I await fig season each summer with such eager anticipation. I get to the farmers market first thing on Saturday morning, making a beeline to my favorite fig vendor to snap up as many as there are available. My first task is making Fig, Bourbon and Vanilla Bean Jam, a favorite of my friends and family. I hold a few back to slice and eat drizzled with honey or wrapped in … [Read more...] about Fig, Brown Butter and Hazelnut Tart
Fruit
Nectarine, Gorgonzola and Prosciutto Flatbread
I have discovered nectarines. I don’t know why I feel like it’s a new experience to me, surely I have had nectarines on many occasions throughout my life, but they never really hit that top ten list of fruits. Maybe it’s because they have become so tempting at the farmers’ market in recent years, maybe my unfamiliarity has held me back because I wasn’t quite sure about what to … [Read more...] about Nectarine, Gorgonzola and Prosciutto Flatbread
Blueberry Lavender Pound Cake
Last year, I went on a little tear baking with fruit and herbs. It started when a favorite vendor at the farmers market had a proliferation of lemon balm, and it was so fragrant I couldn’t resist. That led to my Nectarine and Lemon Balm Cake. The same trip to the market resulted in a plethora of blueberries, so I turned them into this dense, rich pound cake, and with my … [Read more...] about Blueberry Lavender Pound Cake
Dundee Cake
We are all spending more time at home these days, and I think it would be a very civilized idea to bring back afternoon tea. To take a moment in the day to sit down with a cup of tea (or coffee or lemonade) and a nice treat and relax, unwind and talk. After you wrap up your work from home or the school day. I have always had it in my mind that I would start inviting people over … [Read more...] about Dundee Cake
Roasted Strawberry and Cream Cake with Ruby Chocolate Glaze
I love strawberries, but I generally only eat them when they are in season from local growers. I think this adds to the sense of anticipation and excitement I feel about them. The brief period in April and May when they are at their peak, I gorge myself, making jams and preserves and baked goods – and of course eating them out of hand. The rest of the year is mostly strawberry … [Read more...] about Roasted Strawberry and Cream Cake with Ruby Chocolate Glaze
