Plantago, Butter, & Thyme Morsels
Plantago seedpods are as great for eating as they are for flinging!
Plantain (Plantago major and Plantago lanceolata) is easy to recognize and grows everywhere. You probably have some growing within a block of where you are RIGHT. NOW. Plantago major is the plantain with the wider, oval-shaped leaves and Plantago lanceolata is the plantain with the thinner leaves (lance-shaped, as the name indicates). I will save explanation of of the plantain in general and using the leaves for another post (in short: the leaves can be eaten as you would other greens, ideally cooked, as they are quite fibrous) and focus this post on the late-spring/summer/early fall delicacy - plantain seed pods.
When I was young we used to catapult the brown seedpods by wrapping the stem around the pod and flinging it. This is an enjoyable activity to this day, BUT maybe instead of flinging the pods at your sister (ahem - you know who you are!), fling them into a pan with some butter and thyme to prepare this simple, delicious recipe. Alternatively, just cut or pull off the pod stems away from the plant.
Entire Plantago lanceolata, complete with leaves, seedpods and roots.
When I first heard that these seedpods tasted like morel mushrooms I didn't think it was possible, but I was wrong - it is. I promise - give it a try and you will see. The other great thing about these pods is that they are packed with psyllium, a form of fiber that is often added to foods to increase dietary fiber content, as well as calcium. Yes, that's right - grow everywhere, taste like morel mushrooms AND high in nutrients. The pods can also be broken up into smaller seeds and toasted in a pan with herbs and spices to sprinkle on top of salads/popcorn/etc. or eat as a snack. This method of preparing plantago seeds is very simple, so there is no excuse not to try!
To Prepare:
Heat butter and/or olive oil (enough to coat bottom of pan) in a cast-iron pan on medium-high.
Add seedpods (with or without stems, I like to include the stems to use for serving) and heat for 2 minutes, tossing to coat in butter/oil. Add thyme and a sprinkle of salt and continue cooking another 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally until pods are toasted and seeds just begin to fall off. If seedpods look to dry, add more butter or oil and toss to coat.
Serve immediately. If stems are still attached, they can be used as a serving stick (eat just the pod off of the stem - the stem is very tough).
Sautéing seedpods in cast-iron. At this point, they have soaked up all of the butter/oil and if I need to cook them longer I would have to add more.
Danish Almond Sweet Bread
While at my parents' house over the holidays, some friends were visiting one morning and I had to scramble to bake something using ingredients from the pantry, which was pretty bare (note: by no fault of my parents, it had just been many days of feasting). Santa brought my sister a small Danish recipes cookbook where I found a recipe for "Danish Almond Bread". I didn't actually like the look of the recipe in the cookbook, but it inspired me to adjust another recipe I had to ultimately create what I was looking for - something very nutty and chewy, but sweet and satisfying. My parents didn't have almond meal on hand, so I put my niece to work picking out almonds from a mix of nuts that I then blended and, surprisingly, it worked just fine. I have since made the recipe two times and each time it has been quickly devoured.
The batter itself is more like cookie dough than bread or cake batter and is lovely sliced thin and topped with crème fraîche and berry or citrus compote and a dusting of cinnamon. I could also see it pairing well with a variety of other ingredients - sautèed stone fruit and herbs, chestnut purée and honey, fresh cherries and fennel seed... Makes one loaf that serves 8-12.
2/3 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup almond meal
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degree F and grease a loaf pan.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy using a pastry blender or electric beater. Gradually beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Add the almond meal, almond extract, and cinnamon and mix thoroughly. Blend in the flour and baking powder and salt.
Spread the batter into the loaf pan (it will be thick) and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and top is golden brown.
Buckwheat Hazelnut Shortbread
Shortbread is called short bread because it is very high in fat, which gets in the way of gluten development, thus "shortening" the gluten strands. Gluten is a very strong and stretchy protein, so when a lot of fat gets in the way of its development, the tenderness and melt-in-your mouth effects increase. Food scientists wanted to capitalize on this so they created a fat product that shortens really well, in addition to being cheaper than butter and more solid and shelf-stable than vegetable oils. They call it shortening (naturally). However, in light of the fact that the trans fat in shortening is incredibly bad for your healthy and that butter tastes way better and is more sustainable, we will be using butter in our shortbread.
This twist on shortbread incorporates buckwheat flour and hazelnuts, producing a rustic, dark, and nutty cookie that is always a crowd-pleaser. Dough can be made in advance and frozen for later use. Makes 6 dozen cookies (recipe can be halved). “If you prefer a crispier crunch and more classic hazelnut shortbread, just replace the buckwheat flour with all-purpose flour, as buckwheat flour does absorb some moisture. ”
Blending hazelnuts in food processor.
1 cup hazelnuts (preferably raw, but I have done it with toasted - the shortbread is just…toastier!)
1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, diced
1 teaspoon vanilla
Hazelnuts post grinding.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Blend hazelnuts in food processor or with immersion blender until mostly fine, but with some medium-sizes coarse granules remaining, about 1 minute. Set aside.
Whisk all-purpose flour, buckwheat flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
In large bowl, cut sugar into butter with fork, pastry blender, or hand blender until fluffy. Add vanilla and hazelnuts, mix to combine. Add flour mixture and blend until just incorporated.
Roll a ball, flatten, cover with plastic, and refrigerate 20 minutes. Remove from refrigerator and roll out onto lightly floured surface about 1/4” thick. Cut into rectangles about 1” x 2” and bake for 11-13 minutes until lightly toasted.
Cardamom and Brown Butter Nectarine Tart
Worth it for the smell alone.
“Caution: Production of this dessert may lead to a decrease in productivity related to ridiculously delicious kitchen smells as evidenced by inability to focus on anything else.”
I’m a sucker for cardamom, browned butter, and stone fruit, so it’s no surprise that this dessert really does it for me. Usually I make crusts with cold diced butter for better flakiness, but the melted butter in this tart crust makes for a very crunchy, more caramelized flavor and texture that’s great with the fruit filling. Using half almond meal in the crust produces great flavor and texture, but the crust falls apart a bit more easily. Amp up the cardamom amount for more intensely cardamommy flavor if you desire.
“Try making the crust with 1/2 cup almond meal and 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour for a deliciously nutty twist. ”
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted plus 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, diced
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon plus one pinch salt
1 large egg
10 cardamom pods, seeds removed and ground with mortar and pestle (green pods are the freshest and most flavorful)
3 large nectarines, sliced
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Mix melted butter, 1/3 cup sugar, and vanilla. Add 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour and 1/8 teaspoon salt and stir until incorporated.
Transfer dough to a 9” tart pan (preferably with removable bottom). Using fingertips, press dough evenly onto sides and bottom of pan. (I use a 1/3 cup measurer to smooth the crust out)
Bake crust until golden, about 18 minutes (crust will puff slightly while baking). Transfer crust to rack and cool in pan.
Whisk together remaining 1/4 cup sugar, egg, and pinch of salt. Add 2 tablespoons flour and whisk until smooth.
Cook remaining 1/4 cup butter and ground cardamom in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until deep nutty brown (do not burn), stirring often, about 6 minutes.
Immediately pour browned butter into glass measuring cup.
Gradually whisk browned butter into sugar-egg mixture, until well blended.
Arrange fruit in concentric circles in bottom of cooled crust. Carefully pour browned butter mixture evenly over the top and bake until filling is golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30-40 minutes.
Serve at room temperature or cold, with or without a creamy side such as ice cream, creme fraîche, or whipped cream.