Ina Garten’s Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

January is a time of hope and renewal. The year is young, filled with possibility. Make intentions, not resolutions, as resolutions require will power and often dissipate before you know it. Intentions are mighty seeds you sow out into the universe and let manifest, often returning back to you in a much grander way than you could ever imagine. Allow time for making your intentions, write them down, and look at them regularly.

Fireside conversations, reading, pouring over seed catalogs, and contemplating are perfect now. Brew a pot of tea, or make hot chocolate, and create a simple treat for yourself or share with a cherished companion.

A great time to think outside of your box and comfort zone. Wear something different from your closet or jewelry box, you don’t normally wear. Try and do one thing creative every day. Go “dry” on something for a month.

The garden is dormant and put to bed. It is a great time of year to see the structure of your garden, what you like, and what you might change. Plan that change. The winter sun is warming, and it is peaceful.

In the kitchen, citrus is in season, sweet, and colorful. Citrus is an acid. It adds brightness, and acid is one of the key foundations of cooking. Use citrus in salads, cakes, breads, marinades, tarts, as a juice, or snack. Good for you, and rich in Vitamin C. The citrus family generally includes citron, grapefruit, kumquat, lemon, lime, orange, pomelo, tangerine, and a few others. If you are able to grow citrus in your garden, it is a treat.

I recently made Ina Garten’s Lemon Poppy Seed Cake from her Make it Ahead Cookbook. This recipe is moist, flavorful, and calls for Meyer Lemons which are sweeter than traditional Eureka lemons. Natural lemon flavor is repeated in the body of the cake, as a syrup spooned over the finished cooled cake, and finally in the lemon glaze. My Recipe Notes & Loving Adaptations: Plan ahead, this recipe calls for soaking the poppy seeds in buttermilk for at least two hours first. My suggestion for the lemon syrup is to make tiny toothpick holes around the top of the cake, so the syrup will be able to soak in more. The tiny holes will be covered by the final lemon glaze. With a bundt cake pan, using the Pam for Baking with Flour, is a lifesaver and ensures your cake comes out easily from the pan with no heartaches.

Another great recipe using citrus is Sunset’s Spinach and Persimmon Salad. Remembering this salad was prompted by a dear friend recently giving me a jar of her homemade Orange Marmalade. The dressing is so simple, so fresh, using 1/4 cup rice vinegar, a couple tablespoons of orange marmalade, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Whisk together, and toss over fresh baby spinach greens, with sliced fresh persimmons and glazed pecans. It is delicious. My Recipe Notes & Loving Adaptations: This recipe is very adaptable to many substitutions. I didn’t have fresh persimmons, but I had dried persimmons from a farmers market in my pantry, and they were wonderful in the salad. You can use sweet segmented tangerines, ruby red grapefruit segments, or chopped pears in place of the persimmons. Another idea is to use other mixed winter greens, leave in or take out the pecans, and add fresh goat cheese.

This past fall, I mentioned I was more of recipe seeker, than a recipe developer. There is a story behind this Spinach and Persimmon Salad. I found it originally in the November 2008, Sunset magazine and saved it, when Sunset published their “Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes” broken down by categories. Sunset’s reader services department, their past and present food staff, and a special group of subscribers made up this highly elite foodie group, who were then called the Sunset Cooking Club. Believe it or not, these 20 friends met for a potluck meal made from the recipe pages of each current Sunset magazine every month for more than 25 years. That is more than 3,600 Sunset pooled recipes to whittle down for their 2008 “Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes.” This Spinach and Persimmon Salad recipe was classified as “Most Refreshing Bite” and originally dates back to a 2003 Sunset issue. This salad is seasonal through the winter, well after the holidays with lively citrus being in season. Once again, “simple is elegant!”

Winter Salad with Fresh Pear and Goat Cheese

What favorite activities do you like to do in January? What starts your year for you?

A Chocolate Slice of Heaven

A Chocolate Lover’s Dream Cake! This is a perfect chocolate cake for the holidays. It is dense, dreamy, and dramatic! Reminiscent of European desserts, it is sweet, but not too sweet, and the rich elegant chocolate flavor is first and foremost. It is a very rich cake, so dainty slices go a long way, especially if you are serving additional desserts for your occasion.

Springform Pan Ready for the Oven

I originally blogged about this recipe back in 2010, Jim Dodge Chocolate Pecan Cake. I hadn’t made it for a couple of years, but remembered how delicious and easy it was to make. The original recipe has an optional 1/3 cup bourbon in it. Being bold this year I replaced the optional bourbon with 1/3 cup Grand Marnier, and added moist, sweet, dried orange slices as a finished top garnish. Wow! Another option you could try is replacing the 1/3 cup bourbon, with a teaspoon of dried Espresso coffee granules and 1/3 cup Kuhlúa.

Ready to Serve

Obviously, the chocolate in this recipe is very important. Use the best baking chocolate and unsweetened cocoa powder you can find. I used Guittard semi-sweet chocolate and Ghiradelli premium unsweetened cocoa powder for the body of the cake, and Guittard bittersweet chocolate for the glaze. You might be surprised to know that there is no flour in this recipe. Toasted pecans finely ground with a food processor replace the need for flour. Another surprise is the cake is immersed in a simmering water bath while baking. Enjoy!

Jim Dodge Chocolate Pecan Cake Recipe

Recipe Notes: The original recipe calls for coarsely chopped toasted pecans, but it is best to use a food processor to finely grind your pecans. You can add bourbon, Grand Marnier, and Kuhlúa as an option, or leave out entirely. Allow time to leave your cake in the springform pan overnight, after baking and before placing on your serving plate. Serve your cake at room temperature for optimum flavor.

Do you have a holiday dessert that is your family’s favorite? If you make this Jim Dodge Chocolate Pecan Cake, please comment and share!

Basket of Fall Goodies

Last fall I was in the Toulouse, South France area with French General for a week long “France Getaway, Exploring Craft, Markets, and Food in France.” Since none of us can be there this year, I thought I would share with you a few photos from the trip. If you are interested in joining a week with French General, contact owner Karri Meng, as she will be offering these trips once again, when it is permissible. For now, sit back and enjoy a few photos, and imagine your are in France this fall.

Two Lucky Lovers Atop an Arch in Saint-Antonin

Walled Garden Below Toulouse Lautrec Museum

Learning the Fine Art of the Cheese Board

Impromptu Roadside Stop at Apple Farm

Completing One Craft, An Original French General Apron

Alfresco Lunch Setting at Local Winery

Cordes-Sur-Ciel Village, One Lucky Cat Lives Here!

Fields of Fall Sunflowers Before Harvest

Last Evening, Last Dessert

Farmgirl Flower Bouquets With Flower Fields As Backdrop

The setting at host family farm, Kendall Farms in Fallbrook, California, couldn't have been prettier for the "Field to Vase" dinner, second to the last of what has been a whirlwind 10-city dinner tour across the country promoting American-Grown flowers.  

Each dinner has been beautifully orchestrated and it is the ultimate in "al fresco" dining  featuring a four-course "farm to table" dinner, locally grown and made wines, and a special floral designer to highlight the host farm's flowers. Guests are encouraged to mingle with the host flower farmers, featured flower designer, and farm-to-table chef. Goodwill Flower Ambassadors, Kasey Cronquist of Certified American Grown, and Debra Prinzing, Founder of the SLOW FLOWERS movement are present to speak about the evening's event and carry the torch for the growing movement to support and buy American-Grown flowers from your local flower farmers.

Even the Tractor Was Dressed for the Occasion

I'm sure not many of the 144 guests who attended knew what was in store for them as they were guided on meandering dirt roads that twisted higher and higher and eventually came  to an open expansive area where the event was held. One continuous table was set in a half circle to take advantage of the postcard-perfect vista and the surrounding landscape of various flowers such as wax flower, sunflowers, myrtle, and silver dollar eucalyptus.

Jason Kendall gave the dinner group a brief history of the farm and tour before dinner commenced. Being a farmer is never easy, and there have been some setbacks such as the 2008 Rice Fire which burned a majority of the farm. What did they do, turned "lemons into lemonade" and the farm has comeback stronger and is thriving. Kendall Farms was Jason's father, Dave Kendall's dream, and the family has embraced his dream. Jason Kendall and his cousin, Troy Conner, are savvy flower farmers in what they grow, how they market, how they build their infrastructure. It was a joy to share this evening with them, and experience first-hand their fortitude, ingenuity, and beauty of their flowers.

Evening Glow Over the Table

Floral Designer for this event was Christina Stembel of Farmgirl Flowers. Chef was Richard Bustos of Heart of the House Catering for Appetizers, Salad, Entree, and Side. Robin McCoy of Robins Nest Desserts, made the Chocolate Torte accompanied with an infused Rosemary Ganache. Fallbrook Winery served their tasty local wines.

View fullsize

It is hard to believe my blog, VintageGardenGal is celebrating seven years! I started writing VintageGardenGal on September 4, 2008. With over 253 posts under my belt, it has been a wonderful experience to share with all of you. Thank you for your continued interest and support!

How does one celebrate a blog milestone? How about with a celebration "Grape Harvest Cake!" Ever since I read the book, We've Always Had Paris and Provence, A Scrapbook of Our Life in France, by Patricia and Walter Wells, I've always wanted to make Patricia Well's "Grape Harvest Cake" from Chapter 23. She makes this cake often May to September at her Provence Farmhouse, using various seasonal fruit, and grapes from their vineyard in the fall.

My husband, John, and I too, have a vineyard in which we grow Syrah grapes. Well, it is a bit of "lemons to lemonade" story. We did not have a good grape-growing year, low yield, and not even our traditional harvest event. Normally, I am so busy with the harvest, winemaking, family and friends in town that a "Grape Harvest Cake" is nearly out of the question. This year I took our "petite" yield of good fruit, and said, "I am going to make this harvest cake for my blog anniversary, and share it with all of you."

View fullsize

Grape Harvest Cake

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine: Provence
Author: Patricia Wells
Cook time: 55 mins
Serves: 12

A simple Provence cake that uses seasonal fruit, and grapes in particular in the fall. If you don't grow grapes, use fresh purple grapes such as Champagne grapes. This cake is made with olive oil, typical of Provence, creating a cake that is moist and light. You will need a 9 inch springform pan and an electric mixer fitted with a whisk. Lightly sprinkle powdered sugar over the finished cake as an optional garnish before cutting and serving.

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup nonfat milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste ( vanilla extract)
• 1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of sea salt
• Grated zest of 1 lemon, and 1 orange, preferably organic
• 2 pounds small fresh purple grapes (which have to be carefully seeded if they have seeds)

Instructions

1. Olive oil and flour a springform cake pan. Tap out an excess flour.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk, beat the eggs and sugar at high speed until thick and lemon-colored, about 3 minutes. Add the olive oil, milk, vanilla, and mix just to blend.
4. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add the lemon and orange zest and toss to coat the zest with flour. Spoon the flour mixture into the egg mixture and stir to blend. Let this mixture sit for 10 minutes, to allow the flour to absorb the liquids. Stir three-fourths of the fruit into the batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan, smoothing over the top with a spatula.
5. Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and scatter the remaining grapes on top of the cake. Bake until the top is a deep golden brown and the cake feels firm, about 40 minutes more, for a total baking time of 55 minutes.
6. Remove to a rack to cool. After 10 minutes, run a knife along the side of the pan. Release and remove the side of the springform pan, leaving the cake on the pan base. Serve at room temperature, cutting into thin wedges.

A few years ago I planted a Moro Blood Orange tree, after making this gorgeous Blood Orange Upside Down Cake adapted from the March 2010 issue Bon Appetit. This recipe is simple to make, and calls for creating it in a skillet. Packed with flavor but not overly sweet, it is a perfect way to end a special meal this time of year.

From this recipe, I knew I needed to have fresh blood oranges from my garden every year. Besides the Moro Blood Orange there are two other blood orange varieties available, Sanguinelli and Tarocco.

For those of you in warm sunny climates that can grow citrus, citrus is ripe and readily available this time of year. Lush citrus, especially the blood orange, can awaken your senses and create instant festivity. Grapefruit, lemons, kumquats, and oranges to name a few citrus types can add surprise and zest appeal to many types of dishes and drinks.

Look how fabulous the Moro Blood Orange is as a juice, or perhaps a ruby garnish. What a great way to make winter vanish in a heartbeat. Blood oranges remind me too of this special time year--Mardi Gras Carnival with all of the hoopla and joyous celebration.

Recently, my husband John, and I had the opportunity to experience first hand the fun and excitement surrounding the celebration of the evening Carnival Parade in the streets of downtown Oranjestad, Aruba in the Dutch Carribean.

Jim Dodge Chocolate Pecan Cake

I'm a big fan of French author Mireille Guiliano who burst onto the publishing scene in 2005 with her book, French Women Don't Get Fat. She has gone on to write several more books, including French Women for All Seasons: A Year of Secrets, Recipes, & Pleasure (Vintage) Mireille Guiliano (and as I also aspire to) lives her life by the seasons. In French Women for All Seasons: A Year of Secrets, Recipes, & Pleasure (Vintage), she writes chocolate isn't strictly seasonal, so it can be certainly be enjoyed year-round, but she emphasizes that chocolate lends itself much better to the fall and winter seasons. I agree, and therefore must share with you one of my favorite winter desserts, Jim Dodge's Bourbon Chocolate-Pecan Cake.

Jim Dodge's Bourbon Chocolate-Pecan Cake

I was given this rich dessert recipe from my dear friend, Janet Leutel, nearly a decade ago. Janet annually compiles a short softcover cookbook of her favorite recipes over the past year, and gives it as a special gift around the holidays.

This is a very rich, dense flour-less cake. Use good chocolate and cocoa powder. The "bourbon" ingredient is optional in this recipe. I generally make it without. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 cups pecan halves

3/4 pound unsalted butter (divided)

12 oz. bitter or semi-sweet chocolate (divided)

1 and 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

6 eggs

1/3 cup bourbon (optional)

Method:

Spread pecan halves on a baking sheet and toast in 350 degree oven until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Set aside and cool. Separate out 1/2 cup for decorating top of cake layer. Grind until coarse, 1 and 1/2 cups pecans in food processor, which will be added to the cake mixture later.

Cut circle of parchment to fit bottom of 9" spring form pan. Butter pan well, and line with parchment circle.

Melt 1/2 pound butter and 8 oz. chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water. Stir until very smooth and set aside to cool.

Mix sugar, cocoa, and eggs just until well combined. Add melted chocolate, stirring to combine. Add coarsely chopped 1 and 1/2 cups pecans, and stir in. Add bourbon if you are using it, as this point.

Pour batter into prepared spring form pan and place this pan into a larger pan with simmering water. Water level should come to 1/2 of spring form cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees in oven until cake is firm to the touch, about 50 minutes.

Cool cake on wire rack, and remove side of the pan. Leave parchment paper on and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. (I like to refrigerate cake in spring form pan overnight).

Remove cake from refrigerator, and place upside down on wire rack, or serving dish. Peel off parchment paper and drizzle with glaze. Drizzle the sides, and then the top. Smooth with a spreader. Decorate the top of cake with remaining pecans.

Glaze Recipe:

4 oz bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate

1/4 pound unsalted butter

Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler over simmering water. Stir until completely smooth. Cool about 5 minutes, before spreading on cake.

Please share if you have a traditional dessert you make every holiday. Please share if you are known for a signature gift you make for others each holiday.

Attention chocolate lovers!  Carole Bloom's latest cookbook is out, Intensely Chocolate, 100 scrumptious recipes for true chocolate lovers. (Wiley 2010)

Carole notches up the "chocolate factor" creating over 100 recipes with many different types and forms of chocolate.  Many of her recipes in her latest book, call for high cacao, high content chocolate, which intensifies chocolate flavor. Written for bakers of all levels, Carole graciously walks us through the different types of chocolate, equipment, and best techniques. Nine different chapters cover every one's chocolate favorite something.

I read Carole's new book, Intensely Chocolate, like a novel, gliding through each chapter, enjoying the fresh and upbeat easy format and size, and relishing all of the mouthwatering photographs.

It was hard to decide which recipe to make first. I decided on "Milk Chocolate-Dulce de Leche Bars" in Carole's Cookie Chapter. Coincidentally, she said it is one of her favorite recipes, too. Enjoy!

Milk Chocolate Dulce de Leche Bars

These potent bars have three layers, a coconut and brown sugar crust, a Dulce de Leche (caramel) filling, and a glaze of dark milk chocolate. You can cut these into smaller bite-size pieces, if you like.

Makes 2 ½ dozen 1 x 2 ½-inch bars Special equipment: 9 x 13-inch baking pan

Crust: 4 ounces (8 tablespoons, 1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 1 cup (2 ounces) sweetened shredded coconut 1 cup (6 ounces) firmly packed light brown sugar 1 cup (4 ½ ounces) all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/8 teaspoon kosher or fine-grained sea salt

Dulce de Leche filling: 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened 1 tablespoon light corn syrup

Glaze: 13 ounces dark milk chocolate (38% to 42% cacao content), finely chopped

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the inside of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, pressing it into the pan, and letting it hang over the short edges.

For the crust, melt the butter in a 1-quart saucepan over low heat. Place the coconut, brown sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt in a 2-quart mixing bowl and toss to blend thoroughly. Pour the melted butter into this mixture and use a rubber spatula to stir until the dry ingredients are moistened. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and press it in evenly, making sure it reaches into the corners.

Bake the crust for 15 to 18 minutes, until light golden and set. Remove the baking pan from the oven and cool it completely on a rack.

For the Dulce de Leche filling, combine the sweetened condensed milk, the unsalted butter, and the corn syrup in a 2-quart heavy-duty saucepan. Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat until it thickens and turns a deep beige color. Pour the filling over the cooled crust, using an offset spatula to spread it evenly. Return the baking pan to the oven and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the filling begins to bubble. Remove the baking pan from the oven and transfer it to a rack to cool completely.

For the glaze, melt the dark milk chocolate in the top of a double boiler over warm water, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula. Or melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl on low power for 30 seconds bursts, stirring between each burst. Remove the top pan or bowl of the double boiler, if using, and wipe it dry.

Pour the melted chocolate over the top of the Dulce de Leche filling and use an offset spatula to quickly spread it evenly. Tap the pan gently on the counter top to release any air bubbles in the chocolate. Chill the pan for 10 minutes to begin to set the chocolate then let it set completely at room temperature.

Lift the bars from the pan by holding the edges of the parchment paper then peel the parchment paper away from the sides of the bars. Use a chef’s knife dipped in hot water and dried to trim off all of the edges. Use a ruler to help measure where to cut and cut into 1 x 2 ½-inch bars, cleaning the knife between each cut.

Serve the bars at room temperature.

Keeping Store the bars in an airtight container between layers of waxed paper at room temperature up to 3 days.

Streamlining The crust and the filling can be baked the day before adding the dark milk chocolate glaze.

Carole Bloom is a personal friend, and an accomplished European-trained pastry chef, confectioner, chocolatier, and best selling author, speaker, and teacher. For more information on Carole, please visit Carole Bloom.

Please share if you have a "chocolate lover" or "cookie monster" in your life.