Farm French Toast

1 Loaf Challah (egg) bread

8 eggs

2 cups whole milk

½ cup whipping (heavy) cream

½ cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 T. vanilla

Cinnamon

Nutmeg (optional)

Maple syrup.

Directions:  Slice bread into thick pieces.  Whisk together eggs, milk, cream, sugars, and vanilla.  Heat griddle with melted butter.  While griddle heats, soak toast slices in milk mixture for 30 seconds or so.  Toast on the griddle until each side is golden brown.  While toasting, sprinkle sides with cinnamon to taste.  May add nutmeg as well.  Serve with maple syrup.

Comment:  The better the bread, the better the toast!  This is a breakfast favorite at the farm with a side of bacon.  Yum!

Corn-n- Tomato Tart

Crust:

1¾ cups flour

¼ cup play yellow cornmeal

1½ tsp. kosher salt

½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 large egg

¼ cup buttermilk

Filling:

4 slices tomato (1/4” each), halved

2 tsp. kosher salt, divided

1¾ cups fresh corn kernels

1½ cups heavy whipping cream

5 large eggs

5 T. grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided

5 T. grated Gruyere cheese

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

Garnish: chopped fresh chives, torn fresh basil

Directions:

For Crust. In food processor, pulse together flour, cornmeal, and salt. Add butter, and pulse until mixture is crumbly. Add egg and buttermilk; pulse until dough forms a ball. Turn out dough on to a lightly floured surface, and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Let dough stand at room temperature until slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Ona lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 14” circle. Press into bottom and up sides of a greased/floured 11” tart pan (or 9” pie pan). Fold edges under and crimp. Pierce dough all over with a fork. Place tart pan on a baking sheet. With double parchment paper extending over edges, add pie weights. Bake until dough begins to set, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove paper and weights. Bake 5 minutes more. Let cook on wire rack for 15 minutes.

For Filling. Place tomato slices on several paper towels; sprinkle with 1/3 tsp. salt. Let stand for 1 hour. Pat tomatoes dry with paper towels. Spread corn in an even layer in prepared crust. Spread Gruyere cheese over corn. In a large bowl, whisk together cream, eggs, 4 T. parmesan cheese, pepper and remaining 1¾ tsp. salt. Pour onto corn. Arrange tomato slices in a circle on cream mixture; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until center is set about 35 minutes in a tart plan – closer to 45 minutes in a pie pan. Let cool in pan on wire rack for 1 hour before serving. Garnish if desired.

Comment: This is like a very-light, summer quiche. Check timing for dough refrigeration, salted tomatoes, tart cooling time, etc.

Banana Buttermilk Bread

butter, for greasing the pan

6 bananas, very ripe

150g (2/3 cup) vegetable oil

200g (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) dark brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp dark rum

2 eggs

75g (1/3 cup) cultured buttermilk or plain yogurt

210g (1 1/2 cups) plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp fine sea salt

3 tbsp caster sugar

Directions: Heat the oven to 180°c (350 F). Butter and line your loaf tin with baking paper.

Mash up well, 5 ½ bananas, reserving half a banana (cut lengthwise) for the top of the cake.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, brown sugar, vanilla, rum, eggs and buttermilk. Add the mashed banana and set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, soda, powder and salt.

Fold the dry ingredients into the banana mixture until just combined and pour into your prepared tin. Smooth the top and place the banana half on top and sprinkle with the caster sugar.

Bake for 40-50 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean and the top has become set and starts to caramelize. i sometimes use a kitchen blow torch to help this along.

Comment:  Rich, balanced banana bread, so good. If you haven't already, I highly suggest investing in a cooking/baking scale-it makes clean-up so much easier and is more precise! 

Fresh Corn Cake

½ cup unsalted butter      ½ cup sugar

¼ cup whole milk      ¼ cup heavy cream

7-8 cups corn kernels (9 ears)      5 large eggs

¾ cup flour      ¾ cup rice flour

1 T. baking powder      1 tsp. kosher salt

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter round 9” cake pan, line the bottom

with wax paper/parchment paper – spray the paper with Pam.

Put the butter into the mixer bowl with paddle attachment and beat until creamy,

about 5 minutes. Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. Remove the bowl

from the mixer and set aside.

Scald the milk and heavy cream together in a small saucepan. Add the corn kernels,

place the mixture into a blender / food processor, and puree. Set aside and cool.

Separate the egg yolks and whites, reserving the whites. In a bowl, beat the egg

yolks thoroughly with a whisk. Add the corn puree to the butter and sugar mixture,

and then the egg yolks.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, rice flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix

this by hand into the wet ingredients. Transfer the batter to a larger bowl.

Wash and dry the electric mixer bowl thoroughly. Fit the mixer with the wire whisk

attachment and beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Use a rubber spatula

to gently fold them into the batter. Be careful not to break down all the egg whites.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until golden

brown. The corn cake should be set in the middle, so that a knife inserted into the

center comes out clean. Let cool. To free the corn cake from the pan, run a knife

around the edge and invert it onto a plate held over the top, serving side down. Flip

the corn cake quickly and remove the wax paper. Heat to serve. Refrigerate any

leftovers.

Comment: From Pasqual’s in Santa Fe-- -Eric’s favorite restaurant in the world!

Apple Dumplings

1 (8 oz) tube original-size crescent rolls

1 medium Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and sliced into 8 pieces

1 stick butter, melted

½ to ¾ cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

¾ cup Mountain Dew soda

Ground cinnamon

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8-by- 8 inch baking dish with

nonstick spray.

Unroll crescent rolls. Wrap each apple slide with dough and place in the baking

dish; seam side down. Combine butter, sugar and vanilla until just combined (it

doesn’t have to be smooth). Pour over rolls. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Pour

Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until golden

brown (you want them to get fairly golden so the bottoms cook through, but don’t let

them burn.) Cool briefly, remove rolls from syrup and then drizzle the syrup on top

when serving to prevent them from getting too soggy.

Serve with vanilla ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over

the top.

Comment: Mom and Dad enjoy this quick treat.