Heirloom Tomato Tart with Crispy Breadcrumbs /  by Judy Kim

by Judy Kim

Heirloom Tomato Tart with Crispy Breadcrumbs

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

A great way to use bountiful Heirloom tomatoes at the height of Summer or to celebrate the end of tomato season. Either way, a nice light appetizer to be served with dry crisp champagne or served with a green garden salad for a light lunch. 

INGREDIENTS

4 medium to large heirloom tomatoes, sliced 3/8-inch or 1 cm thick

Flaky sea salt, such as Jacobsen Salt

1/2 pound Old Amsterdam Gouda, grated

1/2 pound white cheddar, grated

2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

Freshly ground black pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 single crust, rustic pie dough

All-purpose flour, for dusting

Optional: 1 egg

1/2 cup chiffonade fresh basil

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven 350° F. Fix oven rack in middle with a Baking Steel, or your favorite pizza stone. I love how the steel makes the pastry so crisp. Eliminates worrying about a soggy crust.

  2. Prepare half sheet pan with parchment paper, I use pre-cut parchment paper when I have it available. Set aside.

  3. Place sliced tomatoes on a sheet pan lined with paper towels. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt on both sides. Set aside, minimum of 5 minutes. Pat dry to remove moisture.

  4. In a medium mixing bowl, combine all grated cheese and reserve 1/2 cup.

  5. In a small mixing bowl, combine ½ cup grated cheese, breadcrumbs, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and 2 tablespoons olive oil; set aside.

  6. Remove Rustic Pie Dough from refrigerator to rest until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour all over the counter and smooth over your rolling pin, I prefer a flat rolling pin compared to a rounded French style. Roll dough evenly into similar dimensions of the sheet pan, about ¼-inch thickness or a bit less. Move dough around as you roll and sprinkle flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking. Trim the dough to match the rectangular shape with an additional 1-inch border, for a finished look. Or skip the trimming step for a more rustic approach. To transfer, loosely roll the dough onto the rolling pin and unroll over the sheet pan.

  7. Sprinkle remaining cheese all over pastry in an even layer, leaving a 1-inch border. Arrange tomatoes with minimal overlap all over cheese, also leaving a 1 inch border of pastry. Roll edges inward and crimp pastry edges.

  8. Place tomato tart in fridge to chill for 10 to 15 minutes.

  9. Place mounds of breadcrumb mixture over the tomatoes, especially covering the crust. You can spread breadcrumb mixture all over, but I like to keep most of the tomatoes uncovered since they are so beautiful. Place sheet pan directly on Baking Steel and bake until pastry is golden brown, approximately 40 to 45 minutes.

  10. Optional: Make egg wash, egg lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water. Brush crust with egg wash just before baking.

  11. Carefully transfer to a cooling rack.

  12. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil all over tart, sprinkle with basil and flaky sea salt. Serve at room temperature.

Apple & Blood Orange Garden Trellis Pie /  by Judy Kim

by Judy Kim

Apple & Blood Orange Garden Trellis Pie

Yield: 1 (9-inch) Pie

Created a new twist on apple pie. Blood oranges aren't a typical addition to pie, but I had them around and wanted to use them in place of lemon for some acidity. This design was inspired by a garden trellis woven with twisty vines. I've always had an affinity to gardening and all things floral, I get it from my Mother. I've included directions to create this design but the truth is, all designs don't go exactly as planned, so feel free to go rogue. I often utilize leaf and floral cut outs to cover up mistakes like broken pastry. There are some trouble shooting tips below. Regardless, true beauty and imperfection sit side by side in my book. 

You can watch my pie demo video below.

INGREDIENTS

1 double crust, such as Buttermilk Pie Dough

1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling pastry

1 egg

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1 blood orange, zested and cut into supremes

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon kosher, such as Jacobsen sea salt

1/4 teaspoon aromatic bitters

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

5 (about 3 pounds) medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced on mandoline

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes and frozen

DIRECTIONS

  1. Prepare the Buttermilk Pie Dough recipe, which can be made in advance.

  2. Before rolling, let the pie dough come to room temperature, about 5 minutes, to prevent cracking. On a lightly floured surface, roll out round disk to thickness between 1/8-inch and 1/4-inch. Keep dough moving and apply just enough flour to prevent it from sticking. Try avoid using too much flour to prevent the pastry from getting tough. Gently fold in half and again into a quarter, then transfer over your pie dish. Drape dough and nestle into the corners of the pie dish. Trim pastry with scissors or a sharp paring knife along the rim, chill trimmed pastry; roll out pastry a bit thinner and cut out leaves using a small leaf pie cutter. These will be used to make the leaf crown around the crust. Place on a generously floured rimmed sheet pan. Keep pie dish and sheet pan in fridge until ready to use.

  3. Roll out rectangular piece of pastry to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a fluted edge pastry wheel, cut a variety of narrow and wide strips to create the lattice and twisted cables. Use remaining dough to cut out shapes such as flowers and leaves for decoration. To make the leaves look more realistic, try bending them a bit. Place lattice strips in a single layer on a new floured sheet pan; chill in refrigerator. Add flowers and leaves to previously prepared sheet pan with leaves and keep in the fridge, preferably freezer until ready to use.

  4. Place oven rack in middle and preheat oven to 425°F. In a small bowl beat egg with heavy cream; set aside.

  5. In a large mixing bowl, add blood orange zest and supreme orange segments. Drain and discard any excess liquid from the oranges. Mix in sugar, salt, bitters, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Fold in apples until well coated; sprinkle 1/4 cup flour and toss again. Transfer apple mixture into pie dish and try to keep the mixture even. Scatter frozen butter cubes evenly all over the apples.

  6. Remove sheet pans with remaining pastry from the fridge or freezer. To create a simple lattice design, place strips (any width you prefer) in one direction across the entire pie. Lift every other row, place another strip in the opposite direction and flip the strips back down. Alternatively lift every other row, place another strip in the opposite direction and flip strips back down again until the lattice is complete. Try to keep the lattice pieces close together to cover most of the filling, this will help trap in steam and make a tender filling.

  7. To create cable knit roping, loosely twist 2 strips of similar width together to create a cable knit effect. Try to keep the strips flat to create an even cable. For my Garden Trellis design I mixed in cable knit ropes, a row of leaves and a row of flowers with the wavy flat strips.

  8. Using a sharp paring knife, trim the excess lattice work. Gently lift the ends of the lattice work and brush a light coating of egg wash to glue down the strips to the pie shell. Brush the top edge of the crust with egg wash. Place leaves on a 45° angle, press down lightly and alternatively place leaves in opposite directions to create a crown crust.

  9. Brush a light coating of egg wash evenly all over the pie. Place pie dish on a sheet pan and bake on the center rack for 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 375°F, bake until bubbling and golden brown, about 75 minutes. If necessary, rotate the pie for even baking and cover with foil if the top is browning too much. For best results, let pie cool for 4 to 6 hours before serving. Or bake the day before. Note: pie must be bubbling or filling will not be tender and crust will not be crispy.

Seared Salmon & Soba Noodles with Ginger Yuzu Sauce /  by Judy Kim

by Judy Kim

Seared Salmon & Soba Noodles with Ginger Yuzu Sauce

Yield: 4 servings

Let's be honest, this dish is all about the sauce. Double it, triple it. I know you're going to want to put it on everything!

INGREDIENTS

4 salmon pieces, about 2 pounds

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1-inch piece of unpeeled organic ginger, thinly sliced against the grain

4 tablespoons grapeseed oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon Sriracha

1/3 cup low-sodium chicken stock

2 tablespoons mirin

1 tablespoon yuzu juice

1 tablespoon sugar

1 scallion, thinly sliced on diagonal

Black sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

  1. Rinse and dry salmon thoroughly. Place salmon on sheet pan and season with salt and black pepper, set aside.

  2. In the bowl of a mini food processor, add garlic and ginger. Pulse until finely minced. Note: There is a lot of flavor in the skin of ginger, so try to buy organic and just give it a quick wash.

  3. Warm a large saucepan over med heat and add 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil. Sauté garlic and ginger until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in soy sauce, Sriracha, chicken stock, mirin, yuzu juice and sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium-low until slightly reduced, about 7 to 8 minutes.

  4. Meanwhile, cook soba noodles according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

  5. In a large skillet over medium-high heat add 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil. When oil is hot but not smoking, place salmon skin side up. Sear on each side until crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Flip salmon only once.

  6. Serve salmon skin side up over bed of soba noodles. Spoon sauce over salmon and noodles. Garnish with scallions and black sesame seeds. Serve remaining sauce on the side if desired.

Confetti Christmas Shortbread Cookies /  by Judy Kim

by Judy Kim

Confetti Christmas Shortbread Cookies

Yield: Approximately 50 (2 1/2-inch) cookies

Happy Holidays! This is a tender sweet and salty shortbread cookie that has incredible texture. The toasted walnut and almond topping combined with sparkling sugar adds just the right amount of crunch and glitz. Wishing you a wonderful Holiday Season. But don't limit these cookies to the month of December, try different shapes to enjoy them any time of the year.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling, such as Jacobsen Salt Co.

1 egg, room temperature

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, extra for rolling

1/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts

1/4 cup roughly chopped almonds

Assorted sparkling sugar, I used pink and white

Your favorite holiday cookie cutter

DIRECTIONS

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment add butter and beat on high until pale in color, about 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar and sea salt. Start on low and increase speed to high; beat until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix until incorporated. Scrape down sides with a rubber spatula and don't miss the very bottom.

  2. With the mixer on low, add flour in 3 increments; scraping in between in addition. Careful not to overmix or you'll get a tough dough. Cookie mixture will be a bit crumbly. Divide cookie dough in half and wrap each half with plastic wrap and shape into a flat disk. I even like to roll the dough in the plastic to make it even, which will make it easier to roll later. Let dough rest in fridge for 5 to 10 minutes.

  3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare 2 rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper.

  4. In a dry large sized skillet on medium-low heat, toast walnuts and almonds until fragrant. Shake pan to prevent nuts from burning. Transfer to a plate until cool to the touch. Place nuts in a plastic bag and gently crush nuts with a rolling pin into small pieces. To protect your counter, place the bag on a folded kitchen towel. Transfer to a bowl.

  5. Lightly flour your counter and rolling pin. Roll cookie dough into 1/4-inch thickness. Using a bench scraper loosen and lift the dough; lightly flour the counter again. This will make it easier to remove the cookies after cutting them out.

  6. While dipping your cookie cutter in flour, cut out cookies placing them as close together as possible. Dip the cutters in flour as needed. Gather leftover scraps and re-roll to cut out remaining dough. Transfer cookies to sheet pans; top with crushed nuts and sprinkle your color choice of sparkling sugar. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt and transfer to a cooling rack.

NOTES:

You can make this dough in advance and keep in the fridge. Bring dough to room temperature before baking for best results.

Since the dough is crumbly and soft, I suggest to use a simple cookie cutter shape without too many tiny details as the dough may get stuck. I used a Christmas Tree shape, but you can use a cutter for any year round holiday. Originally I tried an oversized detailed tree shape and the size made it difficult to transfer without falling apart. 

When decorating the cookies, I used white sparkling sugar at the top and mixed the pink and white sugar over the nuts to help create texture and sparkle. 

Slow Cooker Short Rib Stew /  by Judy Kim

DELISH

Read More

Sea Salt Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie /  by Judy Kim

by Judy Kim

Sea Salt Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie

Yield: Approximately 25 large (4-inch) cookies or 38 medium (3-inch) cookies

The ultimate chocolate chocolate chip cookie. Thin, crispy yet chewy and completely addicting. 

These cookies were made for Natalie Mortimer and Holly Erickson, The Modern Proper's  #calmandbrightcookienight.  Check out their Coconut Thumbprint Cookie and the full roster of other amazing bakers that participated.

INGREDIENTS

Coconut oil spray

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Guittard

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, such as Jacobsen

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or wafers, such as Guittard Akoma semi-sweet chocolate chips or Guittard Bittersweet Chocolate Wafers

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare 2, preferably 3 half sheet pans with a light coating of coconut oil, or your favorite cooking spray. Do not use parchment paper or the cookies won't spread properly.

  2. Add butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Start on low, increase speed to high and beat until light in color and creamy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down sides with a rubber spatula as needed. Add vanilla and egg, one at a time until combined. Place bowl in fridge to chill for 30 minutes or wrap well in plastic and chill overnight.

  3. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and sea salt. Add flour mixture in 4 increments and mix on low; scrape the bowl as needed. After 3rd addition of flour, fold remaining flour mixture by hand until just combined. Do not over mix. Fold chocolate chips in by hand.

  4. For 4-inch cookies, use a small cookie scoop or spoon about 2 tablespoons of dough on to a greased half sheet pan 2-inches apart. Do not use parchment as the cookies will not spread evenly. Place maximum of 6 cookies per half sheet pan, but I prefer 5 to avoid the cookies from crowding each other. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. For 3-inch cookies, use a 1 tablespoon scoop and place 8 cookies evenly spaced on a half sheet pan. Timing is important for this cookie. Check oven temperature with a thermometer, test a single cookie to determine the right timing and see if your oven requires you to rotate the pan. Center about the size of a quarter should be slightly undercooked and remaining outer edges should spread into rings. This ensures a chewy yet crunchy cookie.

  5. Remove sheet pan from oven and cool for a few minutes before transferring cookies to a cooling rack. Optional to sprinkle cookies with sea salt right after removing from the oven. Repeat steps for additional batches, but cool sheet pans before adding cookie dough.

NOTES:

Cookie dough can be made in advance. Keep in the fridge well wrapped or freeze individual cookie dough balls and place in a plastic bag after frozen; remove as much air from the bag as possible. Bring dough to room temperature before baking for best results. Baking frozen dough will still taste great, but the overall baked cookie appearance may vary slightly.

If you don't have a silicone spatula, try spraying your spatula with oil to make it easier to handle the cookies.

*recipe updated Dec 2018

 

Flaky Cheddar and Scallion Biscuits /  by Judy Kim

by Judy Kim

Flaky Cheddar and Scallion Biscuits

Yield: 8 to 10,  2 1/2-inch biscuits or 24, 1 1/2-inch biscuits

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, extra for rolling

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, such as Jacobsen

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled

1 cup grated white cheddar

1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions

1 1/3 cups buttermilk

1 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven 425°F. Prepare rimmed half sheet or baking dish with parchment paper, set aside.

  2. In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt. Add butter to flour mixture and break it up using your hands or a pastry cutter. I prefer using my hands to create flattened shards of butter. Add cheese and scallions; toss together using your hands until they are all well coated in flour. Make a well in the flour mixture and slowly pour in buttermilk in 2 to 3 batches, mix together using a wooden spoon completely before adding more buttermilk. Switch to your hands when it begins to form a ball of dough; do not overmix. The dough will be slightly sticky. If it's too dry, add a few drops of buttermilk.

  3. Lightly flour a rolling pin and turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Don't add too much flour at once or the dough will dry out, but add flour if the dough becomes too sticky. Roll until dough is about 1-inch thick and fold into thirds. Gently roll dough into rectangular shape. Repeat the folding process 2 to 3 times to create more layers, ending with 1 ½-inch thick dough.

  4. Use biscuit cutter of your choice. Dip biscuit cutter in flour and cut dough with straight down motion; avoid twisting. Cut biscuits as close together as possible to avoid wasting dough. Instead of rolling out remaining scraps together to form one or two last biscuits, try cutting the remaining dough with a smaller biscuit cutter and bake off remaining bits in their odd shapes. They are the perfect snack and will remain tender if they are not re-rolled.

  5. Place biscuits on sheet pan or baking dish. The dough should be touching, it helps ensure even rising. If you have smaller biscuits and scraps, place them on a separate small sheet pan or a mini cast iron pan; the smaller shapes will take less baking time. Lightly brush tops with egg wash, avoid brushing the edges. Optional: skip the egg wash, the cheese will still give it a golden crust.

  6. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Baking time will vary depending on size of the biscuit. Scraps will take less time, about 10 minutes. Rotate if necessary for even browning, otherwise avoid opening oven during baking.

  7. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Apple Cardamom Cable Knit Pie /  by Judy Kim

by Judy Kim

Apple Cardamom Cable Knit Pie

Yield: 1 (9-inch) Pie

This cable knit design was inspired by Aran Irish Sweaters, something I learned about during my first job as a design assistant at Ralph Lauren when I worked in Men’s sweaters. Not surprising as we used to make knit downs of cable knit designs all day long, always looking for new combinations. I use a similar approach when designing this pie crust.

INGREDIENTS

1 egg

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1 double crust, buttermilk pie crust recipe

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling pastry

2 meyer lemons, zested and juiced

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, such as Jacobsen

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 (about 3 1/2 pounds) medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced on mandolin

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes and frozen

DIRECTIONS

  1. Place Baking Steel on the middle rack of your oven. Preheat oven 425°F. The pizza stone ensures a crispy bottom crust. Preferably preheat oven for 30 to 60 minutes. In a small bowl beat egg with heavy cream; set aside.

  2. Prepare the buttermilk pie crust recipe, cut into one third and two thirds ratio, wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Shape smaller piece into a flat round disk and shape other half into a narrow flat rectangle. Let dough rest 20 minutes or overnight in refrigerator. Note: This dough makes more dough than average recipes, great for decorative pie crusts.

  3. Let the dough come to room temperature for 5 minutes before rolling out to prevent cracking. On a lightly floured surface, roll out round disk to thickness between 1/8-inch and 1/4-inch. Keep dough moving and apply flour as needed to prevent it from sticking. Gently roll onto rolling pin and transfer to pie dish. Trim with scissors or a knife along the rim leaving a 1/2-inch border. Note: Be careful not to stretch the dough or it will shrink back. 

  4. Cut second rectangular pie dough in half lengthwise. Roll one half (Dough A) to 9-inches in length and 1/4-inch thick. Roll remaining dough (Dough B) to 9-inches in length and 1/8-inch thickness. Work quickly to prevent the dough from getting warm. If needed, place them in the fridge to firm up during the process.

  5. Dough A: Use a ruler to cut long even strips. For a square edge braid, cut into 1/4-inch strips with a sharp paring knife. Braid together keeping both ends loose; transfer to a sheet pan. For rounded edge braid, cut dough into six 1/4-inch strips and roll against floured board to round edges. Repeat braiding technique and transfer to the sheet pan, keep in the fridge while you roll the remaining dough. Separate layers with parchment if needed. Dough B: Cut four 1-inch strips. Loosely twist 2 pieces together to create a cable knit effect and repeat; transfer to the same sheet pan. Cut three diamonds from any leftover dough and score with a knife in a diagonal direction. Roll four balls of dough and flatten slightly to create 4 small buttons; score with a curved fork to mimic a leather football button. (Fashion is clearly still in me). Transfer sheet pan back to the fridge. NOTE: If you are having trouble with the dough breaking while braiding, the butter pieces may be too large or the dough is too warm. For decorative pies, I formulated a pie crust that is ideal and hopefully breakage won’t be an issue.

  6. In a large mixing bowl, combine zest of 2 Meyer lemons, 3 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice, sugar, sea salt, cardamom, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Fold in apples until well coated; sprinkle 3 tablespoons flour and toss again. Transfer apple mixture into pie dish, try to keep the mixture even. Scatter frozen butter cubes evenly all over the apples.

  7. Remove sheet pan with pastry from the fridge. Start in the middle and place cable knit pieces tightly next to each other. Try to avoid large gaps between pastry. Trim pieces to fit within the pie dish. Fold edge of pie inward neatly and crimp together by pinching. Chill in freezer or fridge for 15 minutes.

  8. Brush evenly with light coating of egg wash and cover loosely with foil. Adjust oven to 425°F, gently place pie dish directly onto Baking Steel or pizza stone and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375°F, remove foil and bake until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown, about 1 hour more. If necessary, rotate the pie for even baking. For best results, let pie cool for 4 to 6 hours before serving.

Note:

You can use leftover dough for decorative cut outs. Roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Dip pie cutters or cookie cutters in flour and cut out shapes. Lay them evenly on a quarter sheet pan and layer using parchment paper. I didn't use any cut outs for this cable knit design, but you can keep these in the freezer for a future use. Suggestion: Bake and add them to a bowl of ice cream or berries and cream.

 

Roast Chicken Breast with Meyer Lemon Jus /  by Judy Kim

by Judy Kim

Roast Chicken Breast with Meyer Lemon Jus

Yield: 4 servings

This is the ultimate comfort food, simple roast chicken. Which is great all year round, but when Meyer lemons are available I cannot resist. Meyer lemons and blood oranges are my weakness in the Fall and Winter months. If they are out of season, regular lemons are still great. The lemony jus is my favorite part of this dish, save it for dipping! And if you like cold leftover chicken like me, make extra.

Pro tip: Save the chicken bones and freeze them in a zip lock bag until you have enough to make bone broth. Don’t forget to mark the date. The bones are great for chicken bone broth or add them while making beef bone broth for extra richness and flavor.

INGREDIENTS

4 chicken breasts bone-in, excess fat trimmed

Extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 meyer lemon, zested and juiced

Flaky sea salt for finishing

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled

¼ cup finely chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Rinse chicken and pat dry thoroughly. Drizzle with olive oil; season with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Arrange chicken in a single layer on a rimmed sheet pan, skin side up and roast until it start to brown, about 25 minutes.

  2. Turn oven to broil and cook until skin is crisp and deep golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate to rest.

  3. Set sheet pan on the stove over medium heat; add 1 tablespoon meyer lemon juice or more to taste and 1 teaspoon of zest. Scrape bottom of pan and simmer for 1 minute. Season with flaky sea salt and add splash of chicken stock if you want more sauce. Stir in cold butter until emulsified. Pour jus and crispy bits into a small bowl or into a serving platter.

  4. Finish chicken with flaky sea salt, more meyer lemon zest and parsley. Serve with jus.

Heirloom Tomato, Nectarine and Arugula Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette /  by Judy Kim

by Judy Kim

Heirloom Tomato, Nectarine and Arugula Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette

Yield: 4 servings

This is more of an assembly of ingredients than a recipe, which is exactly how I like to cook in the Summer. It's easy to pull together especially after a run to the Union Square Greenmarket, the largest farmers market in NYC. There's always so much to choose from, but I wanted to keep this salad simple. I like to marinate the tomatoes in the beginning to give them a garlicky touch. Letting them sit for 5 minutes or longer helps minimize the raw garlic flavor. Using a fine micro grater helps in that department too. (Grating is my favorite discovery, plus its faster than mincing!) Regardless the vinegar and nectarines will balance it out with just a touch of sweetness.  If you don't have a specialty vinegar use balsamic vinegar, it will still be delicious!

You could add some burrata to this to make this a light lunch with a crusty loaf of bread and salted butter.  A glass of rosé would be nice too.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound mix of heirloom and green tomatoes, in various shapes and sizes

1 garlic clove, grated on microplane

Flaky sea salt

5 ounces arugula

3 nectarines, pitted and sliced

1/4 cup diced red onion

Grapefruit balsamic vinegar such as The Filling Station vinegar

Extra-virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

  1. Cut tomatoes in half or quarters. In a large bowl mix tomatoes with garlic and season with sea salt. Set aside for 5 minutes.

  2. In a large platter arrange arugula greens, nectarines, red onion and tomatoes.

  3. Drizzle with grapefruit vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil. Finish with sprinkle of flaky sea salt.

Farmstand Berry Skillet Cake /  by Judy Kim

by Judy Kim

Farmstand Berry Skillet Cake

Yield: One 8 or 10-inch skillet or two 6-inch skillets

One of my favorite cakes this Summer. A simple cast iron skillet cake loaded with seasonal fresh berries. I'm a fan of Lodge Cast Iron's cast iron skillets. I used 9-inch in these photos, but I recently made them with two 5-inch skillets that were such a cute presentation. *Special note: make a little mini skillet for taste testing! 

Highly suggest serving this with ice cream or whipped cream. I just wrote a recipe for Cinnamon Cashew Cream that I bet would be a great addition too. 

INGREDIENTS

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup fine cornmeal

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

5 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg at room temperature

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 to 2 lemons, zested

2 cups mixed berries (strawberries, red and white currants, blackberries)

Edible flowers for garnish

Fresh mint for garnish

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl sift together flour, baking powder and sea salt.

  2. In the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream butter and sugar together. Gradually increase speed to high; beat until pale, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add egg, buttermilk, and lemon zest. Mix until fully incorporated, about 1 minute.

  3. While mixer is still on low add half of flour mixture, beat until almost incorporated. Scrape sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add remaining flour mixture and repeat. Transfer cake batter to cast iron skillet(s). Batter will be thick, spread evenly using an offset spatula.

  4. If strawberries are large, cut them in half lengthwise. I prefer the tiny sweet strawberries available in the Summer. Remove currants from the stems. Mix berries with blackberries in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle half of the berry mixture all over the cake batter. Press berries lightly into the batter. For visual presentation arrange a few clusters of currants on the stem.

  5. Bake for 1 hour for large skillet or until cake is golden brown and puffy. 30 minutes for smaller skillets. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake, it should come out clean. Cool skillet on wire rack. Garnish with balance of berries, edible flowers and fresh mint leaves. Serve cake while warm or at room temperature.

  6. Suggest serve with ice cream, fresh whipped cream or cinnamon cashew cream.

 

Cinnamon Cashew Cream /  by Judy Kim

by Judy Kim

Cinnamon Cashew Cream

Yield: Approximately 1 1/2 cups

Curiosity got the best of me. I've been seeing cashew cream everywhere lately and really wanted to try it out. Let me tell you, it's pretty damn good. I'm sure it's a great dairy substitute, but I love it as is. It would be a great addition to any dessert or simply topped on a bowl of berries. Can I be honest? I might have eaten it straight out of the bowl by the spoonful, just like peanut butter, don't judge me. (I usually see this recipe made raw and vegan. My version isn't but try maple syrup if you'd like a vegan version).

My version came about because I was raiding my pantry and after several trips this year I wanted to try out a few things I had collected. The honey and sea salt made by Jacobsen Salt Co. were a gift after a trip to Portland or PDX as they say. Instant fan of their stuff. My friend Emily Elyse Miller of Trends on Trends curated the coolest trip with Visit Portland. I can't wait to go back, it has a killer local makers community. In January, a trip to Zanzibar resulted in a suitcase loaded with spices including cinnamon. Who can resist those spice markets? By the way, we stayed at the most amazing private villa Casadamare, I'll let the photos speak for itself, trust me, just GO. It was the perfect retreat after climbing Mt Kilimanjaro. 

When styling the photos I reached for my friend and amazing local NYC artisan, Jono Pandolfi's white ceramic bowl. Such a beautiful simple and clean design. I gave the scene a little French twist with some pretty patterned ceramic bowls I bought in Arles, France. Much more on that trip another time, but special thanks to my friend Armand Arnal a local and Chef from Arles but also a co-owner of one of my favorite cafes Maman in NYC. He made visiting a little town in Provence so special including a heavenly lunch at his restaurant La Chassagnette.

It turns out this 6 ingredient recipe takes me on a stroll through memory lane and around the world. I can't wait to travel again and see what I collect or get inspired by.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup raw cashews, soaked in filtered water 4 to 6 hours (minimum 2 hours) 

1/2 cup filtered water

2 teaspoons mild honey such as Bee Local by Jacobsen's

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, such Nielsen-Massey

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or try cinnamon sticks ground in a spice grinder)

Pinch of flaky sea salt, such as Jacobsen's

DIRECTIONS

  1. Drain and rinse cashews; discard soaking liquid. Add cashews and 1/4 cup filtered water to Vitamix or high powered blender. Pulse until just barely incorporated.

  2. Add balance of ingredients. Blend on low and increase speed. Add more water until you reach desired consistency.

  3. Transfer to a bowl and keep in refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve chilled.

Note: I like my sweets on the milder side, feel free to adjust the honey quantity to your taste. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lemon Verbena Sugar /  by Judy Kim

by Judy Kim

Lemon Verbena Sugar

Lemon Verbena Sugar

Yield: 2 cups

This was created after the purchase of a lemon verbena plant, bought on a whim at the farmers market. It is so fragrant and just seemed perfect for an infused sugar. It can be enjoyed in tea, on the rim of a cocktail or any baking project. 

INGREDIENTS

2 cups sugar

3 sprigs lemon verbena, leaves only

Zest of 1 lemon (meyer lemon if possible)

DIRECTIONS

  1. In the bowl of a mini prep or food processor, add all ingredients and blend until mixture is finely ground.

Note: If you want more flavor, add more leaves or combine with another complimentary of your choice. Use this ratio to help create larger batches of herbed sugar. Keep in refrigerator.

Sources:

Ceramics: Jono Pandolfi

Photography Surface: Erickson Woodworks

Thyme Lemonade Popsicles with Nectarine and Kiwi /  by Judy Kim

by Judy Kim

Thyme Lemonade Popsicles with Nectarine and Kiwi 

Yield: 10 popsicles

Popsicles make me smile. They bring me back to Summer days when my Mom would pass out these delicious treats on the hottest of days. We would break them in half and share, or not if we were greedy or because they broke and probably fell on the ground. They would drip all over our hands and turn into a sticky mess so we preferred eating them in our swimsuits. What's better than diving into a pool or run under a ghetto sprinkler on the lawn to wash off popsicle juice, remember those days?

Fast forward to the adult version of popsicles. I tried to make these boozy and haven't figured out the right amount of gin or tequila and still have them freeze solid. So these pretty popsicles are perfect for landing into a giant glass of rosé or just eating. Hope you make new Summer memories of your own with these treats. I like that these popsicles have a built in snack. I hear someone, did they say Happy Hour?

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup sugar

4 sprigs thyme

Zest of 3 lemons

1/4 cup lemon juice

Pinch of sea salt, such as Jacobsens (try their habenero salt too)

1 nectarine

1 kiwi

Handful of small mint leaves

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a small pot add sugar, thyme sprigs and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 minute. Mix with a wooden spoon until sugar dissolves. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Remove thyme after the simple syrup has cooled. This can be made in advance and kept in the fridge.

  2. In a pitcher combine lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, simple syrup; stir well and add water until desired level of sweetness. At minimum add 20 ounces water.

  3. Cut nectarine in half, remove seed and thinly slice using a mandoline. Trim end of kiwi and thinly slice with mandoline. If the kiwi is organic, no need to peel the skin.

  4. Stir lemonade and fill the popsicle molds halfway. Place a few slices of nectarine, kiwi and mint as a pretty edible garnish. Freeze for 2 years. Add a few more garnishes and fill molds with lemonade. Place wooden stick and freeze until solid. Run mold under warm water to help remove popsicles.

 

Lemon Chiffon Berry Flag Cake with Mini Meringues /  by Judy Kim

by Judy Kim

LEMON CHIFFON BERRY FLAG CAKE WITH MINI MERINGUES

Yield:  1 sheet cake (12 x 18 x 1-inch)

Are you ready to enjoy berry season? I am!  Flag day is fast approaching and I partnered up with Driscoll's and feedfeed to create a new Flag Cake. This is a take on Eton Mess, one of my favorite summer desserts, in the form of a cake. What's not to like? Perfect for the 4th of July or any summer picnic. The frosting is actually a swiss meringue buttercream that holds up well in warm weather.

There are a lot of Flag Cakes out there, so let's try something new. I wanted a sense of air and lightness with crunch for texture. The cake batter incorporates egg whites to give it air, there's a thin layer of vanilla buttercream frosting for creaminess and to keep it from being overloaded with frosting, the white stripes are made of adorable swirled meringue kisses. The baby star meringues are my personal favorite. For a summery twist I've incorporated lemon into the meringues, but I'm sticking to the classic combo of raspberries and blueberries. They are classic for a reason.

Julie Resnick, co-founder of feedfeed and I are doing a demo of this Flag Cake on June 7, 2016, 2pm EST. Check out the Facebook Live Video on my FB page, The Judy Lab. We're happy to be back with Driscoll's after the pie demo Julie and I did last year. I'll post the Flag Cake video in this recipe post after it airs. The video will include a piping bag demo for the meringues and frosting. If you're new to baking or using a piping bag, I think you'll love it once you've done it a few times. Don't be afraid to experiment, you can always scoop up the meringue, put it back into the piping bag and start over. Shhhh, no one will ever know. note: highly suggest to make meringues in advance for a chewy center.

note: If you are looking to shortcut this recipe, you can assemble the cake using store bought meringue kisses. Many grocery stores now carry them ready made. The baby stars can be piped out of frosting.

INGREDIENTS

For lemon meringues:

4 egg whites, at room temperature

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup confectioners sugar, sifted

Zest of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon lemon juice

For the lemon chiffon cake:

1/2 pounds (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra to butter the sheet pan

3 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

5 large eggs, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup buttermilk, well shaken

For decoration:

3 packages (6 ounces each or 1 1/3 cups each) packages Driscoll's Raspberries

1 package (6 ounces or 1 1/4 cups) package Driscoll's Blueberries

For the vanilla swiss buttercream:

6 fresh large egg whites, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups confectioners sugar

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup solid vegetable shortening, at room temperature

1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Make the lemon meringue kisses and stars:

  1. Preheat oven to 200°F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper trimmed to fit the inside of the pan. Prepare a large 18-inch piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1M star tip. Place bag upside down in a tall jar or glass and fold piping bag backwards. Set aside.

  2. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a whisk, beat egg whites and salt on medium speed until frothy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add sugar in 2 tablespoon increments on slow speed. Sugar should be incorporated slowly to reduce gritty texture. Scrape side of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Begin to increase speed to medium for 1 to 2 minutes.

  3. Add lemon zest and lemon juice; increase speed to high and beat until firm. Reduce speed and add confectioners sugar in 3 batches. Scrape sides of bowl and beat on high speed for 5 minutes. Batter should be shiny and glossy. Test for doneness by removing whisk and batter should have a long nose like a birds beak.

  4. Remove the piping bag from the jar and hold with one hand; transfer meringue with a rubber spatula. Carefully fold the bag upwards and tie with a rubber icing bag tie or use butchers twine. Twist the bag to create pressure.

  5. Press a small amount of meringue under each corner of parchment paper so it will stick to the sheet pan. This will also remove any excess air before starting to pipe the meringue stars and kisses.

  6. Use a separate sheet pan for kisses and stars as they will have different baking times. Starting with the little stars, place tip vertically down on parchment paper and press for 2 seconds, begin to pull up slowly and reduce hand pressure as you pull up. The star should be approximately the diameter of a large blueberry. Try practicing on a separate piece of parchment paper until you create consistent sizes. The practice stars can be scraped up with a rubber spatula and put back into the piping bag. At minimum make 30 stars, but I suggest to make 45 stars. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove and place on a cooling rack. Center may seem too loose but overnight they will dry to create a chewy center. If there is a problem with consistency or creating a chewy center a common issue is humidity. Baking meringues on dry weather days should ensure success.

  7. To make kisses, pipe the meringue in a 1-inch circle pressing firmly and evenly. Continue to coil around and create a swirl by finishing in the center; decrease pressure as you lift the tip. Piping even sized meringue kisses will make your cake look more uniform and make it easier to cut. Bake minimum of 26 meringues kisses, but suggest to make 40. Finish balance of meringue batter in any shape of your choice. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove and place on cooling rack. Dry overnight on counter.

Note: You can substitute homemade meringues with store bought and use frosting to represent the stars.

Make the lemon chiffon cake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter sheet pan, don't forget to get in the corners.

  2. In a large mixing bowl sift together cake flour (see substitute below), baking powder and baking soda. Mix in salt and set aside.

  3. Separate eggs and put yolks aside in a small bowl. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites until you reach stiff peaks. Transfer egg whites into a separate bowl.

  4. Change mixer to paddle attachment. In a clean bowl cream together butter and sugar until pale yellow. Start mixer at low speed and gradually set on high speed for about 1 to 2 minutes. Add vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice and buttermilk; mix until combined and add egg yolks one at a time until fully incorporated.

  5. Add flour mixture in 2 to 3 batches while mixer is on low speed. Scrape side and bottom of bowl as necessary. Do not overbeat. Turn off mixer and gently fold in egg whites with a large rubber spatula until just barely incorporated; keep as much air in the batter as possible.

  6. Spread batter evenly in the sheet pan. Smooth it out using an off-set spatula. Bake until lightly golden brown, approximately 30 to 35 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting toothpick in center of cake, it should come out clean. Set on rack and cool completely, preferably 3 to 4 hours, minimum 1 hour.

Substitution notes:

Cake flour substitute: 1 cup cake flour = 2 tablespoons cornstarch into 1 cup measuring cup and fill with all-purpose flour, make sure to level flour. 

Buttermilk substitute: Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar into a liquid measuring cup; add enough milk till it reaches 1 cup. Stir and let it sit for 5 minutes. It will thicken and look curdled.

Make the vanilla swiss buttercream:

  1. In a large metal bowl whisk together sugar and egg whites. Set bowl over a pot of boiling water as a double boiler, constantly whisk until the sugar has completely dissolved.

  2. Pour mixture in bowl of electric stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment and whip on high speed until it is thick, shiny and white. The peaks should be very firm. If they are not firm, the frosting will not be as stable.

  3. While the egg whites are whipping, sift confectioners sugar. After you reach stiff peaks, add confections sugar and salt all at once into mixer on very low speed until it is fully incorporated.

  4. Quickly add butter and shortening in 2 to 3 additions. Add vanilla extract.

  5. Switch to paddle attachment and beat on high speed until smooth, approximately 5 minutes. The longer you beat the frosting, the whiter the color will become.

Note: The buttercream can be stored at room temperature for 4 days, up to 2 weeks in refrigerator, 2 months in the freezer.

Assemble the Flag Cake:

  1. Add frosting to center of cake and spread evenly using an off set spatula. Start with half the frosting to determine if you want a light or heavy layer of frosting.

  2. Starting with the bottom of the cake, begin placing 2 rows of raspberries along the bottom edge of the cake. Place a single row of meringue kisses and alternate with double row of raspberries. Top row should end with a double row of raspberries.

  3. Leave room for the blueberry section. Place 10 blueberries across the top left corner and 8 blueberries down vertically. This should be the equivalent of the height of the top 3 rows of raspberries and meringue kisses; horizontally it will match 4 meringue kisses across. If you can make it even, this will just make it easier to cut the cake for serving.

  4. Finish the cake with little meringue stars. Place a small amount of frosting on the backside of the meringue star and place on top of the blueberry section, the frosting will act as a glue. As an alternative, the stars can be made out of frosting using a Wilton 1M tip.

 

Note: If you make the cake in advance, wrap it tightly with plastic after the cake has completely cooled. Fruit can be assembled in advance but suggest to place them on the same day as serving to eliminate the need to refrigerate the entire sheet cake. If you want the meringues to stay crisp and chewy, place them on the cake just before serving as they can begin to absorb moisture from the frosting.

Julie Resnick & Judy Kim @thejudylab show you how to decorate a beautiful flag cake with meringues and fresh Blueberries & Raspberries for your Flag Day & 4th of July celebrations!