This New Year

Since the New Year, I've been busy at work resuming my weekly travel all over the US and I haven't had much time to cook. Well, I've barely even been home to cook. I have been waiting on the purchase of a new computer to load pictures from my new camera as I didn't want to have to setup the software twice! Although the camera's features far exceed my talent and knowledge, I'm really excited to get a chance to learn how to use this spectacular gift. So these pictures will be better than the others by the sheer fact that my camera is nicer, although I've got a long way to go in terms of my photography.

Yesterday was the first time that I had baked since Christmas. What I made was a blueberry buckle which is a moist cake with a crumbly topping that can be eaten for either breakfast or dessert..or throughout the day every time you pass it by sitting on the counter. Since its not blueberry season, I was able to use some of the frozen berries that I had set aside from last summer's farm share. The frozen berries are an easy substituion in the recipe as long as you don't defrost them prior to adding them into the batter. I like this recipe which is based on the one from The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion as it adds lemon zest to the crumb topping and the batter as well. It can keep on the counter wrapped tightly, but I wouldn't recommend freezing it.

I'm not one for New Year's resolutions as I prefer to spend the entire year resolving what I'd like to do and change. One thing I did promise myself however, was to take a sabbatical from purchasing cookbooks. I have a large cookbook collection composed of many books that I've purchased and received as gifts and a large portion that my mother donated to me as she was trimming down her library. My last cookbook purchase of 2008 was Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes by Jeanne Kelley. Kelley is an editor for Bon Appetit and I have enjoyed many of her recipes that I've previously tried. (This summer I made this quinoa recipe of hers and since have used it repeatedly with many variations.) The one recipe I have tried from the cookbook is Roast Chicken with Olives and Potatoes. This sounded like a unique combination to me and the recipe also included a traditional Midddle Eastern ingredient (did I ever mention I'm of Lebanese descent?) of dried sumac, so I tried it with the roast chicken that was planned for dinner.

Nothing like a one dish supper, but I did saute some onions and throw some spinach on top to wilt for a side dish. The rub for the chicken was tart and clean with the sumac, lemon zest, and oregano and some flat leaf parsley I added. The chicken was moist and flavorful and went well with the pleasant combination of olives and potatoes bathed in olive oil and the leftover rub from the chicken.

Although its only the 18th day of the first month since my cookbook resolution, it has alerady been a struggle to deter myself from adding another volume to my reference library. (Yes, I know I'm not a doctor or anyone who needs a library to references, however I do enjoy parousing all of the books and seeing the many different ways to prepare the same dish. I like pictures, too.) I hope somehow I'll find a way to persevere and stay away from bookstores and Amazon.com. For now I'm trying to satisfy my cravings by adding items to my wish list. We'll see.

Blueberry Buckle

Adapted from The King Arthur Flour Baker's Copmanion

This is absolutely one of my favorite, stand-by coffee cake recipes which I began making in an attempt replicate the huckle-buckle (huckleberry coffee cake) that E's mom makes. Its great packed in a lunch and I had a piece this morning for breakfast with a cup of tea.

Batter

3/4 cup sugar

4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1 large egg, at room temperature

1/2 cup milk

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teasponn cinnnamon

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, unthawed

Streusel

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 1/2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 375F degrees

Butter and flour a 9" square baking pan

For the batter, cream together the sugar and butter

Add the egg and mix on medium for 1 minute

Stir together the dry ingredients

Add the vanilla to the milk and stir alternately with the dry ingredients, until just combined

Gently fold in the blueberries and spread batter into the prepared pan

For the streusel, whisk together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, lemon and salt in a small bowl

Add the butter and mix in with your hands to form medium-sized crumbs

Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the batter

Bake the buckle for 45-50 minutes (sometimes longer with frozen berries) or until a cake tester coes out clean

Remove from oven and cool in pan on a rack

Goes well with coffee or tea in the morning and whipped cream or ice cream for dessert

Lemon Roasted Chicken with Potatoes, Olives and Oregano

Adapted from Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes by Jeanne Kelley

Serves2-3

1 lemon

1 tablespoons dried oregano

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for pan

1 3-pound chicken

Salt and pepper

1 teaspoon sumac

1/2 pound new potatoes

1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted

Preheat oven to 400F degrees

Pour enough olive oil into the bottom of a 12" cast iron skillet to cover lightly

Zest the lemon, cut in half and juice

Salt and pepper the cavity of the chicken and place the lemon halves inside as well

Combine the oregano, parsley, garlic, and lemon zest in a small bowl and mix well

Place the chicken in the skillet and slide your hand under the skin over the breast to losen it

Leaving about 1 tablespoon of the mixture aside, split the remaining mixture under the skin of the two breasts

Press down on the skin to distribute evenly

Season the chicken with sumac, salt and pepper

Tie the legs together and roast for 20 minutes

Reduce the temperature to 350 and add the potatoes to the pan and stir with the drippings to coat

Raost for 30 minutes

Add olives and sprinkle with the remaining mixture, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and extra olive oil if needed

Continue roasting until the internal temperative of the chicken is 155F degrees, next to the thigh

Transfer chicken to a cutting board

Place potatoes, olives and pan drippings in a large platter

Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes

Carve the roast and place atop the the potatoes and olives on the platter