Dimply Plum Cake

The plums are in season now. I have been busy canning tomatoes and peaches for the past few days. The cool weather has been a bonus around here - all that boiling, stewing and canning can easily heat up the kitchen. I am used to it as I have been doing it for a few years now but it is a nice change not to steam up the kitchen!

You have probably seen this recipe floating around other blogs - this is a popular recipe of Dorie's. Here is another recipe for upside down plum cake that turns out perfectly. Both these cakes can be made a day or two ahead and keeps beautifully. Happy baking!

Dimply Plum Cake by Dorie Greenspan
You could make this cake by any stone fruit of your choice. This cake can be served warm or at room temperature.

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
5 tb unsalted butter - room temperature
3/4 light brown sugar - packed
2 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
zest of 1 orange
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
6 plums
a pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and dust with flour an 8 inch baking pan and set aside. Sift all dry ingredients and set aside

Cream butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy.



I used a stand mixer for this, a hand held mixer would work as well. Add eggs, one at a time into the butter mixture and beat one minute each time. With the mixer running, pour in vegetable oil, orange zest and vanilla.

Reduce the speed of mixer to low and add in dry ingredients in 3 stages, mix batter lightly and only until batter is incorporated.

Wash, dry and halve plums and set aside. Pour cake batter into the prepared cake pan. Place plums on top, cut side up. Arrange plums into the batter gently, not totally submerged into the flour.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Place on a rack to cool before serving.

Bamboo Shoots and Tofu Stir Fry

Stir fry was the best choice for dinner last night - a quick peek in the fridge said just that. The fridge was crammed with vegetables at the beginning of the week, thanks to the weekly visit to the local farmers' market. This time of week usually consists of some stragglers waiting for their turn to be used up.

I had one head of broccoli and a block of tofu left in the fridge - perfect for a stir fry. I know - stir fry this time of the year? I was born in the tropics and am used to eating hot foods ( heat and spicy) ALL year. No, really - I have been known to crave fiery sambals in the unforgiving blaze of the summer months. And if I crave something, I just have to have it :)

I found a can of bamboo shoots tucked into the depths of my pantry. I have seen fresh bamboo shoots at the oriental market but have always shied away from it. I feel much safer ( at this point) with the canned ones.

If you are adventurous enough to seek out the fresh bamboo shoots - get the winter bamboo shoots - available from November to May. The canned ones are quite delightful as well - just rinse well before using. Bamboo shoots are literally the tender shoots from bamboos ( but then again not all bamboos are created equal). Bamboo shoots are used in Indonesia (called rebung), Nepal, Japan, Assam, China, Taiwan and Malaysia.



Bamboo Shoots and Tofu Stir Fry - serves 4
You could make this vegetarian buy omitting the oyster sauce. I have also used an ingredient called Fatt Choy in this dish. It is a sea fungus that is mainly used in cooking during the Chinese New Year celebrations. I have NOT included this ingredient in this recipe as it is not a common everyday ingredient.

14 oz medium firm tofu - cut into cubes and drain in a sieve for 1/2 hour
8 oz can sliced bamboo shoots - rinsed
1 small head of organic broccoli - cut into florets
1 heaping tb minced ginger
2 tsp light soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
salt
1 tb oyster sauce
1 cup vegetable stock
1 tb cornstarch - mixed in 3 tb stock
1/2 onion - cut into thick wedges
2 tb vegetable oil

Heat oil in a wok or a heavy bottomed frying pan on high heat. Add minced ginger and onion wedges - saute for 1 minute ( should not brown) until fragrant. Add rinsed and drained bamboo shoots, broccoli florets and stir for another 2 minutes.

Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, vegetable stock, salt, sugar and stir well. Add drained cubes of tofu and give it another gentle stir. Cook for 4-6 minutes. I like my vegetables firm, so cooking the broccoli for 4 minutes will suffice for me. Pour in the diluted corn starch and stir well. Mixture will start to thicken right away. Adjust seasonings and serve immediately with rice. Leftovers make a great lunch! Your colleagues will envy you ;)

TWD - Granola Grabbers

This week's Tuesdays With Dorie dates as I had the features Granola Grabbers. I used organic hemp granola, unsalted peanuts, sweetened coconut and some chopped dates. The recipe called for wheat germ that I had overlooked when I was making these hearty cookies. I substituted raisins with chopped dates as I had the exact amount needed for the recipe. The basic cookie dough is a lovely canvas for flavourings of your choice. A myriad of add- ins danced in my head, some chopped dark chocolate, candied ginger and pecans would work here too.

I was a little concerned as I mixed the dough because it was crumbly and would not really come together like a cookie dough should. I hoped for the best as I formed and placed them on my Silpat lined cookie sheet. I was pleasantly surprised when the trays came out of the oven. The cookies browned beautifully and did not fall apart. It was chewy, hearty and delicious. Thanks to Bad Girl Baking for picking out this week's selection.

I did not have a chance to freeze them like some of the other members did. But it does keep well. This is a shot of my lunch treat the next day :)

Tomato Chutney

I love it that I could just walk out to my patio to harvest my tomatoes , spicy green chillies and herbs to make a dish. It was such a pleasure to chop up the still warm juicy tomatoes for this chutney that had often made an appearance in my mother's kitchen. This tangy and gutsy chutney pairs well with smooth and savoury dhall.


Traditionally chutney can be dry, wet and fresh. It does not keep for more than a few days. Chutney more familiar in North America in a preserved form ( more like a relish). This relish form of condiment is often referred to as a pickle in South East Asia. The word chutney is actually a derived from the Persian word chasni.

Here are more tomato recipes:
Cherry Tomato Salad
Roasted Tomato Tart

I stopped at a hardware store on my way home from work and picked up a couple dozens of canning jars ( yup, hardware stores carry them here). I still have basketful of cherry, yellow, Roma and "big boy" tomatoes on my kitchen counter. I guess I will be canning this weekend!

Tomato chutney
4 medium sized tomatoes
1 1/2 Tb vegetable oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
5 curry leaves ( fresh or dried)
2 green chillies - seeded and chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cayenne or hot chili powder
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder or one cinnamon stick
4 small shallots - peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 whole cumin seeds

Wash and dry tomatoes. Chop tomatoes and set aside.
Heat vegetable oil in heavy pan. I like to use a heavy bottomed pot for this and for most of my curries. I find that curries do not burn easily with heavy bottomed pot ( having said that use whatever pot you have on hand, even a saucepan would work).

Saute black mustard seeds, whole cumin seeds and curry leaves for 5 minutes on medium heat. High heat would burn the seeds and it will be bitter- the whole dish will be ruined!

When the mustard seeds starts to pop add chopped shallots, ginger, garlic and saute until onions start to caramelize - this usually takes 5 minutes.
Add chopped tomatoes and cinnamon stick or powder, salt and cook for 10 minutes with the lid on. Remove the lid and stir tomatoes once or twice. The tomatoes will start to break down and turn thick and pulpy. Add chili or cayenne powder, turmeric, sugar. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings and serve.

This would keep in the coldest part of the fridge up to a week. I usually serve this sweet, spicy and tangy side dish with dhall (lentils) and rice . Naan or chappati will be perfect to scoop mouthfuls of this delicious chutney.

I have entered this post to the WYF:Colour in Food Event ( thanks Srimathi!)

Beautiful Berries

TWD this week is Blueberry Sourcream Ice cream, chosen by Chronicles in Culinary Curiosity.
A week ago I did not own an ice cream maker and had baked Dorie's plum cake ( which turned out quite nicely). Then Brad and I went stopped at a store in Rhineback, New York on our way to attend C & J's wedding and found a cheap ice cream maker. I was not keen in getting an expensive ice cream maker because I am not sure if I would use it often it to justify the expense.


We stopped at a farmer's market on our way back from the wedding on Sunday and bought a few pints of blueberries. I have always liked blueberries and usually have some in the freezer for smoothies. This is a bit more sinful than your virtous smoothies ( and all the ice cream is GONE!!). The recipe is easy enough - cook the berries with sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest till the fruits pop, cool and let the ice cream maker do its magic.


The ice cream was wonderful - it was creamy and fruity. And I think I will be using the ice cream maker again this week :) The recipe can be found here.

Beet Salad With Watercress Dressing

I have been frequenting my local farmers market religiously every Saturday morning. I fill my reusable bags with different varieties of lettuces, onions, tender carrots, arugula, sweet corn, tender zucchinis ( both long and round ones) , peaches, plums and whatever else that is in season. I really enjoy myself this time of the year. My garden is doing well and is overflowing with cherry, Roma and yellow tomatoes, eggplant and hot peppers. The herbs are getting out of hand. No really - the pots are overflowing with herbs, especially the mint - it is setting off runners everywhere. And guess what folks ...all these plants are growing on my patio in pots.

I was worried of the deer feasting on my little oasis. There are thick woods ( and a walking trail - bonus!) right off my back door and there is a herd of deer living there. I have seen them on many occasions but they do not seem to be interested in my garden. I guess it is because they have PLENTY to eat right now.


Getting back to the beet salad - I first saw this recipe on Elie Krieger's show on the Food Network and I was hooked! I am a sucker for beautiful, colourful foods and this one fits the bill quite nicely. The beets are steamed for 40 minutes until fork tender and it is tossed together with a handful of roasted walnuts, some tender lettuce from my garden and a creamy watercress dressing. The dressing is herbaceous and rich - the goat cheese gives it a velvety texture. This makes a lovely side dish or a light dinner all on its own.


Beet Salad With Watercress Dressing
1 bunch beets - around 5 beets
1/4 cup walnuts - roasted
1 bunch watercress - washed
3 oz goat cheese
1/2 cup low fat buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


Wash beets and trim the greens.
Steam beets for 40 minutes or until the beets are fork tender ( or knife tender - whatever you prefer). Cool steamed beets and peel the skin - at this point the skin will easily slip off. I handle the beets with gloves - a good way to go if you do not want to stain your hands. Peel the beets and cut them into cubes or into 8 ths.

In a food processor pour buttermilk, salt and pepper, goat cheese, vinegar, washed watercress and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.

I served the beets on a bed of mixed baby lettuce, drizzled the watercress dressing and topped with roasted walnuts.

Try my other beet recipes :
Beet and Ginger Soup
Roasted Beet and Olive Salad
Raw Beet Salad with Freshly Grated Coconut

TWD - Black and White Banana Loaf

Our TWD assignment this week is Black and White Banana loaf chosen by Ashlee of A Year In The Kitchen. What makes this recipe a bit different from most banana bread recipe for me is the addition of freshly grated nutmeg. The flavour of nutmeg is not overpowering at all, it all sort of came together in the end. My favourite part is the chocolate banana batter - it is dark and intense. I used 70% Ghiradelli chocolate which is my favourite brand to use whenever I bake. I had some walnuts chopped but forgot to add it to the cake batter.

There were some concerns form TWD members of the cake not baking through. I was initially concerned as the batter was a bit on the runny side. The cake did take longer to bake than the indicated time in the recipe.

This cake stays moist for a few days. So..bake it and have it on hand this weekend, it goes well with a cup of tea. You can get the recipe here .