baked goods | strawberryplum

Butternut Squash, Leek & Brie Galette

February 26, 2013 | posted by Sarah | 15 Comments

The past few days have been “melty” here in Minnesota. Everyone seems a little happier and finally has a little skip in their step now that we’re seeing a glimmer of spring. The end is finally, maybe, in sight.

Perfect. Except for one thing. One thing I can’t believe I’m about to say.

Have I had my fill of winter cooking yet? Am I ready to trade in the hearty root vegetables and braised meats for asparagus and artichokes? I better get in a couple more soups. Maybe a stew. Better do some baking. Bread pudding? Polenta. Gooey cheese. Root vegetables. Roasts. Winter squash.

Squash! No, I haven’t quite had my fill. I loaded up on it in the beginning and then it fell off my radar.

Alright, tonight squash’ll get crossed off our winter eating bucket list. We’ll roast it, combine it with sautéed leeks and Brie, and use it as the filling for a savory galette. Nice, 3 checks off our list: squash, cheese, and baking.

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Black Pepper, Fennel & Rosemary Biscotti

February 20, 2013 | posted by Sarah | 3 Comments

Sometimes you get an idea for something you want to cook or bake and you get right into the kitchen and get it done. And it’s great, totally delicious on the first try.

But then other recipes involve a whole lot of trial and error. And maybe a few less than perfect cheese plates along the way. It’s rough, this life I’m living.

It’s not that my first attempts were bad. I just had a very clear vision of what these magical biscotti should be. I wanted nutty, crunchy, savory, and just a tad sweet. Fennel seeds, golden raisins, loads of almonds. Fresh rosemary and barely smashed black peppercorns that you’ll be finding between your teeth for an hour. Sturdy enough to hold up to some oozy, stinky cheese. An afternoon snack, a vehicle for cheese, or a crisp late night accompaniment to a glass of wine: these crackers had big shoes to fill.

And finally, on my fourth go-around, I got it right. These biscotti finally have the crunch I was seeking and the flavors I craved. They are crisp without being crumbly, nutty, peppery, and complex. My cheese plates will never be the same.

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Anise Seed & Sea Salt Focaccia

February 12, 2013 | posted by Sarah | 2 Comments

My favorite restaurant meals involve taking something home. And I don’t mean a doggy bag of left-overs.

I’m talking inspiration or an idea you can bring into your own kitchen. Something that surprised you, something that delighted you, and something you can sneak into your repertoire at home. Sometimes it is just a piece of a dish or a specific flavor combination. Other times, you kind of lift the whole idea.

This time around, it’s a lifted anise-scented focaccia. I happen to be a huge fan of anise and have added it to plenty of baked goods at home. And I’m no stranger to homemade focaccia, but the 2 of them together? Whoa! Now that’s a great idea.

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Endive, Olive & Potato Tiella

February 1, 2013 | posted by Sarah | 1 Comment

Endive, Olive & Potato Tiella - Version 2

Oh, how I wish I could entertain you with some charmingly romantic story about my first encounter with tiella. I’d love to say I was hiking between hillside villages in the Italian countryside and I stumbled upon the most wonderful, humble, little osteria. A wrinkled old woman, cheeks dusted with flour, wearing a checkered kerchief, beckoned me in to try a piece of her legendary tiella.

Nope. My first encounter was less exotic, far less romantic.

It was less fairytale and way more suburban mall food court.

It occurred to me as I was slicing into my homemade, wilted greens and garlic-filled tiella that it looked an awful lot like the spinach-stuffed pizza from sbarro that I’d splurge on with my hard-earned baby-sitting cash during my teeny-bopper mall-cruising days.

My more “authentic” experiences with tiella are hardly more exotic or romantic. In fact, the last time I had it in Italy, it was from a gas station, eaten from my lap, as we frantically drove to our next destination, while I complained bitterly about Matt’s driving style and my extreme nausea.

That’s okay, though. I don’t think tiella is supposed to be put on a pedestal. All it is, really, is a double crusted pizza pie, filled with whatever tasty ingredients you fancy. And while my old lady-osteria fantasy might exist somewhere, even in Italy you are way more likely to find yourself a piece of tiella at a convenience store or bar or take-away joint.

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Date, Coconut & Pecan Quinoa Muffins

January 21, 2013 | posted by Sarah | Leave a Comment

Now let’s get one thing straight; when it comes to muffins, I hardly discriminate. I like ’em all, from dense and cakey to light and delicate, most every muffin has its time and place in my world. But, if you’re going to press me for my favorite weekday version, it is, without a doubt, the humble quinoa muffin.

Why, you ask. Why some dowdy quinoa muffin when I could be biting into a fluffy blueberry-buttermilk beauty? It’s like choosing some mousey brunette over a blonde bombshell pageant queen.

Because quinoa muffins have got substance, integrity, loyalty. They’ll coax you out of bed with the promise of deep, nutty-grainy deliciousness and fuel you all through the first half of the day. They’re not going to merely flirt with you in the morning only to flake out on you halfway to lunch.

If you’ve been coming around here since the beginning, you probably already know about my affection for quinoa muffins. I’ve been known to hide squash and apples in them. This time around, I’m thinking quinoa muffin meets granola with big chunks of dates, copious coconut curls, and plenty of pecans.

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