Kitchen Ranch

Currant Scones, Pickled Turnips & Beets, and Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

Here are a few tried recipes as of late. Recipes I certainly approve of! I will start with these scones above which are super. Really SUPER. Recipe found on Martha Stewart.

I love them. I ate them every night for 3 nights in a row. Pickled turnips and beets via David Lebovitz.

Strawberry and Rhubarb Crumble thanks to Smitten Kitchen. It is all about the freshest strawberries and rhubarb!

Strawberry Cream Biscuits

Deb really, you kick *ss. As soon as I return to the states I plan to purchase a copy of The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook for myself and all my girlfriends. 

Strawberry Cream Biscuits.....an easy recipe that will fast become a favorite I promise.

Focaccia Bread with Toppings

I recently revisited focaccia bread. It has fast become a favorite go to around here. I hadn't ever (in the past) added toppings and always regarded focaccia bread as somewhat boring. Top with onions, garlic, tomatoes.... and voila: Instant goodness.

Here is the recipe I have been using (Recipe adapted from http://www.taste.com.au/):

1/4 cups warm water
2 tsp (7g/1 sachet) dried yeast
2 tsp sugar
3 1/2 tbs olive oil
3 cups plain flour
2 tsp salt 

Combine the water, yeast, sugar and 2 tablespoons of oil in a small bowl. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 5 minutes or until frothy.

Place flour and half of the salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in yeast mixture. Use a wooden spoon to stir until combined, then use your hands to bring the dough together in the bowl.
Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Brush a bowl with oil to grease. Place dough in bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel. Set aside in a warm for 45 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Punch down centre of the dough with your fist. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2 minutes or until dough is elastic and has returned to original size. Press into the prepared pan (I line the pan with parchment paper). Cover with a damp tea towel and set aside in a warm, draught-free place to prove for 20 minutes or until doubled in height. Use your finger to press dimples into the dough. Brush with remaining oil and sprinkle over rosemary and remaining salt. Press the toppings into the dough.

Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This evening I am trying this Olive Focaccia recipe (pictured above) thanks to Pioneer Woman, does it not look divine?

FlatBread

Flatbread ...Alice Waters

• 2 Cups WW Flr
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 3/4 Cup Lukewarm Water
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Mix dry ingredients ...stir in water and olive oil. Knead the dough until moist. Cover and allow to rest for 30 minutes.

Heat cast iron skillet, roll out oval shaped flatbread pieces and cook without oil in skillet flipping as needed. Char over open flame (if you like). 

Above: Cute baby sneaking a taste of dough

Homemade Soft Pretzels

I honestly never imagined pretzels right out of the oven to be so delicious. The pretzels are warm, soft, doughy and delicious. Dip in mustard and you have a superb snack. I used the recipe found on Food Network by Alton Brown

Here is a close up of the doughy deliciousness:

While we made enormous pretzels, next time I will try a variety of bite sized shapes.

Pizza on the Grill

We grilled our pizza toppings.....

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Delicious and fun! Thanks Stacey for this recipe via Webers Book of Grilling!

• 1 envelope (2 ¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
• ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup warm water
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for brushing crusts

To make the dough: In a medium bowl, combine yeast, water, and sugar. Stir briefly and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the 2 cups flour, salt, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Stir until the dough holds together. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, 5 to 10 minutes. Shape into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Turn the ball to coat the surface with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until the dough doubles in size, 1 to ½ hours.

To make the crusts: Punch down the dough in the bowl. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and cut into four equal pieces. Roll out each piece into an 8-inch round about 1/8 inch thick. Lightly brush both sides of each round with olive oil and place on cookie sheets. Gently slide the crusts from the baking sheets onto the cooking grate and grill over DIRECT MEDIUM heat until the undersides are marked, 1 to 3 minutes (or until the bottom sides begin to brown and do NOT stick to the grill any longer). Don’t worry if the crusts bubble in spots, they will deflate when turned over. Transfer the crusts back to the baking sheets, grilled side up.

To assemble the pizzas: Add the desires sauces and toppings to the toasted side of the crusts. Transfer to the cooking grate and grill over DIRECT MEDIUM heat until the crusts are crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from the grill. Cut into wedges and serve warm.

Popovers (or, what you should make for breakfast tomorrow!)

From The Tassajara Bread Book

• 1 cup unbleached white flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Use a popover pan or  regular muffin tins.  Mix ingredients thoroughly.  Butter the muffin tins and heat in the oven for 5 minutes.  When hot, fill each cup one-third full with popover batter.

Bake at 425 for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 and bake another 10-20 minutes.  

Handmade Flour Tortillas

Homemade Flour Tortillas

makes 4 (feel free to double the recipe)

• 1 C Flour
• 1/4 C Water
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Pinch of salt

Mix and allow dough to rest for at least 30 minutes.

Pull off a piece of dough into a ball and roll out.

Put a small dab of olive oil in a skillet and place rolled out tortilla to bake on each side. Best eaten warm

 

 

Grilled Onion and Rosemary Foccacia Bread

Remember this fantastic bread recipe? Well, morph that bread into a rectangle once you remove the dough from the refrigerator, add grilled onions, fresh rosemary and bake for 40 minutes.

Delicious served warm. (The above photo is pre-baked... we rushed out to a picnic once the bread was done and I didn't have a chance to photo...)

Bagels

Makes 20 Bagels (Easy to Double or Half Recipe)

Dough

• 3 C Lukewarm H2O
• 1 1/2 Tblspoons yeast
• 1 1/2 Tblspoons salt
• 1 1/2 Tblspoons sugar
• 6 1/4 C Bread Flour
  

Boiling Pot

• 8 Quarts Boiling H2O
• 1/4 C sugar
• 1 tspoon Baking Soda
• Flr for dusting towel

1. Mix and Store Dough: Mix yeast, salt, sugar in a 5 Quart bowl, not food tight- lidded container.
2. Mix in the flr without kneading it.... use a spoon. You may need to wet your hands to incorporate last bit of flr.
3. Cover and rest at room temp for 2 hours (about)
4. Although you can use the dough after the rise, it is easier when cold. refrigerate up to 14 days.
5. 20 Minutes before baking time turn oven to 400 F. Baking stone in the middle of oven, broiler tray beneath.
6. Dust a handful/Bagel Sized of the refrigerated dough with flr... rotate ball of dough as you do...folding back top layer of dough to underside and then smoothing.
7. Bring a large pot to boil...add sugar and baking soda.
8. Repeat...cover bagels with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 20 minutes.
9. Punch thumb thru the middle to form the bagel hole... ease open.
10. Drop bagel in boiling water 1 by 1. Simmer for 2 minutes then flip them with a slotted spoon... simmer for an additional 1 minute.
11. Remove them with a slotted spoon and allow them to drain on a kitchen towel. Place all bagels on a hot pizza stone and put water in broiler tray (it will fizzle)... Bake 20 min.... or until golden delicious!