Baked polenta with tomato sauce

Baked polenta with tomato sauce. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Here's a winter warmer that will take longer to describe than it will to assemble for supper. For a  variation on baked pasta with tomato sauce, pick up a package of  Frieda's already cooked polenta, slice it up and set the rounds in a bath of homemade (or not) tomato sauce, sprinkle with cheese and bake. Super easy.

Polenta slices in tomato sauce. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

For the tomato sauce, you could pop open a jar of your favorite sauce, or use my go-to dead-easy, weeknight sauce - a can of good-quality crushed tomatoes with a clove or two of minced garlic and a teaspoon or so of Italian seasoning (winter version) or a few leaves of chopped, fresh basil (summer version) stirred in.

Apply a top coat of sauce, finish with a layer of mozzarella and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Set the table, make the salad, toast the bread.  Dinner is served.

Polenta with tomato sauce and cheese. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and  Her Books

I occasionally review products that I use in my own kitchen. Thanks to Frieda's Specialty Produce

for supplying the polenta. The opinions here are my own.

Text and images copyright 2013, Lucy Mercer.

Crispy crepes

Crepes with Nutella and  Biscoff. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

I think Winnie the Pooh is a first-rate snacker. When Pooh Bear gets a little rumbly in  his tumbly, he goes searching for the hunny pot and bread. Here's a variation on bread and honey, just right for elevenses and teatime, crepes smeared with Nutella or Biscoff (you could even use peanut butter), and toasted quesadilla-style in a pan. The tender crepes crisp up, becoming cookie-like with a molten sweet filling.


Frieda's Specialty Produce recently sent me a package of their crepes, as easy to use as tortillas and every bit as versatile. This recipe is two-ingredient simple. Just open the package.

Crepes. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Spackle with Nutella or Biscoff (or peanut butter).

Crepes with Nutella. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Fold in  half and toast in a skillet set over medium heat. When the edges are warm brown, remove from heat, cut into wedges and serve.

Crepes. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

I  occasionally review products that my family likes and uses. 

Thanks to Frieda's for sending the crepes. The opinions here are my own. 

Text and images copyright 2013, Lucy Mercer.

Spooky Fruit from Frieda's Produce

Ghost chiles. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

 Pretty innocent-looking chiles, right? These miniature morsels of molten hellfire are Ghost Chiles, the hottest chile pepper on the planet, certified by the Guinness Book of World Records. These red demons, known as Bhut Jolokia in India, where they are grown, top the heat-o-meter at 1 million Scoville units (jalapenos, by comparison, rate 2,500-5,000, and habaneros 200,000-300,000).

 The witty folks at Frieda's Produce included the Ghost Chiles in their Spooky Pack, sent to me this week. Accompanying the chiles were a Kiwano (Horned Melon), a Buddha's Hand Citron, and bag of black garlic.

Frieda's Spooky Pack. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

 The Kiwano, colored like a Nickelodeon cartoon, is featured in Frieda's Facebook promotion, "Save a Pumpkin, Carve a Kiwano."  Check out the clever carvings on Facebook and contemplate your own Kiwano makeover - be sure to post a picture and you could win goodies from Frieda's.

I've only heard about black garlic before today, probably from watching "Chopped," and assumed it was a variety of garlic, but it is actually fermented and aged garlic, which is why I haven't taken it out its packaging. Frieda's advises using black garlic in barbecues and Asian dishes. Any advice from readers out there?

I experienced the Buddha's Hand citron with my sense of smell before my sense of sight. The floral fragrance was released when I opened the box. My kitchen smells great, a good thing, since the Buddha's Hand is really rather creepy. Looks like a claw, doesn't it?

Buddha's Hand Citron. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Giveaway time! Frieda's Produce will send a Spooky Pack to an A Cook and Her Books reader, so just leave a comment with your favorite spooky food (it doesn't have to be a fruit or vegetable) and a winner will be chosen at random on Sunday, Oct. 28!

This contest is now closed. Thanks for entering!

Text and images copyright 2012, Lucy Mercer.

Disclaimer: Frieda's sent me this lovely Spooky Pack, but other than that, I was not compensated for this post. My opinions are my own. And thanks for reading.

Meyer lemon shortbread bars with candied kumquats

Meyer lemon shortbread bars with candied kumquats. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

 Pin It

This is an idea from David Tanis' marvelous cookbook, "Heart of the Artichoke and Other Culinary Journeys" (Artisan Books, 2010). Take a shortbread base, cover it with lemon curd, bake and top with candied kumquats. It's a sweet and citrus-y treat in the dead of winter. I used Meyer lemons because they're here (they're finally here!), but any lemon will do.

First, make the candied kumquats:

Candied kumquats

11 ounces kumquats
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

1. Wash kumquats. Slice each fruit in half and flick out seed.

2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add water and sugar and stir until dissolved. Add kumquats and cook until the fruit is soft, about 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Let cool. Keep in airtight container in refrigerator.

Then the lemon curd:

  
Meyer lemon curd

2 1/4 cup sugar
5 tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp lemon zest
1 cup cold water
3/4 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp unsalted butter
 

1.  Whisk the sugar with the cornstarch and lemon zest in a saucepan, until well mixed, then gradually whisk in the cold water and the lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat.

2. Lightly beat the eggs in a separate bowl until smooth, then gradually whisk about 1/4 of the hot lemon mixture into the eggs. Whisk constantly to keep the mixture smooth. Add the warmed egg mixture slowly back to the saucepan with the remaining hot lemon mixture, still whisking constantly.

3. Cook mixture, whisking constantly, still over medium heat, until thick and glossy. Remove from heat and whisk in the unsalted butter. Cool, then cover and chill thoroughly. Mixture can be held in the fridge for up to a week.

Then the shortbread base:

  Shortbread

1 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened

 ½ cup powder sugar (10X)  

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour  

1/2 cup rice flour  

¼ teaspoon salt  

1 teaspoon vanilla


1. Preheat oven to 325. In a mixer, cream butter and sugar, then add flours gradually. Add salt and vanilla.

2.  Pat dough evenly into a 10-inch square pan, going slightly up the sides of the pan. Spread with a layer of lemon curd. Bake at 325 for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool. Top with candied kumquats.

Text and images copyright 2012, Lucy Mercer.

 

Buttermilk scones with cranberries and ginger

Scones with cranberries and ginger. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

 Pin It


 Another variation on scones, this time with the dried cranberries and candied ginger sent by Frieda's Specialty Produce.  The scones are especially nice served for a holiday brunch, so practice the recipe a few times and turn them out for family and friends at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Buttermilk scones with dried cranberries and candied ginger
 
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup unsalted butter, frozen
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup candied ginger, diced
Milk or cream for glazing
Turbinado, demerara or sparkle sugar for glazing

1. In a batter bowl, mix dry ingredients together. Using a regular grater, shred the chilled butter and with a light hand, gently mix the shavings into the dry ingredients. Using your hands and a gentle, quick touch, make sure the butter is evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture.

2. Pour in the buttermilk and stir gently with either a wooden spoon or my instrument of choice, a silicone spatula. If mixture seems dry, add additional buttermilk until a cohesive dough forms. The dough should be slightly wet and sticky, but not overly so.

3. On a floured countertop, press dough into a rough 12 X 6 inch rectangle (helpful shaping instruction visuals may be found on my basic scone post here). Spread dried cranberries and candied ginger onto dough, using your hands to press the fruit into the dough. Fold into thirds, letter-style. Press into 12 X 6 rectangle again and fold letter-style again. If any little fruits pop out, just press them back into the dough. Press again into a 12 X 6 rectangle and cut into 16 triangles. Place scones on a lined baking sheet. The scones can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 24 hours.

4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Carefully brush each wedge with buttermilk or cream and sprinkle turbinado sugar over the top. Bake at 400 for at least 15 minutes. They may need a bit more time, depending on your oven, convection, etc. Scones are ready when they are golden brown on top and bounce back when touched lightly in the center.

Meyer lemon scones with dried blueberries

Scones with Meyer lemon and blueberries. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Pin It

Lemons and blueberries are a natural pairing, and the winter version of this is Meyer lemons, the lemon-orange hybrid available for just a short while, and dried blueberries. Frieda's Specialty Produce sent me a package that included dried blueberries, just as sweet as mid-summer berries at the u-pick orchard. I folded the berries into my favorite buttermilk scone recipe, and freshened the dough with Meyer lemon zest and a glaze made with the juice.

Meyer lemon scones with dried blueberries
My favorite tip for tender scones is to shred chilled butter into the dry ingredients. I just use an ordinary grater, the kind I use for shredding cheddar cheese, and run the chilled stick of butter across it. The resulting butter curls are uniform and perfect for blending into the flour mixture.

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup unsalted butter, frozen
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
Zest of one Meyer (or other) lemon
Juice of one-half Meyer (or other) lemon
1/2 cup dried blueberries
Milk or cream for glazing
Turbinado, demerara or sparkle sugar for glazing

1. In a batter bowl, mix dry ingredients together. Using a regular grater, shred the chilled butter and with a light hand, gently mix the shavings into the dry ingredients. Using your hands and a gentle, quick touch, make sure the butter is evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture.

2. Pour in the buttermilk and stir gently with either a wooden spoon or my instrument of choice, a silicone spatula. Add lemon juice and zest. If mixture seems dry, add additional buttermilk until a cohesive dough forms. The dough should be slightly wet and sticky, but not overly so.

3. On a floured countertop, press dough into a rough 12 X 6 inch rectangle (helpful shaping instruction visuals may be found on my basic scone post  here). Spread dried blueberries onto dough, using your hands to press the fruit into the dough. Fold into thirds, letter-style. Press into 12 X 6 rectangle again and fold letter-style again. If any little fruits pop out, just press them back into the dough. Press again into a 12 X 6 rectangle and cut into 16 triangles. Place scones on a lined baking sheet. The scones can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 24 hours.

4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Carefully brush each wedge with buttermilk or cream and sprinkle turbinado sugar over the top. Bake at 400 for at least 15 minutes. They may need a bit more time, depending on your oven, convection, etc. Scones are ready when they are golden brown on top and bounce back when touched lightly in the center.

Pasta with arugula pesto recipe

Pasta with arugula pesto and pine nuts. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Pin It


I have to hide the pine nuts when they come into my house. It seems like everyone wants to nibble on these little guys - they're rich and flavorful and as the saying goes, you can't eat just one (handful).

Pine nuts. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

The good folks at Frieda's Specialty Produce sent me a goody package last month that included pine nuts. I nibbled on them for a bit, and then hid them in a succession of places - the pantry, the cabinet, the freezer, and doling them out in dishes like my New Year's greens with pine nuts and raisins.

Pine nuts from Frieda's. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

And then my neighbor gave me some arugula from her CSA box and I knew it was time for Arugula Pesto Pasta, the wintertime version of summer's best dish, Basil Pesto Pasta. Arugula is an acquired taste, I think. It can be peppery and strong, but I love it. I'm just saying that this dish is probably not going to win any fans under the age of 12. As we say in our house, that's just more for me.

Arugula. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Arugula pesto with pine nuts. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Arugula Pesto

4 cups packed arugula leaves, cleaned and stemmed

1/4 cups toasted pine nuts

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/4 olive oil
 
Salt and pepper to taste

1 pound pasta such as spaghetti or rotini or farfalle, cooked according to package directions

More pine nuts for garnish


1. In a food processor, blitz the arugula leaves. Add cheese and pine nuts and process again for 15 seconds. With food processor running, add olive oil in a stream through the feeding tube. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper. Serve pesto over cooked pasta and garnish with additional pine nuts. Serve immediately. Store leftover pesto in an airtight container in the refrigerator, although it is best eaten when freshly prepared.

(recipe adapted from Epicurious.com)

Rotini with arugula pesto. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Text and images copyright Lucy Mercer, 2012.