10 lb. Cherry Challenge: Mini Cherry Cobblers and Mojitos

Fresh and simple Asian cooking Y.use('squarespace-ui-base', function(Y) { Y.one("#lower-logo .logo").plug(Y.Squarespace.TextShrink, { parentEl: Y.one('#header') }); }); A few weeks ago I had been lamenting the fact that I hadn\u2019t had a chance to bake much this summer. The heat wave in July just about zapped all the cooking energy out of me. Summers should be filled with homemade pies, cobblers, and sorbets, but I had been resorting to the store-bought versions instead. Which was sad, given all the bright beautiful fruits in the markets.

Or as my friend Dave said a few weeks ago,\u201DIt\u2019s one of life\u2019s great tragedies that the best season for food is the worst season for cooking.\u201D

But August? August has been almost perfect, weather-wise. Some nights have even started to feel like fall, which I\u2019m 100% happy about. So when my friend Veronica asked me to be a part of the Cherry Challenge that her company OXO was sponsoring with Northwest Cherry Growers, to be sent 10 lbs of cherries and equipment for making cherry-filled goodies, I was game. 

 

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A few weeks ago I had been lamenting the fact that I hadn’t had a chance to bake much this summer. The heat wave in July just about zapped all the cooking energy out of me. Summers should be filled with homemade pies, cobblers, and sorbets, but I had been resorting to the store-bought versions instead. Which was sad, given all the bright beautiful fruits in the markets.

Or as my friend Dave said a few weeks ago,”It’s one of life’s great tragedies that the best season for food is the worst season for cooking.”

But August? August has been almost perfect, weather-wise. Some nights have even started to feel like fall, which I’m 100% happy about. So when my friend Veronica asked me to be a part of the Cherry Challenge that her company OXO was sponsoring with Northwest Cherry Growers, to be sent 10 lbs of cherries and equipment for making cherry-filled goodies, I was game. 

Yes, these tasted as good as they look.  

Last weekend a few friends came by to eat and drink and hang out before the Beck concert in Prospect Park. I made mini cherry cobblers in little ramekins. The cherry pitting was a bit challenging, though the OXO cherry pitters and nesting bowls made the job easier. I didn't have brandy on hand to add to the cherry filling, but a splash of white rum worked splendidly. Note to self: have vanilla ice cream on hand, always!

It was my first time baking with fruit this summer and most likely won't be my last.

 

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Yes, these tasted as good as they look.  

Last weekend a few friends came by to eat and drink and hang out before the Beck concert in Prospect Park. I made mini cherry cobblers in little ramekins. The cherry pitting was a bit challenging, though the OXO cherry pitters and nesting bowls made the job easier. I didn't have brandy on hand to add to the cherry filling, but a splash of white rum worked splendidly. Note to self: have vanilla ice cream on hand, always!

It was my first time baking with fruit this summer and most likely won't be my last.

We also made cherry mojitos by muddling cherries and adding the usual mojito ingredients. (Rum seemed to be the 2nd theme of the day.)

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We also made cherry mojitos by muddling cherries and adding the usual mojito ingredients. (Rum seemed to be the 2nd theme of the day.)

The recipes from the other Cherry Challenge participants will be up on Facebook on Tuesday, so you can go and vote for your favorites. Check out the other participants here! (Recipes following the list.)

thesweetsensations.comgirlichef.comnoblepig.comhungrycouplenyc.blogspot.comappetiteforchina.comeat-your-heart-out.netnibblesandfeasts.comdiethood.comblushandjelly.comeat-drink-love.comseaweedandsassafras.comcrunchycreamysweet.comtasteloveandnourish.commrsregueiro.comnatashaskitchen.commaedeforyou.blogspot.com52kitchenadventures.combrighteyedbaker.comsweet-remedy.companfusine.commeandmypinkmixer.com

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Mini Cherry Cobblers

Makes 12

Cherry filling

6 cups cherries, pitted1/4 cup sugar1/3 cup all-purpose flour2 ounces white rum

Topping

1/2 cup all-purpose flour1/4 cup sugar1/4 cup light brown sugar1 stick unsalted butter, melted1 pinch sea saltPreheat the oven to 350 degrees F.In a large mixing bowl, mix together the pitted cherries, sugar, flour, and white rum.In another large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, light brown sugar, melted butter, and salt. Mix until the topping is well-combined and a bit crumbly.Butter twelve 3.5-inch ramekins. Divide the cherry filling evenly between the ramekins, filling each about 3/4 of the way. Add the crumbly topping evenly between the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for at least 20 minutes before eating. Serve warm or at room temperature.

__________________________

Cherry Mojitos

Makes 1 drink

8 cherries, pitted15 to 20 mint leaves, plus a nice sprig for garnish1 teaspoon sugar1 ounce fresh lime juice2 ounces light rumClub sodaIn a cocktail shaker, muddle the cherries with the mint, sugar, lime, and rum. (If you'd like a stronger cherry flavor, muddle the cherries with the rum, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours before combining with the sugar and lime.) Add a few ice cubes. Shake well and strain into a glass with ice. Top off with club soda and serve.

 

","engine":"visual"}">

The recipes from the other Cherry Challenge participants will be up on Facebook on Tuesday, so you can go and vote for your favorites. Check out the other participants here! (Recipes following the list.)

_________________________________

Makes 12

Cherry filling

6 cups cherries, pitted1/4 cup sugar1/3 cup all-purpose flour2 ounces white rum

Topping

1/2 cup all-purpose flour1/4 cup sugar1/4 cup light brown sugar1 stick unsalted butter, melted1 pinch sea saltPreheat the oven to 350 degrees F.In a large mixing bowl, mix together the pitted cherries, sugar, flour, and white rum.In another large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, light brown sugar, melted butter, and salt. Mix until the topping is well-combined and a bit crumbly.Butter twelve 3.5-inch ramekins. Divide the cherry filling evenly between the ramekins, filling each about 3/4 of the way. Add the crumbly topping evenly between the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for at least 20 minutes before eating. Serve warm or at room temperature.

__________________________

Makes 1 drink

8 cherries, pitted15 to 20 mint leaves, plus a nice sprig for garnish1 teaspoon sugar1 ounce fresh lime juice2 ounces light rumClub sodaIn a cocktail shaker, muddle the cherries with the mint, sugar, lime, and rum. (If you'd like a stronger cherry flavor, muddle the cherries with the rum, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours before combining with the sugar and lime.) Add a few ice cubes. Shake well and strain into a glass with ice. Top off with club soda and serve.? Vegetarian Mapo TofuBlack Garlic Soba Noodles ?

View the original article here

10 lb Cherry Challenge: Mini Cherry Cobblers and Mojitos

Fresh and simple Asian cooking A few weeks ago I had been lamenting the fact that I hadn\u2019t had a chance to bake much this summer. The heat wave in July just about zapped all the cooking energy out of me. Summers should be filled with homemade pies, cobblers, and sorbets, but I had been resorting to the store-bought versions instead. Which was sad, given all the bright beautiful fruits in the markets.

Or as my friend Dave said a few weeks ago,\u201DIt\u2019s one of life\u2019s great tragedies that the best season for food is the worst season for cooking.\u201D

But August? August has been almost perfect, weather-wise. Some nights have even started to feel like fall, which I\u2019m 100% happy about. So when my friend Veronica asked me to be a part of the Cherry Challenge that her company OXO was sponsoring with Northwest Cherry Growers, to be sent 10 lbs of cherries and equipment for making cherry-filled goodies, I was game. 

 

","engine":"visual"}'>

A few weeks ago I had been lamenting the fact that I hadn’t had a chance to bake much this summer. The heat wave in July just about zapped all the cooking energy out of me. Summers should be filled with homemade pies, cobblers, and sorbets, but I had been resorting to the store-bought versions instead. Which was sad, given all the bright beautiful fruits in the markets.

Or as my friend Dave said a few weeks ago,”It’s one of life’s great tragedies that the best season for food is the worst season for cooking.”

But August? August has been almost perfect, weather-wise. Some nights have even started to feel like fall, which I’m 100% happy about. So when my friend Veronica asked me to be a part of the Cherry Challenge that her company OXO was sponsoring with Northwest Cherry Growers, to be sent 10 lbs of cherries and equipment for making cherry-filled goodies, I was game. 

Yes, these tasted as good as they look.  

Last weekend a few friends came by to eat and drink and hang out before the Beck concert in Prospect Park. I made mini cherry cobblers in little ramekins. The cherry pitting was a bit challenging, though the OXO cherry pitters and nesting bowls made the job easier. I didn't have brandy on hand to add to the cherry filling, but a splash of white rum worked splendidly. Note to self: have vanilla ice cream on hand, always!

It was my first time baking with fruit this summer and most likely won't be my last.

 

","engine":"visual"}">

Yes, these tasted as good as they look.  

Last weekend a few friends came by to eat and drink and hang out before the Beck concert in Prospect Park. I made mini cherry cobblers in little ramekins. The cherry pitting was a bit challenging, though the OXO cherry pitters and nesting bowls made the job easier. I didn't have brandy on hand to add to the cherry filling, but a splash of white rum worked splendidly. Note to self: have vanilla ice cream on hand, always!

It was my first time baking with fruit this summer and most likely won't be my last.

We also made cherry mojitos by muddling cherries and adding the usual mojito ingredients. (Rum seemed to be the 2nd theme of the day.)

","engine":"visual"}'>

We also made cherry mojitos by muddling cherries and adding the usual mojito ingredients. (Rum seemed to be the 2nd theme of the day.)

The recipes from the other Cherry Challenge participants will be up on Facebook on Tuesday, so you can go and vote for your favorites. Check out the other participants here! (Recipes following the list.)

thesweetsensations.comgirlichef.comnoblepig.comhungrycouplenyc.blogspot.comappetiteforchina.comeat-your-heart-out.netnibblesandfeasts.comdiethood.comblushandjelly.comeat-drink-love.comseaweedandsassafras.comcrunchycreamysweet.comtasteloveandnourish.commrsregueiro.comnatashaskitchen.commaedeforyou.blogspot.com52kitchenadventures.combrighteyedbaker.comsweet-remedy.companfusine.commeandmypinkmixer.com

_________________________________

Mini Cherry Cobblers

Makes 12

Cherry filling

6 cups cherries, pitted1/4 cup sugar1/3 cup all-purpose flour2 ounces white rum

Topping

1/2 cup all-purpose flour1/4 cup sugar1/4 cup light brown sugar1 stick unsalted butter, melted1 pinch sea saltPreheat the oven to 350 degrees F.In a large mixing bowl, mix together the pitted cherries, sugar, flour, and white rum.In another large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, light brown sugar, melted butter, and salt. Mix until the topping is well-combined and a bit crumbly.Butter twelve 3.5-inch ramekins. Divide the cherry filling evenly between the ramekins, filling each about 3/4 of the way. Add the crumbly topping evenly between the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for at least 20 minutes before eating. Serve warm or at room temperature.

__________________________

Cherry Mojitos

Makes 1 drink

8 cherries, pitted15 to 20 mint leaves, plus a nice sprig for garnish1 teaspoon sugar1 ounce fresh lime juice2 ounces light rumClub sodaIn a cocktail shaker, muddle the cherries with the mint, sugar, lime, and rum. (If you'd like a stronger cherry flavor, muddle the cherries with the rum, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours before combining with the sugar and lime.) Add a few ice cubes. Shake well and strain into a glass with ice. Top off with club soda and serve.

 

","engine":"visual"}">

The recipes from the other Cherry Challenge participants will be up on Facebook on Tuesday, so you can go and vote for your favorites. Check out the other participants here! (Recipes following the list.)

_________________________________

Makes 12

Cherry filling

6 cups cherries, pitted1/4 cup sugar1/3 cup all-purpose flour2 ounces white rum

Topping

1/2 cup all-purpose flour1/4 cup sugar1/4 cup light brown sugar1 stick unsalted butter, melted1 pinch sea saltPreheat the oven to 350 degrees F.In a large mixing bowl, mix together the pitted cherries, sugar, flour, and white rum.In another large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, light brown sugar, melted butter, and salt. Mix until the topping is well-combined and a bit crumbly.Butter twelve 3.5-inch ramekins. Divide the cherry filling evenly between the ramekins, filling each about 3/4 of the way. Add the crumbly topping evenly between the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for at least 20 minutes before eating. Serve warm or at room temperature.

__________________________

Makes 1 drink

8 cherries, pitted15 to 20 mint leaves, plus a nice sprig for garnish1 teaspoon sugar1 ounce fresh lime juice2 ounces light rumClub sodaIn a cocktail shaker, muddle the cherries with the mint, sugar, lime, and rum. (If you'd like a stronger cherry flavor, muddle the cherries with the rum, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours before combining with the sugar and lime.) Add a few ice cubes. Shake well and strain into a glass with ice. Top off with club soda and serve.Black Garlic Soba Noodles ?

View the original article here

Grilled Tomato “Lollipop” Toasts & our Favorite Cherry Tomato Varieties

This is the first in a series we’re sharing for Summer on our favorite heirloom tomatoes that we’re growing. And we’ll have a delicious recipe included too! You can visit all our tomato recipes on our tomato page.

Oh we know they’re not really lollipops. But when we were grilling these little red jewels the term “tomato skewers” sounded so mundane. After plucking these super sweet cherry tomatoes from their vines, they were so cute and plump, it sounded more appropriate (and fun) to call them lollipops. Because they’re so sweet like candy during this time of year, it only made sense to call them lollipops if we jabbed them on a stick.

Summer screams of bbq and we’re constantly heating up our grill to cook up what ever flavors epitomize the season. Our five varieties of cherry tomatoes are peaking out as they normally do this time of year. They’re always the first to explode when the first hear wave arrives and this year, a week long of heat and humidity accelerated their growth and ripeness quicker than ever before. Yay!

Our cherry tomato plants are going bonkers, meaning they just don’t know when to stop producing fruit. We’re not asking them to stop either. Luckily, we’ve had family and friends visit so much for the last 4 weeks that all the cherry tomatoes are going to good homes and bellies. Nothing is better than sending home a basket full of vine ripened cherry tomatoes.

We’ve always grown Sweet One Hundred cherry tomatoes and enjoyed their wonderful bounty. But last year we found a variety called Sweet Million and have been hooked ever since. The difference between the two is that we find the Sweet Million to produce much more cherry tomatoes on longer branches and they’re sweeter. We always wait till they turn a deep red on the vine to where they want to just fall off the vine at the slightest touch. This is when the cherry tomato is at it’s sweetest and like candy. Last Summer we were making tomato bacon pizza’s like mad and never got tired of eating them.

Sugar cherry tomatoes are new to our garden this year and they’re mind blowing amazing. Even when they’re in their orange/red color stage, they’re still super sweet. And if you wait till they fall off the vine, they’re just like their name– Sugar sweet!

Yellow pear and as always, sun gold cherry tomatoes are in the garden again and we couldn’t be happier. Their color and beauty is always a treat to have in the garden. Our friends and family love plucking these varieties and adding it to their to-go basket of red cherries. It’s like a rainbow in a basket.

So what do we do with all these cherry tomatoes? This weekend we grilled them on the bbq and call them our tomato “lollipops”! Have you ever grilled your cherry tomatoes? They’re super amazing and the texture is like roasted tomatoes, but you don’t have to turn on your hot oven in the Summer. And best of all, they have the wonderful bbq flavor to them.

A simple way to enjoy these grilled tomato skewer “lollipops” is on grilled bread and swiped with a nice layer of ricotta cheese. Summer can’t get any better than this.

Make sure to make a big platter of these little skewer lollipops for your gathering because they’re sure to be a hit. They’re so good, your guests will probably just eat them off the skewers like candy too!

Happy Summer,

diane and todd

Yield: Serves 3-4

Total Time: 45 min

There are a number of ways to enjoy these bbq tomato skewers. Serve them as a side dish, as a snack or on anything you want. They're so good, they might not make it past the bbq!

about 1 pound of cherry tomatoes3 Tablespoons olive oil or grape seed oil1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce2 cloves of garlic, finely mincedsalt and pepper to tasteabout 10-12, 8" bamboo skewersSliced crusty bread1 cup of ricotta cheeseSoak and fully immerse bamboo skewers in water for about 30 minutesIn large bowl, combine oil, Worcestershire and garlic. Allow marinade to sit for about 15 minutes.Wash and dry cherry tomatoes. Remove the stems if you want. Keeping them on just makes them prettier, then you can pull them off before serving.Add cherry tomatoes to marinade bowl and toss to combine and coat tomatoes.Skewer about 4-5 tomatoes on each bamboo skewer. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste on each tomato skewer.Heat Grill to medium/high heat.Reserve the leftover marinade and brush them on the sliced crusty bread. If you need more marinade, just add a little more oil to the bowl.Grill tomato skewers on each side for about 3-4 minutes, or until they are cooked. Cooking time will vary depending on the heat of your grill and size of your cherry tomatoes.After tomatoes are cooked, grill both sides of the bread till crispy.Spread ricotta cheese on slices of bread and top with tomatoes. Remove stems if you want before serving.Makes about 10-12 skewers.

View the original article here

Eating sakura (cherry blossoms and leaves) article in the Japan Times

My latest article in The Japan Times is about edible cherry blossoms and leaves. Japanese people love the cherry tree so much that not only do they eagerly look forward to their all too short flowering season each spring, they use the whole plant. They eat the berries of course later on (cherries are called sakuranbo and are in season in June and July) but they also eat the blossoms and the leaves, pickling them in salt and umeboshi vinegar (a by-product of making umeboshi). The wood is used for various things too, as well as the bark. See how sakura bark strips are used in the making of magewappa (bent wood) bento boxes here on JustBento. The bark is also boiled and used as a medicinal tea.

Some photos that didn’t get into the article below.

This is how salted/pickled sakura leaves and flowers are typically sold. The flat package contains leaves, and the jar has flowers. You can find them in well stocked supermarkets or in department store food halls in Japan around this time of the year.

Closeup of some cherry blossoms straight out of the jar. As you can see they are quite salty, so for most uses you need to soak them in water for a bit. But for sakurayu or sakura tea, just put a blossom or two in a cup of hot water. The ‘tea’ is salty and sour with a subtle fragrance.

The easiest way to enjoy the taste of sakura in Japan is via wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets). This is a sakuramochi - an an (sweet bean paste) filled mochi cake wrapped in a sakura leaf. The salty-sour taste of the leaf is a perfect foil to the sweetness of the cake inside.

Here’s another kind of sakuramochi; the mochi cake is made of Doumyouji rice, which is medium grain instead of short grain.

How the sakuramochi looks inside. It’s a nice couple of bites.

This is a sakura manjuu. The filling is an again, but the dough is different from mochi (but still made with rice). The top is decorated with sakura flavored salt. You can also find sakura manjuu with a salted cherry blossom on top.

Finally here is a sakura-flower shaped nerikiri, a delicate confection made just from smooth an. Beautiful, isn’t it? It doesn’t actually taste like sakura, unlike the more rustic sakura mochi and sakura manjuu, but it’s meant to enjoy the season via the eyes. This one is from Kagizen Yoshifuka, a famous old tea room in Kyoto that I have written about previously a couple of times.

You can also buy seasonal sakura flavored candies, chocolates and the like but to be honest, most of these are pretty but just taste like sugar.

I have noticed that a lot of people (at least in my circles) are travelling to Japan this spring. This is a good thing. If you’re in Japan or planning to go there soon, enjoy the sakura season!

View the original article here

The Fruit Burglar and Chocolate Cherry Crisp

I live with a fruit thief. It’s not Sierra, and I’m not talking about the neighborhood possums. I tend to think of us as living near them, not with them. No. I’m talking about the adorable and deceptively innocent looking Diane.

Take a road-trip with her and you’ll see what I mean. On a quiet little drive through the countryside and happen to pass an ripe apple tree growing alongside the road, the car will be stopping. Then I will pry the fingernails off my thigh which caused the abrupt interruption, we will look around for witnesses, then climb through ditch and weeds to pluck the forbidden fruit.

She knows every calamansi and lime overgrowing the neighborhood walls in Little Saigon. And that cute little elderly Japanese man down the street growing peaches, figs, and apples, well… she’s almost picked that. So far I’ve been able to use “elder respect” to protect his fruit from her clutches, but if his kids ever take over, look out!

The city pickings are fun, but by far our favorite mark is the countryside fruit trees. The apple trees in Sonoma or Julian. Random fruit trees coming home from the Sierras. Avocado trees down by Fallbrook. And the prime score, the cherry trees in Northeastern Oregon.

Diane loves cherries. She gets all gushy over them in ways that even I don’t inspire in her. The first time we were up visiting my dad together, it took her a whole 5 seconds to spot a random cherry tree growing in the ditch turning towards Dad’s place. She immediately decided we needed to take a nighttime stroll that evening.

Every time we go visit, Diane is immediately scoping the joint. Are they ripe? Any new marks? What’s the flow of traffic? Did you bring the black clothing and bags? Cherries have never seen the same since teaming up with this little fruit burglar.

As with most fruit, our favorite way of getting rid of the evidence is to immediately eat the cherries. However, occasionally we’ll launder the goods by baking them. What better way, than with my all-time favorite country-style dessert, a crisp.

A perfect topping made with brown sugar, butter, flour and oats concealing the ill-gotten gains laced with dark chocolate chips. A Chocolate Cherry Crisp. This evidence won’t be around long.

-Todd

 Print This Recipe

Chocolate Cherry Crisp Recipe
Crisp topping based off of Marthastewart.com: Apple Crisp – Martha Stewart Recipes. Serves 8

Topping

3/4 c (100g) all-purpose Flour1/4 c (50g) packed Light-Brown Sugar1/2 t (3g) Sea Salt or Kosher Salt8 T (1 stick) (115g) cold, unsalted Butter, cut into small cubes1 c (90g) old-fashioned Rolled Oats (not quick-cooking)

Filling

2 lbs fresh Cherries, pitted and halved1 c (180g) Dark Chocolate Chips1/4 c (50g) Granular Sugar3 T (45g) FlourPreheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, and salt. Pinch butter into flour, using your fingers or a pastry blender until mixture is the texture of coarse meal. Add oats, and use your hands to toss and squeeze mixture until large, moist clumps form. Transfer to freezer to chill while you prepare filling.(If desired, set aside a handful of cherries to decorate the top of the crisp.) In another large bowl, toss cherries with chocolate chips, sugar and flour. Transfer to a shallow 2-quart baking dish, and sprinkle with topping mixture. Place reserved cherries to decorate top of crisp. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until golden and bubbling, 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

View the original article here