Scampi

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by Lisa

Things to remember about prawns on a random Tuesday night:

  1. They can be bathed in a drizzle of olive oil, a puddle of warm butter, a splash of white wine, a whole head of garlic, a squeeze of lemon.
  2. They cook in 5 minutes.
  3. They’re finger food. Messy, buttery, garlicky, finger food.
  4. The kids will say thank you.
  5. There will never be enough.
  6. See #4.

Late Summer Plum Crumb Cake

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by Lisa

It was the end of summer. We were finally headed out of the woods. We were headed into the woods.  We needed something sweet. We needed something new.  I had a pile of miniature deep purple French plums. I had a cherry pitter. I had a craving for a crumb topping. I had a new summer cake.  I took a deep breath and channeled my inner-Caroline. The cake was dense and sweet, studded with the occasional tart-sweet surprise of a mouthful of plum, and the kind of fat, addictive crumb that is impossible not to pick right off the cake. It went into the woods with us. Very little of it came back.

Late Summer Plum Crumb Cake

adapted from Food52

For the cake

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
  • 2/3 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cups plain greek yogurt, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 4 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 8-10 small French plums
For the crumb
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, with a rack in the lower third. Butter a 9 x 2-inch round or 9 x 9 x 2-inch square cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the parchment. Dust the pan with flour, tapping out the excess.
  2. Pit the plums and cut in half, if using the very small French plums. Mix the plums with a 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar (depending on their sweetness and how many you use). Set aside.
  3. Make the crumb by melting the butter in a small sauce pan, then mixing in flour, sugar, and cinnamon until crumb forms. Do not overmix. Set aside.
  4. Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl.
  5. Beat the butter and sugar until light, then mix in the eggs, one at a time.
  6. Beat in the yogurt, then the vanilla.
  7. On low speed, add the flour mixture just until combined.
  8. This is a very thick batter. At this point, gently fold in the plums so they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
  9. Spoon batter carefully into cake pan, being careful not to break up the plums.
  10. Top generously with the crumb topping.
  11. Bake until the cake is golden and pulling away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted near the center tests clean.

Kale Salad with Poached Egg and Anchovy

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by Lisa

You will have to trust me here, this recipe without a picture. Some months ago, Caroline fed me this delicious salad.   Then, I’d been reading Dash and Bella, one of the terrific writers contributing to our forthcoming book,  whose love of the irresistible umami of anchovies (and salt, and garlic) seeps into your own cooking life, making you lament that you’ve gone so many weeks, months even, without mashing up some for yourself.  I figured it was time I jumped on the kale salad wagon. I started with this recipe, subtracted a few ingredients, tweaked the dressing, and layered on some new things, ending with a poached egg, which Phyllis Grant knows makes anything better.  We’ve eaten this salad now–okay Kory and I have eaten it, the kids being not quite convinced it’s edible–four times for dinner. But I still haven’t managed to get a good picture.


Kale Salad with Poached Egg and Anchovies

  • one bunch curly kale
  • pine nuts
  • Parmesan cheese
  • a handful of fingerling or baby Yukon gold potatoes
  • eggs, one per person serving
  • anchovies, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces. Use a good, jarred variety, one per person or more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 7 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  1. Combine olive oil, vinegars, salt and honey. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
  2. Cut ribs out of kale, and then cut leaves into small, bite-sized pieces
  3. Toss kale with a small amount of salt and dressing to lightly coat. Let sit 15-20 minutes or longer to slightly soften the leaves.
  4. While the kale is resting, cook the potatoes in very salting boiling water until tender, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then cut into small pieces or slice.
  5. Poach the eggs. Remove from water and drain on a paper towel. These will keep until you’re ready to serve. 
  6. Just before serving toss the kale with a handful of pine nuts–about a 1/4 cup, a generous shaving of Parmesan cheese (use a vegetable peeler), the cooked potatoes, and the anchovies. Add additional dressing as needed. If you’re serving anchovy-haters, you can add the delicious chopped fish separately to each plate.
  7. Separate the salad onto four plates. Top each serving with an egg and the anchovies.
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