blueberry focaccia

 

I love the blurry line between sweet and savory. Now, as blueberry season is coming to an end, I thought it would be fun to make a blueberry focaccia. The sweetness of the berries and the little bit of sugar sprinkled on top offset the olive oil, sea salt, and thyme perfectly.  I was not at all disappointed when the kids universally declared they did not like this one...more for the adults!

This would have been a a perfect baking project during hurricane Irene (assuming you did not lose power) since you need to stick around while the dough rises several times. From start to finish it takes about 5 hours to make but the active time is only about 20-30 minutes since each step requires minimal effort.

This recipe makes two loaves - partly because I hate using only part of a packet of yeast, and parlty because it is really just as easy to make 2 as it is to make one. This would be a perfect thing to serve if you are having a cocktail party, delicious with some nice cheese and wine. I also enjoyed it for breakfast with my morning coffee.

BLUEBERRY FOCACCIA

2 cups warm water

1 packet dry active yeast (mine was about 2 1/2 teaspoons)

1 tablespoon sugar

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 cups blueberries

4 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Place warm water in a large bowl and sprinkle yeast and sugar over the surface. Set aside for 5 minutes or until yeast is frothy. (Note: If the yeast does not become frothy it is not active and needs to be discarded.)

Add 4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon fine salt, and 1/4 cup olive oil and stir until the dough has gathered into a rough ball. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the flour onto a clean work surface and turn dough out onto it. Knead it for a few minutes until it is nice and elastic - the dough will still be sticky. Coat the inside of a large glass bowl with another tablespoon of olive oil. Place dough in bowl, turning it over so that it is all coated with the oil. Place a clean dish towel over the top and set aside to rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Remove dough from bowl and knead for a minute or two. Cut dough in half. Drizzle two sheet pans with olive oil and spread out to coat. Place one ball of dough on each tray, turning to coat with olive oil. Place a towel over each pan and set aside until the dough has risen enough that it is soft - about 30 minutes. Rub your fingers in the oil on the pan and press each piece of dough into a large oval, about 1 inch deep. Press your fingertips into the bread until it is covered with dimples. Cover with dishtowels and set aside to rise for another hour and a half.

Preheat the oven to 450°. Once it is hot, divide the blueberries, turbinado sugar, coarse sea salt, and remaining olive oil between the two pans, sprinkling each evenly over the surface. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling. Allow to cool on a rack before serving.

 

herb marinated goat cheese

Every year we have a multi-generational potluck gathering to celebrate the 4th of July. Friends Roy and Joel always bring a delicious array of homemade dips and chips that we all devour gleefully...I will try to get those recipes for a future post. This year they also brought a fabulous marinated goat cheese -- after the party was over we were chatting about the evening and realized that Page, Lauren, and I had all asked for the recipe!! It is simple enough to be passed on by word of mouth...take a log of inexpensive goat cheese (the inexpensive part was emphasized!) and gather any herbs you have in the garden or in your refrigerator (except for rosemary which is too woody) and roughly chop them. Add the herbs (we used about 1/2 cup), the zest and juice of a lemon, 2 cloves of minced garlic, and enough olive oil to generously coat the cheese (we used 5 or 6 tablespoons). Cover and refrigerate for several hours, spooning oil herb mixture over the top periodically to baste.

grilled clams with garlic butter

After Lauren and Ben spent a weekend with their friends Ellery and Kristy all they could talk about was the grilled clams Ellery made. The recreated the dish for a group of us last weekend and sure enough they were a hit. The one thing that we might change next time is the clams themselves - we used cherrystones and think smaller littlenecks would be even better. There is some range in size for both varieties so it is probably a good idea to ask to see them at the fish market and choose whichever looks like a perfect bite size.

 

The recipe is pretty simple but apparently you need a little practice shucking the clams once they pop open on the grill...Ben said Ellery made it look a lot easier than it really was! Before you get started soak the clams in very salty water - the clams should open slightly and release any sand that may be in the shells. For 2 dozen clams we sauteed 4 cloves of minced garlic in a little olive oil until it was soft, and added 4 tablespoons salted butter. Once the butter has melted keep the mixture warm - if you have one of those grills with a side burner this is the time to use it. Put the clams on the grill and close the lid. After 5-8 minutes you will hear them start to pop open. Use a clam shucking knife to open the shells the rest of the way and pry off the top. Run the knife under the clam to detach it from the muscle on the bottom. Use a pastry brush or teaspoon to generously coat the clams with the garlic butter. You can leave the clams to keep cooking on the grill while you work through the rest but if they look like they are getting too cooked move them to a cooler part. Once all the clams are ready transfer to a plate and serve immediately.