Pressed Cheddar Sandwich with Fig Preserves

As I write this, the wind outside is blowing, leaves are turning red and the air is becoming cooler.  Fall days are here.  Cooler temps get me in the mood for warm comfort food and this sandwich is a long-time favorite of mine (a variation found here).  Crusty sourdough, sharp white cheddar and a thin layer of fig preserves for a bit of sweetness.   If you were me, you would add a few drops of rich white truffle oil, but that is completely optional.  Grill in a hot panini press until melty and bubbly or, if you don't have a press, simply use a skillet.  Cheesy, crisp, rich and warm.  Melted cheddar with a touch of fig. Perfect for a blustery fall afternoon.

Pressed Cheddar Sandwich with Fig Preserves
makes 1

crusty sourdough bread
sharp white cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
fig preserves
white truffle oil (optional)
unsalted butter, softened

Preheat your panini press or heat a saute pan over medium heat.  Assemble sandwiches by spreading a thin layer of fig preserves on one slice of bread and evenly arranging a generous quantity of cheddar on the other slice.  If using, drizzle a bit of truffle oil over the cheddar.  Sandwich the bread and spread the top outer slice with a little softened butter.  Place the buttered side down onto the hot press or pan and then quickly spread the exposed side of the sandwich with a bit more butter.  Cook sandwich until the cheese has melted and the bread is golden brown.  {Note:  If using a saute pan, press the sandwich as it cooks with a large metal spatula or smaller saute pan. Flip sandwich and do the same on the other side until melted through.}

Use really sharp, aged cheddar for this sandwich.  Usually, the crumblier the better.

Press until golden brown and melted through.

A rich, warm sandwich on a cool fall day.

Soft Boiled Egg with Toast

This little dish always reminds me of Paris.  Whenever I eat it, I daydream that I'm back at Café de Flore, sitting at a small table, reading the paper and sipping champagne.  I order oeuf á la coque and it arrives hot with baguette and a tub of French butter.  While I may not get back to France as often as I would like, whenever I'm craving the cafes of Paris I make this for myself.  No real recipe, just gently drop a room temperature egg into a pot of rapidly boiling water and cook for exactly 4 minutes.  Meanwhile, toast a piece of crusty bread, slather it with butter and slice it into strips.  Transfer the egg to an egg cup, crack open the top with a spoon or knife, sprinkle the golden yolk with flaked sea salt and the rest is up to you.  I prefer to dunk my toast but a more presentable approach may be to spoon the soft egg over the bread.  However you eat it, it is pure bliss.  It may sound simple, but this is one of my favorite breakfasts.  And it always transports me back to Paris, to that table in Café de Flore.

Hot, buttered toast dunked into warm yolk.

Such a simple dish but to me, it is perfect.

All gone.  C'est la vie.

Granola

Granola has never been one of my favorites.  I want to like granola, but I generally find commercial brands to be overpacked with oats, too sugary and quite boring.  I always yearn for more nuts, less sugar, a bit more salt and generally, more flavor. Until recently, the idea of making my own granola never really sparked an interest in me.  Now that I've tried it I can say that I'm seriously hooked and can't believe I had never made it before.  It may be the most versatile recipe ever.  You can add whatever you like.  In mine, I kept the traditional rolled oats but balanced them out with pistachios and slivered almonds. I love my seeds so flax, sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds all went into the mix. Some fleur de sel for that salty bite I crave and a pinch of instant espresso powder for the slightest coffee flavor.  Pure maple syrup, honey and a bit of fruity olive oil brings it all together.  My husband isn't a huge dried fruit fan, but currants or dried cherries would be delicious mix-ins.  Bake in the oven, allow it to cool and there you have it, delicious granola just the way I like it.  Finally.

Granola
makes about 5 cups

1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup pistachios, shelled
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pepitas
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 Tbsp flax seed meal
1 tsp fleur de sel or kosher salt
1/4 tsp instant espresso powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a small sauce pot, heat the honey, maple syrup and olive oil over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture thins and combines.

Meanwhile, mix the rest of the ingredients together in a large bowl.  When the syrup mixture is ready, pour it over the granola mixture and toss to combine.  Spread the granola evenly onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, turning it every 15 minutes to ensure even browning.

When the granola is finished, allow it to cool completely in the pan.  Store the cooled granola in an airtight container at room temperature.

Making your own granola... it is almost too easy.

Spread the sticky granola into a thin layer for even browning in the oven. 

Toasted oats, seeds and nuts.  

 Perfect for snacking.

Buttermilk Apple Cake

This is the kind of cake you want to have on your counter.  At all times.  Afternoon snack craving?  Grab a piece of this cake. Need a little dessert after dinner?  This cake does the trick.  Want something to enjoy with your morning coffee?  You get the idea.  The perfect thing about this cake is that it's neither too sweet nor too dense.  It could be topped with almost any fruit, but I decided to use a tart variety of apples from my favorite local orchard as I found them to soften perfectly in the oven.  This cake has ample tang from the buttermilk, nuttiness from the whole wheat and spice from the nutmeg.  It has simple, homemade apple flavor that I so often crave in the fall.  Bake this cake, let it cool on your counter and slice it into generous chunks.  Mark my words, it will disappear in no time.

Buttermilk Apple Cake
adapted from a recipe in Super Natural Everyday by Heidi Swanson
makes 12 servings

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 Tbsp baking powder (use aluminum-free if you can find it)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (if you're using pre-ground, only use 1/2 tsp)
2 L eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, at room temperature
6 Tbsp (3 oz) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
4-5 small, tart and soft apples, peeled and thinly sliced into half moons
3 Tbsp raw turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a a 9x13 inch metal baking pan and line with parchment paper.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the first five ingredients.  In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, slightly cooled melted butter and vanilla extract. Don't be alarmed as the wet mixture will likely curdle.  Add the wet mixture to the bowl with the dry mixture and fold together until just combined.  Be sure not to over mix.

Evenly spread the batter into the prepared pan and scatter the apples over the top in an even layer.  Sprinkle turbinado sugar over the top of the apples and batter.

Bake for 20 minutes or until just done.  Be sure not to overbake.

Beautiful apples from Sweetland Orchard.  

Layer the thinly sliced apple then generously sprinkle with crunchy turbinado sugar.

The baking powder gives this cake an almost spongey quality, in the best possible way.

Here's to snacking on apple cake.

Oatmeal with Brown Butter Sauteed Bananas

I am someone who finds comfort in a morning routine.  My dream weekend morning includes a family walk around the lake, a piping hot latte and a fat newspaper, read while enjoying a big breakfast.  Lately, those big breakfasts I so love have been losing out to hastily gobbled power bars, soggy bowls of cereal or lackluster coffee shop pastries.  This oatmeal is what I imagine coming home to after a long morning walk in the cool fall air.  In the past, I've simply taken my oatmeal with a splash of cream and a sprinkle of brown sugar.  Not anymore.  Rolled oats, slowly cooked with just a pinch of salt.  Brown butter sauteed banana adds a nutty element that brings out the flavor of the oats.  A generous drizzle of honey sweetened créme fraiche gives the perfect tang.  Creamy, not-too-sweet and completely satisfying. This oatmeal is ideal for lazy weekend mornings and it is certainly the newest addition to my weekend breakfast routine.

Oatmeal with Brown Butter Sauteed Bananas
serves 2

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 small bananas (or 1 large), chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup créme fraiche
1 Tbsp honey

In a small bowl, mix the créme fraiche and honey.  Set aside.

Combine oats with the milk and water in a medium sauce pot.  Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring often.  Once boiling, turn the heat down to low, add the salt and continue to stir on and off for another 15 minutes.

While the oatmeal is cooking, add the butter to a small saute pan set over medium-high heat.  Once the butter solids start to turn golden, add the chopped banana, stir and continue cooking until the banana is warmed through, about 2 minutes.

Divide oatmeal between two bowls and top with sauteed banana and honeyed créme fraiche.

Gently cook oats until they are creamy, yet still have a slight bite.

Generously drizzle your oatmeal with the honeyed créme fraiche.  Tangy and slightly sweet.

Perfect for those quickly approaching fall mornings.