FFwD: Jamie Oliver´s Food Revolution Day 2013

Today is May 17th also known as Jamie Oliver´s Food Revolution Day 2013 – which has been so aptly been described as “ a global day of action aimed to inspire people to get cooking (or baking) and champion better food skills for people of all ages”.

For the French Friday with Dorie group that means the assignment for today is a so-called "cook´s choice", meaning that the participants were free to choose one of the recipes from “Around my French Table” and, in line with this year’s theme for Food Revolution Day, to “Cook it. Share it. Live it".

It seems that last week was like a food revolution week – there were four birthday celebrations and so much food and cake to be a prepared, cooked and shared. Our oldest daughter did not even hesitate one moment when asked what she wanted to eat for her birthday, like a real Dorista child that she has become over the course of the last year and a half, she wanted Poulet diable from Around my French Table and for dessert it was Boca Negra from Baking with Julia.

But I also wanted to prepare something that would mirror my personal motto of  “Jamie meets Dorie” ….

….so I baked mini versions of Marie-Hélène´s Apple Cake form pages 432-33 from Around my French Table. This cake has become a staple at our house and I have baked it so many times that I know the (easy) recipe by heart - this moist and delicious apple cake reminds us of other European cakes that we all love so much and it seemed just so fitting to prepare it for Jamie Oliver´s Food Revolution Day today.

Some of the mini apple cakes were enjoyed at home. Along with vanilla and chocolate muffins, some were donated to a bake sale for a very worthy cause at one of schools of my kids.

The idea behind Jamie Oliver´s Food Revolution is wonderful, who would not agree that we should all be happy healthy eaters! And it was fun participating this year!

To see what marvelous celebrations my fellow Doristas prepared  for Jamie Oliver´s Food Revolution Day 2013, please do click here.

Cakes & Buns & All Things Fun!

(Jamie Oliver)

Sources:

• "Jamie's Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals" by Jamie Oliver (available at www.amazon.com)
• "Jamie at Home" by Jamie Oliver (available at www.amazon.com)
• Cakestand by Jamie Oliver manufactured by Merison (available at www.merison.nl)
• Breakfast board from the "Stay Calm and Carry On" series (available at www.english-shop.com)

Tarte Flambée Sucrée with Apples and Cinnamon Sugar - Süsser Flammkuchen mit Äpfeln und Zimt-Zucker

Today I am featuring a dessert version of the traditional Alsatian “tarte flambée","flammekueche” or "Flammkuchen". This sweet variety is a nice change to the savory version and once you have prepared the yeast dough, the tart is such a cinch to put together, allowing you to serve it “à la minute” to family and friends. And because of the cinnamon and the pure vanilla sugar that are part of the topping, this tart will smell irresistible while baking. You should enjoy this wonderful dessert tart while it is still warm. And if you feel that you should add a little bit something before you serve it, a bit of crème fraîche mixed together with some powdered sugar would be very nice but really, this tart is best eaten warm with nothing but a light dusting of powdered sugar.

At the country fair that we visited last weekend, you could enjoy fresh traditional tarte flambée as well as a sweet variety which served as the inspiration for my version of this delightful Tarte Flambée Sucrée with Apples and Cinnamon Sugar today.

Ingredients for the Dough
(the other half of the dough that you put in the fridge overnight – see yesterday´s post)

Ingredients for the Topping

• 2 medium sized Granny Smith Apples, sliced very thinly (I left the peel on)
• 200 grams (7 ounces) crème fraîche
• 2 tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp pure vanilla sugar (I use homemade vanilla sugar)
• some powdered sugar for serving (optional)

Preparation of the Topping

1. Take the second half of the dough out of the fridge and let come to room temperature.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (390 degrees Fahrenheit).
3. Place the dough onto a floured work surface. 
4. Roll the dough out thinly into a round about 30 cm (12 inches) and put on a floured baking sheet or place in a baking pan (I used my vintage pie baking pan). You can also use a pizza stone if you happen to own one.
5. Spread the dough with the crème fraîche (if the crème fraîche is too thick, you can add a bit of milk and stir until you have a more spreadable consistency). 
6. Half two Granny Smith apples, core and slice very thinly.
7. Arrange the apples slices in a decorative pattern on top of the crème fraîche.
8. In a small bowl, whisk the sugar with the cinnamon and then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the apple slices.
9. Bake until the crust of the tart is firm and browned at the edges, 15 to 20 minutes.
10. Transfer the tart to a wooden board. 
11. Dust with a bit of powdered sugar (optional).
12. Cut into wedges and serve at once. NOTE: if you serve it very hot it is best to do so on a flat wooden board so it can easily be cut up.

This is a tarte flambée that is delicious as dessert but you could enjoy it on its own, any time of day, really. Since the Granny Smith apples that I used are not too sweet, this tart has just the right balance of sweetness from the cinnamon sugar and tartness from the apples and the crème fraîche.

If you prefer it more sweet, you could choose a different kind of apple, increase the sugar or drizzle a bit of honey over the top of the baked tart.

Thick and delicious crème fraîche is a must for baking any type of tarte flambée, be it savory or sweet. It is the French version of sour cream (saure Sahne) and it is twice as rich and twice as thick. The best crème fraîche comes from a strictly controlled area of Normandy called Isigny-sur-Mer. It is manufactured from pasteurised cows' milk to which a lactic bacteria culture has been added. This thickens the cream and gives it a distinctive sharp flavor.

If you have trouble finding that ingredient, you can make your own. To make crème fraîche, combine one cup heavy cream with 2 tablespoons buttermilk, stir, cover with plastic wrap, and leave at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours, or until it has become very thick. If you refrigerate it, it will become even thicker.

Tarte Flambée with Asparagus and Prosciutto - Flammkuchen mit Spargel und Prosciutto

Tarte flambée is the Alsatian version of the Italian Pizza. Traditionally, it is cooked quickly at very high temperature in a wood-fired oven and takes its name from the fact that the edge of the dough often caught fire in the intense heat of the oven. 

Depending on the region, this tart can be called in Alsatian "flammekueche", in German "Flammkuchen", or in French "tarte flambée".

The tarte flambée, consists of a thin bread base, either round or rectangular, that is typically topped with fromage blanc or crème fraîche, lardoons and onions - all popular ingredients in Alsatian cuisine. 

There are many variations of the original recipe and there are really no limits as to what can be added as a topping. For example you could add smoked bacon and reblochon or gruyère cheese or maybe red onions and pancetta. For today I chose a seasonal springtime topping of white and green asparagus and some delicious Italian Prosciutto.

In Germany asparagus still is a distinctly seasonal product. Just as apples mark the fall season, nothing epitomizes spring quite like the revered white stalk (green asparagus is still quite uncommon around here).

Ingredients for the Dough

(please note that the dough makes enough for two tarts - the second half will be turned into a sweet dessert tarte flambée tomorrow)

• 160 ml (2/3 cup)  warm water
• 1 package (2 ½ tsp) active dry yeast
• ½ tsp sugar
• 315 grams (2 cups) bread flour, plus some more for dusting 
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus some more for oiling
• some sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Ingredients for the Topping

• 250 grams (8.8 ounces) fresh white asparagus (try to choose thin stalks)
• 250 grams (8.8 ounces) gfresh green asparagus (try to choose thin stalks)
• 200 grams (7 ounces) crème fraîche or fromage blanc
• some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3-4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 150 grams (5.2 ounces) Prosciutto, very thinly sliced

Preparation of the Dough

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
2. Then add the flour, oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
3. Stir until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
4. Pull the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead a few times, then form into a ball.
5. Oil a second bowl, put the dough ball in the bowl, and turn to coat it with oil.
6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free area.
7. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about an hour or an hour and a half.

Preparation of the Topping

1. While the dough is rising, prepare the asparagus. First, completely peel the white asparagus with a swivel vegetable peeler. White asparagus is peeled downwards starting just below the tip. Then for the green asparagus just peel the lower stalks to avoid any woody strings and chop off the bottom of all stalks, green and white.
2. Then pre-cook the white asparagus for about eight to ten minutes (depending on the thickness of the stalks) in boiling, salted water and the green asparagus for about four minutes. Drain the asparagus on paper towels. NOTE: there is a special steamer which is supposed to help cook the asparagus as gently as possible, preserving more of its flavor. When using a normal pan, a good trick is to tie the stalks together using kitchen twine. The cooking water may be flavored beforehand by adding some butter, salt, a pinch of sugar and the stems and peel left over from peeling.
3. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (390 degrees Fahrenheit).
4. Once the dough has risen, place it onto a floured work surface.
5. Roll the dough out thinly into a rectangular shape and transfer it onto a floured baking sheet (you can the other half of the dough for the dessert - please see tomorrow´s post).
6. Spread the dough with the crème fraîche, followed by the white and green asparagus, making sure to go all the way to the edge with all the ingredients. Season well with some salt and black pepper and a bit of olive oil.
7. Bake until the crust of the tart is firm and browned at the edges, 15 to 20 minutes.
8. Transfer the tart to a wooden board, garnish with the slices of Prosciutto, a bit more olive oil and some more salt and pepper to taste.
9. Cut into wedges and serve at once.

This is a tarte flambée with the most quintessentail spring vegetables you can find around here, asparagus. It is delicious and pretty and can be eaten on its own or with a spring salad alongside. Since asparagus season officially ends on June 24th here, I always make sure to prepare as many dishes with this fabulous healthy vegetables as I can.

Just remember when buying asparagus, that freshness is the key to the perfect flavor and texture. Gourmets know that it tastes best "picked in the morning, eaten at midday". Make sure the stems are firm, crisp and plump, and have the characteristic velvety sheen. The tips should be intact and firm. If you don't intend to cook them right away, wrap them in a damp kitchen towel and store in the refrigerator's crisper.

The other half of the dough can be kept in the fridge for tomorrow´s dessert version of a Tarte flambée with a delightful topping of fresh apples, cinammon and sugar.

FFwD: Coupétade aux Fraises

Today´s recipe for the French Fridays with Dorie group is Coupétade, a traditional French dessert that can be described best as a cross between French Toast and old-fashioned Bread and Butter Pudding. For some extra deliciousness my version of Dorie´s recipe contains small pieces of fresh strawberries baked into the custard,  instead of dried fruits such as raisins or other dried fruit, hence the name, Coupétade aux Fraises.

For this rich dessert you can use just about any type of plain bread that you like, of course homemade brioche would be the first choice but it can also be made with any other type of fresh bakery loaf. If you wanted to add dried fruits to the custard anyways you could even use a loaf of bread that is already studded with some dried fruits such as raisins.

Like many of the best desserts, this Coupétade  is not the type of dessert that can be thrown together at the very last minute, as you do need some day-old bread as well as some additions to the custard or some toppings such as fresh fruit.

Since it was Father´s Day in Germany yesterday, we enjoyed individual servings for dessert with a light dusting of powdered sugar as well as more fresh strawberries on the side.

To make the Coupétade, the first step is to prepare French Toast with your bread of choice. There is a 14th-century German recipe for French Toast under the name of "Arme Ritter" which literally translated means “poor knights” because it was a dish prepared with ingredients that were readily available at the time and when thrown together they made a satisfying meal for the knights returning to their castle after battle.

The second step in this recipe involves preparing a simple custard as is usual for most Bread and Butter Pudding recipes – a combination of milk, sugar, eggs, and pure vanilla extract all mixed together and poured straight over the French Toast that you previously layered in a well butter baking dish. Since I added the seeds from one vanilla bean to the mix as well as some heavy cream and a pinch of sea salt, the custard got a fabulous taste boost.

Dorie recommends baking the pudding in a bain marie for a smoother- textured custard – it keeps the temperature more uniform and it is easy enough to do with a roasting pan, and it does give a softer, silkier set to the finished dish.

This ultrarich French version of a Bread and Butter Pudding seems perfect for dessert or brunch.

To see how the other Doristas fared with this recipe, please do click here.

Bonne Fête des Mères! – Happy Mothers Day! – Alles Gute zum Muttertag!

TwD: Fresh Rhubarb Upside-Down Baby Cakes

Today´s recipe for the Tuesdays with Dorie group are Fresh Rhubarb Upside-Down Baby Cakes. The recipe for these pretty little spring cakes was contributed by baker and culinary artist Johanne Killeen. I made these tiny cakes as per the recipe and they were absolutely gorgeous, so moist and delicious with an incredible light crumb!

The recipe for these delicious Fresh Rhubarb Upside-Down Baby Cakes is a two step process. First,  you will have to make a classic butter cake, using all purpose (plain) flour, baking powder, some fine salt (I always use fine sea salt), thick crème fraîche, unsalted butter, fresh eggs and pure vanilla extract (I used homemade vanilla sugar).

Second,  you need to make the caramel topping by using brown sugar (I used light brown sugar), a bit of bourbon (I used French Cognac), more unsalted butter and chopped nuts (I used natural almonds) and for the fruit layer you will, of course, need fresh local rhubarb that can be found everywhere around here at this time of year. As I mentioned in my April post  when I featured a Rhubarb Almond Bundt, the slightly tart rhubarb and the sweet almonds go very well together - quite a delicious taste combination.

To bake these small tea cakes, you start by spooning the hot caramel with the chopped nuts into the bottom of the buttered and floured baking molds, then you add a layer of chopped fresh rhubarb and top the fruit layer with the cake batter, filling your molds almost to the rim.

The mini cakes bake until they are puffed, golden brown, and just starting to pull from the sides of the molds, about 20 minutes. Turn them out on a rack to cool only slightly, then turn them upside down while still warm because otherwise you will not be able to unmold them as the caramel will stick to the molds when cooled. And while they are best eaten warm from the oven, they may be stored and re-heated a bit just before enjoying them.

This recipe was enough for eight mini cakes – I used my brand new mini cake molds from England for these small cakes plus two baby cakes - I used mini pie dishes for these. So, I ended up with ten servings, perfect.

These gorgeous Fresh Rhubarb Upside-Down Baby Cakes are an indulgent treat and perfect for that afternoon tea. We enjoyed them while they were still warm from the oven with no adornments but they would certainly be nice with a bit of really good vanilla ice cream or some whipped cream or even better some clotted cream. I will be making these again for sure!

To see how the other Doristas fared with this recipe, please do click here.

The recipe can be found at Erin´s blog – When in Doubt…Leave it at 35o - "Thank you very much for hosting today´s recipe"!

FFwD: Creamy Mushrooms and Eggs

Today we are preparing Creamy Mushrooms and Eggs for the French Friday with Dorie group.

When I read the recipe I understood that it is meant to be served as an appetizer and I thought that it was quite easy to prepare à la minute. There is only a short list of ingredients required and the few steps in this recipe are not difficult to follow at all.

You sautée one finely minced shallot in some good butter and olive oil, add sliced mushrooms (I used cremini mushrooms), freshly ground black pepper, some sea salt and cream. The sauce will thicken quickly as it bubbles away in the pan.

Then all that is left to do is add herbs and voilà, the sauce or as the recipe calls it the “creamy mushrooms” are ready – though I added fresh Italian parsley and chives from the garden rather than the rosemary and mint that Dorie´s recipe calls for.

Then onto the egg – the recipe states that the eggs should be poached and that the mushrooms should be served on a slice of toasted brioche. But  I decided to go a bit of a different route to make the appetizer more appealing and the recipe a tad more challenging.

Instead of serving the mushrooms on a slice of brioche, I made some fresh breadcrumbs with the brioche and fried the poached eggs with a coating of flour, some more egg and fresh brioche crumbs.

Then I served the appetizer with some steamed and thinly shaved green asparagus and carrots and decorated the plate with some pretty savory blossoms – now that was different and certainly quite delicious!

To see how the other members of the French Friday with Dorie group prepared the Creamy Mushrooms and Eggs, please click here.

May Day Celebrations - Maifeiertag

May Day (Maifeiertag) on the first of May is an ancient Northern Hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday. The first day of May is celebrated in many parts of the world. In the Rhineland, where we live, May 1st,  is also celebrated by the delivery of a Maypole (Maibaum) a tree covered in streamers to the house of a beloved person the night before. Often, the person who decorates and puts up a Maypole in front of a house, also places a painted wooden heart on the tree that bears the name of the recipient.

Flowers are always a big part of May Day celebrations. May Day not only brings the image of maypoles, but also of collecting flowers and throughout its history, May Day has traditionally been a joyous celebration of spring and the coming summer.

May Day is an ancient holiday that has its roots in paganism, stemming from the Celtic festival of Beltane and the Germanic festival of Walpurgis Night (Walpurgisnacht), in honor of St. Walburga, a nun who is believed to have cured the illnesses of many.

The Romans were the first to specifically mark the first day of  May with a festival that celebrated the coming of spring.  As Europe moved away from Paganism, May Day began to take on other meanings.  It is now variously considered an International Workers’  Day as well as a day to celebrate the beginning of Summer, a national holiday and, perhaps most importantly, a day to have a party.

For our celebrations at home,  I like to make a simple and pretty Lemon Buttermilk Bundt cake that needs no adornment other than some icing sugar. Make sure to use a lovely cake pan.

So why not celebrate the first day of May and the coming summer by baking a delightful little lemony cake and decorate the table with some wonderful late spring flowers.

I took these pictures today, downtown Bonn (Germany) and this one shows a Maypole that someone placed in front of a house near the City garage...

...and in the old part of the city, there are presently quite a numer of tourists taking numerous pictures of the wonderful cherry tree blossoms (Kirschblüten) - the fragile pink flowers will not last for much longer and it is always very special to see them appear on those trees around the first of May.

Whichever way you choose to celebrate the frist day of May today, this very special day certainly reminds us all of the coming summer and of nature´s incredible bounty that awaits us in the next couple of weeks.

Sources: 

• Backing pan called LURCH Flexi Royal Blankenburg from "Lurch" (http://www.lurch.de)