Fairy Wands

From Ready, Steady, Spaghetti: Cooking For Kids and With Kids, by Lucy Broadhurst

MAKES 10

½ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
7 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, melted
10 Popsicle sticks
small dragées, to decorate

1 Beat the butter, sugar and egg with electric mixer until creamy. Add the flour. Using your hands, press the mixture together to make a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

2 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush a large baking sheet with melted butter or oil. Roll out the dough between sheets of waxed paper to ¼ inch thick. Cut the dough into twenty stars, using a star-shaped cutter. Arrange on the baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden. Cool on the trays.

3 Place 1/2 teaspoon of melted chocolate on the flat side of half the cookies. Spread out to cover.

4 Attach the stick and sandwich the remaining cookies over the chocolate and press together. Allow the chocolate to set.

5 Drizzle the remaining chocolate over the stars. Decorate with dragées and allow to set.

—From Ready, Steady, Spaghetti/Andrews McMeel Publishing

Heirloom Tomato Flat Bread -- From Organic Marin: Recipes from Land to Table

Organic Marin: Recipes from Land to Table

Rooted in the fertile fields and rolling hills of Marin County, CA, the cradle of the organic food movement, is a belief that food fosters community. With beautiful photography and delicious recipes using seasonal ingredients, Organic Marin: Recipes from Land to Table (Andrews McMeel Publishing, $29.99) tells the story of that connection between farmer and family, between land and table, between food and community.

Bungalow 44, Mill Valley

Bungalow 44 serves flat breads that reflect each season’s best ingredients. This recipe shows off the bounty of summer, with ripe tomatoes and fragrant basil. The dough may be made ahead of time and kept refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Dough
1 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
1⁄8 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
1⁄2 cup warm water
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Basil Oil
1⁄2 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves
1⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Fried Garlic
1⁄2 cup canola oil
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1⁄2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1⁄2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3 heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1⁄3 cup shaved pecorino romano cheese
Minced fresh basil for garnish

For the dough: Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Stir with a whisk to blend. Combine the water and oil in a cup and stir into the dry ingredients. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Divide the dough in half, cover with a damp towel, and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

For the basil oil: Blanch the basil in boiling water for 10 seconds, then drain and plunge into ice water to cool. Squeeze dry and place in a blender with the extra-virgin olive oil. Blend for 20 seconds and pass through a fine-meshed sieve; discard the solids.

For the fried garlic: Heat the canola oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat to 325°F. Fry the garlic slices until just golden brown, 2 to 3 seconds. Drain in a fine-meshed sieve, then transfer the garlic to a paper towel to soak up excess oil.

Preheat an oven to 400°F with a pizza stone inside, if you have one. Flatten each dough ball into a disk and roll into an 8-inch round. Place the rounds directly on the pizza stone. If not using a pizza stone, place the rounds on a baking sheet. Prick the dough all over with a fork and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until just golden. Remove from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 425°F.

Sprinkle half of the Parmesan and mozzarella on each baked bread. Place the breads in the oven on the pizza stone or baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese melts and just starts to brown. Remove from the oven and layer each with the tomato slices in a single layer, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle evenly with the basil oil. Top each with half of the pecorino cheese shavings and return to the oven for about 5 minutes, or until the pecorino turns slightly golden. Remove from the oven and garnish with basil and fried garlic. Use a pizza wheel to cut each bread into 6 slices and serve right away.

Serves 4 as a first course

Bungalow 44

Tucked into downtown Mill Valley, Bungalow 44 draws in locals with friendly service and dining options to suit any mood. The restaurant’s main area is modern and lively, with an open kitchen and a popular bar where locals meet for specialty cocktails. The adjoining room is better suited for a quiet dinner, with a fire during the winter and removable panels that allow for a breeze during warmer weather. Like its sister restaurant, Buckeye Roadhouse, Bungalow 44 offers such homey favorites as fried chicken, Parmesan truffle fries, and a mean burger. For a lighter dish, try the chopped Chicken “44”: an anything-but-boring salad featuring avocado, pine nuts, and jalapeno-tomatillo vinaigrette.

Gypsy Peppers Stuffed with Fromage Blanc -- From Organic Marin

From Organic Marin: Recipes from Land to Table

Greens Restaurant, San Francisco

These yellow, pointed peppers (also called bullhorn peppers) are available at local farmers’ markets in the late summer and early fall. With their sweet, thick flesh, they are easy to peel and are great for stuffing. Pimientos are another great variety for this recipe.

4 gypsy peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more for sprinkling

Filling
1 1⁄2 cups fromage blanc, ricotta, or fresh goat cheese
1 large egg
1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
1⁄8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preheat an oven to 400°F. Rub the peppers with olive oil, the 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, and the 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper. Place the peppers on a baking sheet and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until the skin is blistered and the flesh is soft. Remove from the oven and let cool to the touch. Peel the peppers, being careful to remove the skin around the stems, leaving the stems in place. Make a lengthwise slit into each pepper and remove the seeds Sprinkle the peppers with more salt and pepper.

Decrease the oven temperature to 375°F. Oil a baking sheet.

For the filling: Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well. Gently spoon 1⁄4 cup of the filling into each pepper. Place the peppers, seam side down, on the prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the peppers are puffed and the filling is set. Serve warm.

Serves 4 as a first course

Green Gulch Farm

Green Gulch Farm, also known as Green Dragon Temple, is located in Muir Beach just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Part of the San Francisco Zen Center, it is a Zen monastery, a conference site, and a working farm supplying fresh, organic produce for Greens Restaurant in San Francisco and selling its produce at local farmers’ markets.

Georgia Peach Cobbler

From Mary Mac’s Tea Room: 65 Years of Recipes from Atlanta’s Favorite Dining Room

Serves 8 to 10

2 pounds fresh fruit or 1 (16-ounce) can sliced peaches in heavy syrup, undrained
1 cup plus 3/4 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cornstarch
8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup ice water (with crushed ice)
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Peel and slice the fresh fruit. (If using canned fruit, taste before adding the sugar.) Place the fruit in a bowl and add 1 cup of the sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and cornstarch. Toss together gently. Pour the sweetened fruit into a 13 by 9-inch baking dish and dot with the butter pieces.

In the work bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, on medium speed, beat the shortening, salt, and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon sugar. Gradually add 1/2 cup of the flour to the shortening mixture and mix together lightly. When the mixture becomes stiff, add 1 tablespoon of the ice water. Repeat the process until all the flour and water is used. The mixture should be soft, but not wet. Cover and let chill for 30 to 40 minutes. Roll out on a floured surface to a 13 by 9 1/2-inch rectangle. tablespoon of the ice water. Repeat the process until all the flour and water is used. The mixture should be soft, but not wet. Cover and let chill for 30 to 40 minutes. Roll out on a floured surface to a 13 by 9 1/2-inch rectangle.

Cover the fruit with the pastry, crimping the edges. Make 3 or 4 slits in the pastry with a sharp knife for steam to escape. Brush the crust with the 2 tablespoons of melted butter. If using fresh fruit, cook for 1 hour. If using canned fruit, cook for 25 to 30 minutes at 400˚F. The cobbler is done when the pastry is golden. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Basil Ice Cream

From Spice Dreams: Flavored Ice Creams and Other Frozen Treats

Makes about 1 ½ quarts Basil is a versatile herb, and relatively easy to grow. In this appealing ice cream, the flavors of fresh and dried basil bring out the best in each other. This ice cream is especially good after a summer barbecue of spicy meats. It’s also delicious topped with fresh berries.

2 cups whole milk
½ cup plus ½ cup sugar
½ cup packed fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons dried basil
¹⁄8 teaspoon salt
4 large egg yolks
2 cups whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine the milk, 1/2 cup of the sugar, the fresh basil, dried basil, and salt in a medium, heavy saucepan. Scald the milk mixture over medium-high heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let steep for 1 hour.

Strain the milk mixture through a fine-mesh sleeve. Return the milk to a clean, medium, heavy saucepan. Scald the milk once again over medium-high heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

While the milk is scalding, whisk together the egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl. Add the remaining ½ cup of sugar and whisk until the eggs are light and fluffy. Whisking constantly, add a small amount of the hot milk to the egg mixture. Gradually whisk in the remaining hot milk.

Return the custard mixture to the pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and place in a bowl of ice water to quickly cool the custard. Let the custard cool, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

While the custard is cooling, combine the cream and the vanilla in a medium bowl. Stir in the custard mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and press the wrap directly onto the surface of the custard. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight. The custard may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Freeze the chilled custard mixture in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze in the freezer for 2 to 4 hours before serving.

Okra and Tomatoes

From Mary Mac’s Tea Room: 65 Years of Recipes from Atlanta’s Favorite Dining Room

Serves 4 to 6

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons salted butter, melted, or strained bacon drippings
1/2 pound okra, stemmed and cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 teaspoons cornstarch (optional)
2 teaspoons cold water (optional)

In a heavy saucepan, combine the tomatoes, salt, white pepper, sugar, and melted butter or bacon drippings. Cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Add the okra, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. (To thicken the stew, mix together the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl until smooth. Add to the stew and bring to a boil, stirring until thickened to the desired consistency.) Add additional salt and white pepper to taste.

Shoofly Pie

From The Amish Cook’s Baking Book

There are many baked goods that the Amish are credited with concocting or co-opting: elephants ears, funnel cakes, and Soft Pretzels (see page 78), to name a few. But perhaps the baked good with the single most Amish identity is shoofly pie. Long before Dinah Shore immortalized the molasses morass in her famous song, the Amish were enjoying this pie. The origins of this pie’s unusual name have been debated by food historians for the better part of a century. The most commonly offered explanation is that the name comes from the flies that are attracted to the pools of molasses that sometimes form on top of the pie while it is cooling. Many Amish homemakers set hot pies on a windowsill to catch a cooling breeze in the summer, hence the need to shoo the flies.
Other food historians point to the possibility that the name of the pie is simply an inaccurately translated version of a German or Swiss word. Interestingly, Elizabeth Coblentz, in her first mention of the pie in her column, spelled it “Choo Fly Pie.” Whether this was simply an error or a phonetic clue to the recipe’s origin went with her when she passed away.

Makes one 9-inch pie

1 disk My Homemade Pie Dough (page 3) or Pat-a-Pan Piecrust (page 4)
1 cup molasses
2/3 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon baking soda

Topping:
3 1/2cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup shortening, softened
Dash of salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, combine the molasses, boiling water, and baking soda. Pour the mixture into the unbaked pie shell.

To make the topping: In a large bowl, mix the flour with the sugar, shortening, and salt. Spread this on top of the molasses mixture in the pie shell. Bake until the center of the pie is set, about 45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack or windowsill until the pie is firm, about 45 minutes. Store any leftovers in a sealed cake safe. The pie will keep for about 5 days.

For the homemade pie dough crust: Roll the disk of pie dough out to a 1/8-inch thickness on a floured surface. Fit the dough into a 9-inch pie pan. Trim the overhang to 1 inch. Fold the dough under and crimp the edges.

For the pat-a-pan piecrust: Pat the dough with your fingers, first at the sides of the 9-inch pie pan and then across the bottom. Flute the edges.

“Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy
Makes your eyes light up
Your tummy say ‘Howdy.’
Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy
I never get enough of that wonderful stuff.”
—Dinah Shore, “Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy,” 1946 ­­­