Milestone Birthday

My mom's birthday was Sunday, we started the celebration with great meal (prepared by me and the folks at Everett and Jones BB-Q) and will finish it next weekend with dinner at Chez Panisse. Here's what I prepared:

Flatbread with Oven-Dried Figs, Caramelized Onions and Blue Cheese

1 green basket bursting with figs
1 tablespoon of olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut figs length-wise into quarters, toss with olive oil and spread onto a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast, stirring occasionally for about 45 minutes until the figs have cooked down and "jammed" up a bit. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

2 3/4 cups four, divided
2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast
1 teaspoon of honey
1 cup warm water, divided
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 -2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, divided

Combine 1/2 cup of flour and yeast in a large bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup of warm water and honey, let stand 30 minutes. Add remaining 2 cups of flour, olive oil, remaining 1/2 cup of water, rosemary and salt. Stir until a soft dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly, floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (5- 8 minutes), adding enough flout to prevent dough from sticking.
Allow dough to rise in oiled bowl, in a warm place for about an hour (until its doubled in bulk). While the dough rises work on the toppings:

1 large onion
1 tablespoon of olive oil

In a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Add onion cook 15 minutes or until very brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Preheat oven to 425 F.
Punch down dough, forming into a disc. Roll into a large rectangle (dough should be 1/4" think) and transfer to a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal to prevent sticking.

1/4 cup of walnuts
1/2 cup of crumbled blue cheese

Arrange onions, walnuts and figs evenly over dough, leave a border for easier eating. Sprinkle with blue cheese and press toppings into dough to adhere. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes until flat bread is golden brown and the cheese melts.

Yields: 12 - 14 appetizer sized slices

From Cooking Light


Zucchini Gratin

1 lb smallish zucchini, thinly grated/sliced on the diagonal into small chunks
1 teaspoon+ salt, to taste
2 tablespoons of cream or milk
2/3 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
1/3 cup of chopped walnuts
Dash of nutmeg
3/4 cup of Panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons of butter

Place grated zucchini in a colander over a bowl or in the sink and add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Allow to macerate 20-40 minutes, rinse and allow to drain. Squeeze as dry as possible.

Heat oven to 375°. Spray a shallow gratin dish with nonstick spray. Combine zucchini, cream, walnuts and Gruyere in gratin dish. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Combine the Panko and Parmesan in a small bowl. Add the butter and rub into Panko until it forms large crumbs and spread on top of zucchini. Bake on middle rack of oven until bubbly and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Yields: 4 servings

From: San Francisco Chronicle

Fresh Corn Johnnycakes with Green Onion-Herb Sauce

Sauce
Whirl around in blender, or food processor:

4-5 green onions, white and green sliced
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons of mayo
2 tablespoons of sour cream
1 tablespoon of Dijon-style mustard

Cover and chill until cakes are ready.

Cakes
Combine in a bowl:

1 cup of cornmeal
2 table-spoons of flour
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
Dash of salt
Dash of red pepper flakes

Add
1 1/4 cups of buttermilk
1 egg
Stir until well combined.

Gently fold in
1 cup of fresh corn kernels (cut from 2 large ears)

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat with olive or canola oil. Spoon batter by heaping tablespoons onto hot pan (2 - 3 cakes should fit in the pan at a time). Cook until there are many bubbles in the middle of the cake and the edges seem to hold together (3 minutes or so). Flip and cook and additional 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan, cover and keep in a warm oven until ready to serve. Repeat with additional oil, if necessary and additional batter. Serve warm with sauce.

Yields: 8 - 12 cakes

From: Cooking Light