PERSIMMON CAKES

April is going out like a lion. Is there something amiss here? After our lovely "false" spring in south central Montana, we have been dealt a cold and windy week with temperatures in the 30s and low 40s and winds gusting up to 50 mph in some parts of the valley. The pink ground cover was in bloom before this cold snap--but it's tough and should make it.

Warming up the kitchen with something baking in the oven sounded like a good idea this morning with sleet coming down outside. I found a quart carton of Santa Barbara persimmons in the freezer from last fall and decided to do something with this delicious golden pulp.

Taking an idea from the classic apple sauce cakes of my youth, I substituted persimmon pulp with good success. I had enough ingredients on hand for two cakes--comparing cake flour with all purpose flour and using two different shapes of baking pans.

This recipe works well with apple sauce, of course, persimmons, and plums. In keeping with our determination to use local fruits (the persimmons were personally picked from our children's tropical yard in Santa Barbara, and packed and flown home in my suitcase last October. We let some ripen on the counter and ate them in hand. Delicious. The extras are peeled, crushed and frozen for holiday baking. Many families have pails full of plums in the summer, and apples in the fall that they are eager to share. Take advantage of it!

A tip on preparing the cake pans:

I love parchment paper and always use it to line cookie sheets and baking pans. Take one minute to line the pan bottom with parchment and you will pat yourself on the back over and over again. It makes cake removal a snap. No more sticking! And easy cleanup.

Place pan or tin on a piece of parchment paper and draw around it with a lead pencil. Cut out the shape and pop it in the pan. Lightly butter the non-papered sides. That's it. Some cookbooks insist on buttering the paper, too, but I have not found that necessary. For the tube pan, do the same, and then fold the circle of paper into quarters and snip out a circle to fit over the tube. Drop it in and lightly butter the sides of the pan.

Persimmon Pulp Spice Cake

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Variation for the 9" tube pan:

Beat until creamy in mixer:

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1 cup white (or brown) sugar

Add 1 large egg and mix well.

Sift 1 3/4 cups cake flour (see photo for tidy sifting tip) into a measuring cup set in a larger bowl which will catch overflow.
Add 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. allspice (or nutmeg) to the flour and toss with a fork until the colored spices disappear. No need to sift again unless you want to.

Gradually add the flour and spices to the egg mixture. Just incorporate--don't over mix.

Add 1 generous cup fruit pulp
Add 1 cup raisins
Add 1 cup chopped walnuts (or other nuts)

Mix until just smooth. With aid of a rubber spatula, distribute evenly into tube pan.

Bake 50 minutes and test for done with a wooden skewer or thin blade table knife. Done when knife comes out clean. This is a robust cake and it can take up to 60 minutes, depending on ovens, etc.

When done, remove from oven and cool on the counter for a few minutes. If your pan has a removable tube, run a table knife around the sides (if necessary), and lift out the tube for faster cooling. If tube portion cannot be removed, leave cake in the pan until completely cool. If you try to turn it over and remove cake while warm, cake may break apart. When cool, peel off parchment paper. Cake may now be eaten as is, simply dusted with powdered sugar, or iced with your favorite frosting (lemon or caramel are good). This style of cake "packs" well--great for lunch boxes, backpacks, picnics, or mailing to lucky friends.

Variation for the single layer cake pan (a 9" spring form pan is pictured):

Same recipe as above, but used All Purpose flour. "Cake flour" was invented for the super sweet American-style box mixes popularized in the 1950s. For cakes with dried fruits (raisins), nuts, and other coarse ingredients, there is no difference in final result. Save your money! There are other drawback to cake flours (very low protein flours) that you can investigate online. Cake flours in the US are heavily bleached with chlorine dioxide or chlorine gas to improve certain chemical performance which I do not find necessary.

This variation used 1 tsp. ground ginger, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. finely ground black pepper instead of cinnamon and nutmeg which are more traditional and go well with apples. I enjoy a little more spice, hence the black pepper. We should try one with some chili pepper, too. Don't forget the baking soda.

The single layer bakes in slightly shorter time--50 minutes was plenty.

If using a spring form pan, release the lock and remove the side portion of the pan. Cool completely on the removable base. When cool, cover cake with a plate large enough to hold it, turn it over onto the plate and remove the pan base, and then carefully peel off the paper. Ready to serve or embellish with icings, etc.

Enjoy!

KGC

THE SCENTS OF SPRING

Today is over 70 degrees F. Spring is here at last.

Take a look at the herbs popping up all over the yards. They are mixed in with the blooming perennials and so far, are making a great start. We also have picked our first handful of asparagus from our little patch--can't wait to try them at dinner.


Pictured are a clump of chives, the early rhubarb, a row of garlic with thyme and sorrel in the background and asparagus.


Seedling update----everything previously listed on March 18 post is doing well with the exception of the Greek oregano. It is always a tough herb to germinate, and this season was no exception--the few fragile sprouts couldn't make it---I'll buy some plants when the nursery opens. I also buy the basil plants.

A Black Bean Soup
We were looking for a simple dinner on Thursday, so soaked a pound of black beans overnight and cooked them in the morning. See January 10 post for other dried bean techniques.

Discard the soaking water and rinse beans well in a strainer or colander. Cover with fresh water and and small amounts of left over stock that you may want to use from the freezer. I had two small freezer cartons of chicken stock on hand (about 1 cup total) and and the juices from our Easter ham (chilled and all fat removed before freezing) amounting to another 1/2 cup. Drop them in frozen and simmer away. Additional flavorings like these stocks are optional, but they add great flavor to the beans. We don't doctor the ham while roasting--no sweet glazes, honey, or mustards, for example. Hence the unadulterated roast drippings can be used in a variety of ways later. Add 3-4 bay leaves in any case. The miracle herb.

After simmering about 60 minutes, or until beans are tender to the bite, I puree about 2 cups of canned tomatoes (or fresh if you have them) in the blender with a pinch (1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder), salt if needed (remember the ham drippings), and a teaspoon of fine grind black pepper. Blend with your hand blender, but do not puree the beans---leave about half of them intact--it looks better! Gently reheat and set aside until time to eat. This may be made ahead, but if you don't plan to use it the same day, please refrigerate. Leftover soup freezes well.

We love carmelized fried onions, and like to put about 1/4 of a cup of these onions (the consistency of a chutney) in the soup bowl first , and then ladle on the black bean soup. Enjoy with a green salad and crusty roll.

KGC

TOFU Tidbit from Rawhide Ranch

We"re back! R & R to New York City for ten days, taking in wonderful opera, theater, and art gallery experiences. A later blog will feature some of the goodies we enjoyed at restaurants.

Please note the update on the seedling starts as pictured on the March 18 blog. Seeds are up and thriving--pictured are cukes, tomatoes, and parsley. Starts need 60 days indoors before putting out in the garden, so we are well within the time limits. I plan to start some giant sunflower seeds and a few more cucumbers today. It's warm and sunny in the living room nursery.

This post features a favorite Tofu appetizer or lunch dish that is easy to make ahead and serve chilled or at room temperature. The original idea is from an artist friend who summers in the mountains of Montana. Thank you, Michael!

"Rawhide" Oven Roasted Tofu

Preheat oven to 400 F

Prepare a 14 oz package of extra firm tofu cake: Place on a plastic cutting board and divide into about 8 slices across the cake, and one down the middle, yielding 16 bites. Elevate the end of the board toward the sink and let the tofu drain while you assemble the marinade.

Marinade:

Measure marinade ingredients into a 2-cup glass measuring cup and save cleanup:

4 ounces soy sauce (regular or low salt)
4 ounces rice vinegar
4 ounces honey

4 Tablespoons sesame oil
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated into the measuring cup
1 large clove garlic, split lengthwise and smashed with edge of a wide knife blade
(garlic is option, but it is a great balance with the sweetness of the honey)

Mix well.

Assembly:

Place pieces of tofu in a glass baking dish--we use one of our several old glass bread pans.

Pour marinade over--does not need to cover completely.

Bake in middle rack of oven for about 20 minutes (marinade should be bubbling).

Remove from oven and cool in the marinade.

For service, lift out tofu pieces and arrange 2 or 3 on a serving plate. Garnish with a few edamame beans or other red or green cooked veggies.

Strain marinade into a glass jar and refrigerate. Reboil and use again if desired.

Keep cooking......

KGC