Give Peas a Chance / Spring Pea Spread

Posted on May 30, 2012 by

Spring has sprung in our garden, and I couldn’t be more peased! Er…pleased. This is our first year attempting a vegetable garden, and despite some patchy looking kale, things are progressing quite nicely. My track record with house plants is spotty at best, so I’ve been very grateful for the friends and neighbors that have been offering tips and seeds (of wisdom, and actual seeds) to help our garden grow. One plant that even I can grow is mint. We put a couple small seedlings in a container on the front stoop recently, and it has already quintupled in size and is slowly plotting to swallow Captain whole. I couldn’t bear to lose my furry little sous chef, so I decided to make this lovely little spread utilizing some of Spring’s finest flavors.

The two types of mint I’m currently growing are chocolate mint and apple mint. I munched on an apple mint leaf recently, and maybe my lady brain was swayed by the power of suggestion, but it really did taste like an apple! An apple wrapped in a mint wrapper. Brilliant.

Fresh or frozen peas would work fine here, and feel free to adjust the pea to mint to cheese ratio. Did I forget to mention there was cheese involved? Silly me. I started with just some peas and herbs, and it looked so gosh darn green and healthy, so in went some ricotta with a satisfying plop. Plop! The end result is a lovely combination or sweetness from the peas, richness from the ricotta, coolness from the mint and a little zing from the lemon juice and zest. If you have the time and motivation I highly recommend making your own ricotta, but store bought is perfectly acceptable as well. I served it on some garlic-rubbed crostini, but crackers or crudités would also make for lovely vehicles. If you have leftover spread, you can fold it into some hot pasta with a little parmesan grated on top for an easy dinner. If you’re feeling a little more daring with your leftovers, you can spread it on a freshly baked pizza crust or flatbread, and top it with some sliced lamb sausage. Happy Spring!

xo, Holly (The Apiarist)

Spring Pea Spread
This recipe makes a fair amount, so it would work great if you’re entertaining a group or need to bring a dish to pass. Otherwise feel free to adjust the amounts as needed.

2 cups fresh or frozen peas, thawed if frozen
2-3 tablespoons mint
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Zest of one lemon
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 – 2 cups ricotta, or a 15oz. container
Salt and freshly grated pepper

Place peas, mint, lemon juice and zest, and olive oil into a food processor and give it a few pulses until the peas and mint are roughly chopped. Add ricotta and give it another whirl in the processor until blended. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Makes about 3 cups.

Posted in Entertaining, Recipes | 3 Comments

Roasted Tomato Pasta

Posted on May 24, 2012 by

Looking over my recent blog posts, I realize they have been a little dessert heavy. I don’t think anyone has really minded (especially not Joe) but I thought it was due time for something of the savory sort. The warm weather is slowly but surely making its way to the Pacific Northwest, so I’ve been in a summer state of mind. When you think about food as much as I do, that means tomatoes, fresh herbs, and quick and easy dinners. (And ice cream!) This pasta dish is insanely simple, but when you start with good ingredients, the depth of flavor makes it taste a lot fancier than it really is. But you don’t have to tell anyone else that.

The key is to give the tomatoes a quick blast in the oven before you toss them with the pasta. They get soft and juicy, and their flavor is super duper heightened. I love to add a garlic clove or two (or four if I feel like a wild woman!) to roast along with the tomatoes, and then I mash it up and swirl it into the juices to add some oomph to the sauce. The addition of either sherry or balsamic vinegar at the end adds a simple yet effective extra layer of flavor.

My favorite way to use these tomatoes is in pasta, but they are also just delightful spooned onto some crostini as an easy appetizer or served on top of some grilled chicken or fish. I reckon a frittata would be a happy home for them as well. The possibilities are endless!

Roasted Tomato Pasta
This pasta recipe is a perfect base for additional ingredients. A thinly sliced grilled chicken breast or some grilled shrimp would be excellent. Or a few dollops of fresh ricotta and some toasted pine nuts would put a smile on any vegetarian’s face.

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
A few sprigs fresh thyme, optional
1-2 garlic cloves, peeled
6 oz. capellini pasta (aka angel hair) or any other long noodled variety
2 teaspoons balsamic or sherry vinegar
Fresh herbs (such as basil, thyme, marjoram, chives)
Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine tomatoes, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon salt, a few grinds of pepper, thyme, if using, and garlic in a medium-sized baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are collapsed and juicy.

While tomatoes are roasting, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once the tomatoes are out of the oven, drop the pasta and cook according to package directions. (Capellini is very skinny, so it only takes a couple of minutes which is the perfect amount of time to finish dressing the tomatoes.)

Remove the tomatoes from the oven and discard the thyme sprigs. Add the vinegar, most of the fresh herbs, and 1-2 tablespoons of oil. Using the back of a spoon, mash the garlic clove into a paste and mix it in. Drain the pasta reserving about 1/2 a cup of the hot pasta water. Return the pasta to the pot and quickly add the tomatoes and give it a toss. If the tomatoes aren’t particularly juicy, add some of the reserved pasta water to help coat the noodles and keep them loose. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, and garnish with remaining herbs and Parmesan. Dig in! Serves 2 as a (hearty) main or 4 as a first course.

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Rhubarb Bars (Rhubars?)

Posted on May 20, 2012 by

First of all, thank you to everyone who came to the Crafty Wonderland Spring Show last weekend! I had such a great time and came away feeling very excited, inspired…and a little tired! I had been doing a lot of late night crafting up until the show, so I took some much needed rest the next day. I’ve been spending the last week restocking my Etsy shop and have added some new designs and colors, so be sure to pop by and check it out!

After all that hard work I decided I needed some dessert in my life, and as luck would have it my in-laws had recently brought over some rhubarb from their garden along with some tasty sounding recipes. This is no ordinary rhubarb, mind you. This is fancy pants 5th generation heirloom rhubarb we’re working with, so I knew I needed to do something special. And something quick since Joe and I were having people over for dinner in a few hours and I still had gnocchi to make, a house to clean, and I was still in my PJ’s with only one sock on. I still don’t know where that other sock went. Luckily one of the recipes they provided looked pretty easy, so I took my other sock off and put my game face on.

The whole dessert was ready in about an hour, and hands-on time was 15 minutes tops. I dressed it up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but it would be lovely on its own with a strong cup of coffee. It wasn’t too sweet and had just the right amount of tartness from the rhubarb; plus you can never go wrong with a shortbread crust! I can’t wait to try the other rhubarb recipes, and hopefully Joe and I can inherit some of this blue ribbon rhubarb and carry the torch for another generation.
xo, Holly (The Apiarist)

P.S. My next post will not be a dessert. I promise. Maybe.

Rhubarb Dessert Bars
Recipe adapted from JoAnn
I added a touch of lemon juice and vanilla for kicks, but these additions are purely optional. Next time I might grate a teaspoon of lemon zest into the crust for an extra zing. Whee!

For the Crust:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup AP flour
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (optional)

For the Filling:
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 AP flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups diced rhubarb (2-3 large stalks, diced into 1/2-inch chunks)
Squeeze of lemon juice (optional)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8-inch square baking dish and set aside. Combine ingredients for crust and mix well. Press firmly into prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes.

While crust is baking, combine ingredients for the filling. Pour onto hot crust and give the pan a shimmy-shake so it’s level. Bake for an additional 40 minutes until the filling is set and starting to lightly brown. Cool on a wire rack and serve at room temperature with topping of your choice. Makes 9 servings.

Posted in Recipes, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Come See Me!

Posted on May 8, 2012 by

I am very excited to announce that I will be participating in Crafty Wonderland’s Spring Show this coming Saturday, May 12th from 11am-6pm at the Oregon Convention Center! There will be oodles of talented people selling their wares, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to join the fun. If you are in the Portland area you should definitely come and check it out. I will be at booth #125, so please come and say hello (and buy many things). Hope to see you there!

xo, Holly (The Apiarist)

Posted in Craftiness | 1 Comment

PB&J Thumbprint Cookies

Posted on May 4, 2012 by

The only thing I love more than a wedding is a cookie, so you can imagine my glee when my friends Meredith and Nate asked me to bake some cookies as a welcome gift for out of town guests flying in for their upcoming nuptials. I gave a lot (maybe too much?) thought into what type of cookie I would make. I wanted a crowd-pleaser, but a simple chocolate chip seemed too obvious. Visually appealing, but nothing too delicate since they would have to go in goodie bags. Such a quandary!

While I was mulling over all the different cookie candidates, I thought about how excited I was for the wedding. From the moment Meredith introduced me to Nate I thought they were so well suited for each other. They have a lot of similarities but are each entirely unique and compliment each other so well. They go together like macaroni and cheese, like eggs and bacon, like peanut butter and jelly…peanut butter and jelly! That’s it! The answer to my cookie dilemma was solved.

I decided to go with a thumbprint cookie because they are so darn cute (just like Nate and Meredith!) and I really enjoy eating them. I used a Martha Stewart recipe as a guide, and made a few tweaks such as replacing some of the butter with extra virgin coconut oil (I do this with almost all of my baking these days — adds a subtle coconut flavor and great texture) and used crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth. A few of the cookies were sent to the Quality Control Research Center (aka my tummy) to make sure they were just right, and by golly, were they ever.

The wedding was absolutely beautiful, and I have no doubt in my mind that just like peanut butter and jelly, Nate and Meredith will continue be a perfect pairing for many years to come. Congratulations!

xo, Holly (The Apiarist)

PB&J Thumbprint Cookies
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Living
These cookies are a great opportunity to use up any almost-finished jars of jelly lurking in your fridge. I used strawberry, but raspberry or grape would also be delicious.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 tablespoons extra-virgin coconut oil, room temperature
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup jam (baker’s choice!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat peanut butter, butter, and coconut oil with a mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add sugars, and beat until pale and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, and beat until incorporated. Reduce speed to low. Add dry ingredients, and mix until combined.

Scoop tablespoons of dough, and form into balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar, and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Using your (clean!) thumb, make indentations in each ball of dough to form a well for the jam. Fill each indentation with jam, but be careful not to overfill since the cookies will puff up as they bake.

Bake until cookies are puffy and just barely starting to turn golden, about 15-17 minutes. Remove from oven, transfer sheets to wire racks, and let cool completely. Makes around 3 dozen cookies.

Posted in Recipes | 7 Comments

Chocolate Birthday Cake

Posted on March 30, 2012 by

Today is Joe’s birthday (yay!), so I knew a cake was in order. I personally lean towards a fruit-centric dessert, but Joe cannot resist the sweet siren song of a chocolate cake. This one I am about to share with you is a doozy; a real bittersweet behemoth not to be taken lightly, as there is absolutely nothing light about it.

I first made this cake while I was attending culinary school in NYC. The recipe is from the Horseradish Grill  in Atlanta, and while I have never eaten there myself, it just might be worth a trip to the chocolate cake motherland to experience the original. Until then I will have to try my best to do the recipe justice…poor me.

I must say this cake is actually pretty easy to make. Maybe not cake in a box easy, or pick it up at the bakery easy, but there’s nothing particularly intimidating about it, and it’s definitely worth the effort.

One word of advice, though; be SURE to line the pans with parchment, grease them, and flour or cocoa powder them. You may think a quick shot of Pam will do the trick, but you are WRONG. I decided to make this cake for Joe’s birthday five years ago, and I was so over-confident in my baking skills in the way most culinary students are. Oh, I was so young and foolish then! I was all fancy free with my Pam and just gave the bottom of the pans a quick spritz and went along my merry little baking way, and let me tell you when I tried to get the cakes out of the pan they WOULD NOT BUDGE. I ran a knife along the edge, I tapped the bottom, I pleaded with the baking gods, I tried to jiggle them loose all to no avail.

The cakes finally came out. In pieces. We had a bunch of friends coming over for dinner and dessert in 10 minutes and there I was still in my pajamas trying to glue the cake back together with chocolate ganache. It still tasted delicious but it definitely looked a little…rustic. Happy Birthday, Joe!

xo, Holly (The Apiarist)

Best Ever Chocolate Cake
Recipe from the Horseradish Grill
This cake goes great with a classic chocolate frosting, but feel free to use your imagination. A simple whipped cream frosting and fresh berries would be lovely as well. I decorated my cake with some candied flowers my mother-in-law brought me back from France. Tres chic!
P.S. Heed my warning about the pans!

For the Cake:
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate — cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 cup hot coffee
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees with rack in center. Grease 2 9-inch cake pans, line bottom with a circle of parchment, grease again, and then dust with flour or cocoa powder. Set aside.

Place the chocolate in a bowl and pour the hot coffee over it. Set aside. Combine the sugar, flour salt and baking soda in a medium bowl and mix well. Set aside. Whisk together the eggs, oil, vanilla and sour cream in a large bowl. Give the chocolate mixture a quick stir to make sure it is melted and add it to the egg mixture. Blend well. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing after each addition. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake until cakes are risen and a toothpick comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. Let cool in pans for 5 minutes, and then flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Frosting:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/4 cup double-strength brewed coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine cream, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan and bring to just barely a simmer over medium heat, stirring often. Remove from heat and add the chocolate. Stir until chocolate is completely melted, and then add the vanilla and coffee. Let chill until it is a good spreading consistency, 1-2 hours. The frosting would be great like this, but I prefer a fluffier frosting, so I beat it with an electric mixer on high speed for a couple of minutes until it lightened in color and almost doubled in volume. If you do this you will have some leftover frosting, but that’s the kind of problem I like to have.

Posted in Recipes | 9 Comments

A Lovely Lunch / Announcement

Posted on March 19, 2012 by

I don’t consider myself to be much of a health food nut, but as I’ve gotten older I have definitely learned to appreciate simple foods done well. I recently cleaned out the fridge and managed put together a lovely lunch consisting of some leftover white beans and steamed kale with a dusting of freshly shaved parmesan and lemon zest, a small nugget of goat cheese and a thick slice of toasted seedy bread. I topped the whole lot with a drizzle of olive oil and went to town. No individual element was particularly flashy, but all together it made for one of the better meals I’ve had in awhile!

Hmm…after rereading the previous paragraph I have come to the conclusion that I am slowly turning into my dad. My sisters will back me up when I say that while growing up my dad would share with us what he had eaten for lunch that day almost every single night. It would usually go something like this:

Setting: The Fridh Family Dinner Table. All are present. Holly is creating a diversion while Jessica hides her vegetables under her seat cushion and Beth expertly catapults a bean back into the serving dish using only her fork. This is not her first rodeo.
Dad: Did someone just ask what I had for lunch today?
3 Sisters: [In unison] Nooooo!
Dad: Sure I’ll tell you! I had a can of plain tuna, a handful of prunes and almonds, four carrot sticks, and a spoonful of wheat germ. It was deeelicious!

I may have exaggerated just a little bit, but you get the general idea. Pretty much every day was pizza day at my school, so I couldn’t fathom the idea of having anything remotely healthy for lunch. To be honest, though, his lunch doesn’t sound half bad anymore, and he is one of the healthiest people I know! Dad, I formally apologize for all the times I teased you about your lunches; like father, like daughter!

On an entirely unrelated note, I had an exciting business development recently. Two awesome stores in downtown Portland started carrying some of my handmade wares! I feel like quite the fancy mogul, and if you live in the Portland area you should check them out! The stores are Flora and Tender Loving Empire, and they both have a fantastic selection of doodads, trinkets, and goodies and are run by exceptionally cool people, even by Portland standards. Starting a small business has been a really fun/exciting/scary/inspiring process for me, and I am so excited about where I am now and where I might go in the future. Thank you so much to my friends and family who have been the best cheerleaders (and customers) a fancy little mogul could ask for!

xo, Holly (The Apiarist)

Posted in Craftiness, Recipes | 8 Comments