Blue Cheese and Onion Scones Redux

The last time I made these scones was just about a year ago. They tasted very good-it's blue cheese, onion jam tucked into buttery, nutty whole wheat dough! But their appearance was kinda sloppy and I remember sticky dough and tepid fingers and worry/regret when I plopped the dough onto the sheet pan into an oven I was just getting to know (and would replace shortly after that). I'm not going to beat myself up- they spread, the butter probably wasn't cold enough and I was afraid to actually mix and shape dough... but they were still tasty, because it's a good recipe--just on the softer side for a scone.

Remembering that compared to what came out of the oven the other day when I decided these were in order, I can at least say that practice makes for better and calmer everything. Somehow, I let a year slip by before making these again. And that is why I'm bringing them up today, because it is Fall, and these scones go incredibly well with your lunchtime squash/apple/pecan/variation-of-fall-junkie-salads, as well as being a more formal addition to an appetizer cheese plate and heck, I just ate one by itself for breakfast with a little butter, leftover onion jam and sliced seasonal fruit. As their savory and wholesome selves, they are interested and available for any mealtime, is what I'm trying to say... First, you'll have to make some **caramelized onions, but that's what big yellow onions are for : )



Now onto technique. I did a few things differently-I weighed my ingredients, worked quickly and efficiently, wasn't afraid to mix a bit, and I made sure it was cold going into the oven. I also worked with little squares rather than triangles when it came to cutting. I used a blend of whole wheat flour and all purpose, and I really cut the recipe down, to just make four scones, and I'll write that out below. And the other thing I noticed this year when I re-looked at the recipe in Kim's book, was that after being cut, the raw scones can stay in the fridge well covered for up to two days. So I baked two and refrigerated the other two, and can testify that the "aged" dough scone worked out swimmingly the next day when it was baked. That's all for now. xoxoxo MN

Blue Cheese and Onion scones
Barely adapted from Good to the Grain
yields 4 scones

48 grams/1/4c + 2 T whole wheat flour
39 grams/1/4 c + 1T all purpose flour
1.5 tsp sugar (I used coconut sugar)
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 ounce cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 ounce blue cheese, crumbled
60 ml/1/4 c buttermilk
2 T caramelized onions
1T honey

Preheat oven 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Stick butter in freezer while you sift together dry ingredients and combine wet. Whisk together the buttermilk, onions and honey and pop in the fridge. Add the cubed, cold butter to the dry ingredients and using a pastry blender break down the butter until it breaks down into pieces as small as crumbs and as large as squashed peas. Stir the crumbled blue cheese into the mixture. Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Gently combine the two until everything is incorporated and a soft ball is formed. Dump out the dough (I dump it onto a piece of plastic or parchment). Using lightly floured hands, gently flatten and fold dough over itself a few times and shape into a rectangle with a bench scraper. Shape into a rectangle 1 inch thick. Using bench scraper, cut the dough into 4 squares and transfer to baking sheet. Bake for 22-24 minutes, rotating the baking sheet around halfway through. The scones are finished baking when the tops are golden brown and the blue cheese starts to ooze out and starts to caramelize on the baking sheet. 

**To caramelize onions, heat a wide skillet over medium high, oil/butter it and add a big  chopped onion, cook til translucent, about 5-10 minutes, add salt, turn to a simmer for up to an hour for best flavor. Deglaze with a drop of vinegar and water. Cool completely and store in a jar in the fridge.  

Late Summer Roasted Vegetable Salad with Stovetop Chicken

As the summer comes to a close I find myself trying to hold onto experiences, time and colorful ingredients. This little almond flour baking spree has turned my world in an interesting direction. While I did manage to mix up a batch of rye and raspberry scones last week (I need to tweak it just a tad more before sharing--but hold onto your seats, they will rock!) I have been caught up making batch upon batch of paleo blueberry muffins usually with extra toasted almonds instead of walnuts, and turning to them nearly everyday for breakfast. This almond flour muffin is not a joke. They are so delicious and moist, and store well in the fridge for a few days which makes them convenient to make some night after dinner when I have time. So if I've been neglecting the savory on here for a bit, I want to make up for it now with a typical hearty weekday salad doable for lunch or dinner. Actually, we had them for a "linner" one day last week.

You'll roast a few varieties of vegetables, ideally rainbow colored : ) I had orange pepper, beets, and yellow squash. Then, garnish it with some herbs and greens with bite like arugula, and round it out with some fresh halved cherry tomatoes and avocado. I top it with some sliced chicken made the only way I'll make chicken breasts (without the flour-it actually is not necessary), and dollop some creamy yogurt-parsley dressing on top. I think there's a bit of feta and pickled onion nestled in there too, but that's it. I could have thrown a bunch more stuff into this but lately with salads I've been sticking to minimalism. Good things come in threes after all. Enjoy. 

Late Summer Roasted Vegetable Salad with Stovetop Chicken

For the Salad

About 2 cups your choice late summer veggies, sliced, mixed with olive oil and salt, and roasted at 425 degrees  for 20 minutes on baking sheets (except beets!) Roast those whole, in foil, for 1-2 hours, cool completely, peel and slice.

2 handfuls arugula + herbs

Additional sea salt, lemon juice and olive oil to taste

For the Chicken

2 organic chicken breasts cooked as per method linked to in body (without flour, just seasoning), slightly cooled and sliced.

Add ins: Pickled red onions, crumbled feta, avocado slices, fresh halved cherry tomatoes

For the Dressing

In a food processor combine:

1/2 cup parsley leaves

1/2 cup full fat Greek yogurt or sour cream

1 clove garlic

A few slices cucumber, peeled, no seeds (optional but cooling)

zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon

Salt and Pepper to taste (start w/ 1/4 tsp salt)

Assembly:

Take a handful of greens/herbs, toss with just a tad salt, squeeze lemon and drizzle oil. Add in a handful or two of roasted veg, half the feta + avocado (if using beets add last so as not to turn the whole thing pink) and toss lightly. Add chicken breast and additional feta, onion, tomatoes + avocado. Top with dollops of the dressing and pinch coarse salt.

Golden Galette

The other day, I was stood up. By an adult female. I'd gussied myself up for a mid-morning business meeting only to arrive at said business person's location, a Williamsburg Warehouse, with the attendee nowhere to be found, unreachable. A complete no-show. When I did get a hold of her she'd insisted she emailed me that morning that something came up (nope) and then suddenly changed the story that she'd filled the position she was interviewing for. Bullocks! As I get older, I seem to have less and less of a tolerance for this behavior. Does this kind of thing not mess with you for the entire rest of the day? (ok, yeah, if you're nodding--thanks!) So, whether it was the weather's tendency to incite forgetfulness and dispel motivation to disembark from the proximity of a window A.C,. or a complete lack of respect for others' time that caused my appointment to flake, we'll never know. The point is, in general I am peeved by flakiness. Except. Except! When those flakes come in the form of tart dough. And this should not come as a surprise. 

Prime-picked sliced golden summer squash, along with a bit of caramelized onion and a sprinkling of pan-fried corn, rounded out by a garlicky cheese mix and tucked into a half batch of flaky rye tart dough, folded in over itself just enough, brushed with egg yolk to make it shine, cooked off and sprinkled with a bit of basil and coarse salt. It will make your day. The theme here is  gold if you didn't notice. The zucchinis right now are so good. I mean, I don't have to tell you that because most likely you're aware, but man. This is the peak. And might I add, that if typical green zucchini are always shown getting all the attention, then the yellow squash sister is a worthy star, too. Actually, many times, I prefer the yellow, which is why I use it here. The flesh, melty and sweet and vegetal all at once, is so tender and ripe it even cooks more quickly than it would if it were, say, January. Duh. So, in point, summer squash is summer's gift. These squashes were meant to be barely roasted in the oven, or quickly pan-fried, enjoyed with good olive oil and salty cheese and sharp greens and whatever else you fancy. They are also prime material for stuffing galettes with, since, after being sweated a bit on a towel with some salt, they cook with the pastry.

The dough here is the same dough I used in the berry-peach mini tarts (I had frozen the second half and defrosted it in the fridge all day before rolling and filling) and Brussels sprouts galette from last year. Then the sheet pan took a quick chill in the freezer for 5 minutes before being brushed and baked. Since it is pretty neutral and nicely nutty from the rye, it is a fine base for sweet and savory fillings. But do note that brushing the sides of the tart with egg yolk before baking here is crucial for the ending golden, toasty hue. Don't skimp, and sprinkle with a little coarse sea salt, too. The other thing you'll want to note is Size. I am a sucker for small batches, clearly, so I made this with half a recipe of tart dough I'd saved. The bake time with half the dough was about 30 minutes flat. There is no reason you could not use all the dough for a 9-10 inch tart as opposed to a 5-inch, or make two smaller ones if you need to use all the dough at once. Just adjust the fillings to double. I thought this was a nice size for two though-this sort of personal pan pizza-size. Since tart dough is more decadent than pizza dough, though, daintier portions are appreciated.You finish it off quite easily with a side or two, are not confronted with huge buttery tart slices, and you don't have to worry about storage. My favorite situation. So, all flakes aside, this one is special. It's a delicious way to spend a summer evening. Bake it off a bit before you plan to eat, then turn the oven the heck off, make a side salad and let it (and your home) cool. Drink a glass of chilled white wine in front of your air conditioning unit before heading to the table.

 Golden Galette 

Makes one 5-6-inch galette. 

*1/2 a recipe rye tart dough disc, chilled 

+A spoonful roasted Corn

++A spoonful Caramelized Onions

8-10 slices yellow squash, raw

2 T feta cheese, grated or crumbled small, divided

1 T grated pecorino

Sea Salt + Pepper

1 small garlic clove

1 T olive oil

1 egg yolk, beaten

Coarse Salt 

+For roast corn: shuck and shave kernals off a husk. Heat a cast iron skillet, melt a knob butter + oil, and throw in the corn, a pinch salt, letting it cook a few minutes. Toss, then lower the heat and cover for a minute. Take off the heat, add a pinch of minced garlic, stir and cool. 

++For caramelized onions, melt butter + oil in a skillet, slice an onion thin. Sautee onion 5 minutes on medium until transluscent, sprinkle with salt and decrease heat to low, cook about 40 more minutes. De-glaze pan with splash water, scrape onions and set aside. 

Oven to 400 degrees F

Prep the Veggies 

Spread squash slices on a towel and sprinkle with salt. Let sit while you prep everything else. When ready to use, blot any excess water that surfaced. I had a jar of roasted corn and caramelized onions on hand so I threw a Tablespoon of each in for contrast. Set those out too. You want everything at your ready as you don't want the pastry to sit out too long.

Make the Spread:
Mix both pecorino and most of the feta save a pinch, with half the egg yolk, a pinch each salt and pepper and half the garlic. It will not be very wet and may seem clumpy, dry and that is ok. Set aside.

Assemble
Roll out your dough  into a rough circle, between 2 pieces of parchment, rotating the circle to get the edges, not too thin, not too thick--mine was 8-ish inches. My kitchen was hot so at this point I put the parchment lined dough into the fridge for a few minutes. Take off the top piece of parchment, scoop the cheese mixture onto the center and spread into a circle. Next Scoop the onions and corn on. Arrange the squash so that it is exposed, concentrically. Fold in the edges, using the parchment to help if needed. Sprinkle the remaining oil and garlic over the squash, along with the reserved pinch of feta. Transfer on parchment, to baking sheet. Put the tray in the freezer for another few minutes, then brush the edge with the remaining egg yolk, sprinkle with salt, and bake for 30 minutes until the cheese is puffed, the squash wilted and the crust nicely browned. Let cool on a rack for at least 10 minutes and serve warm or room temperature.

*Rustic Rye Tart Dough from Kim Boyce:
Note: Allow at least 3 hours from when you make it to before you plan to use this dough. For best planning, just make the dough when you randomly have time and assemble the tarts another day.

1/2 c rye flour
1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 T very cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar. 
4 T ice water

Sift Dry ingredients into a bowl. Cube butter. It is a good idea to set the dry ingredients and the cubed butter into the freezer while you prep everything else. Next, add butter on top of flour and work flour and butter between your fingers or with a pastry blender, so the dough forms pea size crumbs. Add the cider vinegar and the water. Working from the sides, gather dough to center so it forms a ball. Transfer to a piece of plastic wrap, shape/flatten it slightly into a ball,  wrap tightly, refrigerate an hour minimum.

Get out a rolling pin and lay a piece of parchment or plastic out. Sprinkle it with flour, lay the dough disk on the parchment, sprinkle with flour very lightly. Place plastic or parchment on top of the dough if desired. Now roll it into a rectangle.

Now, fold the dough like a letter, the left side in then the right on top of it.

Roll it out again into a rectangle, rotate, fold like a letter again. You are creating layers. Do this twice more, then roll into a rectangle again.

Wrap in plastic and refrigerate again for an hour minimum, up to three days, or freeze for a few weeks and thaw in fridge for a day.

I didn't think it would happen, but it did

I wasn't going to post unless the tortilla flipped properly and there was something to photograph.

Well, the oil was on my side, and my, was this good.

Let me go back a bit. The last time I had Tortilla Espanola (no, not frittatas with leftover roasted potatoes slipped in for bulk), authentically, I was in high school on a Spanish class trip. We visited a hole-the-wall Spanish restaurant in Morristown, NJ, about five minutes from the school. The joint was nestled between a Blockbuster video and hardware store(?)... I can't quite remember, nor do I recall the name of it. But it wasn't noticeable. One of those. Forget hidden Brooklyn storefronts, that trend was happening in Morristown, too, circa 2002.

My teacher, Sister Josephine, aka Hermana Josefina, had a routine of taking her classes here year after year because she claimed it was the most authentic Spanish food in the area and was obsessed with the preparation of the Tortilla Espanol and the Chicken Soup that contained the bones of the chicken in addition to the meat, which was what made it authentic, we were told. There were whole pieces of maize in there, too, or corn on the cob.

It was all  made there, fresh and took a lot of time, as most authentic cooking does. I had little concept of this at that point but I remember her describing a few things about the special tortilla: batatas, cebollas, acieto de oliva, huevos y sal and that was it. Potato, onion, olive oil, eggs and salt. And black pepper if you so desire. The trick wasn't exactly in the ingredients, but the preparation, the watching, and the flipping. And then, it must cool to room temperature.


Perhaps it was an off time, 12 noon (don't the Spanish eat a late lunch?) but needless to say, I remember the place being near empty when we showed up, a group of ten or so girls and Hermana. An attentive waiter sat us in a corner oversize booth and I remember feeling slightly anxious that I didn't know what I was in for. We were all being ordered for. I think she ordered the soup for everyone, and a few tortillas for the table. I wasn't a huge chicken soup person and this described Tortilla Espanol, prepared with its copious amounts olive oil was a bit daunting.

But both were, of course, ridiculously good. I remember taking a piece of tortilla home but had no idea how you'd make such a thing.

Fast forward. I slip leftover potatoes into frittatas here and there, but that's a cinch. Last summer, I seem to recall ordering a piece of Tortilla Espanol at an extremely loud, crowded Happy Hour tapas bar on the Upper West Side. What emerged satisfied my need for solids at the moment and tasted ok, but was clearly microwaved and not the real thing. Oh, Upper West Side. No. 

And so, facing six little potatoes in the pantry with no salmon in sight (or desire to transport any sort of fish more than ten minutes in this sauna of a city), I took out the eggs and started sourcing the web for this thing.

As I was sauteing the potatoes, I learned the olive oil is somewhat over-emphasized in the description, or should I say, an unnecessary intimidation factor. For this go-around (which was actually the first time I made it), rather than go with cups and tablespoons, I eyeballed it. You're after a thickish, slick coat of oil in a "preferably nonstick" pan, enough to evenly cook potatoes and onions until soft and cooked through, not browned. This is achievable if you stick to the heat settings described below.

Now I get a little intimidated with taking on recipes people describe as "traditional." Like, who am I kidding? I'm going to pretend to be a knowledgeable chef from another country right now who's been whispered the secrets over the years of pulling this off without looking at instructions? But sometimes, the instructions are the jumping off point. I read them, a few times, then go into the kitchen. If something has to cook longer than 5 minutes on the stove, I often go look at the instructions again. But mostly, I stay there and watch what I started.

Putting this together was actually pretty zen. And despite the fact that a cast iron skillet is about the most masochistic piece of equipment one could subject herself to lift with one arm and flip onto a plate, I think it was very helpful in the category of non-stickiness.

All that said, I'm sure a Spanish grandmother could have watched me make this and point out all the subtleties I negated, starting with my proportions: I used 6 tiny potatoes (I actually found them easier to work with, slice and soften), peeled and sliced super thin, and 4 eggs. I think traditionally you are supposed to use larger potatoes and a tighter egg ratio. But I am not concerned...The fact that these volumes yielded a thinner tortilla was just fine. And where's the aioli say you? Well I that's another recipe. For tonight a dollop of salted and paprika'd sour cream was a nice touch.

My only regret: where are the leftovers? They don't exist. I'll have to make it again.

Tortilla Espanola

Adapted from various sources

6 small, low-starch potatoes (I used red new- you could use Yukon too), halved, peeled, sliced into thin into rounds
1 small/medium yellow onion, diced
4 eggs
Generous pinches of salt and black pepper
A pinch of a smashed garlic clove.
A small pinch paprika

Slice your onions and your potatoes. Place the potatoes in a bowl and toss with a pinch of salt and let them sit while you heat the pan.

Heat a pan, preferably non-stick, with 10 inch diameter and 1 1/2-2 inch depth. I used a cast iron skillet. Pour in enough oil to coat the bottom. Heat to medium high. When the oil is very hot, add the onions, set to medium, add a pinch of salt, and sautee about 4 minutes, turning frequently so they are translucent.  Take a scoop of onions out to make a little more room, and set on a nearby plate.

Add the potatoes.Cook on medium, turning frequently, not breaking them, but softening them to fork-tender but not browning them (thinness of slices helps here). You want everything coated in oil and softening together. Allow about 10-15 minutes for this. Add a little more oil if needed. Add the reserved onions back into the pan in the final moments of cooking. Toss to combine.

When the potatoes are cooked through (stick a knife in to no resistance) but not overly soft, sprinkle with a little more salt, pepper and paprika. Toss then transfer to a plate to sit and cool a few minutes.

Pour any oil left in the skillet out (reserve this) and wipe it (especially stuck on bits)

Beat eggs with pinch each salt and pepper in a wide bowl. Add the potato mixture to this. Let sit a moment.

Heat the skillet on medium high. Add about a Tbs. reserved oil. Let the pan and oil get  hot (important so the eggs don't stick), and then pour in the potato and egg mixture, spreading it evenly. Cook for a minute, then lower the heat to medium low, cooking until the eggs are completely set at the edges, halfway set in the center, and the tortilla easily slips around when you shake a little, 8 to 10 minutes.

Now remove the skillet from the pan and have a large plate nearby. Lift skillet and with one hand against the plate and the other holding the skillet's handle, invert the skillet so the tortilla lands on the plate. Now slide the tortilla. back into the skillet to cook the other side. Neaten the sides, and cook until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, hot, and with no uncooked egg on it, another 5 minutes.

Take the skillet off the heat and then transfer the tortilla to a cutting board. Important. Let cool at least 15 minutes or more. Slice into wedges and serve.

Barley and Parsley Salad

Yesterday was not a day  you wanted to be cooking in a small apartment at 425 degrees. The only reason I heated my oven was to roast some asparagus for 15 minutes; everything else was to be done on the stove top. And so I found the perfect opportunity to make this salad I've been eying.

Despite my chef crush on Yotam Ottolenghi, I found out about this salad from the lovely Katie. And because its two stars, barley and parsley, are relatively cheap and non-delicate, one may easily overlook the recipe by its name. But I assure you, you don't want to do that. It's a filling, sharp, clean and energizing meal on its own, or a great side in smaller divisions, served with a vegetable and piece of fish or meat.

As the barley cooks, you can prep the rest of the salad components, then you drain and slightly cool the barley and clean up the work station, toss and enjoy.

While Mr. Ottolenghi's recipe is noted to be more about the parsley than the barley, since I was serving this at dinner, I wanted it to be more of a grain salad. Also, I took it as a chance to make a big pot of barley to have on hand for other uses. I also adapted it a bit. I left out the green pepper, za'atar, and subbed chopped toasted almonds for cashews. All in all, his recipe clicked as more of an inspiration than drive for replication, and it was a great way to use up all of the parsley bunch I've been chipping away at.

To get an update on why I should be eating barley without searching the internet, I instead looked on my bookshelf at Alicia Silverstone's Kind Diet vegan cookbook. It was a stroll down memory lane, as I recall posting her pumpkin bread just after I begun this blog. Around a few of the barley recipes in there, Alicia reminds us that barley is great for the skin, feeds friendly bacteria in the intestine, and is also a liver and gallbladder tonic.

Putting olive-oil and cumin-marinated feta on that recipe for health just makes it better. I'll be back in a few days with my rendition on a well-known NY bakery sweet. xo MN

Parsley and Barley Salad

Adapted from Jerusalem

Note: I made adjustments in several places notably doubling the barley and halving the parsley. I account for those changes in this version below. 

 

1/2 cup pearl barley 

1 cup water + chicken/ or vegetable broth

4 oz feta cheese

4 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 a large bunch flat-leaf parsley (2-3 bunches), leaves and fine stems, finely chopped

3 scallions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
3 T almonds lightly toasted and coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Cook the pearl barley for about 40 minutes, in a combination half water and stock if using, until tender but with a very slight bite. You don't want it mushy or risotto-like. Pour into a fine sieve, shake to remove all the water, and transfer to a large bowl to cool.

Meanwhile, break feta into rough pieces, mix in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, tand the cumin. Cover and leave to marinate while you prepare the rest of the salad. 

Chop the parsley finely and place in a large serving bowl with the green onions, garlic, almonds, lemon juice,  remaining olive oil, and finally, the cooked barley. Mix together well and season with salt and more lemon/oil if desired. Top with the marinated feta.

Serves 2-4.