Pumpkin Granola

I think I can measure how busy I am on any given day by the number of unread posts in my Google Reader. It seems unfathomable that I used to get my unread blog posts down to zero (yes, zero!), but now any number less than 400 is fine. Even though I read blogs every day, often more than once, the blog posts just never seem to dwindle.

All of this is meant to excuse this long, silent absence over here for the past three weeks. (Three weeks, yikes!) I’ll justify that by saying that I’ve had many tests and, as a result, many three-bowls-of-oatmeal days. I think the hardest thing about Georgia Tech is that it just sort of sneaks up on you. Four weeks until a test seems like an eternity (especially after the most recent one), but then I find myself studying a few days before and wondering to myself, When did we ever learn this? How in the world did they come up with this answer? As an Industrial Engineering major, when why do I need to take Physics II? When will the magnetic field of a curved disc ever be relevant to my life? Can you imagine being a Physics major?! (Turns out they have to take Honors Physics, so no: I cannot imagine doing this to myself.) A lot of these questions I ask myself revolve around physics, because I can’t exactly say I’ll never need to know accounting or probability.

As I said, there have been plenty of oatmeal three-a-days around here. Not that I mind, but it’s not exactly inspiring, and it really doesn’t do much for this space.

Luckily I have this pumpkin granola pushing me back into the kitchen. I’ve wanted to make granola for a long time. I used to buy those expensive (especially on a college student budget) Kashi granola bars that were so good. There was a pumpkin spice flavor that, lo and behold, actually didn’t contain any pumpkin in it at all. It’s like when you read the ingredients on the back of the blueberry muffin mix box (Why is there red dye in this? What is a blueberry-flavored nugget?). Anyway, I forced myself to quit the granola bar habit because at the end of the day, even though they were oh so good, I knew I could make a homemade version that was better for me and my taste buds (and my wallet, although ironically I made this at home over fall break using my parents' pantry).

What I love about this pumpkin granola is how deliciously crunchy it is. I was worried at first it would be too soft but after a day or so it crunched up deliciously. The smell is also incredible. A blend of spices and warm autumn flavors like pumpkin, maple syrup, and apples all get mixed up before being tossed with chewy dried fruit and some toasty nuts. It’s also not nearly as sweet as other granola, but I think that really lets the pumpkin and spices shine.

Now that I’ve tried pumpkin granola I can’t wait to experiment with other flavors. I’m thinking a coconut version or one with other fruits like pears would also be delicious. I also think this would be fabulous as a topping for fruit crisps. Can you imagine topping cinnamon-scented roasted apples with this? I think I may have just found a new Thanksgiving  dessert.

Pumpkin Granola
Adapted from Serious Eats

I halved the sweetener in this recipe, but if you like a sweeter granola go ahead and add another ¼ cup of maple syrup. Use whatever nuts and dried fruits you like. I used almonds and walnuts and dried cherries and cranberries but pecans, pumpkin seeds, raisins, and even dried apples would also be delicious. The measurements here are pretty loose – I just grabbed handfuls of the nuts and dried fruit, but I have pretty small hands, so adjust accordingly. (I’d say my handful is somewhere between a ¼ and 1/3 of a cup.)

Yield:  8 to 12 servings

3 cups rolled oats
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon nutmeg (preferably freshly grated)
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt
Handful dried cranberries
Handful dried cherries, roughly chopped
Handful raw almonds, roughly chopped
Handful raw walnuts, roughly chopped
¼ cup maple syrup
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a half-sheet pan with foil or parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine oats, spices, dried fruit, and nuts. Stir to combine.

In a medium bowl, whisk the maple syrup, vanilla, pumpkin, and applesauce. Add to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly to combine.

Spread out in an even layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring halfway through baking, until the granola is golden and smells heavenly.

Allow the granola to cool slightly before digging in. Stored well in an airtight container at room temperature, the granola will keep for at least a few weeks.

Summer Squash Frittata

I feel as if I have just woken up from a long sleep, a midsummer hibernation.

About a month ago I got it in my head that I wanted to read all seven Harry Potter books before fall semester started. It was a pretty ambitious goal, especially since at the time I was still working all day and came home tired and unwilling to do much of anything. But I was determined to get through the thousands of pages and hundreds of chapters. Suffice it to say that I've done a lot of reading this summer (ten books in all), and now that I've finished the seventh and final book in the series, I'm sort of at a loss of what to do.

Particularly in the last week and a half, I've done nothing but read. All day and often late into the night, sometimes forgoing lunch or dinner for just one more chapter. It was incredible. After cooking and baking, reading is my favorite way to pass the time. I loved getting lost in the books, in the fantastic world J.K. Rowling created, in horcruxes and pensieves, Quidditch and charms. These books surpassed my expectations in every way imaginable. Rowling's writing and storytelling really inspire me. No detail goes unexplained, and I am continually amazed at the the vividness of her characters. I think I could read these books forever and continue to get something out of them. I only wish I had started to read them earlier in the summer; then I could have had the time to read them through a second time. (Seriously.) 

All this is to say that with so much reading, I haven't had too much time for cooking. On the few occasions that I decided I could put my book down for a few hours and make a meal, I was drawn toward quick-cooking dinners that highlighted fantastic summer produce. One of our favorites this summer has been frittata, a quick-cooking style of omelet. Start to finish it takes about thirty minutes and we've enjoyed it with everything from mushrooms to peppers to spinach. This particular version has sliced zucchini and summer squash, sauteed onions and garlic, and salty Parmesan cheese and fresh basil on top. Perfect alongside a crisp green salad, this frittata is the perfect easy dinner (or lunch or breakfast), and easily adaptable for all seasons.

Summer Squash Frittata with Parmesan and Basil

Instead of squash, try mushrooms, peppers, spinach, fennel, asparagus, roasted tomatoes, or corn. Check out my post on strata for ingredient combinations. In total you'll want about 3 to 4 cups of vegetables or other add-ins (such as cooked chicken or sausage). In place of Parmesan, you can also use goat cheese (with sweet potatoes and thyme, it's another favorite), Fontina, Manchego, Gruyere, or sharp cheddar. Similarly, try different herbs to match your tastes and the season; everything from marjoram to rosemary to parsley would be delicious.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

1 teaspoon olive oil 
1/2 medium onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 cloves minced garlic
2 medium yellow squash, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 eggs
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped or chiffonade basil

Add olive oil to a 10-inch nonstick pan and heat over medium-high heat. Position an oven rack to the center position and heat the broiler on high. Add onion to pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent and begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring contantly.

Add both squashes to the pan, spreading slices as evenly as possible. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until squash is tender and slightly browned, onions are browned, and all the moisture in the pan has evaporated, about 10 minutes more.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl or measuring cup, beat eggs and mustard. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon of cheese and stir to combine. Pour eggs over sauteed vegetables as evenly as possible, tilting pan to distribute the eggs throughout the pan if necessary. Cover pan with lid and cook for 5 minutes. The eggs will be mostly set around the edges but the top will still be runny.

After 5 minutes, uncover the pan, sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of cheese, and transfer to the broiler. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes more, until eggs are set and cheese is melted. Remove from the broiler and sprinkle with fresh basil. Serve immediately or cool and serve at room temperature.

The frittata will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 5 days.

Cheddar and Scallion Muffins

By now we're probably all pretty tired of sweets and candies. (If you aren't, stay tuned because I've got more where that comes from.) Honestly, I don't think I could ever tire of sweet baked goods, but today I thought I'd change it up a bit.
One of my favorite things to bake is quick bread, from muffins to scones to loaves. They give you the sense of accomplishment associated with bread-baking without all the finicky techniques involved in yeast-risen bread. (In all honesty, I am simultaneously fascinated with and terrified by old-fashioned bread baking.)
In search of a savory muffin recipe to serve along white bean soup (more on that later), I arrived at these simple little things. This is the kind of bare basics recipe that I love. The method is foolproof and the variations are endless. I decided to go with a classic cheddar and scallion version, but there are dozens of potential cheese and herb combinations, and I've listed some below.
The muffins boast a tender, slightly irregular crumb and pack a bunch of flavor in such a small package ("good" cheese and fresh herbs certainly help). Perfect as an accompaniment to a soup or salad or just by themselves, these muffins are ones I will return to again and again.
Chedder and Scallion Muffins
Adapted from Sugarcrafter

My favorite thing about these muffins is how much the flavor can change just by swapping in different combinations of cheese, herbs, and other add-ins. Instead of cheddar cheese, you could use Gruyere, Swiss, parmesan, Manchego (my absolute favorite cheese), Chevre, Comte, Fontina, Taleggio, or blue cheese. You could even combine cheeses for a more complex flavor (Fontina in the muffin and parmesan sprinkled on top, for example). Really, any good melting cheese would be fabulous. Instead of scallions, you could use chives, parsley, cilantro (if you're into that sort of thing), thyme, rosemary, sage, marjoram, or basil. Again, any fresh herb would be a fantastic complement if it's paired with a cheese harmoniously. I'd use 2 to 4 tablespoons depending on how strong of an herb flavor you want. For more inspiration, look to the end of the recipe for more detailed variations. Depending on how much batter you put in the muffin tins, you will get anywhere from 9 to 12 muffins. (I ended up with 9 but the muffins were a little larger.)

Yield: 9 to 12 muffins (see above)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 scant tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (yellow or white), plus 1/2 cup (optional), grated
1 large scallion, chopped
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk (I used 1%)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Position an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray with vegetable oil spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together to combine. Add 1 cup of cheese and whisk again to combine.

In a measuring cup, stir the scallions, egg, milk, and butter together. Add to the dry ingredients and whisk quickly to combine. Don't overmix or the muffins will be tough instead of tender.

Divide the batter among the muffin tins. If you like, sprinkle the additional 1/2 cup of cheese evenly over the muffins. The additional cheese will melt into a nice crust of sorts on the top of the muffins, but you can certainly omit it or use a different cheese if you are so inclined.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.

Flavor variations:
Gruyere cheese, thyme, and caramelized onions. Parmesan and Fontina, rosemary, and sundried tomatoes. Goat cheese, roasted red peppers, and parsley. Swiss, finely diced ham, and basil.

Carrot Ring

Last week I talked about the virtues of a corn-syrup-free pecan pie. There's just something about using plain sugar that seems more wholesome than corn syrup. In a way, it's like serving dishes using ingredients available at the very first Thanksgiving. (Of course, I'm not sure what that means for our stuffing, but I'm working on that front.)

And while I'm not so big on pecan pie because of its inherent sweetness, I am a devout lover of carrot ring.

You might be wondering what "carrot ring" is. It's somewhere between a souffle and a pound cake in texture. It's simultaneously dense and light. As for the flavor, it's certainly more intense than run-of-the-mill carrot cake, but it's not so overpoweringly sweet as to be considered a dessert. In fact, it's a side dish on our Thanksgiving table, and it has been for as long as I can remember. Quite simply, I adore it. Not only is it a wonderful supporting member of the Thanksgiving cast, but it is also delicious for breakfast (or dessert).

Like the origins of pecan pie (dark, mysterious, corn syrup-laden origins), the beginnings of carrot ring were somewhat questionable. While corn syrup irks me a little, shortening just plain freaks me out. The combination of its color, flavor (ahem, lack thereof), goopy texture (reminiscent of Vaseline), and solidity at room temperature are enough to make me rid all recipes I come across of this "ingredient."

(Now that I've thoroughly grossed you out talking about a "food" resembling Vaseline, please read on. I promise it gets better. And tastier.)

Luckily, my mom shares similar feelings when it comes to shortening (only countered by the fact that she a) tried the whipped lardo at Del Posto ["It tastes like bacon fat"... duh] and b) continues to grease the bundt pans for carrot ring with shortening). When my mom first received this recipe from my paternal grandmother (Nama) many years ago when she started to host Thanksgiving, she immediately set out to rid it of the unnecessary fat and calories. (Indeed, you can see the original ingredients on the recipe card below.)

Another heirloom recipe, but (warning!) these directions are super confusing.
Terse instructions on old recipes really annoy me.

Thankfully, she succeeded exceptionally well. By replacing the fat with whipped egg whites and applesauce, she both lightened the texture and moistened the crumb. She cut back on the sugar substantially, which lets the carrot flavor really shine through and justifies its side dish status. Of course, I've never had the original version, but my guess is that her changes accomplished these feats. Either way, the result is a dish that I eagerly await every year and one that will forever be on my Thanksgiving table. Enjoy this - it's a Rogovin family classic.

(Unfortunately, I have no picture to show you of this beautiful carrot ring. However, I think I successfully identified it in this picture. It is just below the wall outlet, to the left of the large green bowl. Note to self: take pictures of everything you make this Thanksgiving!)

Carrot Ring
Adapted from Nama

To cook the carrots, we place them in a microwaveable dish with some water and cook them until they're very tender. Then we put them in a food processor and process until they're mostly smooth. You don't want them to be completely pureed; lumps are perfectly fine. You could also just use a potato masher or fork to mash them up. You can use either a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the egg whites. This recipe makes 2 carrot rings. We bake one in a pretty Bundt pan mold and serve it on Thanksgiving. The other we keep, unbaked, in the refrigerator for a few days and bake it whenever the first carrot ring is almost gone. I prefer carrot ring either warm or cold. It's a delicious complement to a sweet/tart cranberry conserve.

Yield: 2 carrot rings

1 3/4 cups applesauce
8 large egg whites, divided
2 tablespoons cold water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 pounds carrots, peeled, cooked, and mashed (see note)
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease two Bundt pans (or ring-shaped cake pans) with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the applesauce and 4 of the egg whites. Add the water, lemon juice, vanilla, and brown sugar and mix until well-blended. Mix in the carrot puree.

In a separate bowl, mix the salt, baking powder, baking soda, and flour. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until just blended.

Meanwhile, beat the remaining 4 egg whites until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold the beaten egg whites into the carrot mixture. Divide the batter between the two Bundt pans (they should be about halfway full).

Put a kettle of water on to boil. Place the Bundt pan in a larger roasting pan. Put the whole set-up in the oven. Quickly and carefully pour the boiling water into the roasting pan so that it comes about halfway up the sides of the pan. Bake for 1 hour.

Let cool before inverting onto a serving platter. Serve warm, cold, or at room temperature. The carrot ring will keep, covered well with plastic wrap, for at least a week.

Healthy Zucchini Bread

I’ve long nagged my mom about planting different vegetables and fruits in our backyard to harvest. Imagine the wealth of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and squash that we could get! And a fig tree? Don’t even get me started.

When my mom told me that we could harvest some vegetables from her friend’s own garden, I was elated. Although there were no fig trees to be found, we ended up with a wonderful variety of homegrown summer produce. A few peppers, some cucumbers, and a couple of cute cherry tomatoes, not to mention an assortment of delicious herbs. Oh, and a zucchini.

It was a pretty sizable bounty. And when I say sizable, I mean it. Our lone zucchini tipped the scales at over three and a half pounds. Yes, you read that correctly: three and a half pounds. About 60 ounces of pure vegetation. The problem with a three and a half-pound zucchini? Only about two and a half of those pounds are usable. Unlike average sized zucchini, this humongous squash had the most developed seed structure I’ve ever seen in a summer squash. It was more like a winter squash, and anyone who has ever prepped a butternut or acorn squash (or even scooped out a pumpkin for Halloween) knows that there’s a whole mess of seed webbing to work through and that the outer flesh is the only usable part.
But when life gives you a three and a half-pound zucchini, what does one do? Ah, one makes zucchini bread. My mom pulled out an “heirloom” recipe for zucchini bread. I call it heirloom because of its odd combination of ingredients. (“Baking powder and baking soda? Sure, why not, even though there’s nothing for the baking soda to react with, it just sounds right. While we’re at it, let’s list all the ingredients and an oven temperature and just leave it at that. No further directions are required. After all, we’re only dealing with kitchen alchemy and the like.”) So I had a few reservations about how this would turn out, especially when my mom began substituting and adjusting ingredients left and right. But you know what? It came out really well. Aside from the loaves’ squatness (I’ve elected to call them tea cakes, instead), our own little kitchen experiment has a happy—and delicious—ending. Although it’s hard for me to detect any zucchini flavor (it’s a rather mild-tasting vegetable to begin with), a dose of cinnamon lends it a taste that reminds me of banana bread (it provides a wonderful scent, too). Chopped pecans add a great contrast of texture. Speaking of texture, I think the texture of the bread improves with age. The crumb gets denser and more toothsome.

This bread is also just about the healthiest quick bread recipe you may ever find. My mom swapped in applesauce for all the oil and cut back on the sugar by a third. (Apparently we have similar opinions about using vegetable oil and shortening.) Final verdict: an excellent use for our mammoth zucchini and perfect for breakfast in the morning or for a more healthful midnight snack.

Healthy Zucchini Bread
Adapted from an old family recipe

Shred the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater. Admittedly, we totally omitted the vanilla by accident, but the bread was just as tasty anyway. Include it if you like, but know that you can omit it also. I'd reason that the vanilla accents the other ingredients (much like salt - don't leave that out!) and also adds a floral note to the bread. This bread really improves with age and tastes delicious cold, as the crumb becomes especially tooth-sinking and dense. The loaves can be stored, wrapped in plastic and stored in the refrigerator, for up to one week.

Yield: 2 (shortish) loaves

3 large eggs
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups shredded zucchini
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup of chopped pecans

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9 by 5-inch loaf pans.

Combine eggs, applesauce, sugar, zucchini, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until combined.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon until well-combined. Meanwhile, toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant and lightly browned. Set aside.

Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just-combined. Don't overmix; there should be no large streaks of white flour remaining, but lumps are fine. Stir in the pecans.

Divide the batter evenly among the loaf pans and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the loaves comes out clean. Cool in the pans on a wire rack until the loaves reach room temperature.

Any Way Strata

In terms of a recipe standby that is not only always comforting and delicious but that I can also always make, no matter what is in the refrigerator, nothing quite beats strata. Imagine a frittata enlivened by hearty, savory bread and you get the idea. We first started making this strata years ago, and it’s always a hit for brunch. But, in my opinion, it’s even better for dinner. You can make it early in the day and let it sit for a few hours in the fridge before baking it just before dinner.

Aside from the ease of preparation involved, I also love how flexible the recipe is. Seriously, you can make this with just about anything. Have some bell peppers on hand? Saute them up. Spinach that’s not quite crisp enough to eat raw in a salad? Perfect for this! And the list goes on: broccoli, onions, asparagus, fennel, mushrooms, Swiss chard, zucchini, squash—they’d all work perfectly in this. And when coupled with gooey cheese and the more substantial bread, which soaks up the egg and almost takes on the texture of beautifully tender potatoes (hey, potatoes would be great in this, too!), you have a fabulous meal that needs only a green salad for accompaniment.

That said, there’s not exactly a precise recipe for this strata. The keys are cooking the vegetables until they’re tender and have given up all their moisture (no one likes a soggy strata, after all) and allowing enough time for the bread to soak up the eggs and milk. Play around with different vegetable, bread, and cheese combinations. (My most recent rendition included colorful bell peppers, fresh broccoli, and baby spinach; rosemary baguette; and nutty Parmesan cheese.) The possibilities are truly endless and the results are no less than delectable.

Strata—Your Way

Yield: About 8 or 9 servings (but less if I’m eating)

1 vegetable combination (choose from those I’ve listed below or create one of your own)
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder or ½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
9 eggs
2½ cups milk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
8 cups of hearty bread (not sandwich bread), cut into ¾- to 1-inch pieces*
1¼ cups cheese, divided**

Heat 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. If using bell peppers, onions, or fennel, add them first to the pan, stirring occasionally, until they become soft and translucent (in the case of onions or fennel), about 5 minutes. Season with ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add the remaining vegetables and cook, continuing to stir occasionally. If using spinach or another leafy green vegetable, add them last and cook until just wilted, about 1 minute. Continue cooking the vegetables until they are tender and all the moisture has evaporated.

(Note: If you elect to use potatoes, either sweet or regular, you need to make sure that they are completely cooked before they are put in the oven with the rest of the strata. You can accomplish this by either roasting the potatoes in the oven until they’re tender or boiling them in water until they’re tender. Add the potatoes to the rest of the vegetables before adding garlic powder and herbs.)

Once vegetables are completely cooked through, add garlic powder (or nutmeg) and herbs and mix thoroughly. Remove pan from heat and allow vegetables to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whisk together eggs, milk, and Dijon mustard. Season with ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine bread and 1 cup of cheese. Add vegetable mixture to bread and toss to combine.

Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and add bread-vegetable mixture. Carefully pour egg mixture evenly over bread. Sprinkle remaining ¼ cup of cheese over baking dish. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Before baking, adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake strata until the eggs are completely set and the top is browned, 45 to 55 minutes. If the strata begins to brown too much, place a sheet of aluminum foil over the baking pan to prevent further browning. Remove strata from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Serve immediately. Stored in the refrigerator covered in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, the strata will keep for up to 1 week.

*My particular favorite bread in strata is a hearty whole wheat loaf. Baguettes or other crusty breads also work well (and are even better if they’ve started to become stale).
**You can use practically any type of cheese, as well as combinations of cheeses. Cheddar, Swiss, Gruyere, Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, Monterrey Jack, and low-moisture Mozzarella are all wonderful choices. Be creative with your pairings of bread, cheese, and vegetables. For example, a Tex-Mex version could include onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms; a milder baguette; and pepper jack cheese, with some hot sauce added to the egg mixture.

Vegetable Combinations:
Choose 3 or 4 vegetables from the list below. In the end you’ll want about 4 cups of cooked vegetables.

½ diced onion, 1 diced zucchini or yellow squash, 1 diced bell pepper, 8 ounces sliced mushrooms, 8 ounces broccoli (cut into ½-inch pieces), 1 diced fennel bulb, 8 ounces asparagus (cut into ½-inch pieces), 1 medium sweet or regular potato (cut into ½-inch pieces), 8 ounces spinach or other leafy green (such as Swiss chard).

You can also use 12-ounce bags of frozen vegetables if you have some on hand. Frozen spinach is especially convenient. Take the bag out of the freezer when you begin to saute the vegetables and add them to the pan according to the recipe, making sure to let the moisture evaporate in the pan before combining the vegetables with the bread.

Rosemary Jam Scones

For the past week, the temperature here in Atlanta has hit upwards of 90 degrees consistently. There have been a few rain showers (or the occasional thunderstorm) that have provided some brief, albeit welcome, reprieves from the heat, but even walking outside can be grueling.
Nevertheless, I still manage to turn on the oven and the stove at least once a day (love those roasted vegetables). The other day, it was to bake up some delicious, heart-shaped rosemary scones. I had first seen Giada De Laurentiis make them on her cooking show, and the combination of sweet and savory was incredibly enticing. But they take cream, and, well, we hardly ever have cream in the refrigerator. Flash forward a few weeks and we have not one but two cartons of heavy cream in the refrigerator leftover from making cheesecake and ice cream (luckily cream lasts a lot longer than regular milk does). It was the perfect time to make a batch of these dainty scones.

The recipe is particularly easy for a rolled-out dough. I'm a pretty slow baker, but I whipped these up in about 30 minutes, start to finish. The aroma of fresh rosemary was incredible, as was the smell of that delicious biscuit dough. It reminded me of Bisquick pancakes - but rest assured these taste much, much better (and are certainly worthy of turning on the oven).

Rosemary Jam Scones
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

You can make these scones in either the processor or by hand with a pastry cutter. I opted to just make them in one large bowl to make clean-up easier, but these come together so quickly and neatly that either method would be fine. I used Emily G's Santa Jam, which is a pomegranate jelly, but any berry jam would work. The original recipe called for a lemon glaze, but I think the scones are just fine without it. Try the glaze for an additional citrus note or to sweeten the scones up for dessert. I used a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, but any similar size cookie cutter would work (you could also cut the scones freehand with a knife).

Yield: 12-14 scones

For the scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup fruit jam (such as raspberry or strawberry)

For the glaze (optional):
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, from 1 large lemon
2 cups powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons water

Adjust two oven racks to the upper middle and lower middles racks of hte oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Food Processor Method: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, baking powder, rosemary, salt, and butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Gradually stir in the cream until the mixture forms a dough.

Hand-Mixed Method: In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, rosemary, and salt. Incorporate the butter with a pastry cutter, working the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Gradually stir in the cream until the mixture forms a dough.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 1/2-inch thick, 10-inch circle. Using a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out heart-shaped pieces of dough and put on the prepared baking sheets. Gently knead together any leftover pieces of dough and roll out to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut the dough into more heart shapes and add to the baking sheet. Using an index finger or a small, round measuring spoon, gently make an indentation in the center of each pastry heart. Spoon a heaped 1/2 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake the scones for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown, rotating the baking sheets from front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Transfer the cooked scones onto a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes.

To make the glaze, mix together the lemon juice and powdered sugar in a medium bowl until smooth. Gradually add the water until the mixture is thin enough to spread. Using a spoon, drizzle the glaze over the scones. Let the glaze set for about 30 minutes. Serve or store in an airtight plastic container for up to 2 days.