The apple orchard and a savory squash, apple and quinoa crumble

It had been raining all day on our last day in Vermont. I loved the grey skies and how they brought out the intensity of the colors. Before heading home, Nadia had one more stop planned for us. We were to visit her good friend's orchards. It was the pinnacle of our trip. A farm filled with apple and plum trees, grape vines, raspberry bushes, horses and so much more we didn't get to see.

As soon as we arrived, the skies turned bright blue, clouds dissipated, leaving us with a beautiful summer-like afternoon. I knew how excited the kids would be to pick fruit right off the tree.



The orchard provides much more fruit than the family can consume and Nadia goes often to pick whatever they do not want. "Will they mind if we take some home with us?" I asked feeling a bit shy about taking from someone else's orchard. "Believe me, they are happy we are picking it" she replied.

So we went at it.

There were so many different varieties of apples. The intense dark plum skin on some really drew my attention. I had never seen apples quite that dark. Inside the flesh was white with streaks of pink. Absolutely gorgeous. Do you know which variety that might be?

We loaded a box with apples and plums that we brought back home with us. My mom made vanilla bean, cinnamon and lemon-flavored apple and plum jam as soon as we returned, which she is still enjoying every morning for breakfast.



Needless to say, I cooked a lot with apples last week. One of my favorites, this savory red kuri squash, apple and quinoa crumble with goat cheese, sage and parsley. We ate it with a green salad. It was lovely.

For dessert, one of my childhood favorites that is included in my upcoming cookbook. Gluten and dairy free vanilla and cardamom flavored natillas with sauteed apples. Natilla is a light custard that we grew up eating. My grandmother made it perfectly every time with raw milk and cinnamon. Always makes me think of her.



You can see Nadia's post with images from our visit on her blog. So beautiful.

Red kuri squash, apple and quinoa crumble

serves 4 to 6

Crumble topping

1/2 cup (70 g) superfine brown rice flour
1/2 cup (70 g) quinoa flour
1/2 cup (70 g) cold cooked quinoa
1/2 ounce (15 g) finely grated Idiazabal or Manchego cheese
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 tablespoons (90 ml) olive oil

In a bowl, whisk together the first six ingredients. Add olive oil and stir until a sand-like crumble forms.

Chill the crumble while preparing the filling.

Filling

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium leek, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 medium red kuri or hokkaido squash, peeled and diced (about 3 cups diced)
1 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
3 sage leaves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 medium Gala apples, peeled and diced
3/4 cup (185 ml) chicken stock
1 ounce (30 g) goat cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 400F (200C)

In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the leek and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes until tender, but not browned. Add the squash, parsley, sage, salt, pepper, and coriander. Increase heat to medium high and stir. Cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add the chicken stock and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the apples and cook another 5 minutes until soft but not mushy.

Transfer the filling to a greased baking dish or individual over-proof bowls. Top with the crumble.

Bake the crumble until topping golden and filing bubbling, about 30 to 40 minutes for a larger dish and 20 minutes for individuals. Serve warm.

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The apple orchard and a savory squash, apple and quinoa crumble

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The Last Days of Summer

I have always said that September is my spring.

As summer comes to an end, I feel a tremendous sense of beginning. Excited for new things to happen and the year to unfold.



We spent our last days in the Basque Country exploring. Little corners of the world that only my dad knows well. Remote villages, a river stream lined with fig trees, or a field filled with wildflowers where we spotted a few leftover poppies from spring. These are the places where my dad feels at ease and loves to share with us.



In the nature preserve of Pagoeta, we saw the first signs of autumn as maple trees were beginning to turn colors. The skies were bright blue and leaves burnt orange. Jon followed my dad's footsteps with a wooden stick in hand looking for mushrooms and picking wild strawberries. "Aitite, can you tell me the tales of fairies and mountain giants?" Jon asked. Stories that my dad tells to him at night, before bedtime. He listened in awe as we walked the forest.

We picked wild blackberries in Urkiola and ate them with yogurt panna cotta that I made for dessert.



During our visits, my parents' home becomes a gathering place. We sit tightly around their kitchen table, elbow to elbow, eating course after course. For one of our last meals, I cooked a risotto with russulas my dad had found and red kuri squash I brought back from our trip to Iparralde. "This is so good!" my brother shouted -- nothing makes me feel better.

For dessert, a simple galette with mirabelle plums, white nectarines, and red currants. It was gone in minutes.



We also picked apples, figs, and peaches from my uncle Javi's garden. We took a walk around the property with him as he talked about his passion for gardening and pastry, his day job. "This has been a strange growing season" he said "Tomatoes have not done well, yet chestnuts are already opening up". Indeed. All the chestnut trees were full of bright green, prickly cocoons. Some even open -- a sign of things to come.

Back at home I made a apple, prune, and yogurt cake, similar to this one. The last days of summer would not be the same without an apple cake.

No, they would not.



Red Kuri Squash and Wild Mushroom Risotto

Serves 4 to 6

4 to 5 cups chicken stock
2 Tbs olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 leek, washed and sliced
1/2 medium red kuri squash, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup thinly sliced wild mushrooms (we used the russulas we picked)
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/4 cup txakoli or any dry white wine you like
1/2 cup finely grated Idiazabal or Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs finely chopped parsley

Begin by heating the chicken stock over medium heat. Keep it warm until ready to use.

In a stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the shallots, garlic, and leek. Cook until soft but not browned, about 3 minutes.

Add the diced red kuri squash. Stir and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 3 minutes. Season with salt.

Add the rice and stir it well so all the oil and flavors coat the rice. Add the txakoli or dry white wine and cook for 30 seconds until alcohol evaporates. Add 1 cup of chicken stock and cook stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed. Then proceed by adding another 1/2 cup of stock. Continue to cook the risotto storring constantly and adding more stock as needed until rice is cooked al dente, about 18 minutes.

Off the heat, add the grated Idiazabal and parsley. Stir to combine and serve immediately.

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My Comfort Food

It was a few days ago when Penny asked me to list the three ingredients that I always have handy. "Lentils, eggs and some sort of green". I love all legumes. Love. Particularly lentils. Funny thing as one of my earliest childhood memories revolves around my mom sitting in front of me and a plate of lentils that I wouldn't finish.

It has now became a staple in my weekly repertoire of meals. There are variations depending on what vegetables I have that day, but there is usually some chorizo in it.



"Can I have brown soup for lunch?", J. asks. He has turned into a particular picky eater this year, but lentil soup or "brown soup" as he calls it is still one of his favorites with grilled cheese sandwich triangles.

It is one of my favorite leftover foods too. A drizzle of olive oil and some bread and I'm set.



This time of year, I cook hearty soups to keep us energized and warm. The abundance of root vegetables is perfect for this recipe. Lentils, parsnips, turnips, sweet potatoes... Anything goes.

So this is the recipe I chose for a PBS parents piece on favorite family meals that keep us connected to our childhood and roots. You can read the entire story here. Thank you Alice!



Lentil and Root Vegetable Soup

Makes 8 servings

3 Tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 turnip, diced
2 parsnips, peeled and diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
¼ red kuri squash, peeled and diced
1 Tbs tomato paste
1 chorizo, sliced
1 qt chicken stock
2 cups water
1 cup French lentils or any other kind you like
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
5 springs of thyme

Rinse the lentils and cover them with water. Let them soak for about 4 hours. It’s not completely necessary but I find that they cook faster and are better for digestion.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic, onion, carrot and celery and cook them for about 5 minutes. We don’t want to caramelize them, just sweat them.

Add the tomato paste, chorizo and rest of vegetable and cook them for another 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock, water, thyme, lentils, pepper and salt. Stir and bring this to a boil.

Reduce heat to a simmer, cover the pot and let the lentils cook for about 45 minutes until tender. Adjust seasoning to your taste and serve with your favorite gluten-free (or not) bread, cheese toast or plain.

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Friends I Can Rely On and BlogHer Food'10

Sometimes it's hard to explain all the little obstacles that come along with being an ex-pat. Having to leave all friends and family behind, all contacts and all resources to start a new life somewhere else. I came into this country with two suitcases, one filed with clothes, the other with books and CDs. All my possessions, or so I thought at that time.



I suppose those were indeed all my possessions, my material ones, but there is always something else in one's life beyond the material. A support system is the thing that perhaps I underestimated the most when I left my home. Don't get me wrong, I came here for love and I wouldn't change it for anything in the world, but now I realize how much more difficult life can be without that support system, which is built through years of belonging in one place.

The people you know to call when you need something specific, the friends that will watch your kids when you need to run to the doctor, the ones that know someone who knows someone...



You might be wondering why I'm mentioning this to you now. Well, I suppose having children changes everything. The saying "it takes a village to raise a child" has never felt so true to me. Having people we can rely on and trust becomes a necessity. You see, I am leaving for San Francisco this Thursday to attend BlogHer Food '10. I am utterly excited to be there, catch up with dear friends and connect with new ones. (Perhaps you might even be there this weekend and if so, please come by and say hello!).

But there is a lot of planning that goes on with leaving for so many days. Making sure the kids are looked after, maintaining a routine, being fed... Yes, kids require a lot and this trip was no different.



It was my friend Karen who came to the rescue this week. Sometimes when I most need it, she comes to my rescue always with a smile and pure generosity. I couldn't ask for a better friend who I can trust and rely on. Always. And she never asks for anything in return. That is what I'm talking about.



My way of paying her back is always through food. I don't think I have ever met a person so grateful for everything I make. It makes me happy to see her enjoy all my experiments or even my everyday staples, like a simple lentil soup. So of course, I cooked and baked for her to show her my appreciation.

A plate full of quinoa spaghetti with roasted golden baby beets, red kuri squash, bacon, garlic and chilis. So simple, but so much flavor.

For dessert, these black plum, almond and chocolate cakes. Gluten free and so moist. Almost like a brownie.



She was happy and that made my day.

If you attending BlogHer Food '10, I will see you there. Can't wait.

Roasted Golden Baby Beet, Squash and Bacon Quinoa Spaghetti

makes 2 servings

2 bunches of baby golden beets, peeled
1/2 medium red kuri squash, peeled and sliced
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 slices of bacon, sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 Tbs red chili flakes
8 oz quinoa spaghetti (or any kind you like)
Beet greens or spinach

Toss the beets and red kuri squash with the olive oil and salt. Spread them on a baking sheet and bake at 375 for about 20-30 minutes or until tender.

Place the bacon in a pan and start browning it. Add the garlic when it starts to get some color and the red pepper flakes. Set aside.

In the meantime, cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water. Reserve a little bit of the cooking liquid and drain. Toss the pasta with the bacon, garlic and roasted vegetables. Add a little bit of the cooking liquid if needed. Serve with some beet leaves or spinach.

Plum, Almond and Chocolate Cakes

makes 6 4" cakes

2 eggs
1/2 cup (100 grams) cane sugar
1/2 cup or 1 stick (110 grams) butter or non-hydrogenated shortening
2 oz (55 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup (120 grams) almond flour
1/4 cup (40 grams) superfine brown rice flour
2 Tbs (20 grams) cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
3 black plums, sliced

Place the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set this over a water bath to melt. Let it cool slightly.

Sift the dry ingredients together.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and the sugar. Add the melted chocolate and butter and whisk. Add the sifted dry ingredients and whisk until combined.

Spray molds with cooking spray. Divide the batter between the molds and top with the slices of plum.

Bake at 375F for about 20-25 minutes or until center cooked.

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Apple, Gruyere and Sage Muffins and a Childhood Soup

When autumn and winter come around, I become even more nostalgic (is that even possible?) of certain smells and foods of my childhood. I remember clearly walking around my grandparents' garden puling fresh leeks right off the ground. We would take bunches and bunches home every Sunday. My dad's car smelled of leeks all winter long.



If there is one traditional soup in the Basque Country, it must be porrusalda or leek soup. It is peasant food and the soup all of us grew up eating. Believe it or not, I seem to have been a picky eater as a child. I do not remember much about it, but I often times hear it from my mom. "You despised vegetables", she tells me. Funny how life is. So my mom made sure to puree all soups for me to get me to eat as many vegetables as possible.

I have to admit that texture has stuck with me as I do love creamy and slightly chunky soups. When cooler weather comes around, I eat soup almost every single day.



I made this variation of porrusalda this week when the skies were dark and stormy. We were under a tropical storm warning for two days so we stayed in for the most part. A simple soup with leeks, garlic, potatoes and butternut squash. Slightly sweet so I decided to make some cheesy muffins to go with it.



I keep dreaming of my uncle's apple orchard where we spent so much time this late summer. Apple goodness everywhere. Eating them raw and preparing them in a million different ways.

I thought it would be great to have a savory kind of cake to go with the soup and I love the combination of apples, gruyere and sage. The muffins are moist, sweet and salty at the same time. Serve the soup with a little sour cream, black pepper and olive oil. Perfect comfort food.



Apple, Gruyere and Sage Muffins

makes 6 muffins plus a loaf

1 cup (150 grams) superfine brown rice flour
1/2 cup (75 grams)millet flour
2 Tbs (30 grams) potato starch
2 Tbs (20 grams) tapioca starch
1/3 cup (70 grams) cane sugar
1 tsp (8 grams) baking powder
1/2 tsp (3 grams) baking soda
1/2 tsp (5 grams) salt
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 Tbs fresh sage, finely chopped
1 cup (55 grams) shredded Gruyere
1 egg
1 cup (250 ml) buttermilk
1/4 cup (55 ml) olive oil
2 apples, peeled and small diced
Extra shredded Gruyere for topping

In a large bowl, whisk together the first 11 ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk and olive oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until combined. Fold in the diced apples.

Scoop batter into molds. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes for the muffins and 40 minutes for the loaf.

Leek, Butternut Squash and Potato Soup

2 Tbs olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup (1/2 leek), diced
2 cups butternut squash, diced
2 potatoes, diced
1 tsp salt
3 cups chicken stock (or water)
Black pepper
Sour cream, optional

In a medium pot, saute the leeks in the olive oil for about 2 minutes. Do not let them brown. Add the squash and potatoes and saute them for another minute. Add the chicken stock and salt. Bring it to a boil and then reduce heat to medium and cook them covered for about 20 minutes.

Puree the soup and taste it. Adjust seasoning if needed. Serve with cracked black pepper and sour cream.

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Soup and a Tart for... "In The Kitchen With" Design*Sponge

Over the summer, I was so excited to be featured as a guest in Design*Sponge's "In The Kitchen With...". This is one of my must-read weekly columns, as I discover so many new talents and artist. It is always so interesting to see everyone's approach on food, styling and photography and the story behind each and every recipe.

So when I was approached by Kristina again to do a second feature, I was more than flattered. "Why don't we try something savory this time?", she asked. "Perfect!", I thought since I have really been inspired by produce and comfort food recently.



I could live off soup everyday and never get tired of it, but I always have to have "a little something" to accompany it. Whether it may be simple cheese on toast or a slice of tart, it adds something special to the whole meal, so this time I created one of the soups we eat most during the fall, a butternut squash and orange cauliflower soup and to go with it, a leek, baby broccoli and smoked salmon herb tart. Believe me, it makes a full lunch.

Along with the recipes, you can also find Kristina's favorite cookbooks and a list of some of my latest kitchen obsessions. Hope you try it. You can find the full recipes here.



I also want to thank Kaytlyn of Beneficial Design for helping me create the most beautiful banner once again and to Nadia, for the loveliest mini crabapples straight from her farm.

Have a great weekend!

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