Apricot Cherry Pie

Well that was quite the unintentional blog hiatus! Life just kind of took over for a while, but I'm back now with a delicious summer pie recipe for you. 

I made this Apricot Cherry Pie last weekend as a special birthday treat for my Great Aunt. I won't say how old she is but it was a special milestone birthday! This pie takes two of my absolute favorite fruits and combines them into a luscious, sweet, slightly tart dessert. In fact, it was so good that I'm adding it to the list for my wedding potluck dessert spread. Yep, that's right...we struck out TWICE on potential bakers/bakeries, so we said screw it, we'll do it ourselves! Kind of crazy but kind of awesome (hopefully). I'll be making a few pies myself, and this will definitely be one of them.

Apricot Cherry Pie (recipe from Butter Love Bakeshop, but the crust is my go-to from Smitten Kitchen)

For the crust:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, diced, very cold
1 cup ice water

For the filling:
2 1/2 pounds apricots
1/2 cup cherries
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (I didn't have any so didn't add this, I'm sure it would be delicious though!)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

To make the crust, combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or your hands. I've said it before here (my first blog post, aw!) and here but the key to flaky pie crust is to keep the butter very cold and as you cut it in to the dry ingredients, make sure not to over-mix - you want pea-size clumps of butter in your dough. 

Slowly drizzle about 1/2 cup of the ice water over the dough, and use your hands to gently combine the mixture. If it feels too dry, add a little more water, just a little bit at a time. You want the dough to just come together, but not to feel wet and sticky. 

Split the dough in half and shape each half into a disc, about 1/2 inch thick. Wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours before rolling them out. The dough freezes well too, for up to a month!

For the filling, pit and quarter the apricots and place in a large bowl. Pit the cherries using a cherry pitter, or if you're like me and don't have one, use a knife to split them in half and remove the pit. I wish I had taken a photo of the cherry-pitting aftermath, it looked like someone had been seriously injured in my kitchen - there was red juice everywhere!

Mix the fruit with the sugar, cornstarch, almond extract, and nutmeg.

Roll out your crust and pour in the fruit mixture, then seal it up with the top crust. Make sure to cut a few vents in the top crust to let steam escape during baking. You can brush the top with egg wash or sprinkle it with sugar if you want...I didn't and it was still amazing!

Bake the pie at 400 degrees on a middle to lower oven rack for about 1 hour, until the filling is bubbling. I'd recommend putting a baking sheet under the pie to catch any drips. Also, if you notice the crust is golden on top but the filling isn't bubbling yet, just put a sheet of foil over the pie to prevent the crust from burning.

Ta da! My dad took this photo of the pie served with strawberry sorbet...so yummy!

I know you all missed Poppy...doesn't this picture make you want to take a nap?! Yeah, me too.

Banh Mi

I was first introduced to Banh Mi by this great Vietnamese food truck. This simple sandwich usually involves grilled meat, pickled vegetables, lots of cilantro, jalapeno slices, and spicy sauce, all served on a crisp, sweet baguette.When I was in LA for college, the food truck would park at the local brewery and we would get Banh Mi and Vietnamese Nachos to snack on with our beers. Conveniently, I now have a super authentic Vietnamese restaurant down the street from my office so I can satisfy my cravings anytime. 

When I saw that one of my favorite food blogs had posted a Banh Mi recipe (and it seemed easy enough for a weeknight meal), I knew I had to try it...and I'm so glad I did! There are several different components to it which can seem intimidating, but it's really not hard to put together. 

Banh Mi, serves 4 (Recipe adapted from Shutterbean)

For the marinade:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
Juice and zest of 1 lime
About 2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 1/2 inch wide pieces

For the rest of the sandwich:
1 cup julienned carrots
1 cup julienned daikon
Juice of 1 lime
1 baguette (sweet rather than sourdough)
2 teaspoons Sriracha (or more to taste)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
Two big handfuls of cilantro
1 jalapeno, sliced
Fried egg (optional)

In a medium bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the marinade. Add the pork, toss it so it's coated well, and let it marinade for 30 minutes.

While the pork is marinating, julienne the carrots and daikon. 

Instead of traditionally pickling these vegetables, I just squeezed the juice of 1 lime over them, dusted them with a pinch of salt, and let them sit while I prepared the rest of the ingredients. The lime juice brings a nice brightness to the sandwich.

Preheat a grill (or grill pan if you, like me, lack a space for outdoor grilling) to medium-high heat. Grill the pork, turning it once, about 4-5 minutes until it reaches 140 degrees. Let it rest, and then thinly slice it. 

Now the fun part! To start assembling the sandwiches, cut the baguette into 4 sections and split each one lengthwise. For the sauce, combine the Sriracha with the mayonnaise and spread it evenly on the baguettes. Pile on the carrots, daikon, cilantro, pork, and jalapeno. I topped mine with a fried egg because why not?! You certainly don't have to, but I highly recommend it. 

Finally, this is Poppy's latest perch: the box our wedding invitations came in. There's nothing like a comfy cardboard box to nap on, right?!

Claremont Canyon Hike

Gabe and I went on one of our favorite hikes last weekend, up in the Berkeley Hills. In retrospect, hiking up super steep hills in 80 degree weather wasn't the best choice, but the view once we reached the top was well worth it! If you're ever in the area and are up for the challenge, I highly recommend it. Or you can just look at these pictures and pretend you're there...

Hummingbird!

Neon moss

Love my neighborhood!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

I originally made this crisp just a few weeks ago when it was just starting to feel like spring...and now here we are with weather in the 80's today! I'm definitely not complaining. Last weekend I went wine tasting in St. Helena and took full advantage of the sunshine. These photos are from Frog's Leap Winery which is my new favorite place...a beautiful tasting room, 42 acres of gardens, chickens, and amazing wine. Definitely check it out if you're in the area!

Anyway, back to the crisp, which I think is the perfect spring/summer dessert...fresh fruit with just a little sugar, a crumbly topping, and vanilla ice cream on top!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp:

For the filling:

1 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons flour

3 cups sliced strawberries

3 cups rhubarb, diced into 1/2 inch pieces

Zest of one lemon

For the topping:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks

1 cup rolled oats

Pinch of salt

First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together the fruit, sugar, flour, and lemon zest, and pour it into a 9 by 13 baking pan.

For the topping, use your fingers or a pastry cutter to combine the butter, brown sugar, flour, and oats until the mixture is coarse with pea-size chunks. Sprinkle it evenly over the fruit and bake for about 40-45 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown. Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream!

Look at this furry, chubby belly...Poppy needs to work on her abs a little.

Feta and Chive Biscuits

I made these scones as part of an Easter brunch that included quiche, two kinds of cinnamon rolls (regular and orange-pecan), and fruit salad, all made by my mom who is a master of brunch! Not to toot my own horn too much, but these biscuits were a pretty solid addition. They are cheesy and salty with just a little bite from the chives and sour cream - great for breakfast, brunch, or anytime you need a little carb and cheese laden comfort food in your life!

Feta and Chive Biscuits (recipe from Joy The Baker)

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, chopped

1 egg, beaten

3 tablespoons cold water

3/4 cup cold sour cream (Use the full fat kind! You'll thank yourself.)

1/3 cup chopped chives

3/4 cup feta cheese crumbles

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until the mixture is like a coarse meal. I've said this before, but the colder the butter is, the better! If it's at all warm it will get all mushy and melty, which eliminates flakiness in baked goods.

In another bowl, whisk together the sour cream, egg, and cold water. Add it to the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Finally, sprinkle in the chives and feta and then dump out the dough onto a clean surface and knead it until it comes together, about 10 or 15 times.

Roll or pat the dough out so it's about 1 inch thick, and using a cookie cutter (or in my case a beer tasting glass), cut out 2 inch round circles. Arrange the cutouts on the prepared baking sheets, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Look at that butter...ohh yeah. The biscuits are best right out of the oven but will keep for a day or two in an airtight container.

Doesn't this picture just want to make you cuddle up with a cozy blanket?!