Grilled Peach, Burrata, and Arugula Salad with Balsamic Drizzle

For as long as I have lived near Chicago, I have yet to completely explore all it has to offer. Or easily navigate it without the use of a mapping application or the over-reliance on friends (even if I do sometimes second guess them). However, my familiarity with the streets is enough to make me annoyingly aware when a taxi driver takes the most circuitous route to my destination. I often feel like a tourist in my own 'hometown'. Still in awe of its' beauty as my love for it is deepened. On a good day the drive into the city is less than thirty minutes. In the height of rush hour, during construction season, or on a summer weekend, driving into the city in an hour would be miraculous. And while taking the train into the city is much quicker, it can be its' own kind of adventure for me. While less grandeur in scale, it always feels like I am in NYC's Grand Central Station whenever I am in Ogilvie Center. Being a little directionally challenged, I should probably carry a compass with me. Oh, there is probably an app for that too.

After the morning long run, a friend and I took the train into the city on Saturday afternoon. Our first stop was Eataly, a place she had never been before. While there, we had a glass of prosecco and some freshly shucked oysters, tasted more wine and spirits, had a great lunch, shared a dish of hazelnut and salted caramel gelato, shopped, and tasted a grilled peach and fresh mozzarella salad. One tiny bite of that summer rendition of a caprese salad and my mind began racing. I instantly knew I would be revising the recipe for the Grilled Peach and Burrata Salad shared on the blog almost four years ago. 

Initially I had planned to make the Grilled Peach and Burrata Salad with some fresh mozzarella. But when the cheese guy at the Farmer's Market had some freshly made burrata. And well, my plan changed instantly. 

Last summer the Peach, Tomato, Burrata Caprese Salad with Basil Drizzle was on regular repeat around here. Friends who either tasted or made it, raved about it. The combination of tomatoes and peaches was surprisingly delicious. This summer, this Grilled Peach, Burrata, and Arugula Salad with Balsamic Drizzle, may be the hit of the summer. And honestly, this updated version is so much better than the original. 

Peaches are just beginning to come into season here in the midwest. The ones I picked up at the Farmer's Market were salad ready. They were the slightly firm ripe, not that mushy ripe kind. If your peaches are too ripe, they will fall apart when you grill them. 

After cutting each peach half, cut each half into four pieces. If you have medium or even larger sized peaches, your pieces will be the perfect size and will hold up well on your grill pan. If you peaches are small, you might want to cut them in quarters or each half into three pieces.

Using a grill pan on your stove top makes grilling easier and less messy. Even with using this non-stick grill pan, I still used a cooking oil spray on the pan before placing the peach slices on the preheated pan. There were two lessons relearned in grilling the peaches. The first was to get the pan hot before grilling. The second, maybe the most important, was to work in batches. In other words, not put all of the peach slices on the grill pan all at once as the cooking time (about 2-3 minutes per side) is relatively short. You wouldn't want to risk burning them. 

The assembly of the Grilled Peach, Burrata, and Arugula Salad with Balsamic Drizzle is simple. The bottom layer is comprised of a couple of large handfuls of baby arugula, lightly drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with some kosher salt. The grilled peaches and pieces of burrata are then arranged on the arugula base. After drizzling the salad with the balsamic crema (or balsamic glaze), it's sprinkled the basil chiffonade. How easy is that?

Balsamic crema (or balsamic glaze) is an aged (the longer the better) sweet, dense, almost syrupy vinegar. It's refined sweetness and mellow acidity make it the perfect finishing touch on this salad. If you have never had it before, it has a much deeper flavor profile than balsamic vinegar. You could eat it off a spoon. I bought my bottle of an imported aged balsamic crema at Eataly, but more than likely you can find a good one at a grocery or cooking store. 

If ever a salad benefitted from a do-over, this Grilled Peach, Burrata, and Arugula Salad with Balsamic Drizzle would be the one. And yet, even after making some changes to it, I may not have taken this salad  update far enough. Another one of my friends shared eating a similar version of this salad, although hers was also topped with thin slices of prosciutto. What a brilliant idea! How did I not think of that? Thank goodness for the kindness and generosity of friends!  So, if you are looking to take this salad up another notch, add some thin slices of prosciutto on top.

If you have never had a grilled peach before, you are in for the best treat of your life. And if you have never had a salad composed of grilled peaches, burrata, baby arugula, basil chiffonade, and balsamic drizzle your taste buds will be spinning. Given the choice between a traditional caprese salad and this one, I am placing my bets on your choosing this one. Serve it as a hearty appetizer or a side salad, but definitely put this salad on repeat rotation this summer while peaches are in season. Your friends and family will be blown away!

Every now and then updated, revised, better interpretations of a recipe emerge. The inspiration for them may come randomly. As if the universe is looking for a way to whisper in your ear. And last Saturday I heard it whispering to me.

Recipe
Grilled Peach, Burrata, and Arugula Salad with Balsamic Drizzle

Ingredients
Baby Arugula
Fresh medium sized peaches, ripe but not blemished or mushy (See notes)
Burrata cheese (or fresh mozzarella), cut into pieces
Basil, cut to a chiffonade
Extra-virgin olive oil
Balsamic Crema (or aged Balsamic Glaze)
Kosher salt

Optional: Thin slices of prosciutto

Directions
1. Cut peaches into 8 pieces, leaving the skin on.
2. Place grill pan over the burners set medium-high heat. Spray with olive oil or vegetable oil cooking spray.
3. Place the peaches on the hot grill. Grill each side for 2-3 minutes or until you have a nice char. Work in batches (i.e., 10 slices at a time) to prevent burning. Remove peaches from the grill pan and place on a platter. Set aside.
4. Layer bottom of a large platter with arugula. Lightly drizzle and toss with olive oil. Lightly sprinkle with salt.
5. Arrange grilled peach slices on top of the arugula, followed by pieces of burrata.
6. Scatter the basil chiffonade over the top.
7. Drizzle with the balsamic drizzle.
8. Swoon and serve.

Notes: (1) Use a high quality thick, sweet, syrupy balsamic crema or balsamic glaze. I used one imported from Italy found at Eataly (Antica Acetaia Dodi). (2) For a more substantial salad, roll each slice of prosciutto into a mound and then arrange them on the platter after you have drizzled with the balsamic crema. (3) The size of the salad will depend on how many you are serving. Use one medium sized peach per person. An 8 ounce ball of Burrata will be enough for 4 - 5 people.

Along the river on a summer day in Chicago (July 2019)

Saturday afternoon at Eataly in Chicago. (July 2019)

Triple Berry Crisp a la Mode

There is a forty year (and one month) difference between my niece and myself. She will be running her first half-marathon this fall, and I will be running my redemptive half-marathon in late September. I won't tell you the difference between her running pace and mine. But, be rest assured, there is a difference. So as I was taking a ten day running hiatus to nurse an injury, she kept improving her running pace. As if the age difference between us wasn't already enough. We recently looked up her mother's (my sister's) prior half-marathon and marathon running times. I had forgotten how fast my sister used to run (she has since given up running for cycling). With all of us having the competitive DNA gene (mine is in remission) I can't help but wonder if my niece has two half-marathon goals. One of them being able to best her mother. If not in her first half-marathon, but in her second. For me, I not only want to be able to run this half-marathon faster and stronger than I ran it two years ago, I want to be running it without the over reliance of anti-inflammatories. With a little bit of luck from the running and weather gods, I hope we will both achieve our goals. And I promise to do my best to curb my envy when my niece tells me her finish time. As I remind myself there is forty year (and one month) age difference between us.

While the summer running season in the Chicago area is wicked hot and humid, the seasonal fruits and vegetables are at the height of their flavorfulness, color, and ripeness. For me, it's the season of tomato and berry overindulgence. Eaten raw or roasted, I cannot get enough of either of them.  This may be the only time of the year when, if given the choice between a ripe tomato and anything chocolate, I would choose the tomato. Seriously. If only there was a way to preserve whole vine ripened summer tomatoes. I have already begun stockpiling bags of blueberries in the freezer so I can resurrect a little bit of summer in the middle of the cold, bitter winter season. Already having more than a half dozen recipes for great desserts calling for blueberries, my friends and family will be glad so many secret blueberry stashes have been squirreled away.

Blueberries are just one of the berries used in this incredibly delicious Triple Berry Crisp. An abundance of cherries and some strawberries round out this summer seasonal fruit trifecta. 

Topped with a rich vanilla ice cream, the Triple Berry Crisp is taken to an even higher level of comfort food scrumptiousness. Are you drooling yet?

There is a relatively higher ratio of cherries to blueberries and strawberries in this crisp. Considering someone here wasn't as diligent checking to ensure all of the cherry pits were removed, make sure you give this job to someone who will be painstakingly careful. The flavor of the fruit filling is deepened with the use of a fragrant, nutty browned butter. To make browned butter (beurre noisette), begin by melting the butter over medium heat. Occasionally swirl the pan so the butter melts evenly. The butter will begin to change from a melted foamy state, to a lemony-yellow color, to golden tan, and finally to a toasty brown. The tiny bits of milk solids sitting on the bottom of the pan are loaded with flavor. But not everyone is a fan of their slightly burnt taste (I am a huge fan). So when pouring the browned butter into a bowl feel free to use a strainer (or not).

It may seem like you have made too much of the topping. But trust me, you haven't. The generous crisp topping balances perfectly with the sweet, luscious,  thickened, warm fruit filling.

Instead of making this crisp in a single baking dish, I decided to make it in the beautiful au gratin dishes I recently found. Baking time for the Triple Berry Crisp, whether made in a single dish or five or six smaller dishes, will still be approximately 45 minutes. It takes that long for the flavor of the fruit to deepen and for the color of the crisp to turn to a golden brown.

The crisp topping is crunchy and buttery with a hint of cinnamon. The use of brown sugar gives it a warm, just the right amount of sweetness.

You can serve and/or eat the Triple Berry Crisp without some vanilla ice cream.  But why would you want to? Unless of course you are eating some of the leftovers for breakfast and you have a no ice cream for breakfast rule.

This is yet another one of those desserts worth turning on the oven for, even when temperatures are soaring above 90 degrees and the humidity levels are stifling. It also happens to be one that manages to ramp up the flavors of summer's best berries to off the chart levels.

The Triple Berry Crisp works well as either an informal gathering or formal dinner party dessert. The intoxicating aroma of the crisp baking in the oven will have everyone drooling even before you bring it to the table. Fresh summer cherries and berries won't be around forever. So don't wait too long before making this luscious, soul soothing Triple Berry Crisp.

Recipe
Triple Berry Crisp a la Mode
Serves 5 when using au gratin dishes and 6 to 8 when using medium sized ramekins. 
Serves 8-10 if served in a large baking dish.

Ingredients
Crisp Topping
1 1/2 cups (140 g) old-fashioned oatmeal (not quick oats)
1 cup (130 g) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (100 g) light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
12 Tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 12 pieces

Berry Mixture
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted to the brown butter stage
18 ounces (620 g) cherries, pitted
12 ounces (310 g) blueberries
8 ounces (226 g) strawberries, hulls removed and cut into halves and/or quarters depending on size
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup (67 g) light brown sugar
Optional: 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Good quality vanilla ice cream

Directions
Crisp Topping
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
2. In a medium sized bowl, add the flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine.
3. Add in the butter. Use your hands or a fork to combine all of the ingredients. Your mixture should look moist and there should be some clumps. Set aside.

Berry Mixture 
1. In a heavy bottomed skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Cook until the butter begins to brown and has a nutty aroma (approximately 3 to 4 minutes). Remove from heat.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cherries, blueberries, strawberries, brown sugar, and cornstarch.
3. Pour the browned butter over the fruit.
4. Using a spatula, stir to combine. All of the fruit should be coated.
5. Spoon the berry mixture evenly into au gratin dishes and/or medium sized ramekins. Note: Alternately spoon into a 9" x 12" baking dish or 10" round baking dish.
6. Sprinkle on the crisp topping.
7. Bake for 45 minutes or until the top is a beautiful golden brown and the berry mixture is bubbling along the sides of the dish.
8. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. 
9. Top with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream and serve the crisp warm. Then sit back and enjoy.

Notes: (1) If you don't have a scale, there are 3 generous cups of cherries; 2 cups blueberries; 1 1/2 cup strawberries in the crisp. (2) Instead of using au gratin dishes or ramekins, use a baking dish (round, rectangular, or oval) or for a more rustic look use a 10 inch cast iron pan. (3) There was enough of the berry filling and crisp topping to fill five of the au gratin dishes I used. (4) If you don't have any strawberries, make this a cherry and blueberry crisp. Increase the amount of blueberries to 3 to 3 1/2 cups.

Summer Salmon Nicoise Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

On my trip up to Door County last month, I had spent some of that time looking for treasures in a couple of antique shops. As well as to take a much needed break from taking photos. Within minutes of walking into the first shop I spotted a beautiful large blue transferware platter in perfect condition. But it was not at a perfect price. So I asked if it were possible to make an offer on the platter. The answer was yes, but the man minding the store couldn't make that decision for the woman whose booth I had found it in. He wasn't certain he could reach her but he would leave her a message with my offer. I left my phone number, hoped my offer wasn't going to be considered too unrealistic (it was), and then shared I would be heading for home in less than twenty-fours. Truth be told, I don't even know what possessed me to be so bold. I convinced myself the platter was either meant to be mine or it wasn't. As I was leaving town the next day I sheepishly stopped into the antique shop to check on the status of the platter. Needless to say I was more than surprised when the man behind the counter said the platter was mine if I still wanted it. Considering I have a rather revealing face (I would not fair well as a poker player), it was near impossible for anyone standing within ten feet of me not to notice my excitement. The moment I saw that blue transferware platter I envisioned it would first be used to serve the most gorgeous summer salad. And it did!

A classic, more traditional French Nicoise Salad is often made with nicoise olives, oil-cured tuna, anchovies, tomatoes, french green beans, and hard boiled eggs. A myriad of variations of this composed salad have evolved over the years. The opinions on what should and should not be included in the salad vary greatly. Some hold vary strict rules about it's composition, including but not limited to, forbidding the inclusion of any cooked vegetables. This Summer Salmon Nicoise Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette either flagrantly violates or rather very loosely applies many of those rules. It is quite possible some will call for a retraction of my use of the word nicoise here considering this salad isn't made with either tuna or anchovies. Add grilled corn, grilled asparagus, and steamed potatoes to the mix and you too are probably wondering how I could so boldly use the word nicoise in the salad description. If you do a search for nicoise salads you will find they have become more of a concept rather than a very specific type of salad. In other words, unless you are a nicoise salad purist it seems there are no longer any hard and fast rules for it. Well that's my story and I am sticking to it.

So please consider the recipe for my version of a Summer Salmon Nicoise Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette as a guide, a kind of salad road map. As much as I love the combination of vegetables and ingredients used here, feel free to make any adjustments or substitutions based on your taste preferences. My nicoise salad is composed of some of the best seasonal offerings available at the Farmer's Market and in the grocery stores. What this salad might be comprised of several months from now will be heavily influenced by the availability of fresh seasonal vegetables. More than likely it will look different when made in the fall than when made during the summer months.

This is an incredibly hearty, impressive, and relatively healthy salad. One perfect for entertaining your friends and/or family. This salad is equally delicious when some of the vegetables and salmon are still warm as it is when they are at room temperature. Personally, I prefer this salad served room temperature although I do like the potatoes to be on the warm side. Because the salad has so many components, you can make some of them earlier in the day or at least an hour before it is ready to be served. Note: Highly recommend making the potatoes less than an hour before you assemble the salad.

The Mustard Vinaigrette can definitely be made the night before or early in the day. Just cover and keep in the refrigerator. Both a smooth dijon and whole-grain dijon mustard were used here. While you can use either one, I much prefer using both kinds. Not only for flavor but for visual texture.

When either dipped in creamy butter and sprinkled with coarse salt or sliced paper thin, radishes are really delicious. But if radishes aren't your thing, you could also replace them with some marinated red onions. If you love steamed french green beans more than you love grilled asparagus, swap out one green vegetable for the other. As far as tomatoes go, use 'small' ones as they are packed with flavor and remain relatively intact even when cut in half or quartered. I used a combination of grape and Campari tomatoes on this salad as the Farmer's Market didn't have the multi-colored cherry tomatoes this week. When selecting potatoes, I recommend baby red potatoes. When boiled and steamed to a fork tender state, their texture becomes creamy. Additionally, they easily absorb the mustard vinaigrette. Note: The potatoes should be tossed in the mustard vinaigrette while they are still warm.

My intention was to make jammier hard boiled eggs, but I got distracted. Which meant the eggs were cooked past the jammy point. They were still great so all was not lost. Thank goodness I didn't ruin fresh eggs from the Farmer's Market! Better luck to you as you cook the eggs to your favorite hard-boiled preference.

The base of the salad is baby arugula lightly dressed in extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkled with some kosher salt. If arugula isn't one of your favorite greens, use some baby spinach or a spring mix. 

The mustard vinaigrette is served on the side, but with two exceptions. Lightly toss the warm potatoes in some of the mustard vinaigrette before plating it on the platter. Then lightly drizzle it over the roasted salmon. 

You do want to make your salad presentation as beautiful as possible. Some of decisions you need to make before assembling the salad is what type of large platter you want to use. Round, oval, or square?  New or antique? White (always a good choice) or a complimentary color? 

The shape of your platter, along with your own creativity, will influence how you arrange the ingredients. Keep in mind they should each have their own 'space'. Although there might be some slight overlapping. This is not one of those salads where the ingredients are tossed together. Rather it's a composed, deconstructed one. The kind giving your guests choices. Making it one of the few salads where everyone gets to pick their favorite ingredients.

Served with some really great wine and a great dessert (maybe the Pecan Peach Blueberry Crisp), this Summer Salmon Nicoise Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette is the perfect meal for a gathering of your friends and/or family. So go ahead, take advantage of summer's bounty, pull out one of your favorite platters (or go on the hunt for one), and make this gorgeous, incredibly flavorful, non-traditional nicoise salad! Then sit back and savor all of its' deliciousness!

Recipe
Summer Salmon Nicoise Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette 
Serves at least 8

Ingredients
Mustard Vinaigrette (Makes 1 cup)
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 medium sized garlic clove, finely minced
3 Tablespoons Chardonnay or Sherry vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon water
Pinch of granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch of black pepper
1 Tablespoon smooth dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon Whole-Grain dijon mustard

Salmon Nicoise Salad
2 1/2 pound salmon filet, cut into 5 or 6 2" pieces
2-3 ears of yellow or bi-color corn in the husk
1 1/2 pounds baby red potatoes
1 pound asparagus (or one large bunch)
1 pint of grape, cherry or Campari tomatoes (or a mixture of two of the three), cut in half or if large, cut into quarters
3/4 to 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives
6 hard boiled eggs, cut in half
5-6 radishes, very thinly sliced (recommend using a mandoline)
1 -2 avocados, pitted and cut into slices
5 ounces arugula
Extra-virgin olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper

Directions
Mustard Vinaigrette
1. Whisk all of the ingredients until well-blended. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Salmon Nicoise Salad
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees (F). Lightly drizzle some olive oil on a baking sheet. Cut the salmon into 5 or 6 pieces (each 1 1/2 to 2 inches) in width. Season the salmon pieces with kosher salt, black pepper, and some granulated sugar. Lightly drizzle olive oil over the salmon. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature before breaking apart into large pieces.
2. In a medium sized saucepan, fill with water and a tablespoon of kosher salt. Add in the potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and continue cooking until the potatoes are knife tender. Drain water. Keep the potatoes in the pan. Cover and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Cut the warm potatoes in half. Toss with 2 Tablespoons of the mustard vinaigrette.
3. Heat your grill. Toss the asparagus with some olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes until lightly charred. 
4. Soak the corn on the cob for at least 60 minutes before placing on the grill. Grill until the corn is tender, rotating corn while it cooks (roast time is approximately 12-15 minutes). Remove the husks from the corn when the corn is warm enough to handle. Cut the kernels from the cob. Lightly season with kosher salt and pepper.
5. Layer the arugula on the bottom of the platter. Lightly toss with olive oil and season lightly with salt.
6. Arrange the roasted salmon, tomatoes, potatoes, asparagus, sliced radishes, tomatoes, corn, sliced avocado, hard boiled eggs, and kalamata olives over the arugula.
7. Lightly drizzle some of the mustard vinaigrette over the salmon. Serve the remaining vinaigrette in a bowl or sauce boat on the side.

Notes: (1) I used Maille dijon mustards. (2) Consider increasing the amount of the mustard vinaigrette. Any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. (3) This is a very versatile salad. Instead of asparagus use haricot verts; instead of radishes use marinated red onions; instead of the roasted salmon use oil cured tuna or cooked lobster; instead of roasted corn use slices of cucumber; and/or, instead of baby arugula use baby spinach or a spring mix. (4) During the summer months, some vendors at the Farmer's Markets sell a variety of vinegars, including Sherry and Chardonnay ones. 

Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Cake with Citrus Glaze

In spite of being slightly adventuresome and knowing how to swim, up until this past week I couldn't bring myself to get into a single person kayak. But as fate would have it, we had access to two single person kayaks up at the lake cottage last week. In addition, the lake seemed to be relatively calm. If there was ever an overcome my fears opportunity, this was it. The universe was talking. All I needed to do was listen and then find someone to be my 'guide', to teach me how to paddle, and to have enough patience as I processed it all. My nephew was the one who drew the proverbial short straw. If you are going to have someone help you navigate lake waters all by yourself, having an engineering degreed, experienced kayaker nephew is what you want. Better yet, someone you love and trust enough not to make too much fun of you when aren't processing the directions ("Hold your paddle vertical."...."What does that mean?"). I am probably now skilled enough to be dangerous out on the water! The third time we went out on the lake and into the channel was the charm. My confidence being in the kayak went from 0 to 90 in spite of not being able to get myself out of the kayak without falling into the water. After kayaking on the lake for almost an hour, I could have stayed out even longer. Not only because I had enough strength left in me and the lake water was like glass, but mostly because it was nice being able to spend time with my nephew (even if he did make fun of me). Spending time with my sister's family for a couple of days at their happy place is always memorable. And this year was no exception. The 2019 summer at the lake in Pentwater, Michigan during Fourth of July week be remembered for so many reasons but especially as the one where I finally learned to overcome my fear of single person kayaking!

Just as there are many long standing family traditions in my sister's family during the lake week, I too have created a few of my own. Stopping at the blueberry farm on my way home is one of them. Only this year my favorite blueberry farm hadn't yet opened for the season due in large part to the crazy wet spring weather. Fortunately, the antique shop across the street was open. My disappointment in not bringing home fresh Michigan blueberries was going to be short-lived. It is probably a really good thing this store is slightly more than three hours from where I live. Because I wouldn't just be a regular once a year customer. This is one of those shops where there is almost too much too look at, if there is such a thing. Anyone who loves old things and gets great pleasure from 'the hunt' could easily be lulled into spending hours walking through the aisles and browsing through all of the booths. Except I was on a mission to get home at a reasonable hour so it was more of a whirlwind stop. My eyes were drawn to some century old silverware, some Flow Blue plates and platter, a set of six French porcelain gratin dishes, a blue swirled graniteware pie pan, and a pint sized glass milk bottle. They all came home with me. As for blueberries, well the ones I bought at the grocery store when I got home were still beautiful enough for this Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Cake with Citrus Glaze.

I love the combination of blueberries and lemons in crisps, cobblers, pies, and cakes. The delicate sweet, fruity flavor of the blueberries and the tartness of lemons are a pairing made in heaven. And heavenly may be the best way to describe this moist, dense yet light, incredibly delicious Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Cake with Citrus Glaze. Even with the citrus glaze providing a little more sweetness, you could easily justify eating this cake for breakfast.

The inspiration for this recipe came from the fabulous new cookbook "Simple Cakes: All You Need to Keep Your Friends and Family in Cake" by Odette Williams. As the title of the book suggests, all of the recipes in this book are simple to make. This one is no exception. I used vegetable oil instead of grapeseed oil and a whole milk Icelandic cream-skyr instead of a whole milk Greek yogurt. Both changes worked perfectly. But whether you use a whole milk Greek yogurt or an Icelandic cream-skyr, the key is using a whole milk one. More than likely you will need at least two lemons for this recipe in order to get enough juice for both the cake and the glaze. And speaking of the lovely thick glaze, I should have increased the amount of it before pouring over the top of the cake. I definitely will the next time. The recipe below reflects those increased amounts.

There is beauty in simplicity. There is also great flavor. The cake batter easily comes together with a couple of bowls and a whisk. No need for bringing out the mixer. To ensure the blueberries don't sink to the bottom of the cake, toss them in some all-purpose flour before folding them into the batter. 

After pouring the batter into the lined and greased 9" springform pan, the cake bakes in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven for 45-55 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or when it easily springs back when you lightly press on it. 

The aroma coming out of the oven was intoxicating. It was a bit of a challenge to wait for it to cool to room temperature before pouring on the glaze and slicing into it.

As far as glazes go, I think I have discovered my new favorite. Sifted confectionary sugar, room temperature unsalted butter, boiling water, and freshly squeezed lemon juice create one of the most luscious, thickest glazes I have ever made. Not only do I love its' texture, but it hides all of the cakes imperfections. There are two other things you should know about the glaze. First, thicker is better (unless you are big fan of a runnier one). You want your glaze pourable, but on the thick side. Second, pour the glaze continuously over the center of the cake to get the most even distribution. You may or may not need to tilt the cake slightly if the glaze is not running evenly in all directions. 

I used slightly less than a pint of fresh blueberries in the cake batter. There were bursts of blueberriness in every slice. The remaining berries were used to pile on center of the glazed cake. The freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest brought about the perfect amount of lemony tartness to the cake.

The Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Cake with Citrus Glaze will definitely satisfy a sweet tooth craving without being too sweet. It is simply a perfect cake.

Whether you get your fresh blueberries from a blueberry farm, the farmer's market, or the grocery store, you want to get some to make this Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Cake with Citrus Glaze. It is one of those cakes blueberry and lemon lovers will be smitten with in the first bite. You can make the cake early in the day and glaze just before you are ready to serve. It is definitely one of those cakes worth turning on the oven for. Even if it's a sweltering hot day. Who knows, this cake may be one of the most memorable ones you make this summer. Or maybe even it will become a new summer dessert tradition. And who doesn't like to create memorable moments and start new traditions?

Recipe
Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Cake (slight adaptation to the Berry Yogurt Cake recipe from Odette William's cookbook 'Simple Cake: All You Need to Keep Your Friends and Family in Cake')
Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients
Cake
2 1/4 cups (290 g) all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup (180 ml) vegetable oil (or can use grapeseed oil)
1 cup (230 g) plain full-fat Greek yogurt (see notes)
Finely grated zest of one large lemon
1/3 cup (80 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice (see notes)
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
8 ounces (226 g) fresh blueberries
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

Citrus Glaze
1 1/2 cups (173 g) confectionary sugar, sifted
1 1/2 Tablespoons boiling water
1 1/2 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

Directions
Cake
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a 9" springform pan with parchment paper. Butter sides of the pan and the parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Over a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt.
3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar until combined.
4. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Whisk until the batter is smooth and lump-free.
5. Mix the blueberries with one tablespoon of flour. Fold the blueberries into the cake batter.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with an offset spatula. 
7. Bake in the center of the oven, rotating midway through the baking process, for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. The cake should bounce back when lightly pressed. 
8. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
9. Run a knife along the edge of the pan to release the cake from the pan. Remove cake from pan and place on a cooling rack. Let cake come to room temperature before pouring on the glaze.
10. Transfer cooled cake to a platter or cake stand.

Citrus Glaze and Assembly
1. Place the sifted confectionary sugar in a medium sized pouring bowl. Make a well in the center and place the butter in it.
2. Pour the boiling water over the butter to melt it.
3. Add in the lemon juice. Whisk until the glaze is smooth and thick (yet pourable). Note: If glaze is too thick, add a little more water. 
4. Pour the glaze over the top center of the cake, so it evenly distributes over the cake. Note: You may need to gently and evenly tilt the cake to enable the glaze to drip over the sides. 
5. Garnish the center of the cake with a handful of fresh blueberries before serving.
6. Cover any leftovers with plastic wrap and store at room temperature. The cake will be good for up to 2 days.

Notes: (1) I used Siggi's Whole Milk Yogurt, an Icelandic cream-skyr, instead of the Greek yogurt and loved how it worked in this cake. (2) More than likely you will need 2 lemons to get enough juice for both the cake and the glaze. (3) When glazing the cake, I didn't think there was enough of it. So the recipe included in the post increases the ingredients by an additional half. (4) Instead of making the cake in a 9" springform pan, you can make it in a 9" x 5" loaf pan. Baking time will still be 50-55 minutes.

Ludington and Pentwater, Michigan (July 2019)

Sea Salted Rosemary Shortbread

Long before there was Coldplay, David Gray, the Dave Matthews Band, the Lumineers, Mumford and Sons, Dan and Shay, and Ed Sheeran, there were the Beatles. I was nine years old when they first landed in the states and ten years old when they flew into Chicago. In what was a rather out of the ordinary detour home after an afternoon at the home of some relatives, my father pulled into Midway Airport and parked the car. We all got out and joined the throngs of people standing at the fence waiting for a plane to arrive (those were the days before TSA and any sort of security) . How my father knew the Beatles were landing that afternoon I have no idea. Quite possibly he heard it on the radio. Why he actually dragged us all out of the car to get a glimpse of them getting off the plane is an even bigger mystery. Yet, this slightly surreal day has been permanently etched into my memory. For my tenth birthday, my cousin Billy, took me to see the Beatles movie "Help". In retrospect, I can't help but wonder if he was the only boy in the theatre as all I remember were the hundreds of other girls standing and screaming throughout the entire movie. This is not an exaggeration. To this day, all I can recall about the movie is the screaming. Whatever possessed young girls like me to scream at a movie screen is yet another one of life's mysteries. Apparently all of the screaming got out of my system by the time I went to my first real concert at age fifteen. No, it wasn't the Beatles, it was a Carole King and James Taylor concert. And that was yet another surreal experience, but I will save that story for another time.

This past weekend we went to see the movie "Yesterday". For those of you who haven't yet seen it or even read about it, all I will say about it is the music of the Beatles is a major theme (no spoilers here). But if you love the music of the Beatles, love a feel good movie, and/or are a hopeless romantic, you absolutely have to see this movie. It's been more than forty-eight hours since I left the theatre and I still can't stop smiling every time I think about it. 

There were few other things bringing a smile to my face this past weekend. One of those being this insanely delicious Sea Salted Rosemary Shortbread. Admittedly I am partial to the flavor and texture of most shortbreads. However, when I came across this recipe I hesitated in making them. Thank goodness that hesitation didn't turn into a permanent hold. Because when I tasted them, I screamed. Seems that youthful screaming at the movie theatre has been replaced with screaming when tasting something amazing. This melt in your mouth Sea Salted Rosemary Shortbread is buttery, salty, and herby. While these are technically a shortbread (due in part to the absence of eggs), I would put them into the 'cracker' category as they would send any cheese board over the top! (See notes below for other pairing suggestions.) 

The sweet, salty Sea Salted Rosemary Shortbread is made with only six ingredients. Confectionary sugar, kosher salt, flaky sea salt, all-purpose (unbleached) flour, finely minced fresh rosemary, and unsalted butter. Using a European butter made a huge difference in the shortbread's flavor and texture. In other words, these shortbread will only be scream worthy if you use an unsalted European butter. 

The dough comes together easily when using a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. The texture of this dough had very similar qualities to the dough for Amy's Shortbread Cookies. It was a soft, supple, very easy to roll out dough. The original recipe called for chilling the dough for 40 minutes in the refrigerator, however, I found I could roll out the dough immediately after it all come together in the mixer. If for any reason your dough seems to soft or sticky to roll out, then wrap it in plastic wrap to give it a quick chill. 

With the Fourth of July holiday right around the corner, I decided to cut the rolled out dough into stars rather than squares. Because stars have a rather timeless quality to them, all future batches may end up staying star shaped. Use any 2" to 2 1/2" cookie cutter shape you have when rolling out the cookies to 1/4" thickness. A fluted edge cookie cutter would make for a nice finishing touch, an almost store bought look. As important as the shape of the shortbread might be, their flaky sea salt finish is even more so. One bite of this incredibly flavorful shortbread and you might find it hard not to say 'Wow'!

The shortbread bakes up in 16-18 minutes in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven. Rotating your baking sheet halfway through the baking process helps to ensure the shortbread bakes evenly. When done, the edges of the shortbread will be a beautiful light golden brown.

Seriously, this Sea Salted Rosemary Shortbread is unlike any shortbread or cracker you could buy from a bakery or grocery store. If you love the flavor of rosemary, you absolutely have to make them. Your world without this shortbread would like a world without the Beatles.

Once baked, the shortbread will be good for up to a week if stored in a tightly sealed container. Although I doubt they will last that long.

Ever since making the English Oat Crackers, I have become a big fan of homemade 'crackers' on a cheese platter. Not even the high end expensive packages of crackers come close to ones homemade. The Sea Salted Rosemary Shortbread are destined to become a cheese board necessity around here. And even though I have been told not to bring anything up to the lake this week (but who listens), I am bringing up a tin of them, along with some homemade Cherry Tomato Jam, and the fixings for the Jarlsberg Cheese Spread. Our Fourth of July pre-fireworks wine and cheese course is going to be memorably EPIC! Now I just have to decide which wine to bring to my sister the wine connoisseur. Oh, the pressure makes me just want to shout! 

Recipe
Sea Salted Rosemary Shortbread (an ever so slight alteration to the Salted Rosemary Shortbread recipe from Lisa Ludwinski's "Sister Pie" cookbook)

Ingredients
2 cups (260 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted European style butter, room temperature
1/2 cup confectionary sugar
2 scant Tablespoons finely minced fresh rosemary
Flaky Sea Salt, for finishing (I use Maldon Sea Salt)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, confectionary sugar, and rosemary (approximately 2-3 minutes. Use a spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure the mixture is fully blended.
4. Add in the flour mixture. Mix until combined and dough begins to come together.
5. Divide the dough in half. Place one half of the dough in the refrigerator while you roll out the other half.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 1/4" thickness. Cut into 2" shapes using a cookie cutter of choice. Sprinkle with a flaky sea salt.
7. Transfer cookie cutouts to a baking sheet. Bake for 16-18 minutes rotating the pan midway through the baking process. Shortbread is done when the edges are slightly golden. Note: Begin checking for doneness as early as 15 minutes.
8. Remove baking pan from oven. Let cookies rest on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
9. Roll out and bake remaining dough. Cut into shapes, sprinkles with flaky sea salt and bake.
10. Store shortbread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Notes: (1) For the best flavor and texture use an unsalted European butter. I used Kerrygold. (2) Serve shortbread on a cheese board; with some Cherry Tomato Jam and Jarlsberg Cheese Spread, or just enjoy them all by themselves. (3) The original recipe recommended wrapping the dough in plastic wrap and chilling for 40 minutes before rolling out. My dough was ready to roll out immediately. I refrigerated half of the dough while I worked with the other half.