Hi there! How is your summer going? Ours has been a busy one, and fortunately the weather finally turned in CT so we have had some gorgeous weekends. This past week end was pretty close to perfect and a great one to try a recipe I have had my eye on for a few weeks – peach cobbler with a hot sugar crust. I honestly think this is one of the best recipes I have made in a very long time.

This method brings out a crackly sugar crust yet a tender inside to the topping. The fruit just has a bit of lemon and a tiny bit of sugar (which you may not need depending on the fruit you use. I adapted the recipe from chef Renee Erickson’s version and had read about it in the 5 Star Weekend by Elin Hildebrand (she is a great food writer too!). If you have read my blog you know I am partial to fruit desserts – my apple crisp is on repeat all fall, and the blueberry bars are too during the summer. This recipe for peach cobbler with a hot sugar crust will be added to that list!

Ingredients for Peach Cobbler with a Hot Sugar Crust

In addition to spectacular results, I also really liked that the ingredient list was simple. Flour, butter, milk and sugar with some baking powder and a bit of salt. The filling is lemon juice, peaches and a tablespoon of sugar. I also added some blueberries and a plum I had that was not going to keep for much longer in a second batch. I made two dishes in 8 by 8 pans. I made the fruit cobbler in the morning and then heated it up right before dinner after we had been at our club all day. I served it warm with Turkey Hill’s Cookie Butter Ice cream on the side. It was delectable! So here is my version of Peach Cobbler with a Hot Sugar Crust.

Peach Cobbler with a Hot Sugar Crust

A crackly sugar crust forms over a tender topping and a mass of juicy peaches. The taste of summer!

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Dessert

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 10

Cost: $10

Equipment

• Stand or electric mixer

Ingredients

• 6 to 7 large ripe peaches or a mix of plums, blueberries and peaches
• 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup hot water
• Ice cream for serving (if you can find cookie butter flavor I highly recommend!)

Instructions

• Heat the oven to 375°F with rack in the center. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Arrange the peaches in a 9 by 13-inch or two 8 by 8 baking pans.
• Cut the lemon in half and squeeze lemon juice over the top. If your peaches and/or fruit is not at ideal sweetness – sprinkle an extra tablespoon of sugar over the fruit.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and 1 1/2 cups of sugar on medium speed until creamy but still crumbly, about 1 minute. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and beat on medium speed until all the flour is mixed in and the mixture is evenly crumbly, about 30 seconds more. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the milk. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the batter is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Scoop the batter in about 6 large blobs over the peaches. With the back of a big spoon, carefully spread the batter evenly over the fruit so it’s no more than about 1/2 inch thick in any one place.
• Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup sugar over the batter. Drizzle the hot water evenly over the sugar, using it to melt the sugar topping. Trust me – this part seems counter intuitive…just go with it!
• Set the pan on the foil-lined baking sheet and bake the cobbler until the top is golden brown and cracked about an hour. A toothpick stuck in the topping should come out clean or with just crumbs clinging—be sure to check in a few places.
• Let the cobbler cool for about 30 minutes to firm up (if you can wait that long!).
• Enjoy!

Hi there!

Truth – I wrote this post weeks ago. Just posting now. A few tech issues and too much going on…but happy to share what I made that weekend and wanted to share – Trader Joe’s Mixed Seafood Alfredo (Hack Recipe). By the way, if you have not listened to the Trader Joe’s podcast that features their hacks you are missing something…but I digress.

Also for a bit more recent goings on – we have had a fun but busy fall. Both girls are in college so we have been visiting. CG2 is in the Boston area and there have been so many fun tailgates. CG1 is in Vermont and well, fall in Vermont can not be beat. Trips to the farmer’s market, hiking and soaking in the wonderful New England atmosphere made the weekend perfect. Thanksgiving is around the corner – tonight I am making homemade stock and starting to plan (see my post from last year). My one major tip is to make the stock ahead of time! It freezes beautifully and you will be so happy you do! Something about having to make stock and then do all that cooking takes some of the joy out of preparing the meal. Happy late fall and now –

Here is the post from September.

We had such a nice restful weekend that I was able to do a bit of cooking. We have been tailgating up a storm lately making favorites such as sliders and buffalo dip. These travels to see our girls in college have involved traveling too. With piles of laundry everywhere and a garden in need of some love, it was time to stay put. While I did have time to cook some more elaborate meals, I also whipped up this super easy Trader Joe’s hack – Trader Joe’s Mixed Seafood Alfredo (hack recipe alert!).

All you need is a bag of frozen mixed seafood from Trader Joes, a jar of alfredo sauce, half a lemon, some dry white wine (optional) and some dried tarragon. It is hardly a recipe! But here goes read on for Mixed Seafood with Lemony Alfredo Sauce!

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Trader Joe’s Frozen Mixed Seafood Lemony Alfredo Pasta

It does not get any easier than this…tasty seafood that you cook quickly from frozen with a creamy, lemony alfredo sauce. Easy and delicious!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword easy, Pasta, seafood, Trader Joes

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1 Bag Trader Joes Mixed Seafood (frozen) There are other brands too but Trader Joes is the one I used for this recipe
• 1 Jar of Alfredo Sauce I used Trader Joes but you can use any supermarket brand
• 1/2 Lemon
• 1 tsp Dried Tarragon

Instructions

• Sauté mixed seafood in a wide frying pan. Add in a bit of white wine if using. Once cooked add the alfredo sauce. Simmer until nicely warmed through. Sprinkle tarragon and add in fresh lemon juice at the end. Serve over pasta, with a loaf of bread and salad for a delicious, super easy meal!

Summer flew by! We happily hosted friends all summer long at our club on the shore as well as at home. As I mentioned a few posts ago, Life is Meals right? My trusty blue journal has been filling up with this summer’s favorite menus. I noticed the other day, that more than a few meals had a favorite side dish – zucchini, tomato, goat cheese Provençal tian.

The dish is actually a tian, which is a French dish and really refers to the type of cookware. The main ingredients for this version are zucchini, tomato, onions, goat cheese on a bed of white rice drizzled with olive oil and a balsamic glaze. I also add in a generous handful of fresh, chopped thyme and some dried herbs de Provence.

It is a perfect side dish in the summer with zucchini and tomatoes being at their peak. That said, this dish has also graced my Christmas dinner table too. Even winter zucchini and tomatoes are still tasty prepared this way. The green and red of the dish are festive too. I also love how it is both a vegetable and starch which makes meal planning much easier.

Recipe to follow but let’s talk favorite summer menus first.

Menu #1 Short Ribs, Zucchini Tomato Goat Cheese Provencal Tian

A rundown of our weekends and favorite menus of course –

Late June, good friends of ours from business school made the trip to see us. They are also a couple comprised of a French husband and American wife so we have lots in common. J and Mr. SB are also excellent cooks and in fact J passed along the wonders of sous-vide cooking last year with some delectable lamb chops.

Mr. SB was not to be outdone so this menu features his sous-vide short ribs which are finished on the grill. I served a green salad, the zucchini, tomato goat cheese Provençal tian and this blueberry crisp with a side of vanilla ice cream. Note on the blueberry crisp I would not use as much flour as is called for in the recipe. It was a most memorable meal (in spite of the copious amounts of French Bordeaux we drank with it:)

Saturday arrived with picture perfect weather. Blueberry muffins, fresh orange juice, coffee and eggs were on the menu for breakfast. Dinner that evening included an appetizer of fresh clams and oysters (dug up by J and Mr. SB). The main course was salmon grilled on a cedar plank, grilled zucchini and eggplant, pasta salad. For dessert, well of course we had s’mores at the fire pit while we watched the sunset.

Menu #2 Zucchini Tomato Goat Cheese Provençal Tian

A few weeks later good friends arrived from London. Mr. SB once again decided to cook sous-vide this time, lamb loins. Lamb (and really any meat goes well with this dish), tian Provençal and salad. I also made this peach crisp which was delicious (the pecans really add to the flavor).

Breakfast once again included: the famous Jordan Marsh blueberry muffins, along with zucchini bread, fresh orange juice, fruit salad and plenty of coffee and tea.

For dinner we headed to the shore for drinks and I made up a charcuterie board. Mr SB once again made his salmon. I made my adaptation of toasted Israeli couscous with grilled vegetables, farm tomatoes with garden basil and fresh mozzarella. For dessert we had the amazing crispy, chewy chocolate chip cookies.

Zucchini Tomato Goat Cheese Provençal Tian Recipe

So enough about meals (or can there ever be enough?) and onto the tian. Years ago, we visited my in-laws, and I first tried Zucchini Tomato Goat Cheese Provencal Tian. The creamy goat cheese, sweet tomatoes and fresh zucchini and onions came together so perfectly. My sister-in-law gave me the magazine copy – it was from a French magazine (which I have since lost and forgotten the magazine name).

Through the years I have adapted it. Their version had the vegetables cooking together and as zucchini takes far less time than onions, there were a number of times when the zucchini was overcooked. She also shared a trick, take a knife to spread the goat cheese onto the zucchini coins. It is much easier than trying to cut goat cheese into slices.

I also shorten the recipe by occasionally using store bought balsamic glaze. If you are a purist (or don’t have glaze on hand), then you can boil down some balsamic vinegar for that part. I also love garlic olive oil, and I use that to coat my dish. As for the dish, I have an Emile Henry 4 quart casserole dish with a cover. You can use any 4 quart dish frankly although I do recommend a cover for part of the cooking.

So here is the recipe. Also, as it is always eaten so quickly, my photo is a “before” I put it in the oven…will try to add the cooked version at a later date!

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Zucchini, Tomato, Onion, Goat Cheese Casserole (Tian)

Summer's favorite vegetables, assembled easily with crumbled goat cheese, fresh herbs on a bed of rice. Perfect accompaniment to any meal (and any season!).

Course Side Dish

Cuisine French

Keyword French, Goat Cheese, Provencale, Side Dish, Tomato, Zucchini

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Cost $8

Equipment

• 1 4 quart dish suitable for baking

Ingredients

• 4 medium zucchini or 2 large
• 4 to matoes
• 1 large onion or 2 small
• 1 log of soft goat cheese Costco has an excellent one that comes in a two pack
• 15 cl de vinaigre balsamique
• White rice – enough to cover the base of your casserole about 2 cups
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 teaspoon or more of chopped thyme
• Herbs de Provence to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Balsamic glaze

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350
  
• Wash all vegetables and dry. Slice zucchini into 1/4 inch or so coins. Spread goat cheese on top. Slice tomatoes and onions. Put onions in microwave for a minute or two until starting to cook (they should not be fully cooked as you will cook them some more in the oven).
  
• Grease casserole with olive oil. Run a sliced garlic clove around greased sides and bottom or use garlic olive oil.
• Spread rice on bottom of casserole. Layer zucchini, goat cheese, tomato, goat cheese, onion on top. I like to layer so it looks pretty. Sprinkle chopped fresh thyme on top. Sprinkle herbs de provence on top too.
• Bake covered for a half hour. Uncover and bake some more until vegetables are fork tender.
• Serve with your favorite main dish. Enjoy!

If you read my last post you know that for me, memories, places and food have always gone hand in hand. Many years ago, I visited a friend’s home on Wellfleet, Cape Cod for the weekend. After making the long trip from Boston (complete with bumper-to-bumper traffic), we awoke to a brilliant, blue-sky Saturday. This house had a panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean. Breakfast, served on the deck, was comprised of some good strong coffee, freshly scrambled eggs, sausage and the most delicious blueberry muffins. My hostess shared that the recipe was supposedly based upon the legendary Jordan Marsh blueberry muffin recipe. The “secret” was the addition of mashed up blueberries to the batter.

Maybe it was the sea air, the in-season, local blueberries or maybe it really was the recipe. Fast forward many years, and I have recently found myself on a hunt to know all about these amazing muffins named after the now closed, but once famed Jordan Marsh department store.

What is Jordan Marsh?

Jordan Marsh was a department store, founded in 1841, with a flagship in Boston’s downtown crossing. The store is deeply engrained in my memory. My aunt Mae always bought my Christmas present from “Jordans” when I was a kid. Usually, the gift was a very high-quality wool skirt and matching Shetland sweater (both in a size or two too big with the idea I could grow into it:).

Occasionally my sisters, mom and I would venture into Boston to shop Filenes Basement as well as Jordans. Jordans sadly closed in the early nineties. But the lore of one of the first American department stores and those muffins lives on today.

The legendary Jordan Marsh blueberry muffin recipe was once a coveted and secret recipe. Now there are variations all around the web and dozens of other muffin recipes of course. In fact, I recently made some fresh blueberry muffins for friends joining us for the weekend.

My muffin was well received. My friend bit into the home- made muffin and affirmed that a real blueberry muffin tastes sooo good. Homemade is nothing like the overly sweet, often greasy, tinny, minimal on the blueberries sort of muffin you tend to find at the supermarket.

While my muffin was very good, it was not “twenty years later I still remember it while looking out at the Atlantic Ocean good.” I recalled how so many years ago my friend had said that the mashed blueberries made all of the difference. But there had to be more, so I decided to do some research.

Secrets from the original Jordan Marsh baker

First, the baker, John Pupek, who originally created the recipe was interviewed on TV! John explains, that yes, you want to mash up some of the blueberries. You also use a blend of flours – one is pastry flour (I found the Bob’s brand on Amazon). The interview also indicates that John likely used shortening instead of butter (or maybe a blend). I could not personally bring myself to use shortening knowing all of the adverse health effects. A good sprinkle of sugar on top gives it a crunchy dome as well.

So here is what I think is pretty close to the real Jordan Marsh blueberry muffin recipe. Grab a cup of your favorite tea or coffee, spread with some good butter and enjoy!

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The Real Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffin Recipe

The legendary Jordan Marsh blueberry muffins were a treat for many Bostonians visiting downtown crossing. The recipe was a secret for years. SB researched just what made those muffins so good (hint it is more than mashed blueberries). Read on for the recipe and a bit of history.

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Blueberries, Breakfast, Muffin, Quick Bread

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Cost $7

Equipment

• 1 Stand or electric mixer This recipe is very easy with a stand mixer outfitted with the paddle attachment. You can use an electric hand mixer if you don't have a stand version

Ingredients

• 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar plus extra for topping
• 2 extra large eggs John Pupek refers to fortified eggs. These could be Eggland’s Best. I used farm fresh eggs instead and the muffins came out perfectly
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1¼ cup bread flour spoon and leveled (substitute with all-purpose flour if not available)
• ¾ cup pastry flour spooned and leveled (substitute with cake flour if not available)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup whole milk
• 2 ½ cups fresh blueberries divided
• 2 Tablespoons flour used to coat 2 cups of blueberries (can be any flour)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400°F, position oven rack in the center. Spray a muffin tin with non stick spray including the top of the pan. Line with muffin paper liners (due to blueberries, these muffins can stick to the pan)
• In a stand-alone mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter (if you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use an electric hand mixer). With the mixer on low, gradually add 1 cup granulated sugar. Scrape the sides down then beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes.
• Gradually add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until blended. Add the vanilla extract. Beat for a few minutes on medium until light and fluffy.
• Spoon and level 1¼ cups of bread flour (substitute all-purpose flour) and ¾ cup cake flour (substitute pastry flour), 2 teaspoons baking power and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Sift together over a mixing bowl and whisk to combine all the ingredients.
  
• Add the dry and wet ingredients to the creamed mixture alternating between flour and milk, starting and ending with flour and scraping down the sides as you go. Beat on low just to combined. Don’t over mix (or you will have tough chewy muffins)
• Remove the mixing bowl from the stand-alone mixer and scrape off any batter from the paddle attachment.
• In a small bowl, mash ½ cup of blueberries. Fold into the batter with a spatula. In a separate bowl, coat and toss whole blueberries with 2 Tablespoons of flour and fold into the batter.
• Generously fill each muffin cup to the top. Sprinkle a teaspoon or so of granulated sugar over each muffin.
• Note: I used 1 teaspoon of sugar as a measuring unit, but in the original recipe, enough sugar was spread over the top to completely cover.
• Bake at 400°F for 5 minutes. Lower temperature to 375 and bake for another 20. Muffins may need another five minutes for a total of 30 minutes. Tops should be lightly golden.
• Insert a toothpick to test for doneness. If it comes out clean, remove the muffins from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 30 minutes.
• Remove and finish cooling on wire rack.
• For me the best way to eat these is right out of the oven with some good quality butter. Enjoy!
  

Summer is in full swing, and we have been making the most of our beach club on the CT shore. Every weekend we eat dinner there (weather permitting) and this past weekend was no exception. We have had a steady stream of guests too, so I have wanted to mix up the sides from the usual pasta salad. Mr. SB tends to grill (this past weekend it was his famous ribs recipe) so sides are my thing…it is not quite corn season here, but I was able to find some fresh corn from Georgia at Whole Foods and dove in to make fresh corn salad with lime vinaigrette.

What ingredients do I use for Fresh Corn Salad with Lime Vinaigrette?

For last week’s version I used fresh corn (of course but you could use canned or even frozen), tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, chives and black beans. This recipe is super versatile though so you could add some red or green peppers, scallions and mix up the spices too – parsley would work just fine.

The lime vinaigrette is also so easy to make. I used a very mild olive oil (avocado would work well too), fresh lime juice, garlic, some white wine vinegar, salt and some chili powder. If you have access to a Trader Joes I love their chili lime spice (available online too), and have used that too in both the salad and the vinaigrette.

What does the salad go well with?

Most summer fare would work with this salad. We ate it one night with some burgers and then again at our fourth of July celebration. I have been known to put some tortilla chips out and serve it as a dip. It is also delicious as a salad topper. The flavors are the taste of summer!

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Fresh Corn Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

Fresh Corn Salad with Lime Vinaigrette tastes like summer! Fresh corn combined with ripe tomatoes, fresh cilantro, black beans, and a hint of red onion with a zesty, lime dressing makes a perfect side for ribs or whatever you are grilling.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Sides

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Cost $5

Ingredients

• Corn Salad
• 5 ears of corn shucked and steamed or boiled.
• 1 red pepper cut in small dice
• 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes halved
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro or to taste
• 1 can of black beans drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• Lime Vinaigrette
• Fresh lime juice from one lime or to taste
• ¼ cup of white wine vinegar
• ¾ cup of mild tasting olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon of sugar or honey
• 2 teaspoons of Trader Joe’s chili lime spice mix or 1 teaspoon of chili powder if not available

Instructions

• Instructions
• In small bowl whisk lime juice, honey (or sugar), ground cayenne pepper, garlic salt and chili powder or Trader Joe’s spice. Slowly drizzle in olive oil; whisking continuously.
• Remove corn from cobs (I angle a knife to remove kernels)
• In a large bowl and add the cooked corn, diced red peppers, grape tomato halves, cilantro, black beans and red onion. Drizzle with the lime vinaigrette and toss to coat.

Notes

If at all possible use fresh corn. Either white, yellow or bi color corn. I cook corn by putting about two inches of water on the bottom. Once it boils the corn steams. I check it after two minutes (early season corn is more tender and takes less time to cook). Then I cut it right off the cob once it cools.
• In a hurry? Make the lime vinaigrette the day before. You can also use leftover corn.
• Dice and cut your vegetables small. You want all your vegetable to complement the corn.