Fresh Tart

July 2: John & I returned from Provence, France (post forthcoming, sometime in 2011, gah).

July 3: I hit the Minneapolis Farmers Market, hard. Five racks of Bar 5 ribs; Blue Gentian Farm lamb chops, sausage, and eggs; many pounds of greens, carrots, beans, herb, berries, onions, garlic scapes, potatoes, and general fabulousness.

Oh lovely summer.

July 4: The Annual Super Duper Shubert Coopster July 4th Celebration of course!

Ribs, as always. Kale salad. Green bean & tomato salad with garlic scape dressing.

I kept it ridiculously simple at the pool. Minnesota strawberries and a big ol' bowl of popcorn with butter and salt.

Suz brought this smashing trifle...

...and a special gluten-free version for me. I love my friend. I also love her daughter Vivian who took the kuchen pic up top, as well as the pic of me and of the sliced ribs below.

I took Suz's Kingfield Market Berry Bake-Off Winning Blueberry Kuchen recipe and substituted a gluten-free, almond meal crust. Delicious! You can see that I added raspberries as well as blueberries - red, white & blue and all. You could do that too. Or not. All good!

Blueberry Kuchen (Gluten-Free)
Adapted from a recipe by Susie Shubert
Serves 10

Stephanie's note: this recipe can be easily halved - bake in a 10-inch spring-form pan or removable bottom tart pan. It works nicely to line the pan with parchment paper.

1 stick butter (1/2 c.) + extra for buttering the pan
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. blanched almond flour (choose a finely milled variety from this excellent list at www.elanaspantry.com)
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 c. sugar, divided, plus a little more for sprinkling
6 c. blueberries, divided
1 tsp. cinnamon

Generously butter a 9x13 baking pan.

In a large saucepan, melt butter.  Stir in 1/2 c. of the brown sugar and let cool to room temperature.  Whisk in egg and almond extract, then stir in salt and almond flour.  Press dough evenly into pan, with slightly higher edges.  Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 30 minutes.  (Can be prepared one day ahead.)

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, stir together 2 Tbsp. cornstarch, 1 c. sugar, and cinnamon.  Sprinkle half of the mixture over the crust, top with 4 c. of the blueberries, then the remaining sugar mixture.  Shake the pan a little so the sugar sinks down around the berries and the berries are evenly distributed.  Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the edges of the crust are deep golden brown and the berries are bubbling.

Transfer pan to a rack and distribute remaining 2 c. of blueberries evenly over the top.  Sprinkle with a little sugar, let cool for 30 minutes, and serve warm with vanilla ice cream (or cool to room temperature).

I cooked my brains out this weekend and loved every minute of it.  See Saturday's results -  icy cold gazpacho, as well as poached eggs over potato pancakes - below.  Both are new favorites, and why not?  Crunchy, creamy, salty.  Pretty much everything I crave.

So where, you might wonder, are the pics of Sunday's pork ribs, coleslaw, crushed potatoes with garlic & preserved lemon, and mini-burgers?  Well...

...I hate to say it, but the Annual Super Duper Shubert Coopster July 4th Celebration meal went largely unphotographed.  Turns out, I am terrible at entertaining and taking pictures at the same time.  Cory Shubert took the pics above and below - thanks man!

Luckily I possessed a no-fail pork ribs pic from when I posted the recipe on Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly mag's blog a few weeks ago.  If you look hard enough, you'll see that these are everyone's favorite ribs, falling-off-the-bone-tender with a crusty, spicy-sweet glaze.  It's harder to see that they're ridiculously easy, making them the perfect party food.  But it's true.  If you give them a try, let me know.

I'm kicking myself for not snapping pics of the coleslaw and crushed potatoes - you'll just have to take my word for it that both turned out so pretty.  I added sliced cucumber, quartered cherry tomatoes, and crispy bacon to the coleslaw.  Good move, I recommend all three additions.  The recipe for the excellent potatoes, via The Pioneer Woman (with the addition of garlic and preserved lemon), is below.  You could boil the potatoes a couple of hours ahead of time, keep them at room temperature, then crush (crash!) and roast them right before sitting down to dinner.

For dessert, Suz brought her now-famous blueberry kuchen, one of the best desserts on the planet.  Also easy (see a pattern?) - make it now through the end of the summer, when blueberries are at their peak.  Serve warm with a scoop of melty ice cream - fireworks in your mouth and a real crowd pleaser.

If you make it, take a pic and send it to me!

So there it is.  Another 4th of July, another summer celebration.  We swam, we sipped, we grilled, we ate.  We laughed our butts off, doused ourselves in bug spray, and hauled our chairs out onto lovely Interlachen Golf Course for fireworks.  The rain held off, the fireworks dazzled, and we made our way home to bed.  Oooh.

Aaaaaaaah.

I hope you all had a great 4th!

Crash Hot Potatoes
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman
Serves 6

12 whole new potatoes
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. chopped rosemary (or other fresh herbs)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 of a whole preserved lemon, seeds discarded, minced (I find jars of whole preserved lemons at Whole Foods)
coarse salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400F.  Bring a pot of salted water to boil.  Add potatoes and cook them until they are fork-tender.

While the potatoes cook, add heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  Add the rosemary and garlic and saute until garlic is fragrant and just softening, about 4 minutes.  Stir in preserved lemon and set aside.

Drizzle the remaining 2 Tbsp. of olive oil on a baking sheet and spread evenly.  Drain potatoes and place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.

With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly crushes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and crush lightly again.  Spoon a bit of the garlic oil on each potato, using all the oil.  Sprinkle the potatoes lightly with salt.

Place potatoes in the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.  Grind black pepper over the hot potatoes and serve immediately.

"Oh, this pool is as warm as a Turkish Bath!" - Sullivan Shubert, age 8, in response to How's the water Sully?, July 4, 2010
"I love these hamburgers so much I want to marry them, but the funeral won't be long after..." – Sullivan Shubert, age 7, regarding mini-hamburgers, July 4, 2009
"They start big but end fast, like a good sneeze." - Sullivan Shubert, age 6, explaining fireworks to Cooper, July 4, 2008
“Wow, those would make Vivian feel fancy!” – Sullivan Shubert, age 4, regarding super-sparkly fireworks, July 4, 2006

Hello friends!  Yes, I'm still here, still cooking, despite falling way behind on taking pics and posting.  Like everyone, we are in full summer mode and that has meant non-stop entertaining and dining out, whew. Funny thing, you'd think that since I step up my cooking game for guests that I'd have more to write about, but lately it just hasn't panned (pun!) out.

Whirlwind overview of recent tasties, I hope it inspires a fun night out or some barbecue fun at home:

Last Thursday night, John and I broke out of our usual groove and headed over to Bradstreet Craftshouse, in the Graves 601 Hotel, for the finest drinks in the Twin Cities.  We had some nice food too - mini burgers, marinated vegetables - but Bradstreet is all about the drinks, highly crafted and beyond delicious.  I particularly loved the Juliet & Romeo (Plymouth gin, lime, mint, cucumber, rose water), refreshing with just a hint of sweet, perfect on a 90-degree day, ahhhh.

Last Friday night, we were invited to a Farewell to D'Amico Cucina (at least in Butler Square) Dinner with Debbie and Stu The Wine Genius Williams and Genie & Joe Dixon (as well as Genie & Joe's daughter-in-law and son, Twyla and Joe Jr.).  Lord what a feast, completely immoderate, ah well. I (over) indulged in seared foie gras with fresh figs (badly pictured above) and the most seriously kill single ravioli I have ever encountered.  Filled with smooth-creamy ricotta, and a whole egg, I cut into it to spill cheese and yolk into the browned truffle butter drizzled at the edges of the plate.  Oh yes, beyond decadent, luckily small portions, I won't say more, uff, except it appears the D'Amico Cucina team will soon be taking over the Chambers Kitchen.  When one door closes, another opens...

Saturday, we...golfed.  Yes, golfed!  I just started playing, oh about a month ago, John doesn't play at all, but we golfed anyhow, with our kindly neighbors Kasey & Dan Hatzung, in our neighborhood's "Better Half Invitational," hosted by Ellen & John Skahan and Lindsay & Dave Polyak.  Such fun, such non-serious golf, we had a complete blast, topped off by a lovely party at the Polyak residence.  I brought an appetizer - a thin-crust "pizza," lightly topped with pancetta, caramelized onions, tomatoes, and fontina cheese and served at room temp - and enjoyed the buffet of gorgeous appetizers brought by all the golfers.  Yum, I do love myself a pot-luck buffet...almost as much as my husband does...

Monday night we hosted my cousin Peter, his wife Kristin, and their adorable - adorable! - twin three-year-old daughters Emily and Erin.  Stacey and Cooper were here too, to dig in to garlicky pork tenderloin, tsatsiki (yogurt sauce with cucumber, garlic, and dill), grilled pita bread, a giant Greek salad, and Suz's to-die-for blueberry kuchen for dessert (she served it to me on Friday Afternoon Coffee with Suz.  I crave it - bonus, it's a breeze to make...).

Tuesday night, Kim The Maven of Mischief and I snuck out to Barrio Tequila Bar for mid-week tasty drinks and Mexican snacks.  Crab empanadas, potato-chorizo tacos, and shrimps grilled on sugar-cane skewers didn't put a dent in their fine menu, but put us in a fine mood nonetheless, completely making up for the fact that I didn't make a res (which the annoying hostess gravely told me was a BIG mistake - ugh).

Tonight, no entertaining, but a recipe I'll (re)post, in case you're looking for a tasty appetizer for weekend entertaining.  Crab cakes, baby, this version from our friend Carol Mack via Andrew Zimmern, is a stellar recipe.  The focus is the crab (not breading), tender in the middle, crispy on the exterior, not too thick, not too thin.  Basically, Perfect Crab Cakes.  For a twist, tonight I stuffed them in toasted buns (moderate it: cut the middle out of the bun to make it much thinner, spritz with nonstick olive oil spray, then toast) and giggled that we were having Krabby Patties for din.  Sauteed kale - fresh from my veggie share, likely picked this morning - alongside, a nice foil for the richness of the sandwich.

And this weekend, ah yes, another party, woo hoo!  I'm counting 15 of us at this point, including my bro David, for a big ol' 4th of July Barbecue.  I'm planning pork ribs, mini-burgers (with home-made mini-buns, I'll let you know how they turn out...), broccoli salad, garbanzo bean salad, potato chips (Cape Cod 40% reduced fat kettle-cooked chips are seriously yummy), and bing cherries, along with snacks by the pool (guacamole, raw veggies, and tortilla chips), along with dessert (compliments of Suz), along with cold beer and wine, along with fireworks on the golf course...  Ooh, aah, one of my fave holidays.

Happy Independence Day!

Silpada, Silpada - if you're a woman in my family, be on alert, you are most likely getting Silpada jewelry for Christmas. Suz is a Silpada rep, so I've hosted a couple of parties, which have led to other of my friends hosting parties, including my friend Polly last night and Baseball Mom Sonja this coming Friday (although I can't make Friday's party - I'll be attending a Commanderie de Bordeaux dinner with Debbie and Stu the Wine Genius, woo hoo! I've been to two before, both amazing nights, I'll do my best to pay attention to the food and lovely wine and not talk too damn much. Stay tuned...). Polly had a crackling fire, and delicious appetizers, and a yummy iced pumpkin cake - and oh yeah, Susie Silpada Sales with her bling! Good thing the jewelry is so pretty, and easy to wear (casual or dressy), 'cuz I sure do own a lot of it, ha.

Despite snow and freezing rain and all-day darkness - what is this, February? - I turned up the heat with quick chicken gumbo and sauteed okra before Nathan's basketball game tonight, and am ready to whip up tortilla soup tomorrow morning (I'll be busy with my nephew Cooper in the afternoon-into-evening, so have to work ahead a bit). Haven't decided yet what to bake for our neighborhood women's association meeting Thursday night. Cheesy vanilla fudge bars? Hmmm...you know, I might make almond puff pastry. It's a bit brunchy, but it's sooo decadently yummy, who cares? Yeah, I think it'll be almond puff pastry...

Moderate it: almond puff pastry, for sure one of my top ten all-time favorite foods, is definitely the kind of thing I only bake for others - lots of others.

Just in case we forgot, winter is coming. It was easy to be lulled into complacency given 75-degree days earlier this week. And then yesterday...snow. And today...a high of 34 degrees. Alrighty then.

Thursday, when it was still warm outside, I actually spent a good part of the day baking. I'm not really much of a baker, but I contribute a cake or two each year to John's office's United Way fundraiser (they sell off pieces of baked goods and donate the proceeds). This year I kept it pretty simple with cheater's coconut cake (made it last year too) and chocolate bundt cake with killer chocolate sauce. John bought six pieces - by my count, almost half of each cake. Very...John.

Friday, Suz and I braved the snow with a drive to Buffalo to check out a few antique stores. It is a testament to how fond I am of Susie that not only will I shop with her (I really don't like shopping), I actually enjoy shopping with her (I really, really don't like shopping with others). We had a blast, cruising around and even enjoying a totally tasty junk-food lunch at Culver's. Which put us both in a coma. Turns out even better-quality junk food is still, well, junk.

Moderate it: bake it, then give it away! Works like a charm, unless your husband buys half of what you baked and brings it back home. Hmmm...

On Wisconsin! Or, not so much, since I've been back for a week already, and the Badgers are 0-3 in the Big Ten as of last night. Ouch. But no matter, the real reason for last weekend's trip was to get together with my long-time friends Cami and Michelle, and the three of us had a BLAST. Beautiful weather, lots of walking, drinks on the Terrace, Saturday morning Farmer's Market, dinner at Kabul, beer at the KK, and a real-deal Badger tailgate party (grilled brats with all the fixin's!) more than made up for a sorry football game. We had low expectations for the game anyhow - the fabulous Wisconsin Marching Band had been suspended from playing last weekend. Boooooooo! Camp Randall without the band? Pfffft, nothin'. Oh, the student section managed a few raunchy cheers on their own, but the pom squad had no drums to shake it to, half-time was completely silent, and at the end of the game, everyone just...left. No 5th quarter = no fun.

As is typical for me, a few nights of less than adequate sleep (and more than adequate beer) means getting sick. I knew I'd blown it by Sunday night - sore throat, raspy voice, here we go. I did my best to fight it off this week, but here I sit, coughing and sniffling, damn those Badgers! (But totally worth it!)

I even rallied to put on a bit of a feast Thursday night as we loosely celebrated Yom Kippur. John doesn't fast, and I'm not Jewish, but no matter - we invited Jewthran Suz and her family, and Stacey, Cooper, and Bowen as well, and had a lovely meal in honor of the most important of Jewish holidays. I made matzo ball soup with very rich chicken broth, beef brisket with gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, and challah. Suz made a caramel apple pie and a pumpkin pie for dessert, both to die for. It was a school night, plus we had little Coop, so we ate early (and heartily, uff), and toddled off to bed by 10:00. L'chaim!

This weekend, keeping things pretty low key. Tortilla soup for dinner last night - its spicy garlicky-ness cleared the sinuses quite nicely. Wish I had some of that matzo ball soup for today, oooh, but no, it's all gone. Sniff. I still have a spot of delicious, beefy gravy left from Thursday's meal, however; I'll have to innovate around that so it doesn't go to waste. Perhaps something a la stroganoff - whisk in a bit of sour cream, serve over sauteed steak and mushrooms, I can picture it. Yeah, I can picture it quite clearly, in fact. I'm off to the store...

Had to snap a pic today of one of my favorite appetizers. Crusty bread, topped with a smear of hand-dipped ricotta cheese from Whole Foods (the stuff should be illegal, it's that good) and roasted tomatoes (which I didn't make myself, although they're easy enough; these I also picked up at Whole Foods, in the produce section, and they are particularly delicious, roasted in olive oil with garlic and herbs). I might have had some for breakfast this morning. Maybe. (Or, try this gorgeous recipe from our friends Kris & Harry, they of the beautifully Foodie dinner a few weeks back - tomatoes roasted with a bit of honey, atop scrumptious home-made ricotta cheese, finished with a drizzle of honey-balsamic. Beyond good. Recipe posted in comments, below.)

I don't usually have all these goodies on hand, but had purchased a round of tasties in prep for tonight's Susie Silpada Sales party, here at the hacienda. Girls, girls, girls, with snacks and wine and jewelry to boot. I put together a big platter of said tomatoes, as well as roasted peppers, carrots, and onions; salami; cornichon pickles; black olives; and rouille. Also set out a frittata cut into small squares, as well as chips and guacamole. With Kim as my Bar Beyotch (she is the fiercest bartender I've ever seen), Kathie and her sis Lisa doing party prep, and Suz jeweling her thing, we were all good. Even in pouring sheets of rain! Thanks ladies, for turning out and making it a great night!

Moderate it: a frittata is a terrific light, simple dinner, filling and tasty to boot. Without the crust and cream of quiche, but definitely with the perks of delicious fillings, nothing makes a better short-on-time dinner. And, good party food as well.

The Minneapolis Farmer's Market is a fun place. It's not as fabulous as say, San Francisco's - what is? - but I still get a rush walking around, especially on Saturdays when it's crowded, buying beautiful veggies and thinking about all the ways I can use them. Today I picked up heirloom cherry tomatoes, for the garlicky tomato & bread gratin I made for dinner tonight (we had our neighbors the Hatzungs over for a chilly swim and warm din). I also bought (more) green beans, as well as raspberries and fingerling potatoes. We ate the green beans tonight, and the raspberries (atop a lemon picnic cake), but the potatoes I'll save for tomorrow or Monday.

Although, hmmmm, I'm not going to be making din tomorrow night since Kim, Suz, and I are heading to True Thai for our every-few-weeks dinner out. Well, luckily potatoes taste good even several days after being picked... Especially these little gems, I bought them once before from the same vendor and was pretty blown away by how delicious they were. I'm thinking a little lemon-butter and salt will do them nicely. Can't wait.

Hey, look at that, I've been on Facebook for one full year! Thank you, Maud, for introducing another (very fun!) timesuck into my life! I think I've most enjoyed seeing everyone's pics, especially of their kids, especially of friends from high school and college that I don't get to physically see often enough. It's like an everyday reunion/Christmas card - nice! If (realistically, when) you join up, I suggest you become a fan of moderate epicurean (and painters staceyemeyer and maudbryt) to boot.

Sleep tight!

Moderate it: baking half of a cake is a nice way to not have a bunch of sweet leftovers hanging around - Whole Foods cake mixes make just one 9-inch layer. Works nicely with the lemon picnic cake recipe.

Since last week was way too crazy, I made Susie a birthday lunch today, one week late, but better than never. I love cooking for my girls - they'll eat anything so I can make all the things I love that others in the fam are too picky to eat. Like scallops. And polenta. Yep, polenta - with the weather taking a big turn for the cooler, comfort-y type foods are suddenly hitting the spot. And because fresh sweet corn is still tasty, I stirred in a cup or so right as the polenta finished cooking. Sweet and crisp, a nice addition.

Since polenta just begs for something a bit saucy, I served it up to Suz. Ha! Actually, I simmered CSA veggie share green beans and tossed them with a fresh tomato-garlic sauce (chopped fresh tomato, garlic, and olive oil sauteed/simmered together for a few minutes). Alongside scallops saltimbocca (I used Nueske's bacon instead of pancetta because, well, that's what I had; yes, I realize I'm beating the saltimbocca theme to death lately but what can I say? When it rocks, it rocks...), the polenta was in good company and we took our plates - and perhaps a glass of wine - out onto the deck for a nice summer-into-fall, girly-birthday luncheon. All good.

Until...I pulled a warm lemon souffle from the oven, and then it was all great. Sheesh. Topped with dollops of softly whipped cream, washed down with sips of strong, hot coffee...oh yeah. I don't know, I can't think of a chocolate dessert I love more than a warm fruit souffle. (Recipe for lemon souffle posted in comments, below.)

As Suz said, "Like I really want to go home and make dinner now," I'm thinking that John and I might end up wandering out later for sustenance. After checking out Vicky Cristina Barcelona, that is, which I've been looking forward to seeing.

Hope you're starting off your weekend in a nice way too! Happy Birthday Saucy Suz!

Later: three quick raves - one, for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, which is sexy/funny/fabulous, I recommend it completely. Two, for Restaurant Alma, where we went afterward for a lovely dinner - no shock there. Sweet corn flan and rigatoni with fennel sausage for me, yum. Three, a quick bop into the Cedar Cultural Center, to catch the end of the Punch Brothers' performance. I admit, I went grudgingly (John's taste in music does not er, match mine, that's what seven years' difference in age will do to a couple), but I was pretty blown away by... I'm not sure... Classical alternative bluegrass? The mandolin/lead singer's voice was angelic, kind of scary perfect. The technical talent of the violin, guitar, mandolin, banjo, and string bass players was incredible. So...a damn good day, all in all. Def a keeper. G'night!

Moderate it: I've said this before about savory souffles and the same holds true for the sweet versions - they're actually quite simple to make, and not overly rich/caloric, but they impress and are, not surprisingly, absolutely delicious. I declare, the world needs more souffles.

Hey there. Ready for back-to-school? I think we are, it's certainly a process, but one that's near completion. I'm ready for Labor Day weekend, which is looking to be three sunny, gorgeous days here in Minnesota. NICE!

My brother David arrives tonight to hang with us and Stace and Cooper-Doo over the weekend. We'll definitely be relaxing at the pool and cooking up some tasties, maybe fitting in a bike ride, hitting the State Fair, perhaps a movie...who knows? No matter what, relaxing...

Which this week wasn't, therefore the need for unspeed over the weekend. Nathan and I hit the fair on Tuesday - perfect day, cool-yet-sunny, not a big crowd, we pretty much cruised around and plucked the experiences we pleased. Pronto Pups, roasted corn, skytram, giant slide, newborn animals (so cute), and a successful run on the Midway. Great fun, I love the fair. You know, about once about every 4 years...

Last night I enjoyed dinner with Kathie Radcliffe and Mary Pappas, my former office-mates who I don't see nearly enough anymore, boo.

Speaking of good friends...Happy Birthday Susie Silpada Sunshine! I hope Suz sang Happy Birthday to herself, she's got the prettiest voice of anyone I know (except for her daughter, Vivian; OK, duh, I'm sure Viv sang Happy Birthday to her mom and of course Suz loved it). I reminded Suz this morning that she shares a birthday with John McCain, but that she has much nicer... jowls.

Rest in Peace Steve Foley.

Moderate it: my son was a bit horrified by my moderation tactics at the fair - take a couple of bites of something you love, toss the rest, move on to the next fave.