Earl Grey Cookies

2 cups flour
2 tablespoons Earl Grey tea leaves (= the contents of about six tea bags)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

In food processor pulse together the flour, tea, and salt until the tea is spotted throughout. Add sugar, vanilla, and butter. Pulse together until a dough is formed. Roll into a log about 2.5 inches in diameter. Wrap log in plastic wrap like a sausage and tightly twist the ends. Refrigerate for 30 min.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Slice log into 1/3 inch discs. Place on parchment lined baking sheets and bake until the edges are just brown (about 12 minutes). Let cool.

Olive Oil Cake with Quince Jam

Ben was kind enough to share his cake recipe (to which he added homemade quince jam before baking):

Ingredients:

5 eggs, separated

1/3 c. olive oil

1 1/2 c. sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla, lemon, or orange extract (or scrape a vanilla bean)

zest and juice of one orange

zest and juice of one lemon

2 c. flour

1 tsp baking powder

procedure:

preheat oven to 325; oil and dust with flour a 10" cake pan.

beat egg whites until stiff; set aside

beat sugar and oil until blended (you won't be able to cream them together as with butter). beat in egg yolks, then salt, cinnamon, extract, and citrus peels & juices, until smooth. add flour and baking powder in batches and mix until combined. fold in egg whites. pour into pan and bake for 45-60 minutes until firm, golden, and pulling away from sides.

Cool for 10-15 minutes

Marjoram-Citrus Chicken

This recipes is an adaptation of something I saw the lovely ample-bosomed Giada di Laurentiis make on tv:

-1 whole chicken

-about 1/2 head garlic

-1 orange

-1 Meyer lemon

-1/3 cup lemon juice

-1/3 cup orange juice

-1/8 cup lime juice

-1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken stock

-2 Tbsp olive oil

-1 bunch of fresh marjoram

Place the chicken in a roasting pan and salt and pepper the cavity; squeeze the orange and lemon over the chicken and stuff the smooshed pieces into the cavity, alternating citrus pieces with whole sprigs of marjoram (using maybe 1/3 of the bunch) and garlic cloves. Salt and pepper the skin over the juice, tie the legs together with kitchen twine, and roast at 425º for about 45 minutes, occasionally pouring the stock into the pan to keep the drippings from burning, and basting the chicken once or twice with the accumulated juices.

Meanwhile, mix together the orange, lime, and lemon juices, olive oil, the rest of the garlic chopped very finely, and another 1/3 of the marjoram bunch (2-3 Tbsp), chopped. Season with tons of fresh-ground pepper.

After the 45 mins cooking time, start basting the chicken with the marjoram-citrus sauce every 10 minutes or so. Roast until the internal temp is about 170º, about 1/2 hour longer.

When the chicken is done and crispy and brown and pretty, remove from the pan and let it rest before carving. Scrape the drippings and accumulated pan juices into a saucepan, and add the remaining citrus-juice mixture. Bring to a slow boil and reduce over medium heat for 10-20 minutes, down to a bit more than half.

Strain the sauce into a small serving bowl and discard the solids. After skimming the fat off the top, stir in the remaining 1/3 bunch fresh marjoram, chopped coarsely, and adjust for salt and pepper. Pour some of the glaze over the chicken and pass the rest around table.

Basil Cupcakes with Mango Filling

Makes 12.

For the cupcakes

1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs

For the icing

8 oz cream cheese
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup icing sugar
Several basil leaves, minced
Basil syrup (see below)

For the mango filling

1 large mango, diced small
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
Several basil leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons basil syrup (see below)

For the candied basil garnish

several basil leaves
1 egg white
superfine sugar

For the basil syrup

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 large bunch basil


To make the cupcakes:

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together; stir the vanilla into the buttermilk. Set both mixtures aside.

Cream the butter with the sugar until very light and fluffy, several minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time. On low speed, add a third of the dry ingredients, mixing just until fully combined and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add half the liquid ingredients, another third of the dry ingredients, the other half of the liquid ingredients, and the remaining third of the dry ingredients.

Fill twelve lined cupcake tins halfway, and bake at 325 degrees F for 25 minutes or until done.

Let the cupcakes cool for 2 minutes, then use a toothpick to poke several holes in each and brush lightly with the basil syrup.

Allow cupcakes to cool completely, then stuff with the mango filling. Ice the cupcakes and garnish with sugared basil.

To make the icing:

Beat the butter and cream cheese together for several minutes. Add the icing, mixing at low speed to combine, then beat at high speed until icing is light and fluffy. Stir in minced basil and incorporate as much of the basil syrup as the icing will hold without becoming runny. Use plastic wrap to form an airtight seal over the surface of the icing, and chill overnight (if it tightens, loosen it back up with a whisk before piping).

To make the filling:

Combine ingredients and chill overnight. Strain before using.

To make the garnish:

Brush each leaf lightly with egg white and dredge in sugar. Set on parchment paper to dry overnight.

To make the syrup:

Simmer water and sugar over high heat for a few minutes. Remove from heat, and steep a good handful basil for several minutes. Let cool, and strain the liquid into a blender or food processor, pack with fresh basil, and blend until smooth. Let sit for an hour or two, strain again, and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pork and Leeks and Apples

Dinner was primarily this recipe (thank you, epicurious!); I made a few changes to suit my available ingredients and laziness levels:

Feeds 8ish

LEEKS:

6 GIGANTOR leeks, what they have at Monterey Market right now. Seriously Gigantic, like 8ish normal-sized ones?

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 c heavy cream

Lots of sea salt and pepper

Slice leeks thinly, wash thoroughly. Heat butter until melty, add leeks, season with salt and pepper, sautee at high heat until much of the liquid is evaporated. Add the cream, reduce until thick and creamy and awesome, adjust salt and pepper.

APPLES:

4 large Fuji apples

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1/4 cup peppercorns

2 Tbsp fresh thyme

1/4 c cognac

1/3-1/2 c chicken broth

Sea salt and pepper

Slice apples thinly, heat butter until melty, add apples, season with salt and pepper, add peppercorns. When much of the liquid has reduced, sprinkle with brown sugar and caramelize. Add thyme, toss, and add cognac. When liquid has reduced, add broth and simmer until most of the liquid has disappeared.

PORK:

2-3 lbs pork loin roast

Sea salt and pepper

Sprigs of fresh thyme

Pre-heat oven to 400º. Slice loin in 2 lengthwise (I did this bc of time constraints), sprinkle with sea salt, pepper, and tuck sprigs of thyme under and on top of pork, put in oven. Roast for approximately 3o minutes (if using, meat thermometer should register 160ish--the meat will continue cooking once out of the oven), adjusting temperature if cooking too quickly.

Plate with a layer of leeks. three thin slices of pork, topped with apple slices. 

Chicken Salad

These proportions are just an approximation, of course you can combine to suit your tastes!

-2 chicken breast halves, cooked (we like to roast a whole chicken and eat the legs the night of, and save the breast for this recipe)

-1 bunch scallions

-3-5 celery stalks

-1-2 lbs asparagus 

2-3 cups dried cranberries

-2-3 cups roasted cashews (either pre-roasted, or roast with a little salt and olive oil--allow time to cool off before adding to salad)

-Slice the asparagus into bite-sized portions; boil briefly until bright green and barely tender; drain and rinse under cold water

-Chop up and combine other ingredients!

-Season with salt and pepper

-Make a dressing with the following:

-Honey

-Champagne (or white wine) vinegar

-Grainy dijon mustard

-A dab of mayo

-A little bit of white wine (optional)

-Salt and pepper

-Shake vigorously w olive oil until emulsified

Toss all together, chill if desired!

Cream of Asparagus Soup with Thyme Croutons

I started with this very simple Cream of Asparagus Soup, courtesy of Martha Stewart, and added the asparagus-and-crouton topping to vary up the textures: 

Serves 8: 

-3 Tbs butter

-1 1/2 c shallots (about 6 large)

-1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

-3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

-3 lbs asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces. Reserve the asparagus tips.

-coarse salt

-1/3 c heavy cream

-2 to 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

-Sautee the shallots and thyme in the butter until soft and golden; add flour and stir constantly until incorporated. 

-Add asparagus and 6 cups water, season generously w salt; cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer 2-4 minutes, until asparagus is bright green.

-Working in small batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor until very smooth.

-Return to the pot, stir in cream and lemon juice, and adjust for salt (and white pepper if desired)

For the topping, in the meantime:

-Chop 1/2ish an old baguette into very small cubes, season with TONS of olive oil, thyme, sea salt, and pepper.

-Toast in a 375º oven until golden (7-10 minutes?)

-Heat a couple of Tbs olive oil in a skillet until very hot, add the asparagus tips, season with salt and pepper, and sautee/fry until tender and slightly charred on the outside.

-Combine the croutons and asparagus tips, and serve alongside the soup as a topping.