Balsamic drizzled Red Leaf Lettuce Salad with Figs, Blue Cheese, and Pecans

Balsamic Drizzled Red Leaf Lettuce Salad 

with Figs, Blue Cheese, and Pecans

Figs are an enlightened fruit. A luscious interior of soft sweetness and inherent aphrodesiac qualities combine spiritually in this long cultivated gem. The fig tree originated in the middle east and has been enjoyed as a delicacy since ancient times. Balsamic vinegar, blue cheese and pecans complement nicely in this fresh and divine salad. Serves 4-6

Toss the following in a medium bowl:

4 red leaf lettuce leaves, torn into bite size pieces

2t balsamic vinegar

4t olive oil

pinch sea salt

fresh cracked black pepper

Place the following ingredients on top of tossed salad:

1/4c pecan halves

1/4c crumbled blue cheese

2 figs, cut into fourths

Serve immediately.

Desserts

Mexican Mocha Bomb Ice Cream Cake

Mexican Mocha Bomb Ice Cream Cake

MEXICAN MOCHA BOMB ICE CREAM CAKE

Homemade ice cream cake: put that on your bucketlist! My young sons celebrate their birthdays in the heat of July which inspires me to create a variety of ice cream cakes for their big birthday bashes every year. I refuse to buy a prefab, funky crayola colored frosted cake for them. In the baking and cooking department, I am the all out Supermom. Getting my kids to school on time every morning is a challenge, yet making stuffed french toast for their breakfast before school is incredibly simple for me. If only the public school system would understand this! 

It amazes me how the art of birthday cake making has been replaced by big box store bakery 'cakes' in the name of convenience. If a cake is not made from scratch, I simply don't want to eat it. Dessert is a special occasion and that lies at its' very core. Indulgence and celebration deserve the real thing. 

So......I took on the challenge of making my first ice cream cake for my eldest sons' 3rd birthday. It was to be a  huge event involving my dad's side of the family, who are reknowned for their baking skills. I must admit that there is a subtle competitiveness between the ladies of this family when it comes to from scratch baking creations. The dessert table at any Gordon family holiday is simply epic! My pie crusts will probably never quite compare, but I do feel I have carved my own baking niche in our family. That said, the cake was a huge success. An ice cream cake that wasn't from a commercial ice cream shop and actually made from scratch really does blow peoples' minds. I love announcing that its' going to be served and seeing the excited reactions. Adults line up like children in anticipation.  

This is the perfect cake for a birthday party or special occasion in the heat of summer. Layers of orange and cinnamon zested chocolate mocha cake, espresso fudge, and vanilla ice cream stack deliciously together and delight children and adults alike. It is important to use locally roasted fresh brewed coffee and organic cocoa powder for the richest mocha flavor. Use all organic ingredients as they are of the highest quality while imparting the best taste. Make this cake one full day ahead so it can freeze completely before serving. Let cake thaw for 20 minutes before serving.

The cake:

1c oat flour

2c unbleached white flour

2/3 cocoa powder

2t baking soda

2c unbleached cane sugar

2t cinnamon

1c expeller pressed sunflower oil

2c strong coffee

4t vanilla

1/3 c flax seed gel*

3T apple cider vinegar

fresh zest of one organic orange

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 3 9inch round cake pans. Then line them with parchment paper. In large bowl, combine flours, cocoa powder, baking soda, cane sugar, and cinnamon. In medium sized bowl, whisk together all the other ingredients except vinegar. Add wet ingredients to dry and whisk till fully incorporated. Add vinegar and combine thoroughly. Evenly distribute batter between pans and bake for 25-30 minutes. Cakes are done when the edges begin to come off of the cake pan sides and when cake bounces back after a finger is lightly pressed in center of cake. While cakes are cooling, make the espresso fudge.

Espresso Fudge:

2c Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate chips

1-2 shots espresso

Melt chocolate chips in a thick-bottomed small saucepan or double boiler. Whisk frequently to avoid burning. Add enough espresso so chocolate has a spreadable consistency. While fudge is still warm begin cake assembly.

Cake Assembly:

fresh whipped cream, recipe follows

1 quart vanilla bean ice cream, softened (Breyers’ brand works great)

3 cooled cakes

1 recipe espresso fudge, warm and spreadable (reheat if needed)

To make whipped cream: Beat on high with electric mixer 1 pint organic heavy whipping cream and ¼ cup unbleached cane sugar until peaks form and mixture is thick and able to spread like a frosting. Don’t beat too long or it will turn into butter! It helps to whip cream in a cold metal bowl. Keep whipped cream in refrigerator until ready to use in cake assembly.

1. Take one cake out of pan and place on a large flat plate. Spread half of espresso fudge onto cake evenly.

2. After fudge cools down, spread 2 cups softened ice cream on top of fudge layer on cake. Soften ice cream just enough so its’ spreadable. Melted ice cream will not work. Be careful that is doesn’t drip over sides. Use hands if needed to get ice cream to spread evenly. Warning: this step is messy!

3. Place another cake on top of ice cream fudge layer and then spread the rest of espresso fudge over it. Immediately put cake in freezer so the fudge can cool down before adding the next layer of ice cream.

4. When fudge has cooled, take cake out of freezer for the final cake assembly steps. 5. Spread 2 cups of softened ice cream over fudge on the second cake layer and then add last cake layer on top.

6. The final step is to thickly spread the fresh whipped cream on cake sides and top.

7. Place cake in freezer and let it freeze for a full 24 hours.

Cake will slice easily with a sharp Chef’s knife when it is serving time. Let cake thaw a full 20 minutes before slicing. One can run knife under hot water if having trouble slicing cake.

Real Deal Bruschetta

Real Deal Bruschetta with Fresh Mozzarella and Red Wine Balsamic Drizzle

I made the mistake of ordering Bruschetta the other night at a local cafe. Lifeless, under ripe tomatoes and dried basil (not fresh?!) sat upon over dry bread that the cafe called crostini. "This is not what Bruschetta looks like!"- I screamed in my head. You should've known better, I told myself, as most restaurants make this esteemed dish with the same tomatoes McDonalds' uses on their dollar menu hamburgers.

Bruschetta is only as good as the tomatoes used. Farmers' Market fresh and Heirloom ripened are top choice for this recipe. Adding love and fragrance, abundant basil is a key ingredient as well. Fresh mozzarella over lightly toasted artisan sourdough is the perfect pillow for ripe tomato amore. The drizzle of a red wine balsamic vinagrette is the esteemed final touch. Silence is bound to insue after the first few delectable bites. The simplest ingredients at their seasonal and most flavorful moment is what creates Bruschetta that leaves one speechless. Now this is what Bruschetta looks like!

Bruschetta Topping
combine the following in a small bowl:
1 1/2c chopped, vine ripened tomatoes
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
4 fresh rosemary leaves, minced
opt. a few leaves each of fresh thyme and oregano

Red Wine Balsamic Drizzle
whisk the following in a small bowl:
1T balsamic vinegar
1T red wine, preferably old and oxygenated
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2t agave nectar
2T olive oil
pinch sea salt
fresh cracked black pepper

To assemble:
4-6 slices artisan bread of choice (sourdough works great)
4 oz mozzarella thinly sliced

1. Toast both sides of bread slices lightly
2. Drizzle lightly with red wine balsamic vinagrette
3. Place 2 slices of mozzarella on each bread slice
4. Place bread in oven at 375 degrees and take out when cheese is just melted
5. Arrange on plates and put bruschetta on each bread slice. Drizzle with with red wine balsamic vinagrette to finish. 
6. Serve and eat immediately

Herbed Fresh Garden Tomato Sauce

From the blog: Beer Battered Squash Blossoms with Herbed Garden Tomato Sauce

Herbed Fresh Garden Tomato Sauce

Red, ripe and juicy tomatoes take the center stage in this sauce. Only heirloom or farmers' market fresh tomatoes should be used in this recipe as its' strength rests in the divine and natural sweetness of a fresh picked and vine ripened tomato. Sauce is just lightly simmered so the flavors stay bright and full of life. Olive oil can be substituted for butter to make a dairy free version. Serve over fried squash blossoms, eggplant parmesan, or ravioli. 

In small, thick bottomed saucepan saute the following:

2T butter or olive oil

2cloves of garlic

2c chopped ripe, fresh garden tomatoes (heirloom varieties preferable)

2t agave nectar

7 leaves fresh rosemary, minced

4 leaves fresh basil, minced

1T chives, minced

sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Simmer on low for 10 minutes, just enough time for the flavors to combine. Take off heat until serving time.

Beer Battered Squash Blossoms with Herbed Garden Tomato Sauce

Beer Battered Ricotta Basil Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Herbed Garden Tomato  Sauce

I honestly can't decide what I like more, the actually zuchini itself or its' succulent blossoms. Squash blossoms are incredibly divine, and outright orgasmic. Yes, warning: eating these tempura beer battered squash blossoms could possibly be a tastefully pleasurable experience. When the first blossoms appear on my squash plants, my mouth begins to salivate and I head to liquor store immediately to purchase a Corona or Tecate bomber for my beer batter tempura. For about a week straight, I make this dish daily. Its all out indulgence until, well, somethings' gotta give!  One can't eat fried food everyday, so eventually I have to force myself off the squash blossom bender. This recipe is officially my favorite creation out of my garden. Its' that good.

        Sweet ripe heirloom tomatoes cooked with garden fresh herbs make the perfect sauce and only fresh garden tomatoes are allowed to be served. These battered delectables would be incredibly offended if grocery store GMO 'tomato' grossness was put onto their plate. They are regal and they deserve only the garden fresh best. Any type of squash blossoms work fine for stuffing. Larger Pumpkin blossoms are my favorite shining with their own unique flavor.

The steps in preparation: 
1. Gently fill flowers with ricotta basil filling using a pastry bag
2. Dip and coat filled squash blossoms in batter 
3. Place in hot oil and fry till golden brown
4. Let cool slightly on paper towels

Ricotta Basil Filling
mix together the following ingredients in a small bowl:

1 1/2c Ricotta cheese
7 fresh basil leaves, minced
1/4t fresh grated nutmeg
fresh cracked pepper to taste

Tempura Beer Batter
whisk the following together in a small bowl:
3/4c unbleached, white flour
1/2c non GMO cornstarch
1t baking soda
6oz mexican lager beer (i.e. corona or tecate)
1t apple cider vinegar
pinch of sea salt
fresh cracked black pepper

Herbed Garden Tomato Sauce
in small, thick bottomed saucepan saute the following:
2T butter
2cloves of garlic
2c chopped ripe, fresh garden tomatoes (heirloom varieties preferable)
2t agave nectar
7 leaves fresh rosemary, minced
4 leaves fresh basil, minced
1T chives, minced
sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Simmer on low for 10 minutes, just enough time for the flavors to combine. Take off heat until serving time.

To assemble and finish:
12 squash blossoms 
1-2 cups safflower, virgin palm oil, or virgin coconut oil

Put Ricotta Basil filling in a pastry bag fitted with a large tip. Gently fill each blossom using pastry bag. Twist ends of blossom to enclose filling. Heat 1 cup of oil to start in a small iron skillet. Alternatively, use a fry daddy and fill with oil as needed. Dip blossoms, one at a time, in batter, coat thoroughly and then place in hot oil. Fry 4-5 blossoms at a time, turning them over once. When lightly browned, they are done. Add more oil to skillet as needed. Place onto paper towels to drain off excess oil. When all blossoms are done, serve with herbed garden tomato sauce.