Blueberry Muffin Cake with Streusel Crumb Top

The weather here yesterday went from sunny, to cloudy, to rainy, and back to sunny again. It was as if Mother Nature could not make up her mind as to what she wanted to do (so nice to have a kindred spirit as this is how I felt yesterday as well). But once the sun came out, I thought about heading to the beach. but then thought about picking some blueberries at the blueberry farm down the road from where I live. In the end I decided to do both (no surprise there). First the blueberry picking, then the beach. I would use the time at the beach to read and think about what I wanted to do with the blueberries.

If you have not picked blueberries before or felt connected to an inner Laura Ingalls Wilder (hint: Little House on the Prairie), you are missing out on this fun little experience. Picking blueberries could not be easier. All you do is put a little bucket around your waist, walk through the aisles of blueberry bushes and pick the ripest, most beautiful blueberries you can find. And oh yes, you get to test a few as you pick them (a little nourishment for the work you are doing, the incentive to keep going). In less than an hour I was able to pick two pounds of blueberries. That was the easy part. What I would do with these blueberries that I had handpicked was a tad more difficult as there were so many choices.

I had seen a recipe for Blueberry Muffin Cake in the August/September issue of Fine Cooking and thought maybe this is what I would do with some of the blueberries. But I thought the recipe was missing something. That something would be a streusel topping. I mean really, a blueberry muffin without a streusel topping? Is that not like toast with butter, bagels without cream cheese, or oatmeal without a little brown sugar? Yes, yes and yes. I remembered that Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito had a great recipe for a streusel topping that they made to go along with one of their coffee cake recipes in their Baked cookbook. So the decision was made. At least two cups of the handpicked blueberries would go into a Blueberry Muffin Cake with Streusel Crumb Top. I could hardly for the morning so I could bake and fill the house the the aroma of baked goodness.

While this is a recipe using butter, sugar, eggs, and nuts (always the making of something divinely delicious), the most important ingredient is the blueberries. Ripe, beautiful blueberries. Particularly ones harvested in the summer.

The recipe for the streusel topping was enough for one 9x13 cake or two 9 inch cakes. Rather than cutting the recipe in half I decided that I would use half for this recipe and half for another. Maybe I would even make two Blueberry Muffin Cakes with Streusel Crumb Top. Toasted pecans, flour, butter, dark brown sugar and a little salt are the only ingredients in the streusel.

The flour, dark brown sugar and salt are added to a food processor and mixed until just combined. Next the toasted pecans are added and processed until they are ground into the mixture. Lastly. the cold unsalted butter is added and pulsed until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Transferred to a bowl, covered and placed in the refrigerator the mixture will remain chilled while you assemble the cake.

I absolutely love recipes that don't require the use of a mixer, especially if I am baking in the early morning hours. This is one of those recipes mixed by hand in a bowl. The dry ingredients are sifted into a large bowl and set aside. The wet ingredients are whisked together and added to the dry ingredients until just incorporated. It is important to not over mix this batter.

Once the batter comes together the two cups of blueberries are added and folded in with a spatula. The mixture is then scraped into a 9" springform pan that has been lined with parchment paper. 

The batter is topped with half of the streusel mixture and placed into a 350 degree preheated oven. The recipe called for a baking time of 45 to 55 minutes, however, I found that it needed the 55 minutes (although I checked it for doneness at 45 minutes). During the last ten minutes of baking I placed a sheet of aluminum foil over the top so the streusel topping did not go beyond the color of brown I wanted it to have. The cake is done when a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. For years I did not use a cake tester and instead used a toothpick. While a toothpick can work, I now prefer the use of a cake tester as it is more accurate and does not leave 'large' holes in the top of a cake.

When finished baking, the Blueberry Muffin Cake with Streusel Crumb Top should be left to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before you unmold and serve it. The hardest part of this recipe is waiting as the aroma of the brown sugar and blueberries is intoxicating. On a large round platter or a cake stand, this cake is beautiful to look at. It is not just its' external beauty that makes this cake special, it is its' inner beauty. One taste of this Blueberry Muffin Cake with Streusel Crumb Top and, well let's just say it has an addictive quality to it. And that's not just because it was made with handpicked blueberries!

Recipe 
BlueberryMuffin Cake with Streusel Crumb Top (adapted recipes from Fine Cooking (August/September 2013) and Baked: New Frontiers in Baking)

Ingredients
Streusel (makes enough for two Blueberry Muffin Cakes)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup pecans, toasted
6 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1" cubes

Batter
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups fresh blueberries

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9" springform pan with parchment paper.
2. For streusel topping: 
a. Put the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulsed until mixed. 
b. Add pecans and pulse until pecans are finely chopped. 
c. Add butter and process until combined. Mixture will look like coarse sand. 
d. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator.
3. For batter
a. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt nto large bowl.
b. In smaller bowl whisk the eggs, milk, butter and vanilla.
c. Stir in the wet ingredients to the flour mixture until just incorporated.
d. Fold in berries.
e. Scrape batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly.
f. Top with half of the streusel mixture. Keep the other half of the streusel recipe chilled in the refrigerator and reserve for another use.
g. Bake for approximately 45 to 55 minutes (I baked mine for 55 minutes) or until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Note: During the last 10 minutes of baking cover loosely with aluminum foil if top appears if it is getting too brown.
h. Cool on rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer cake to a serving platter. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

When you walk the aisles of a blueberry farm you find bushes with berries in all stages of ripeness. It is a bush that holds back on its' bounty, releasing its' fruit a little a time. While blueberry picking would go much faster if the berries on the tree were ripe all at the same time, it feels more satisfying to find the ripest berries on the bushes a few at a time. Sort of like the same way it feels to slowly discover the plot of a story or the gifts of a friend. The excitement of the anticipation combined with the energy in the discovery are things than can make your heart race with joy.  And without the investment of time, you might miss out on something or someone important.

And just as the ripeness of the berries change on a blueberry bush, so do we (change that is). Judging something or someone on a first experience or past experience can mean that we don't believe things or people can change. Sometimes that belief can lead us to missing out to an experience or perhaps even a life changing moment. I am one who believes we all grow and evolve. Sometimes we get stuck along the way, but eventually life changes us or we change ourselves. There are parts of me that are the same as when I was 16 years old, but there are other parts of me that are so different from the teenager I once was or even the adult I was several years ago. Quite possibly like a blueberry bush we too release our gifts slowly over time. And those that stay in our lives are the ones to see and experience these changes and quite possibly are rewarded with joy and energy for their investment of time in us. And what about those who see as only as we once were or don't remain in our lives? Well, maybe they either got stuck along the way or maybe they were not destined to be part of our journey.

Penne Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce & Goat Cheese

As much as I enjoy eating out at great restaurants, there is nothing more relaxing, more satisfying than having a great dinner at home, particularly in the summer when cocktails or dessert can be served on the porch and dinner served inside at the table. I love being able to move around through the courses of a meal. More often than not, the simpler the meal, the better it is. After spending a day at the beach with a friend who was visiting, I really hadn't planned ahead as to what we would have for dinner, but had a few ideas. However, Penne pasta with fresh tomato sauce and goat cheese was not on my list of options.

I knew we could could pick up and steam some fresh lobsters (the benefit of living in a town with a lobster market) and serve with some grilled native corn. Lobster and corn is always a great simple summer meal (I have become spoiled living near the ocean.) But instead, my friend suggested we get some tomatoes from the farm stand, make a tomato sauce, serve it over pasta and top it with goat cheese and basil. Lobster or pasta, which one to choose? We went with the past and it turned out to be the perfect meal to end a perfect day at the beach. I made the pasta and salad and she made the sauce.

From the beach we went to the farm stand and picked up a pint of grape tomatoes, a small red onion and a head of garlic. That was all we needed as there was basil in the garden, goat cheese in the refrigerator, and pasta in the cabinet at home. And yes, there was more than enough wine to go with the meal as well as some leftover blueberry crisp.

There is nothing better than cooking with and eating fruits and vegetables in the season in which they are locally grown. Especially tomatoes. I cannot eat a 'fresh' tomato after September or before the beginning of July as tomatoes in the 'off season' are tasteless. So essentially there are only three months of the year where tomatoes are cooking and eating worthy. With possibly the exception of grape tomatoes as they seem to have a sweetness about them year round.

The tomato sauce may be simple, but the flavors are anything but. The garlic and onions are sautéd in extra-virgin olive oil before chopped grape tomatoes are added and cooked until they have somewhat caramelized. 

The longer you cook the tomatoes the deeper the flavor of the sauce. At a minimum the sauce should be cooked for twenty minutes. I cooked the sauce on medium heat at the beginning and reduced it to medium low with the pan covered. Every few minutes I stirred the sauce making sure that the heat was cooking and not scorching the tomatoes. 

While the sauce is cooking, the penne pasta should be cooked until al dente as once drained the pasta is finished cooking in the sauce. (I used about a half pound of penne pasta for this recipe.) Before draining the pasta, reserve some of the pasta water as you can use it to make your sauce just a little creamier. 

Fresh basil and goat cheese are added layers of flavor to this pasta dish. Basil cut chiffonade style (thin long strips) makes for a great presentation. The dish takes about two ounces of goat cheese that has been crumbled. 

This is a meal that comes together in less than an hour. It is beyond flavorful, satisfying and delicious. So if you have had a long day and have unexpected (or expected) guests, this is a dish that looks and tastes like you have cooked all day.

Recipe

Penne Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Goat Cheese 

Ingredients

1 pint of grape tomatoes, chopped

3 - 4 cloves of garlic, minced (I used 4 cloves)

1/4 cup red onion, minced

4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 pound of penne pasta

2 to 3 ounces of goat cheese, crumbled 

Basil leaves, cut chiffonade style

Directions

1. Heat 4 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a deep sauté pan (a non-stick pan works well if you have one). Add the garlic and sauté for about one minute. Add the minced onion and cook until the onion is softened and slightly translucent.

2. Add the chopped grape tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook on medium to medium low heat, stirring often. Once the tomatoes have softened, cover the pan and stir frequently. Cooking time is at least 20 minutes.

3. While the sauce is cooking, make the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving some of the pasta water.

4. When sauce is finished, add the al dente pasta and continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes or until the pasta has been completely coated by the sauce. Add more salt to taste.

5. Pour pasta onto serving platter and top with basil and goat cheese.

6. Enjoy hot or at room temperature.

The house I live in sits back from the road so its the back door everyone comes in. I call this little entry way a vestibule as I haven't come up with a name for it yet. I wanted the space to be welcoming so I filled it with treasures I have collected at the beach and at antique shops and shows. I seem to be good at filling spaces. When I moved in this little vestibule was yellow and black. I could not see myself or anyone else walking into those colors everyday so it was the first space I repainted. (My apologies to those of you who love color on your walls, who love the color yellow.) And it was no surprise that I painted the walls white. Painting the door blue was a bit of a color stretch for me, but in living in such close proximity to the ocean it was a door destined to be blue, a door that, if it could speak, said it wanted to be blue. (Yes, I am someone who believes that houses have a way of telling you what color they want to be and what kinds of furnishings they want to have. No, I am not crazy, just call me a house-whisperer.)

From fresh eggs, to bouquets of flowers, to homemade jams, to vegetables from a garden, my little vestibule has been a place where surprises sometimes await my arrival. It's funny how such simple gestures of kindness and generosity have brought such great joy.  I will miss this house and my neighbors someday as in such a short period of time they have given me so many tangible and intangible gifts. As much as I might try, I am not sure I could ever repay their kindnesses. Somedays I wonder how I got so lucky to find this little farmhouse and be surrounded by such amazingly thoughtful and giving neighbors. I have always believed that people come into your life for a reason even if we don't know what that reason might be at the time. But now I also believe that some people come into your life when you need them most.

Creme Brûlée

What is it about tasting something for the first time that the experience becomes a permanent memory? I am someone who believes most firsts are memorable (you know, like first kiss, first love, first great wine, first great view of the mountains, first great meal with someone).  Hopefully we are able to have more good first memories than not so good ones or at least be given a second chance to have new 'firsts'. My first experience eating Creme Brûlée was memorable because I had no idea what it was, I was Creme Brûlée clueless. I was convinced to order it for dessert (the friend I was with was food trustworthy) even though there was a decadent chocolate dessert on the menu just screaming my name. But I allowed my arm to be twisted and ordered it. In just one bite of this rich, creamy custard I fell in love with it, further validating my friend's food recommendation worthiness. From then on, if given a choice between something made of chocolate or Creme Brûlée for dessert, I will go for the Creme Brûlée. It is the most perfect ending to a great meal or a most perfect ending to a meal that may have disappointed. Because this Creme Brûlée is so good, that you will quickly forget how disappointed you may have been with your entree or your guests will forget that your pasta wasn't cooked perfectly after taking just one bite. Yes, this is a dessert has the ability to transform the memory of a meal!

While it contains only four ingredients, it is a dessert that some have found a little intimidating to make. But allow yourself to now be fearless in the making of Creme Brûlée as it is a relatively easy custard to make. Seriously, it is relatively easy. And once you make this for family and friends, well it could become your signature dessert. Isn't part of the fun of making a special dinner for family and friends making the meal memorable? And if you didn't believe the mantra 'last eaten, last remembered' before, you just might now be a believer.

Remember I said this was a rich dessert as it is one not for the faint of heart.  Five egg yolks and two cups of heavy whipping cream are the two ingredients responsible for creating such decadence. Only a half cup of sugar and two tablespoons of vanilla are the other ingredients in Creme Brûlée. Four ingredients, how much simpler can this be?

The five egg yolks and the half cup of sugar are beat at high speed until light and fluffy. This usually takes about two minutes. You do not need to pull out your stand mixer for this recipe, a hand mixer is all you need.

The two cups of heavy whipping creme are heated in a heavy saucepan until lukewarm. This temperature of the cream is important as if it's too hot it will curdle the egg/sugar mixture and if it's too cool it won't help set the custard as it bakes in the oven. So what is lukewarm?  It generally means the liquid is between 98 and 105 degrees Fahrenheit (or 36.5 to 40.5 Celsius). And when you place a lukewarm liquid on your wrist, it feels warmer than your body temperature. If you have ever warmed milk for a baby bottle, you know what lukewarm feels like. If you don't trust your sense of testing for lukewarmness (if that's a word), then use a thermometer the first few times you make this.

Once the heavy whipping cream is lukewarm, you very gently whisk into the egg/sugar mixture until it is all blended. If you over mix or mix to hard you will create a froth (and a froth here is not a good thing). Once mixed together, two tablespoons of vanilla are gently stirred in.

This recipe will serve five to six people depending on the size ramekin you use. I like using the wider, less deep ramekins as I think they make for a better presentation and also provides for a larger surface for the wonderful bruleed sugar topping.  But whatever size ramekin you use, it needs to hold at least 6 ounces of liquid.

The mixture is poured into the ramekins and placed in a deep roasting pan to which you add hot, tepid water that reaches up to the halfway point of the ramekins. You do not want water to get into your custard, so I suggest you place the roasting pan with the filled ramekins on a rack in your oven, pour the water in then and then gently push in the rack.

The custards are baked for 45 to 50 minutes or until the custard is set. One way of testing the custard is to insert a knife into one of the custards. If it comes out clean, it is done. The custard will still have some slight movement in it when it is done. It will set up further as it chills.  The baked custards are removed from the water bath and allowed to cool. Once cooled they should be refrigerated for at least eight hours or overnight.

A generous heaping teaspoon of sugar is spread out evenly over the cooled custards. For the size ramekin I used, I spread almost two teaspoons of sugar over the top. The sugar is what is needed for the bruleeing. I have used white sugar and brown sugar before but always go back to using white sugar as I think it is the more classic, traditional way of making Creme Brûlée. More importantly, I like the taste of burnt white sugar better than that of burnt brown sugar.

Williams-Sonoma sells a torch for making Creme Brûlée or you can buy one of those small propane torches from the hardware store. To brulee or burn the sugar, you simple place the torch over the sugar and move back and forth over the surface until the sugar has been heated to the bubbling point and slightly darkened or burnt (yes you are actually burning the sugar).

You can serve the Creme Brûlée immediately after you have burnt the sugar or you can return to the refrigerator and serve later. If you serve it immediately, you will have the experience of tasting the warm, slightly burnt sugar and the cold creamy custard underneath. Such an amazing contrast of tastes and textures. Such a memorable contrast of tastes and textures!

Recipe
Creme Brûlée (slight adaptation of the Chestnut Street Grill recipe)

Ingredients
5 egg yolks (from large eggs)
1/2 cup sugar plus additional for top
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 Tablespoons vanilla

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Place egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in medium bowl and mix until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
3. Heat heavy whipping cream to lukewarm.
4. Gently stir in the whipping cream to the egg/sugar mixture.
5. Stir in vanilla.
6. Pour in ramekins holding at least 6 ounces 
7. Place ramekins in a deep baking pan. 
8. Fill baking pan with hot tepid water to the halfway point of the ramekins (best to pour the water in the baking pan with pan already on rack on the oven). Bake for 45-50 minutes or until set (or until knife inserted into custard comes out clean).
9. Remove from water bath and allow to cool. Refrigerate when cooled. Should be refrigerated for at least 8 hours or overnight.
10. Top each custard with a generous rounded teaspoon of sugar (spreading evenly over the baked custard).
11. Using a small propane torch or creme brûlée torch, burn sugar until it begins to bubble and caramelize. 
12. Can serve immediately or return to the refrigerator until ready to serve.

I am a self-confessed 'does not cook everyday' cook. But rather I am one who likes to prepare meals several times a week. As much as I love to cook, read through cookbooks, and entertain, this may sound a little inconsistent (but a little inconsistency can sometimes be a good thing). I have often wondered how much better of a cook I would be if I was making one or two meals a day, everyday. In using Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 hours concept, most definitely I would be a much better cook. Better at gauging the nuances of some recipes as well as better at making things that first appear to be complex or hard to feel easier and simpler.  My 10,000 hours will not be cooking meals everyday but will have to be the accumulation of time spent cooking over the course of my life thus far (at least for now, who knows I might someday be inspired to cook everyday).

I have had a recent shift in my thinking about the concept of perfect (notice I used the better in the aforementioned paragraph and not perfect). Reading the book "Daring Greatly" by Brene Brown and some other life changes are just two of the reasons for my recent reflections. This is (or should I say I am) a 'work in progress shift' as perfectionism and seeking to be perfect (for others) has dominated my life every since I can remember (which for me is the first grade). Sometimes I like to think that my astrological sign (Virgo) has played a role in who I am, but then again as much as I believe there is some wisdom in astrology, I also believe we have the ability to make choices. But shifting from a place of seeking to be perfect (for others) is hard work as my concept of 'good enough' skews to the perfectionism end of the continuum. While I don't think I will ever completely give up on doing (or attempting to do) some things perfectly, for me the journey will be all about finding balance.

Blueberry Crisp

Blueberry season has finally arrived. While I have yet to find the time to go blueberry picking, my favorite fruit stand and grocery store are, for the time being, my go to sources for fresh blueberries. Whether or not my locally grown blueberries really taste better than those grown in other states (or even other countries), I have convinced myself there is a difference. With the exception of a blueberry cobbler, I cannot think of a single dessert calling for blueberries that I do not like. As much as I love blueberry muffins, blueberry lemon pound cake, blueberry pie and blueberry jam, my favorite recipe using blueberries is a blueberry crisp. There is just something so satisfying about the flavor combination of the warm baked blueberries and the sweet, crunch crisp topping (oh yes, along with some great vanilla ice cream) making it one of my favorite desserts to make year round. But particularly in the summer when the blueberries are at their peak.

Years ago I found a Blueberry Crisp recipe in a Yankee magazine, in the days when this magazine was the size of a Reader's Digest (I am most likely dating myself with this reference). My recollection had the recipe using Maine blueberries (which are smaller and also incredibly delicious) created by someone in Maine. In addition to lobster and lobster rolls, Maine is a state known for its' blueberries (I have been known to drive more than 2 hours to get a lobster roll in Maine, there is a sweetness to the lobster there that makes it drive worthy, but this isn't a posting about lobsters, its' about blueberries). Before making this crisp the first time, I had a pretty good feeling that someone in Maine knew how to make an amazing Blueberry Crisp.

Because whoever created this recipe put together the perfect balance of flavors.  How do I know this? Well I had lost the recipe once and tried another blueberry crisp recipe and it did not come anywhere close to the flavor and texture of the recipe I found in Yankee magazine.

It all begins with fresh blueberries. Or a combination of blueberries and blackberries. And at the moment I am not compelled to drive to Maine for fresh blueberries (although the thought has crossed my mind), as where I live here are several blueberry farms.

The blueberries are mixed with the juice and zest of one lemon, 4 Tablespoons of flour, 1/2 cup of sugar, the kosher salt, and a rounded 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon. Once mixed, they are poured into a round or rectangular ceramic or glass dish (you can use a ten inch round, a 9" x 12" rectangular or medium sized oval dish).

In a food processor you will first combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and half of the rolled oats. Ten tablespoons of cold butter that has been cut into small pieces is then added. Pulse the mixture until it is damp crumbly. Pour into another bowl and mix in remaining oats. I like to see and taste the oats in my crisp so I don't process all of them in the food processor. This is an added step, one definitely worth taking.

The crisp topping is equally distributed over the top of the blueberry mixture. Feel free to sprinkle a few more oats on top (about another tablespoon).

Baked in the middle of a pre-heated 400 degree (F) oven, baking time will range from 30-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let the crisp rest for at least 10-15 minutes if serving immediately. I generally make the crisp a few hours before serving, so its' slightly warmer than room temperature.

The golden brown topping has great flavor and a great crunch. The texture of the lemony blueberries and the crisp topping is beyond perfect. I always serve the crisp with some vanilla ice cream, but this crisp is delicious all on its' own. For those of you who are a crisp purists, you might consider skipping the addition of the vanilla ice cream, but I would urge you to give the ice cream a chance here. I think it elevates this crisp into something even more wicked.

Recipe

Blueberry Crisp (more than a slight adaptation to a recipe published in Yankee Magazine ages ago)

Updated Recipe (May 2020)

Ingredients

3 pints (992g or 36 ounces) or 6 cups of fresh blueberries (or 5 cups blueberries and 1 cup blackberries)

1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar

Juice and finely grated zest of 1 small lemon 

4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 rounded teaspoon cinnamon (recommend using Saigon cinnamon)

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 cup (130 g) all-purpose flour

1 cup (200 g) packed light brown sugar

1 cup (100 g) rolled oats plus 2 Tablespoons, divided

1/2 rounded teaspoon cinnamon (recommend using Saigon cinnamon)

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

11 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces

Vanilla Ice Cream for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).  Generously butter a 9" x 12" ceramic or glass baking dish or 10 inch round ceramic baking dish.

2. In a large bowl, mix the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, flour, kosher salt, and cinnamon. Pour mixed berries into prepared dish and set aside.

3. Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and half of the oats in a food processor.

4. Add butter and pulse repeatedly until mixture is clumpy, like damp crumbs.

5. Pour mixture into a bowl and mix in the remaining oats.

6. Spread crumbs evenly over the blueberry mixture.

7. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly hot. Remove from oven. Let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.

8. Serve warm or at room temperature.

9. Serve with the best vanilla ice cream you can find (if you live on the east coast, highly recommended Bliss vanilla)

Notes: (1) If you like a crunchier crisp topping use 12 Tablespoons instead of 11 Tablespoons of unsalted butter. (2) You can easily cut this recipe in half. Use a smaller baking dish. Baking time will be the same. (3) A small lemon will give you between one and two tablespoons of lemon juice. If using a large lemon, you will not want to use all of the lemon juice as it could make your blueberry crisp a little more lemony than you might like.

If summer had to be described in one color, for me it would be the color blue. Blue skies, the ocean, hydrangeas, and blueberries are just some of the things that make this season my second favorite (fall still ranks as my most favorite season). And if there could only be two seasons a year, my choices would be summer and fall. Both are so bountiful and beautiful on so many different levels. Having a Little House on the Prairie winter experience this year (three days without power in house with one fireplace, electric heat and a well), I think I could be good only looking at snow on the tops of mountains for at least a year. Maybe if I put some distance between my memory of this harsh winter and snow, I will go back to embracing winter again someday. 

But for now, I need to just focus on savoring summer without looking ahead or looking back. There is much to be said about the concept of living in the moment (sometimes easier said than done). Have you ever just finished eating breakfast and someone says 'so what's for lunch, what's for dinner?' Or have you ever been in the company of someone you absolutely love spending time with and all you can think about is when the next time you get together? Or have you just had a perfect moment and interrupt it with wondering how long it will last? I had a friend once who would say to me (when all of these not living in the moment thoughts would come into my head) 'breathe, just breathe'. Sometimes we aren't able to listen to the advice others give us 'in the moment'. Sometimes it takes awhile for this advice to set in.  So for me on days when it all seems just right, I remind myself to 'just breathe' trying not to think about what's coming next, trying only to enjoy the moment. And even on days when things  aren't going as well, the words 'just breathe' help me get through those moments.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Toasted Pecans and Avocado

I had been whining earlier in the week as July began here with gray skies and rain. But it turned out this whining was much ado about nothing as by mid-week the sun and blue skies returned along with some pretty warm temperatures. Living near the water means the temperature can be slightly cooler and then there is always the breeze coming off the ocean that makes warm sunny days comfortable. But warm is warm and hot is hot, no matter how one tries to rationalize it. So why I decided to heat up the oven (in the unair-conditioned house) to roast pecans and brussel sprouts is probably a little odd, but I had been wanting to make Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Toasted Pecans and Avocado recipe ever since I came upon it and didn't want to wait much longer.

The combination of flavors and textures in this dish was not like anything I had tasted before. The combination of the toasted pecans, roasted brussel sprouts and creamy avocado takes brussel sprouts to quite a delicious level (for those of you who are rather nonchalant or even indifferent to brussel sprouts, this roasted version might help you change your mind about them). 

But to be honest here, I thought this dish was even more flavorful when it came to room temperature rather than it was still very warm. So I don't think I will serve it 'warm or hot' the next time I make it. For me, this would be a perfect dish to serve with chicken or a grilled flank steak in any season regardless of the temperature outside.

Toasting pecans in the oven transforms them, making them even more flavorful. The original recipe called for 1/2 cup of pecan halves but I didn't think that was enough in comparison with the amount of brussel sprouts the recipe called for, so I increased them to 3/4 cup. In a pre-heated oven, the pecans are toasted at 400 degrees for five minutes. Once cooled, they are coarsely chopped.

I had found some beautiful brussel sprouts in the grocery store. My little store in town always has perfectly ripe avocados and I always have a wide variety of nuts in the house, so the warm weather was not going to prevent these ingredients from coming together. And hey, it's summer, warmth is a good thing, it's what we endure the winter for, right?

After trimming the ends of the brussel sprouts, they are first blanched in lightly salted boiling water for about three minute or until they are bright green in color. After they are drained, you lightly pat them dry and then cut them in half.

Placed on either one or two large baking sheets (I used one) the brussel sprouts are tossed with a 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil and seasoned generously with salt and pepper. They are baked at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until they are just tender and nicely browned on the bottom. If you have enough room for all of the brussel sprouts, roast in the top or bottom third of the oven. If you divide them between two baking sheets place one on the top third rack and the other on the bottom third rack, rotating them halfway through the baking time.

Until seeing this recipe I would have never thought to add avocado to any roasted vegetable. Guess my culinary creativity or inventiveness needs some work! I love being able to buy a ripe avocado as opposed to buying the ones where you have to wait a few days before they ripe. I am an instant avocado gratification kind of girl.

The roasted brussel sprouts are transferred to a large bowl and tossed with the chopped avocado, thyme and pecans. After again seasoning with salt and pepper, you drizzle the mixture with 2 to 3 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Serve immediately or allow to come to room temperature (you can taste them warm, but I also want you to taste them room temperature to decide for yourself which way or ways you like them). 

For those of you who like goat cheese, you can consider adding goat cheese crumbles to the top of this dish as that would add yet another flavor and texture. I wouldn't say I am goat cheese crazy, but anytime I can add goat cheese, I will (scrambled eggs with goat cheese and roasted asparagus with goat cheese are two of my favorites). 

Recipe

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Toasted Pecans and Avocado (slightly variation to the recipe created by Jean-Georges Vongerichten)

Ingredients

3/4 cups pecan halves( toasted and then coarsely chopped)

2 1/2 pounds brussel sprouts

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large avocado (cut into 1/2 inch dice)

1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme

2 - 3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Spread the pecan halves on a cookie sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Let cool and then very coarsely chop.

3. Blanch the brussel sprouts in lightly salted boiling water for 3 minutes or until bright green. Drain, pat dry and half in half.

4. Using either one or two large baking sheets, toss the brussel sprouts with the extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place brussel sprouts cut side down before putting in the 400 degree oven. Bake in the upper and/or lower third of the oven (if using two baking pans) for 20 minutes or until just tender and nicely browned on the bottom.

5. In a large serving bowl, toss the brussel sprouts with the pecans, avoado and thyme. Season to taste with salt and  pepper.

6. Drizzle balsamic vinegar and serve. Recommend allowing the dish to sit for 20 to 30 minutes before serving as the flavors are even more enhanced. 

There are a few things that can make for a great start to holiday that don't involve food. One of these would be going to an antique show where almost everything on display is from the time period I love (early 1800s to mid-1800s). Even better, it would be going to antique show less than 10 minutes from where I live, taking it all in, finding a few treasures and then still being able to get to the beach (before the beach parking lot is closed). This would have been the start of this year's 4th of July. In my world, this was as perfect as a start as I could have imagined (other than having my family and friends with me on this day). 

I find it great fun to take photos of the things I come across at antique shows, sometimes because they are interesting or unusual or sometimes because it might be something I am thinking about buying (every now and then I show restraint, sometimes with regret). So I was surprised when one of the antique dealers would not let me take a photo of an item in their booth (maybe I shouldn't have asked permission). The piece I couldn't photo was a memory jug (jugs that have been decorated with broken pieces of glass, china, trinkets or even shells.) While I have neither the time, talent nor inclination to 'replicate' such a piece (the reason the dealers didn't want the item photographed, fear of reproduction), it was one of those pieces that fell into the category of interesting and possibly own worthy. For a moment I thought I would tell the dealers I had a photographic memory, but then I wasn't sure how well that would have been received (wicked or weird or both could have been the impression I would have made, but thankfully I chose to keep my wicked and sometimes weird sense of humor to myself). Without an actual photo, I will just rely on the mental picture I took of the memory jug (as it was quite interesting).  Fortunately all was not lost and I have been able to visually enjoy the 'couldn't live without couple of treasures' I did find at the antique show. Keeping my thoughts to myself turned out to be my experience of showing restraint for the day.