Category Archives: All Recipes

  • Sweet Potato Cupcakes With Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

    December 11, 2012

    32 Comments

    Sweet Potato Cupcake With Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting.

    Sweet Potato Cupcake With Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting.

    spcake15If you visit Putney Farm regularly, you may notice an affinity for cupcakes. And this isn’t because cupcakes are all the rage these days (not that there is anything wrong with that), but because we have two boys with lots of friends, birthdays, sports and school events. And everyone knows we cook and are willing to be dragooned “volunteer”…. 😉 So when we want to feed a horde of crazed kids crowd, cake or cupcakes are very good options. (So is barbecue, but that is for another post.) We often make chocolate cake for a crowd, but there is something about the cupcake that is even more special. People from ages one to one hundred just love a cupcake. It’s sweet and tasty, it’s easy to handle and it’s all yours.

    spcake2spcake5spcake6But sadly, many cupcakes really aren’t all that good, the big blob of frosting covers for a dry chunk of cake. The problem, surprisingly, is the overuse of butter in most cupcake recipes. While we love real butter, it has water along with the butterfat and when the water cooks out it makes for a drier, crisper cupcake (the science is pretty solid, btw). This is good for pie crust, bad for cake, and especially bad for small cakes with a lot of surface area vs. mass (that would be the cupcake). The secret to a moist cupcake is to use vegetable oil (no water) and often to add another moistening ingredient. And this recipe not only uses oil but adds mashed sweet potatoes for an extra moist and sweet cake. Yum.

    spcake3spcake4spcake7Sweet potatoes in cupcakes? Well yes. They work famously well in biscuits, so why not cupcakes? You don’t taste sweet potato, but mixed with winter spices and orange zest you get a super-moist, caramel-colored cupcake with deep wintry flavors. Topped with sweet caramel cream cheese frosting, this cupcake is good all the way through. And as the oil and sweet potato keep the cake moist, you can easily adapt the recipe for either large or thimble-sized cupcakes with no loss of quality. A neat trick, and something to keep in mind when the size of the crowd may vary.

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  • Hanukkah Cocktail: The Bees Knees

    December 9, 2012

    102 Comments

    The Bees Knees.

    The Bees Knees.

    Since Hanukkah is the “Bees Knees” of holidays (“dude, eight nights of presents, not just one”), we figured it’s time for a celebratory cocktail. And the Bees Knees not only tastes good, you can make a kosher version of the cocktail….really. In all seriousness, we do have some Jewish heritage in the family and we host an annual Hanukkah dinner with homemade latkes, jelly donuts and now, this cocktail. And the Bees Knees does fit the Hanukkah theme.

    bees1bees3At first, we looked for Hanukkah cocktail themes and it was a challenge. It is a festival of lights (not that helpful, flaming tiki drinks?) and oil is a main theme (there are a few cocktails with oil, but we aren’t going there), but happily the promised land is “the land of milk and honey” so we found a theme to build from. And as it turns out, raw honey is kosher, and we have plenty of raw Putney Farm honey. Even better, you can get kosher gin from the No. 209, a San Francisco based distillery (we used Bluecoat gin in this post, but will have the No. 209 at Hanukkah dinner). And it looks like fresh lemons are kosher, and we have plenty of Meyer lemons. Hmmm…

    bees4bees5Well, guess what? You just read the recipe for a Bees Knees cocktail. The Bees Knees combines dry gin, lemon juice and honey syrup (1 to 1 very hot water and honey) and is served up or on the rocks. Created in the prohibition era, the Bees Knees is easy to make and very tasty. And if you prefer rum, a light rum version makes a Honeysuckle, a dark rum version makes a Honey Bee. Add some champagne to the Honeysuckle and you get an Airmail. If you use rye or bourbon you get a Daisy Black. So you do get four or five drinks out of the deal (it’s not eight, but five cocktails from one basic recipe isn’t too shabby).

    bees6While almost all cocktail writers have positive feelings about the Bees Knees, many describe it as “inoffensive”. But we will take some issue with that. If you use basic store-bought clover or orange blossom honey, the flavors are pretty light. But if you use raw “forest” or wildflower honey in the Bees Knees you get much deeper herbal and bitter notes. Putney Farm honey is a forest honey made mostly from wildflowers and herb blossoms, it has some herbal and minty notes with a slightly bitter and piney finish. Good stuff, and perfect with a dry earthy gin. Along with the sweet acidity of the Meyer lemons, the herbal notes of gin and forest honey make for a very substantial cocktail with layers of flavor. So we suggest you get some raw honey from a farmers market and then try the Bees Knees, it won’t be simply “inoffensive”, it will be a special cocktail and a fitting celebration of Hanukkah.

    The Bees Knees:

    Ingredients:

    • 2 oz. dry gin (No.209 kosher, if you like)
    • 1/2 oz. honey syrup* (a bit more if using Eureka lemons, rather than sweeter Meyers)
    • 1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
    • Lemon wheel, for garnish

    Assemble:

    1. Combine the gin, honey syrup and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake thoroughly and strain into a chilled cocktail glass, coupé or flute. Garnish with the lemon wheel. Serve.

    * To make honey syrup combine equal parts honey and very hot water in a sealable container. Shake until combines. Stores in the fridge for 3-4 weeks.

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  • Cauliflower and Broccoli Salad With Hazelnuts and Pecorino

    December 7, 2012

    21 Comments

    romescoromesco14While we sometimes bitch and moan whine about winter vegetables this time of year, we do enjoy them quite a bit. It just takes a little more work to get the best out of them, and being as lazy as the next guy, we prefer more flavor and less work. In summer we put most fresh veggies on a plate with some olive oil and salt, or give them a quick sauté and voilà! Perfection (well, at least a good dish). In winter, we break out our thinking caps and some cookbooks and get to work. So when Carolyn brought home some purple broccoli and broccoflower (or romanesco, depending on appearance), we got off our butts motivated and made this salad. And it turned out well enough to make the blog, and become a regular dish here at the farm.

    romesco2romesco3This salad combines blanched cauliflower and broccoli with sharp pecorino cheese, crisp apples, hazelnuts and bacon (optional) with a classic vinaigrette. Our goal was to build a dish that covers multiple flavors and textures but still highlights the inherent sweetness and crunch of the vegetables. The broccoli and cauliflower still lead, but the cheese and bacon add salt and umami, the apples acidity and crunch and the hazelnuts add nutty and slightly bitter undertones. The vinaigrette brings it all together. It is a very pleasant bite and will even get kids to eat their broccoli (we tested it, it worked).

    romesco4romesco5And the cool thing about this salad is that you can interchange almost any variety of broccoli or cauliflower. So if you have purple broccoli, broccoflower, romanesco or orange cauliflower, they will all work. And if you just want either broccoli or cauliflower, that works too, but we do suggest a combination as they play well together. If you get lucky at the market you can make this salad with a full range of colors, it will be beautiful and a good dish for entertaining. And all you need to do is chop and boil water, so it is an easy dish.

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  • Amazing Persimmon Bread

    December 6, 2012

    48 Comments

    bread8While we love cooking with the season, winter can be a bit tough, even in California. Lots of produce is available, but some of it has moderate appeal (we love kale, turnips and broccoli, but not every day) and some is just confounding. We love our pomegranates, but they are hard to eat and you can only sprinkle the seeds on so many salads. The citrus is a bright spot, but somehow tends to end up in desserts and cocktails, and after lemon chicken how many savory dishes are there?. And then we have Persimmons. These bright orange, beautiful fruits light up the farmers market, but what do you do with them?

    bread2bread3For Fuyu persimmons, the round ones, the answer is easy. Treat them like apples and place raw slices into salads or serve with cheese or charcuterie. But what about the heart-shaped Hachiya persimmons, what to do with them? It turns out you need to let them ripen almost to the point of rot over-ripeness and then scoop out the pulp. The pulp will be very sweet with pumpkin and citrus notes. One of the more popular uses of Hachiya pulp is to freeze it and serve it like sorbet, but the other primary use is in baking. And this is where we get to this amazing sweet bread. And we don’t mean “amazing way to get rid of persimmons” we simply mean “amazing”. This bread is one of the best surprises we’ve had here at Putney Farm.

    bread4bread5In some ways, we shouldn’t be surprised. The recipe comes from David Lebovitz, one of the best pasty chefs and food writers in the world, and is adapted from a James Beard recipe. Yep, James Beard. The original recipe comes for his book “Beard on Bread“. So we are working from some very solid source materials. Ironically, the recipe itself is a bit “squishy”. You are encouraged to add or subtract sugar to your taste, add some booze and play with different dried fruit and nut combinations. We even use some white whole wheat flour with good results. But the unifying factor is the Hachiya persimmon pulp. It gives a bright pumpkin note and keeps this bread incredibly sweet and moist. With the fruit, nuts and spice this bread has lovely texture and flavor. You can eat it at breakfast, or as a daytime snack or even dessert.

    bread6bread7And making the bread is a straightforward operation. First you must buy and then ripen some Hachiya persimmons. Leave them out and wait. They are ripe when they feel like overripe tomatoes about to burst (Lebovitz describes it as “water balloon about to burst”). You may also see discoloration on the skin, but that is OK. When the persimmons are ripe, spoon out the pulp and purée in a blender, food processor of food mill. Then you are ready to go. And making the rest of the bread is easy. Chop some nuts and dried fruit, we use pecans and dried cranberries, but walnuts, raisins, apricots or dates will work. Then make a standard sweet bread. Combine the dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients, make a batter. Butter some loaf plans, then pour in the batter. Bake for an hour at 350 (the kitchen will smell great), cool and serve. And enjoy, this is the good stuff. So when winter produce gets you down, buy a few Hachiya persimmons, let them ripen and make this bread. It will be a bright spot in winter.

    bread

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  • Roasted Dungeness Crab

    December 4, 2012

    18 Comments

    crab1

    Roasted Dungeness Crab. Yum.

    Here on the west coast we get a special treat every holiday season, Dungeness crab. Starting in November and running through the winter, good fish markets will have chill cases full of big, bright red, cooked crabs. And they don’t go to waste, people out here love their crabs. And Dungeness crab is a truly lovely dish. The flesh is white, tender and sweet. And while it does take some work to get at all the meat, the cracking and picking is all part of the fun.

    crab7crab8Most folks out here simply serve the crab with some lemon and mayonnaise. But roasting crab with herbs and spices is a popular way to add some flavor and develop a quick “sauce”. There are many good recipes for roasting crab with homemade curry sauce (so good, recipe soon) but that takes a little extra shopping and work. For a quick, but tasty, roast crab we use a marinade of oil, herbs, garlic and red pepper. Combine these flavors with a quick roast and some lemons and you have a very fun, flavorful meal.

    crab9crab10To say the crab in the recipe is “roasted” is a bit of a misnomer. You really marinate the crab in the herb and oil mixture for a few hours and then warm the crab and sauce in the oven for about ten minutes. The marinade and extra heat bring out more flavor from the crab. With the added flavor and rich texture of the oil, this dish feels more like a main dish than appetizer, so it is a perfect family meal. And you do get the bonus of a great smelling kitchen while you roast the crab. This dish smells as good as it tastes.

    crabSo if you have a chance to get your hands on Dungeness crab, we suggest you buy a few. Have them cracked and cleaned and bring ’em home. You can certainly serve the crab by itself, but you can make a true meal of the crabs with a tiny bit of extra work. And the extra work, which really isn’t much, is certainly worth it. Few dishes give you so much flavor for so little effort.

    Roasted Dungeness Crab:

    Notes Before You Start:

    • Cooking and cleaning Dungeness crabs yourself isn’t fun. Most good fish mongers have quality, freshly cooked crabs they will crack and clean for you. We are all for DIY projects, but  this isn’t one of them. Have your fish monger do the work.
    • Dungeness crab is pretty specific to the west coast of the US. But this basic recipe will work with any meaty, cooked crab.

    What You Get: Dungeness crab with some extra flavor. A fun, messy meal.

    What You Need: Assuming you have the fish monger clean and crack the crabs, no special equipment required.

    How Long? About 2 and a half hours, but only 5 minutes of active time, most of the time is spent marinating the crab.

    Ingredients:

    (Serves 4-6)

    • 1 cup Italian parsley, chopped
    • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
    • 1 teaspoon tarragon, chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
    • 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
    • 1/2 cup good olive oil
    • Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste, but we suggest you season liberally)
    • 2,  2-pound. Dungeness crabs, cooked, cleaned and cracked
    • 2 lemons, quartered

    Assemble:

    1. Combine parsley, thyme, tarragon, garlic, red pepper flakes and oil and then finely chop using an immersion blender or food processor.

    2. Place the crab pieces in a shallow baking pan, pour marinade over crabs and toss, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

    3. Preheat oven to 400°. Roast crabs, uncovered, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Garnish with lemon quarters (squeeze some lemon over the crab, if you like). Serve

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  • Spiced Nuts With Fresh Herbs

    December 3, 2012

    28 Comments

    Spiced nuts with fresh herbs.

    Spiced nuts with fresh herbs.

    It seems that plenty of food sites, bloggers and magazines are posting spiced nut recipes for the holidays, and we are no exception. And the reason is very simple, spiced nuts are incredibly tasty, easy to make and are very welcome gifts. What’s not to like? Actually, the only thing not to like is your waistline after polishing off a few batches of these. But with so many other temptations this time of year, might as well enjoy the nuts and swear off them later with a New Year’s resolution. Live a little. Or give the nuts away before you eat them all. Your choice.

    nuts1nuts2While everyone likes to share their recipes for spiced nuts, the “formulas” are all over the place. Some recipes are sweet, some salty, some spicy, some with maple, (some with bacon-yum), some olive oil and some with egg whites, and you can use almost any common nuts you can find. We make a few different versions of spiced nuts, but we generally like pecans and almonds with a little spice and the extra kick of finely chopped fresh herbs. The herbs add more aroma, deeper flavor and look very pretty. We also use a touch of egg white to bind the herbs and spices to the nuts. There is no impact on flavor, the herbs and spices simply stick to the nuts better using egg whites.

    nuts3nuts4Making spiced, herbed nuts is one of the more pleasant cooking projects we can think of (probably another reason you see so many posts and recipes online). You simply select a few cups of nuts, chop some herbs, measure some salt and spices and then thoroughly toss the mixture with an egg white. Put the nuts on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, mixing the nuts about halfway through, and you’re done. Your house will smell like the holidays, your family will magically appear in the kitchen, and probably your friends and neighbors, too.

    nuts5nuts6The only real trick to good spiced nuts is to avoid overcooking them. Whether you use an egg white, oil or sugar to bind the spices and herbs to the nuts, the nuts may still feel a but moist and soggy after 15-20 minutes in the oven. This is mostly from the warm oils in the nuts, not the moisture of the coating. If you wait for the coating to totally dry in the oven, the nuts overcook and be chalky and brown on the inside. The best way to test for doneness is take a nut from the oven after 15 minutes, let it cool a minute and eat it. You will find that the cooling hardens the nut and sets the coating. The nut will be crunchy and tasty. If the nuts are ready, pull them from the oven. If not, give the nuts a few more minutes then pull them and let them cool. Then be ready to eat, or share….you will have plenty of friends.

    nuts7nuts8Spiced Nuts With Fresh Herbs:

    Notes Before You Start:

    • The recipe suggests pecans and almonds, but hazelnuts, cashews, Brazil nuts, macadamias and even peanuts will work in this recipe.
    • We use raw almonds but roasted almonds will also work and will not dry with a brief cooking time.

    What You Get: Spiced nuts with some extra depth of flavor from the herbs. A great gift.

    What You Need: No special equipment required.

    How Long? About 30 minutes with 5-10 minutes of active time. Anytime dish.

    Ingredients:

    (Makes 2 cups)

    • 2 cups of raw, unsalted pecans and almonds (or other nuts)
    • 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
    • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
    • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
    • 3/4 tablespoon kosher salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
    • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
    • White of 1 egg, lightly beaten
    • Vegetable oil or cooking spray, for baking sheet

    Assemble:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a medium baking sheet with the oil or cooking spray.
    2. Place the nuts, egg white, salt, herbs and spices in a large bowl. Mix until all the nuts are evenly coated.
    3. Place the nuts on the baking sheet and cook in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes, stirring the nuts halfway through the cooking. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, allow the nuts to cool completely and then serve.
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