It’s berry season in these parts. We eat a lot out of hand, but when they start to turn, well, it’s either bread or margaritas, right? This version really isn’t that different from my other recent breakfast bread, but I wanted to experiment with greek yogurt instead of buttermilk, since that’s what I had on hand. I think it’s a little tangier (tangy-er?) and is a little denser. Fabulous with coffee.

Berry Breakfast Bread

2 cups berries
2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 6-ounce cup plain greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare an 11 x 7 x 2 inches baking pan by spraying liberally with baking spray.

Rinse your berries and pick over for stems, leaves, and small bugs. I used 1 cup wild raspberries (we scavenged ourselves) and 1/2 cup each blueberries and blackberries from the Westmoreland Berry Farm. Drain well. Cut the blackberries in half.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the butter, sugar, eggs, and lemon juice until well combined. Dump in about half the dry ingredients, mix until mostly incorporated, add the yogurt, mix until mostly incorporated, add the rest of the dry ingredients, and mix until fully incorporated. I started with a wooden spoon and ended with a rubber spatula.

Gently fold in the berries. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake the loaf at 350F for 15 minutes. Rotate the pan and cook another 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (or with only a few crumbs).

Allow to cool to warm before cutting — this is a VERY moist bread and if you cut into it too soon, it will be gummy. Store tightly covered at room temperature, not that it’s going to last very long!

I am TOTALLY obsessed with oven roasted kale. I just can’t get enough of it. Part of the appeal is texture — it’s crispy and dry but at the same time it’s moist and chewy. Part of it is the salt. Part of it is the spicy-goodness. Part of it is the earthy-ness. Oddly (for me), I’m at a loss for words to describe why I love oven roasted kale so much. Can you trust me here — you HAVE to try it!

I prefer to buy loose kale leaves on the stem. I like the medium-sized ones with super curly tight leaves (no flabby kale for me). For this batch, I bought 12 such leaves. Cost less than $1. I have purchased the bagged variety when I needed my kale fix and the grocer was out of loose leaves. You have to REALLY pick over them, pulling out all the tough stems. It will do in a pinch but honestly, you REALLY want the loose leaves in the bulk bin.

Rinse and drain the leaves. The better they are dried — the quicker they cook. Strip the leaves off the thick stem — they should naturally tear at the leaf veins into nice-sized pieces, but if you have rather large sections you should tear them smaller. Throw them on a cookie sheet. It won’t be a single layer but don’t mound them 3″ high either.

Drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil all over the leaves. Sprinkle a pinch or two of kosher salt (go easy on the salt!), fresh ground black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes over the leaves. Throw in the oven and turn the oven to 375F. Check after about 4 or 5 minutes — the leaves should be starting to wilt and turn a bit brown at the edges. There will be ALOT of steam, so stand back when you open the oven   Use tongs or a spatula to flip the leaves over and around and then BACK in the oven with these babies. Continue to check every 3 or 4 minutes, moving them around a bit, until crispy and brown and very little moisture is left. You may want to turn the oven down to 350F partway through if they seem to be browning too fast.

They should look like this when done:

Let them cool slightly — then dig in. I admit, I usually just eat them straight from the cookie sheet!

Leftovers should probably be kept in the fridge. I like to toss them with leftover orzo, rice, or pasta the next day as a salad. Add some vinegar, olive oil, a little shredded cheese, and whatever veggies are lying about. The kale might lose some of its crispness, but none of the flavor!

Variations:

• Use chili-infused olive oil for a little extra zing.
• Use lemon-infused olive oil and skip the black pepper and chili flakes for a kid-friendly version

My mother-in-law was coming into town for the Fourth, so I wanted to make a quick knock-your-socks-off dessert that would travel well from the brick house to the beach house, didn’t need refrigeration, and would hang out well in this insane humidity. That really meant bars rather than cupcakes (frosting in this heat no way no how) or cookies (aka sponges). Up in the top of my pantry were slightly-stale mini-marshmallows leftover from winter’s hot cocoa, and some nuts, and then hidden behind some baking pans on a lower cabinet was MOST of an over-sized (pound+) Belgian 72% dark chocolate bar from Trader Joe’s (not sure if I hid it from visiting kids or from myself), so visions of Rocky Road began dancing in my head.

I started with a basic 9″x9″ brownie recipe — I used the one from my Hershey’s 100th Anniversary book, but I think it’s the same one that’s on the back of the Hershey’s cocoa box. Dump some marshmallows, nuts, and chocolate on top — back under the broiler for a few closely-watched minutes — and you’ve got OMG Oooey Gooey Rocky Road Brownies!

Rocky Road Brownies,
adapted from Best Brownies in the Hershey’s 100th Anniversary Cookbook

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare 9″ x 9″ square pan by spraying with baking spray, lining with a criss-cross parchment sling, and spraying the sling with baking spray (see photo above) [I used a new-to-me product that is parchment on one side and foil on the other — so I skipped the first spray].

Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the butter, sugar, and vanilla (I used a wooden spoon and my 8-cup Pyrex measuring “cup”). Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Add the dry ingredients, stir until well blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 20 – 25 minutes. The brownies are done when they start to pull away from the sides and look a little dry on the sides. If in doubt, pull a little early

Pull the brownies out and turn the oven to BROIL. Sprinkle the marshmallows evenly over the hot brownies, followed by the almonds, then the chocolate pieces. Put the brownies back in — on the center rack — under the broiler. CAVEAT: The parchment paper box explicitly says not to put it under the broiler. So I prop the oven open with a wooden spoon to keep it from igniting. Pull the brownies just as the marshmallows start to brown.

Let cool to room temp before cutting. Use the sling to lift the brownies out of the pan and your largest chef’s knife to cut into 16 rich brownies.

Hummus has become as ubiquitous as salsa on the dip table. I occasionally buy hummus, but it tends to be a little salty for my palate and remember — I failed organic chemistry in college — so I have no earthly idea what “Potassium Sorbate” is. Also, I am now a little suspicious of “Natural Flavors” after a Facebook posting about the use of beaver castoreum as a food additive (yes, I will eat raw oysters but no, I will not lick a beaver’s butt). So, I like to make my own hummus.

A few months ago, I visited this hole-in-wall middle eastern grocer/butcher looking for lamb ribs at my husband’s request (they were okay, but super gamey, and we won’t be barbecuing that cut again). I purchased this amazing condiment  — preserved lemon. They are whole lemons preserved in a salty brine. I guess you’d call them pickled? You take them out of the brine, rinse them, slice them in half or quarters, pull the pulp from the pith/rind, and then slice them smaller as needed for your recipe. Over the winter I had done some lovely oven braises of lamb shoulder with tomatoes and this preserved lemon. It adds a deep lemony flavor without adding acidity — really nice with the lamb.

So come warmer weather, the lemons are hanging out in the back of my fridge, and I decided to amp up my basic hummus preparation with these babies. OMG — just the right touch to take your hummus to the next level.

Hummus with Preserved Lemons

2 – 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 preserved lemons, rinsed, pulp discarded, sliced into smaller pieces
Two cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained, BUT reserve about 1/4 cup of the canning liquid
2 – 4 tablespoons tahini
2 – 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt

Throw the garlic and lemon in the food processor and pulse until fine. I say 2 – 4 cloves of garlic because I like mine REALLY garlicky — others might like it a little milder.

Add the chickpeas and pulse until finely chopped but not mush (I like to keep some chickpea texture). Add 2 tablespoons each of the tahini and olive oil and whir around — adding tahini and/or olive oil until the desired texture. I say 2 – 4 tablespoons of tahini because it can vary in texture and you might need to add a little more or a little less to taste and preference. IF needed, add the canning liquid a tablespoon at a time to lighten up the texture.

Taste for seasoning. You may need a touch of kosher salt, but watch it, because the lemons add a fair amount of salt. Refrigerate until ready to use — the flavors will meld together after a few hours in the fridge.

Serve with sturdy dippers — like toasted pita chips, “scooper-style” tortilla chips, or thick pretzels.

7/10: Updated to add notes about canning liquid

Although my parents come from humble beginnings in Arkansas, I don’t remember ever seeing grits on our table. I don’t remember seeing them at my grandparents, either. My mom doesn’t care for them, she says, so I wasn’t really introduced to them until an adult. I probably wouldn’t have cared for them as a child — but man am I a fan now! I adore them for breakfast, simply prepared with butter, salt, and fresh ground pepper. I like them as a side dish, rich with cheese. I like them baked with garlic and chili peppers and eggs and (yes) more cheese! I also like their Italian cousin, Polenta.

I had shrimp and grits in a restaurant once. It was delicious, but $30 for what was a pile of (over-salted) grits and four shrimp, well, I felt a little gypped. After all, shrimp and grits started as simple coastal cooking — not haute cuisine. I knew I could whip this out at home and create a dish more in line with its humble beginnings.

Cheesy Stone-Ground Grits

Let’s start with our base — the grits. I used South Carolina-sourced stone ground white corn grits. I prepared it as directed on the package to serve four: 4 1/2 cups water, 1 cup grits, 1/2 teaspoon salt. Put it all in a pot and brought to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, I covered it, turned heat town to low/medium-low, and set timer for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, adjusting the heat if it seems to be simmering too vigorously. Mine took closer to 60 or 65 minutes to get creamy and done — but that’s been my experience with this brand of grits. Once done, I added 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter and about a cup of shredded cheddar. Stir until the butter and cheese are melted.

I have made perfectly tasty cheese grits with the grocery store variety in the canister that takes 15 – 20 minutes to cook. Just use the water/grits ratio for four servings as directed on the package (I seem to be out — so I will try to nab that info at a later date).

Corn and Zucchini “Succotash”

This is one of those “use it up” accompaniments that came together because I didn’t want to waste produce in the fridge. I had four ears of grilled corn from the previous weekend — so I stripped the kernels off of those with a chef’s knife. I had two medium zucchini that I cut in half, then vertically into quarters, and then into little “triangles”.

Throw a couple tablespoons of bacon fat into a large skillet and melt down. Add the corn and zucchini. Sprinkle with kosher salt (lightly) and fresh ground pepper (generously). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini starts to soften but still has some tooth, maybe 7 to 10 minutes. I covered it for some of the time just to let steam do some of the cooking work.

You could use butter instead of bacon fat, but the bacon fat is part of the original dish, so I wanted to incorporate that unctuous, salty, smoky flavor that paired so well with the smoky grilled corn.

Roasted Shrimp

I saw this general technique for cooking shrimp on an episode of Barefoot Contessa. It is now my go-to method for cooking shrimp that will be served as the “star” or standalone. They don’t get rubbery and the taste and texture of the shrimp really shine. These make a lovely shrimp cocktail — warm or chilled.

Preheat your oven to 375F. Line a large cookie sheet with foil.

Start with one pound of peeled, be-headed, deveined shrimp. I use 21/25 count. You could go a little smaller or a little larger, but this is not the best method for really large or really small shrimp. Spread the shrimp in a single layer on the lined cookie sheet. Drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil (a tablespoon or so?), then sprinkle with kosher salt (lightly), fresh ground pepper (generously), and some red pepper flakes (to taste).

Put the shrimp in the oven. Check the shrimp at about 3 or 4 minutes — they should be turning pink and slightly opaque. Flip them over with tongs and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Pull them when they look NOT QUITE done — there will be some carry-over cooking as they rest on the counter.

So if you started the grits, then started the “succotash”, then roasted off the shrimp, HOPEFULLY it all came together at about the right time.

Scoop some of those grits into a large soup bowl. Spoon some of the corn and zucchini over the grits, then pile the shrimp over those. Spoon some of the shrimp’s cooking “juice” over the shrimp (I’ve been known to sop that up with bread). Serves 4 as a main dish (about 6 good-sized shrimp each) or 8 as a first course (3 shrimp each).