Rustic Peach Cake

Ok so I know it's been a long time since my last post but I have written some and for some odd reason I could not get them to publish, well after a little research I found it's a problem blogger is having with IE 9 which we just upgraded to. So now problem solved and here we go again;)

Fresh squash and zucchini in the market, fresh corn and tomatoes by the roadside all point to summer and it's official arrival but noting says summer is here like fresh peaches and I don't mean those pesky cling stone peaches the first to come each year but juicy free stone peaches.

Every summer as a kid our family would make what seemed like a long trek to Georgia to a farmer's market to buy peaches. Now I don't mean a few peaches but at least 3 cases of peaches and in case you don't know a case of peaches is 25 pounds..YIKES! Why so many? Well yes we loved peach pie but it was for canning, every year my mom put up jars and jars of peaches for us to enjoy all winter long. So for me fresh peaches and summer just go together and although I don't jar many for winter I do feel the need to buy that nostalgic 25 pound box, plus peach boxes are just the best for storage because they are heavy duty and wax covered.

If you've never bought 25pounds of peaches let me tell you it's a lot of peaches so now comes the fun part using all these peaches. Over the next few days follow my Fresh Peach Posts, to start them off is a new favorite Rustic Peach Cake

This cake is beautifully simplistic in both preparation and flavor a simple cake topped with peaches, not to sweet so it is perfect for breakfast with a cup of coffee or after dinner accompanied by vanilla ice cream or a late night snack with some Working Cows Dairy Organic Milk...YUM.



Rustic Peach Cake, from C.I., American Classics

Combine:
1 cup a.p. flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt

Mix until light:
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
8 T unsalted butter, softened

Add:
2 large eggs
2 T sour cream (or whole milk)
1 t vanilla extract

Then add flour mixture to egg mixture and mix on low until just combined. Pour into greased and floured cake pan.

For peaches:
peel, pit and slice 2 medium peaches and toss with 1/4 c sugar and 1/2 t cinnamon then arrange in a circular pattern around the edge and in the middle of cake.
(*Tip: scattering some chopped, dried apricots or peaches over the batter before arranging the fresh peaches on top will soak up the excess peach juice and eliminate a soggy cake top, but this is kind of fancy and is optional.)

Bake @ 350 for about 35-40 min. I used a 9-in cake pan, but you could use a springform or any kind of cake pan for this.

Inspired Cooking

I haven't posted in a long while but I have been cooking tons in fact so much I really havn't had time to do a whole lot of blogging. You know how sometimes you just want to make new and exciting food and nothing you think of really sounds good? Well that's been my delima for the last couple of weeks I feel like I've been making uninspiring food good but uninspiring. Sometimes you just have to mix it up and come up with some new ideas to keep the dinner table fresh. Last night was just the kind of night I knew I was doing something with pork tenderloin but what? While I love cooking with pork tenderloin because it is quick and easy to cook and always tastes great I needed some new flavors...hmmm instead of whole maybe medallions good, have oj and chipotles I see a sauce comming along. Now for sides well that's easy mashed sweet potatoes yummm and fresh asparagus on sale :) Dinner: Pork Medallions with Orange Chipotle Glaze Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Steamed Asparagus Turned out delicious with just enough heat to make it intresting, will make this one again
Get the recipe

Valentines dinner

Valentines Dinner Veal Saltimboucco, Mushroom Risotto and Asparagus.


This dinner comes together so quick and easy the veal is sliced thin and sautees very quickly and the sauce is a breeze. Since I parcooked the risotto and just finished it right before eating this meal came together in no time and it made me look like a kitchen goddess...which for Valentines is always a good thing. I remember one year I had been busy all day cooked for a couple of people and in a rush tried to make Osso Bucco, a dinner that just takes time, and well it turned out well not good- I cried and we ordered Valentines Pizza. From then on I decided to make Valentine Dinners that are quick but fabulous and this is it!
Get the recipe here

Valentines

What's not to like about Valentine's day? Even when I was single with no special valentine on the horizon I still loved this day, I was never the bitter single type. It's just a fun day to share you love with those special to you. When I was single and had the restaurant we did a very special Valentine's dinner with heart shaped food and I remember thinking someday when I'm married I will do this for my husband instead of for customers. Well that day did come and every year at the Loudon house we have a special Valentine's dinner complete with candle light and decorations.
Our menu for this year: Veal Saltimboucco,mushroom risotto,and roasted asparagus
and for dessert? Conversation Heart Cakes

Happy Valentine's from Pamela's Kitchen!

Follow up

So a few weeks ago I posted that King Arthur baking across America was making a stop here in Birmingham and how thrilled I was and probably more information on KA then you really cared for. They came and I went.

If you have an opportunity to attend one of these demos I would urge you to go, it was fun! So I didn't really learn anything new but I think most everyone else did pick up some pointers. Not that they did not have good information but I've been making pie crust and sweet breads for a long time. But, since that was not my main objective I didn't mind. I am a food nerd and groupie, there I admit it and that is why I went. Like a Trekie at a convention you can't tell me anything new, I just have to go because it's who I am.

The cooking demo was good, it was fun meeting the staff but the best part was the giveaways oh now I've got your attention. I knew they had advertised door prizes yea, yea some measuring spoons or a rubber spatula, no I walked away with 15 pounds of flour, a popover mix, a bowl scraper, and $40 in gift cards! Plus coupons a plenty.

I racked up so well in the door prizes because in the afternoon session I had to take the kids who were out of school. Caleb was thrilled beyond belief that his ticket number was called and he won a bag of flour, "It's the first thing I've won in my whole life."

All in all it was a fun, exciting, and highly profitable day. So if KA is coming to your town GO and if you missed here in Birmingham maybe they will be back.

Artisan Ciabatta Rolls

The first time I ever encountered ciabatta bread was at the Culinary Institute in my breads class and let me tell you it was love at first taste. Light yet chewy with an open interior (to hold all kinds of goodies) and a crisp crust. Oh the texture of that bread perfect for sopping up balsamic and the only bread for a true panani. Well the once obsecure artisian bread is now a norm at places like Wendy's and Arby's but if these are all you know of ciabatta bread you are sadly mistaken as they are a cheap over poofed version of the real thing.

In Italian Ciabatta means "slipper" refering to the shape of the bread short and wide. I have in the past made OK renditions of ciabatta but nothing like a true artisian ciabatta. So this week I challenged myself to make good artisian ciabatta rolls for sandwiches...hubs did not object ;)
After researching many recipes I found one that sounded like the bread I wanted to make and the technique was different than any I've used before which made it a challenge.


my ciabatta rolls


This dough is made with a sourdough starter or biga and is a very wet dough mixed completly with your hands. When I first incorperated all the ingredients I had a soggy mass and thought "this is never going to work", I wish I had taken pictures because it did. The other different thing about this bread is it is not really kneaded, which leads to the open texture, but instead it is just folded. This is truly an artisian bread made in the "old" style and well worth every bit of time and effort
I still think there is room for improvement but I was very happy with the first attempt and I can't wait to make these this summer to fill with a lovely fresh tomato, basil and mozzarella drenched with balsamic.
Wanna try your hand at cibatta here's the recipe

King Arthur is coming to town (set to tune of Santa is coming to town)

Exciting news here at my kitchen King Arthur Flour is coming to town for baking classes!
I have loved KAF since my first encounter with them while at the Culinary Institute.Located in beautiful Norwich Vermont King Arthur Flour is America’s oldest flour company, founded in Boston in 1790 to provide pure, high-quality flour for residents of the newly formed United States. For 200 years they have continued to produce the highest quality flours and baking products.Their commitment to quality starts with the farmers and goes through the milling process to ensure you get the highest quality product and since the company is 100% employee owned they all take it very serious. I have always wanted to work for KAF, maybe someday hubs and I will retire to Vermont and that dream will come true. So until then you just get to hear me go on about what a great company they are. But back to the cooking classes they will offer 2 classes: pies and tarts and sweet yeast bread.Here's the schedule:
Friday, January 28, 2011
Pine Tree Country Club
5100 Pine Whispers Drive
Birmingham, AL 35210
205- 956-1555
Noon to 2 pm: Perfect Pies & Tarts
7 pm to 9 pm: Sweet Yeast Bread
And here's the best part...wait for it...it's FREE! Can't wait to see you there!