked Chicken:

1 2 1/2- to 3-pound chicken*

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped fine

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

¼ teaspoon salt

dash or two of coarse ground pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus a little extra to coat the baking pan.

Process:

Your mother probably already told you this, but it’s worth repeating: when working with chicken—or any raw meat for that matter—it is important to wash your hands, any tools and all surfaces that the meat has touched to ward off bacteria.

Remove the “bits” from the chicken’s crevice. (Most commercial chicken producers will have thoughtfully put the giblets, liver and sometimes even the neck in a little plastic bag for quick ‘n easy removal. Wrap tightly in a second plastic bag and toss in the freezer for a future soup stock). Coat a 9-inch baking dish with a little olive oil and place the chicken in it.

Next, without getting too compulsive about it, remove the leaves from some fresh thyme stems and chop them fine. Mix in a bowl with the garlic, spices and olive oil to create a pesto-like paste. Spread two spoonfuls of the paste in the chicken’s interior, then a spoonful on its back. Use the rest to coat the top portion of the bird.

If you like, impress your friends by stuffing some of the paste under the chicken skin for a richer flavor. Gently pull up the flap of skin at the chickens neck. Slowly insert the blunt end of a dinner knife under the skin to separate it from the flesh on either side of the breast. Spoon a dollop of the paste into each pocket and mash the surface so that the paste will spread underneath.

Loosely cover the chicken with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Briefly remove from oven, take off the foil and drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil. Return to the oven, uncovered, to bake for an additional 30 minutes. Check for “doneness” by piercing the chicken to see if the juices run clear.

Take chicken out of the oven and let rest for 10 minutes or so before serving. Tilt the bird to drain the cooking juices onto another plate and reserve.

While the chicken rests, prepare the pasta.

Ingredients for Broccoli Orzo:

4 cups of fresh broccoli florets

½ yellow onion, chopped fine

1 clove garlic, minced

2-3 tablespoons of olive oil or pan drippings from the baked chicken

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup of orzo, uncooked

½ cup of parmesan or pecorino romano, coarsely grated

Process:

Steam the broccoli until bright green and easily pierced by a fork. Immediately rinse in cold water and drain. When cool enough to handle, chop broccoli into fine bits and set aside.

In a wide and deep skillet, sauté the onion and garlic in the oil (or pan drippings) until translucent. Toss in the broccoli, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for one minute more.

Set aside.

Cook pasta according to the directions on its package. Drain and return to its pot. Stir in the broccoli and gradually add the cheese.

To present, spoon the pasta onto a large serving dish and place the baked chicken on top. Spoon another tablespoon or two of the pan juices over the chicken for effect. This should serve four hearty eaters or two with plenty of leftovers for the next day.

*It’s well worth the money to buy a free range chicken. They are smaller and more flavorful, akin to the French “poussin.” A good brand is Eberly’s, available at Whole Foods.