Sweet Corn and Zucchini Pie

4 tablespoons butter
1 sweet onion, diced
2 large zucchini, sliced very thinly (about 4 cups)
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
2 ears sweet corn
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 ounces shredded cheese
4 eggs, beaten

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions, zucchini, and mushrooms. While the veggies sauté, cut the corn kernels off the cob. Add them to the pan and continue to sauté until the veggies are soft, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Once the mixture has cooled for a few minutes, stir in the basil, oregano, salt, cheese, and the beaten eggs. Butter a pie pan (9-inch or larger). Transfer the mixture to the pan. Arrange the top so the zucchini slices lay flat and look nice. Top with a little extra cheese for looks. Cover with greased foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes to brown the top. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before cutting into slices.

Serves 6 to 8.

From Pinch of Yum blog

Buttermilk Cucumber Salad

2 cups thinly sliced cucumbers (from 1 large English cucumber or 3 mini, peeled fully or in stripes)
3 tablespoons thinly sliced shallot rings (from 1 shallot) or thinly sliced sweet onion
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup full-fat Greek yogurt, sour cream, or Vegenaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup torn or chopped fresh herbs, such as dill, chives, tarragon, basil, or parsley

Put the cucumbers and shallot/onion in a colander, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and toss to combine.  Set aside to drain for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.

Stir together the yogurt and buttermilk in a medium bowl.  Taste and season with salt and pepper, then stir in the cucumbers, shallot/onion, and herbs.

Serves 4.

From TheKitchn.com, with minor changes

Chocolate Ice Cream

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons whole milk
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (175 grams) sugar
1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) kosher salt
6 large egg yolks
2 ounces (56 grams) unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup (28 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder

Pour the cream and milk into a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water).  Whisk in 1/4 cup (50 grams) of the sugar and the salt and stir until both have dissolved.  Warm the mixture until you see steam rising from the top.

Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl and set another bowl over it.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, with a kitchen towel underneath it to prevent slipping, whisk together the egg yolks with the remaining 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (125 grams) sugar until uniform.  While whisking, add a splash of the hot dairy mixture to the yolks.  Continue to add the dairy mixture, whisking it in bit by bit, until you've added about half.  Add the yolk mixture to the remaining dairy mixture in the double boiler.  Set the heat under the double boiler to medium and cook the custard, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon and reducing the heat to medium-low as necessary, until steam begins to rise from the surface and the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon.  Hold the spoon horizontally and run your finger through the custard.  If the trail left by your finger stays separated, the custard is ready to be cooled.  Remove the custard from the heat and stir in the chocolate and cocoa powder until the chocolate has melted completely.  Using an immersion blender, buzz the custard until it is uniform.

Strain the custard into the bowl sitting over the prepared ice bath and stir for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the custard has cooled.  Transfer the custard to a quart-size container, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight. When properly chilled and hydrated, the custard will be thick like pudding.

Freeze the chilled custard in an ice cream maker.

From Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream Book

Sticky Rice with Mango

1 1/2 cups glutinous (sweet) rice

1 1/3 cups well-stirred canned unsweetened coconut milk, divided

1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted lightly, or black sesame seeds

1 large mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into thin slices (at least 24)

In a bowl, wash rice well in several changes of cold water until water is clear.  Soak rice in cold water to cover for several hours or overnight.

Drain rice well in a sieve.  Set sieve over a large deep saucepan of simmering water (sieve should not touch water) and steam rice, covered with a kitchen towel and a lid, 30 to 40 minutes, or until tender (check water level in pan occasionally, adding more water if necessary).

While rice is cooking, in a small saucepan bring 1 cup coconut milk to a boil with 1/3 cup sugar and salt, stirring until sugar is dissolved, and remove from heat.  Keep mixture warm.

Transfer cooked rice to a bowl and stir in coconut milk mixture.  Let rice stand, covered, 30 minutes, or until coconut-milk mixture is absorbed.  Rice may be prepared up to this point 2 hours ahead and kept covered at room temperature.

While rice is standing, in cleaned small pan slowly boil remaining 1/3 cup coconut milk with remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Transfer sauce to a small bowl and chill until cool and thickened slightly.

To serve, mold 1/4 cup servings of sticky rice on dessert plates. Drizzle desserts with sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Divide mango slices among plates.

Serves 6.

From Gourmet via Epicurious

Roasted Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream with Chocolate

Roasted Cherries:

12 ounces sweet cherries

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Vanilla Ice Cream Base:

1 1/4 cups half-and-half (or substitute whole milk)

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped (or substitute 1-2 tablespoons vanilla extract)

1/2 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

4 large egg yolks

1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (1 scant cup)

Make the roasted cherries:

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat oven to 450º F.  Spread the cherries in a single layer in a small, rimmed baking dish or pan.  Sprinkle with the sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.  Roast the cherries in the oven, giving the pan a shuffle every 5 minutes, until they are oozing juice and beginning to collapse, about 15 minutes.  Watch them closely so that the juices don't burn.  Remove from the oven and let cool.

When the cherries are cool enough to handle, pit them, making sure to save all the juice.  Chop the cherries coarsely, into roughly quarters or eighths.  Combine the chopped cherries, their juice, and the remaining teaspoon of vanilla extract in a jar, and chill.

Make the vanilla ice cream base:

In a medium saucepan, warm the half-and-half with the vanilla bean pod and scrapings over medium heat, until it steams and small bubbles form on the bottom of the pan, swirling occasionally.  Remove from the heat, cover the pot, and let steep for 30-60 minutes.

Add the sugar and salt, and re-warm the half-and-half until steamy hot, swirling to dissolve the sugar.  Place the egg yolks in a medium bowl, and set the bowl on a damp towel.  Place the heavy cream in a heatproof medium bowl and set a fine mesh strainer over the top.

Whisking constantly, dribble the hot half-and-half mixture into the egg yolks.  Pour the mixture back into the pot and set it over a low flame.  Stir the custard constantly with a heat-proof silicone spatula or wooden spoon, scraping the bottom and corners of the pot well, until the custard thickens slightly and/or registers 170º F on an instant-read thermometer.  This will only take a few minutes.  Immediately strain the custard into the cold cream.  Return the vanilla pod to the custard, and chill until very cold, at least 4 hours and preferably overnight, or up to 2 days.

Churn the ice cream:

Remove the vanilla pod.  Place the ice cream base in the freezer for 30 minutes to get it really cold, stirring once halfway through.  Place the cherries in the freezer, too, along with a 9x5 metal loaf pan, or a vessel of equal size that will hold your finished ice cream.

Meanwhile, place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl, and set the bowl over a pot of steaming, not simmering, water, stirring occasionally until it is completely melted.  Keep the chocolate warm.  Churn the ice cream base in your ice cream maker until frozen.  Gently swirl in the chilled cherries and their liquid.  Do this by hand, with a spoon, so that the ice cream retains a marbled look of burgundy streaks on white, rather than becoming uniformly pink.

Finish the ice cream:

Make sure your chocolate is warm and runny, but not hot.  Working quickly to minimize ice cream meltage, spread about one quarter of the ice cream into the pan.  Use a teaspoon to drizzle thin ribbons of about one quarter of the chocolate over the ice cream.  Repeat with another layer of ice cream, then chocolate.  Continue until you've used up all the ice cream, ending with a final layer of chocolate drizzle.

Place the ice cream in the freezer to harden; this will take about 4 hours or overnight. Once hardened, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container. 

From The Bojon Gourmet blog

Asparagus and Crispy Cannellini Beans

1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Kosher salt
8 ounces asparagus
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces arugula
3 ounces shaved Parmegiano-Reggiano cheese

Heat the oven to 375 F.  Line a baking sheet with towel(s), and spread the beans out to dry while the oven is heating.

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt.  Add the asparagus and blanch for 1 minute.  Drain and quickly plunge the asparagus into cold water to cool.  Cut lengthwise into 2-inch pieces.

Remove the towel, and spread the beans on the baking sheet.  Drizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil over the beans, season with 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and a few grinds of black pepper, and toss to fully coat.  Transfer to the oven and cook for 20 minutes, until browned and crisp.  Remove and cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, place the arugula, asparagus, cheese, and beans.  Right before serving, slowly drizzle in about 3 tablespoons of olive oil and gently toss.

Serves 2 to 4.

From The Pasta Friday Cookbook by Allison Arevalo, via Food52 blog, with minor changes

Caramel Swirl Blondies

Caramel:
2/3 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
Scant 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blondies:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup (1 stick plus 2 2/3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, slightly softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Heat the oven to 350 F.  Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan.  Line the pan with aluminum foil, letting the foil overhang two opposing sides of the pan by about 2 inches.  Grease the foil.

For the caramel:
In a 2-quart heavy saucepan, thoroughly stir together the cream, corn syrup, brown sugar, and salt.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring.  Insert a candy thermometer into the mixture, being sure the tip doesn't touch the bottom of the pan.  Adjust the heat so the mixture boils briskly but not hard, and boil, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 240 F, about 4 minutes.  Reduce the heat slightly and continue gently boiling until the thermometer reaches 245 F.  Immediately remove from the heat and stir in the flour until completely smooth.  Stir in the vanilla.  Set aside in a very warm spot while preparing the batter.

For the blondies:
In a medium bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.  In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, corn syrup, and vanilla, and beat until well-blended and smooth.  Stir or beat in the flour mixture and chocolate chips, if using, until evenly incorporated.  Turn out about two-thirds of the batter into the baking pan, spreading to the edges.  

Reheat the caramel over medium heat, stirring, until warm and fluid.  Spoon about 6 pools of caramel onto the batter, keeping them about 1/2 inch away from the sides of the pan (the caramel will burn if it comes in direct contact with the pan).  Spoon the remaining batter in pools over the caramel.  Using a table knife held vertically, slightly swirl the caramel and batter together; be careful to leave some large swirls and not to overmix.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean but moist.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack.  Carefully run a table knife around the edges of the pan to loosen any caramel from the sides.  Let stand until the blondie slab is completely cooled.

Using the overhanging foil as handles, transfer the blondie slab to a cutting board.  Carefully peel off and discard the foil.  Using a large, sharp knife, cut into 12 bars; wipe the knife clean between cuts.

Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days and freeze for up to 1 month.  If freezing, leave the blondie slab whole, then cut into bars when partially thawed.

Makes 12.

From The All-American Cookie Book by Nancy Baggett