Easy As Pie!

Basic Pie Crust (single 9" pie)

1/2 stick chilled butter
1 cup a/p flour (ok to use part whole wheat)
1/2 tsp salt3 Tbsp cold water, milk or buttermilk

Cut together butter and flour and salt using pastry cutter or food processor, until it resembles coarse meal. Add liquid 1 Tbsp
at a time until dough comes together. Do not overwork dough. Form ball, flatten into disk, and wrap in plastic. Chill for about an hour. Or, roll out dough on floured surface and chill formed crust before filling and baking.

The dough can be wrapped well and frozen. It's nice to have on hand for pot pie or quiche as well as a (somewhat) impromptu dessert.

"Impossible Pie"

If you're feeling particularly lazy and don't even want to make pie dough, or drive to the co-op for a ready-made crust, try this nifty recipe from "Southern Pies" by Nancy McDermott. This pie makes its own "crust". A glass pan works best.

1 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup butter, melted 2 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
1/2 cup a/p flour 3 eggs, beaten well
2 cups milk 1 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 350. Lightly grease 9" pan with butter or vegetable oil. In medium bowl, combine sugar and flour, whisking together well. Add milk, butter, eggs and vanilla, and stir to mix everything together evenly and well. Stir in coconut and pour filling into pie pan. Bake on bottom rack until fairly firm throughout, puffed, and golden brown, 35-45 minutes. Cool on rack.

I made this coconut custard pie using coconut oil to grease the pan, and substituting almond extract for the vanilla. I didn't get the golden crust, perhaps because I neglected to use the bottom rack, but the pie was tasty nonetheless, and super-easy. -kp

Many in the local food movement venerate Alice Waters, but before Alice, there was Julia. Julia Child cultivated the American consciousness and planted the seed for the Food Movement we have today. Mastering the Art of French Cooking, her first book, came out in 1961. The French Chef cooking show debuted in 1963. It was Julia’s spirited unstuffy approach to the culinary arts that inspired legions of chefs and home cooks alike. During the decades that brought us Tang, Space Food Sticks, Hamburger Helper and other weird food “products,” Julia was embracing butter, cream and eggs. She taught us to master cooking techniques and to learn the basics, so as not to be enslaved by recipes, but rather to be empowered by them. Learn from your mistakes, she said—be fearless and above all have fun. Happy 100th Birthday Julia—Bon appétit!

Julia’s Basic Vinaigrette
½ Tbsp minced shallot or scallion
½ Tbsp Dijon mustard
¼ tsp salt
½ Tbsp fresh lemon juice
½ Tbsp wine vinegar
1/3 to ½ cup olive oil
Freshly ground pepper

Combine shallots, mustard & salt. Whisk in lemon juice & vinegar. Add oil by droplets while whisking to form smooth emulsion. Beat in pepper. Taste and correct seasoning with salt, pepper, or drops of lemon juice. (Or just shake all ingredients together in a screw-top jar.) Variations: add lemon zest, garlic, herbs, hoison sauce, chutney, blue cheese, chopped bacon. Experiment with different oils or acids. Make it your own! -kp

Crust:
¾ tsp sea salt
½ cup a/p flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup butter (1 stick), chilled
2 Tbsp grated parmesan
2 Tbsp ice water
Filling:
6 oz mozzarella, shredded
3 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
6 small heirloom tomatoes, sliced and patted dry
Salt & pepper
Chopped basil for garnish

Prepare crust by combining dry ingredients and parmesan; cut in butter and process (by machine or with pastry cutter) until texture resembles meal. Blend in ice water. You should now have a ball of dough. Put it in a 9” tart pan and press into bottom and sides. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350. Cover the tart shell with foil or parchment and blind bake, using pie weights, for 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights. Cover crust with mozzarella and sprinkle with basil. Layer tomato slices over cheese, overlapping. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Bake 10-15 minutes longer, until cheese bubbles. Before serving, garnish with remaining basil. Serve warm or room temperature. -kp

One way to use the bounty of herbs in your garden is in compound butter, which is basically butter with other ingredients added. For each stick of (softened) butter, you'll need about 2 Tbsp.chopped fresh herbs. Blend together and shape into a log. (about 1 1/2" thick). Wrap tightly in wax paper and plastic wrap, and chill. You can use thyme, parsley, chives, sage, whatever you like. Try combining herbs, or adding lemon zest, minced garlic, or grated Parmesan. Compound butter will keep frozen for months if well-wrapped. You can just slice some off as you need it. Compound butter made from your back-yard herbs at your Thanksgiving dinner--how special would that be?

A perfect foil to a hot July day!

Chilled Tarragon-Tomato Soup
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
7 Tbsp finely chopped tarragon, divided
8 baguette slices (about 1/2" thick)
4 1/4 cups coarsely chopped plum tomatoes, divided.
1 cup chopped shallots
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbs tomato paste

Whisk together 1/4 cup oil with 4 Tbs tarragon, salt & pepper. Brush over both sides of bread slices. Toast bread in large heavy skillet until crisp, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add tomatoes, garlic, shallots and pepper flakes and tarragon. Saute about 6 minutes until vegetables soften. Add paste and cover; reduce heat and cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and strain into large bowl, pressing to extract as much juice as possible. Discard solids. Season with salt & pepper and chill soup. Serve cold, garnished with the croutons and remaining chopped tomatoes.

Sage Scented Shortbread
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp thinly sliced fresh sage leaves
1 tsp kosher salt
2 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature, cut into pieces)

Combine first four ingredients. Add butter, using pastry cutter to combine until dough resembles coarse crumbs (or use processor and pulse until dough comes together). Divide in half. Shape each piece of dough into a log about 1 1/2" in diameter. Chill about an hour. Preheat oven to 350 and line two baking sheets with parchment. Slice dough into 1/2" thick rounds and place on sheets. Bake 15 minutes, until golden. Cool on racks.

Tarragon Limeade

Make a simple syrup by combining 2 cups of water with 1 1/2 cups of sugar in a saucepan. Add 10 sprigs of tarragon and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to stand for at least 10 minutes before removing tarragon. (Syrup can be stored refrigerated for up to 2 months) In a large pitcher combine 1 1/2 cups lime juice (about 15 limes) with 2 cups of cold water and 1 1/2 cups tarragon syrup. Fill pitcher with ice, and serve with lime wedges and tarragon sprigs.

Ricotta Orzo
½ lb orzo
1 tsp olive oil
1 ¼ cups chopped leeks (rinsed well)
½ cup peas
Salt & pepper
1 cup ricotta
4 strips bacon, cooked & crumbled
½ cup whole milk, warmed
1/3 cup grated parmesan
1 Tbsp chopped dill

Bring a large pot of water to boil Salt the water and add pasta; cook until done, drain and rinse well. Set aside.

Heat oil in large skillet and add leeks, cooking until tender, about 3 minutes. Add peas, ½ tsp salt and about ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Add orzo, ricotta and bacon. Toss well over medium heat, until warmed through. Add milk, cheese, and dill and cook for about 1 minute more. Serves four.

Ok, we are way ahead of local peaches, but there's enough sun in the forecast this week-end to call for a celebration. Make the sangria in the morning, and enjoy it as you watch the sunset (or the thunderstorm).

White Sangria
Combine 750 ml sauvignon blanc
¼ cup elderflower concentrate
3 Tbs sugar
12 large sage leaves
Add two ripe peaches (sliced) and ½ cup raspberries. Chill at least two hours before serving. Serve over ice.

Mint Syrup
2 small bunches of mint
1 cup of sugar

Combine sugar with 2 cups of water in saucepan. Chop the mint once or twice and add to pan. Bring to boil and continue to cook about one minuce, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let stand about 1/2 before straining and discarding mint. Store refrigerated for up to two months. Use for iced tea or lemonade, or in fruit salad.

We'll be posting easy recipes that make use of fresh summer herbs, so check in often as we celebrate Summer! -kp

Sauce Verte
1/3 cup packed basil leaves
1 green onion, chopped
2 Tbsp packed flat parsley
2 Tbsp capers
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 clove of garlic
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

In food processor, blend first 7 ingredients until finely chopped. Gradually add oil with machine running and process until it becomes a coarse puree. Season with salt & pepper. Pour over sautéed vegetables, serve with grilled chicken or fish, or stir into rice, couscous or quinoa.

In recognition of Bulk Week, we thought we'd share the recipe for awesome granola we used to make in the co-op bakery. The smell of it baking would have customers on Cloud 9. Sadly, we are not making it these days, but for those of you that remember it fondly, here's the recipe. Be mindful that this is a large quantity and you may want to halve the recipe if it won't fit on your baking sheets. And be sure to use rimmed sheets. You may have to adjust baking time for your oven. Enjoy!

Hungry Hollow Co-op Granola
4 quarts rolled oats
1 quart coconut
4 cups cashews, chopped
2 cups walnuts, chopped
1 cup flax seeds
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup lt. brown sugar
3 Tbsp vanilla
15 oz melted butter (or coconut oil)
1/2 cup agave (or maple syrup)
4 cups raisins
2 cups dried cranberries

Heat oven to 300.
Combine first 5 ingredients.
Combine next 5 and whisk to combine.
Pour over oat mixture and stir to coat.
Bake on two large sheets, 15 minutes.
Stir, bake 15 minutes longer.
Cool, add fruit.

Basil Lemonade

2 cups packed basil leaves
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
5-6 pieces lemon zest (3" long)

Boil together in saucepan. Let stand at room temperature for an hour, then chill for an hour. Strain, pressing on leaves, and discard solids. Syrup will keep in refrigerator about a week.

For lemonade, add 2 cups syrup to 2 cups water and 1 1/4 cups fresh lemon juice. Stir, add ice, and serve garnished with basil leaves or slices of lemon.

7 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 lb rhubarb, cut into 1" pieces
1 cup a/p flour
1 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp molasses

Melt butter in 10" ovenproof skillet. Remove and reserve 4 Tbsp melted butter. Add brown sugar, stirring to dissolve. Add rhubarb and cook at moderately high, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes
Combine remaining dry ingredients in bowl.
Whisk together eggs, buttermilk, molasses, and remaining butter.
Add wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined. Pour over rhubarb in skillet, spreading into even layer.
Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes (until cake tester comes out clean).
Place a serving platter over pan and quickly invert. If some rhubarb sticks to the pan, just scrape it out and spoon onto cake.
Serve warm or room temperature, with ice cream or a dusting of powdered sugar.

1 stick of butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
2/3 cup creamy almond butter
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup sliced almond
1 cup dries cherries, sliced
3 cups oatmeal
1/2 tsp salt

Combine butter and brown sugar; add honey, nut butter and vanilla. Mix well and add dried fruit and almonds, followed by oatmeal. Bake in a lightly buttered 9x13 pan at 350 for about 15-18 minutes. (It will be soft, but will firm up when cool.) Cut into small bars or squares. Wrap individually or put in plastic bag. Store in refrigerator. Senor Energia loves these! -kp

Fluffy Chocolate Chip Scones

2 cups a/p flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ cup sugar
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips (better yet--chop up a 3-4 oz bar of your favorite dark chocolate)
1 ¼ - 1 1/3 cup whipping cream
2 Tbsp sweet butter, melted
1 Tbsp sugar
Preheat oven to 425.

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and add chocolate chips.
Stir in cream with fork until dough holds together (will be sticky) If necessary, add 1 or 2 tablespoons more cream.
Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead several times. Pat into 9” round. Cut into 8 wedges.
Place on parchment-lined cookie sheet, 2” apart.
Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden. Best on day made. Can be frozen. (Heat 15-20 minutes at 350.)
Serve with raspberry butter and/or fresh raspberries! -kp

Here’s a nice treat for a winter day. Judging by the volume Cascadian Farm frozen berries sold whenever they go on sale, many of you probably already have everything you need to make this. -kp

2 cups frozen blueberries
4-5 cups frozen raspberries
½ cup sugar
Zest of an orange (or lemon)
2 Tbsp flour

3 cups old-fashioned oats
½ cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
Zest of an orange (or lemon)
2 sticks sweet butter

Preheat oven to 400. In large bowl, combine ingredients from oats through zest. Cut butter into small pieces and add, squeezing with fingers to incorporate into dry mixture until crumbly.

Combine sugar, zest and flour; spoon over berries and gently toss together. Place in 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Scatter oat mixture over the berries and transfer to oven to bake for about 35 minutes, until topping is browned and fruit is bubbling.

Mini Meatballs for Superbowl Sunday

1# ground beef
1 egg
1/3 cup broth
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
1 tsp salt

Combine well and form into 1" balls (I used a small melon-baller). Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil or lard in a skillet, and add the meatballs in batches (do not overcrowd) Roll them around a bit while cooking, to make sure they are done on all sides and cooked through; cook about 7 or 8 minutes. Serve with sauce.

Combine 1/4 cup Sriracha hot sauce with 1/4 cup peach preserves. Blend well. Add more hot sauce if you like. -kp

Superbowl XLV is this Sunday. I am not much of a sports fan, especially football, but I do usually watch the Superbowl; I like the commercials, I like beer, and I like snacks. I look forward to someday watching the Jets play in the Superbowl--maybe in 2014 when the Superbowl comes to Giants Stadium in NJ! Anyway, if you're hosting a party this Sunday, what are you serving? Here's a link to a chili recipe on Obama Foodarama, where you can follow White House Food Initiatives and other Bipartisan Bytes of Food Politics. Serve Obama-style, with lots of hot sauce. (I'd love to sit down with him and tell him what I think about GE alfalfa, and see which of us uses more hot sauce!) -kp

After a day like this, how about some delicious easy mac & cheese for dinner? Here's what I made last night: I bought a piece of Woodcock Farm's West Wind Cheese, a little over a half pound, but a good sharp cheddar would be fine.

8 oz elbow macaroni
8-12 oz cheese, shredded
1 can evaporated milk
2 eggs
butter
mustard powder, hot sauce, salt

Cook pasta; drain, return to pot, and toss with about 4 Tbsp butter. Whisk eggs into milk. Add about 1 tsp mustard powder, a tsp of salt, and a splash (or two or three) of hot sauce. Combine well and pour over pasta; add cheese. Stir over low heat until cheese is melted and sauce is thick, about 5 minutes. You could stick it under the broiler for a minute if you like the top browned, or top with some toasted bread crumbs, and more hot sauce. Yum! -KP

There are, apparently, two kinds of people--those who buy pies, and those who make pies.

If you a pie-buying type, the Hungry Hollow Co-op will have Chef Anthony LoPinto's organic pumpkin pies for sale next week.

If you are a pie-making type, let me suggest trying Evan's Farm Creamery Butter for your crust. This butter makes the flakiest crust ever. Try freezing your butter, and just grating it into the flour mixture. You'll only have to work it a little with your pastry blender, and it stays nice and cold. Don't add too much ice-water to the dough; just enough to hold together. Handle the dough as little as possible. Pat it into a disk, wrap, and into the refrigerator to chill and rest for at least an hour before baking.

Persimmon Bundt Cake

4 large ripe persimmons
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 ¾ cups sugar
8 oz unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups a/p flour
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp clove
¾ cup chopped walnuts
¾ cup dried currants

Oven temperature 350.

Butter and flour 10” bundt pan (12 cup capacity).

Peel persimmons. Press pulp through coarse mesh sieve. Measure 1 1/3 cups persimmon puree into small bowl and mix in baking soda.

Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until blended. Add eggs one by one, beating well between additions. Beat in vanilla. Sift flour with spices and add to butter mixture, blending well with a spatula. Mix in puree, nuts and currants. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake about 55 minutes (until inserted tester comes out clean). Cool in pan 5 minutes, then turn onto rack to cool completely. Before serving, sift powdered sugar over cake.
-kp

Heirloom Tomato Tart

Crust:
¾ tsp sea salt
½ cup a/p flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup butter (1 stick), chilled
2 Tbsp grated parmesan
2 Tbsp ice water

6 oz mozzarella, shredded
3 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
6 small heirloom tomatoes, sliced and patted dry
Salt & pepper
Chopped basil for garnish

Prepare crust by combining dry ingredients and parmesan; cut in butter and process (by machine or with pastry cutter) until texture resembles meal. Blend in ice water. You should now have a ball of dough. Put it in a 9” tart pan and press into bottom and sides. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350. Cover the tart shell with foil or parchment and blind bake, using pie weights, for 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights. Cover crust with mozzarella and sprinkle with basil. Layer tomato slices over cheese, overlapping. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Bake 10-15 minutes longer, until cheese bubbles. Before serving, garnish with remaining basil. Serve warm or room temperature.


Summer Risotto

5 cups meat broth, preferably homemade
4 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 ½ # ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cut into ½ “ pieces
Salt & pepper
1 ½ cups Arborio rice (10 oz)
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
10 basil leaves, cut into thin strips

Bring the broth to a boil in a saucepan and keep at a low simmer.

In a heavy, large saucepan, combine 2 Tbsp butter with onion and oil. Cook over medium heat until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes and salt & pepper, and cook for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add rice and coat grains by stirring together well. Add a half cup of broth to start, stirring until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding broth, ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly to keep rice from sticking, until absorbed. The rice is done when it is firm but tender.

Add remaining 2 Tbsp butter, cheese, and basil, and stir together a little longer. Season with salt & pepper.
Serve right away with a nice crisp Pinot Grigio.


Frozen Tomato Puree

Makes 6 cups

10 pounds tomatoes

Prepare ice water bath. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Drop tomatoes into boiling water, a few at a time, and blanch for 1 minute. Scoop the tomatoes out of the water with a slotted spoon and plunge into ice water. Continue blanching tomatoes in batches. Remove from ice bath and drain. Core and peel the tomatoes.

Crush one quarter of the tomatoes into a large nonreactive stockpot. Cut the remaining tomatoes in half and add to pot. Heat over medium heat until boiling, then reduce to simmer. Cook until tomatoes begin to break down (15-20 minutes) and puree with stick blender. Be very careful when blending hot food.

Lower heat and continue to simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool; ladle puree into large baking dish and cool completely in refrigerator.

Transfer cold puree into pint jars or freezer bags (¾ full to allow for expansion). Freeze for up to 6 months.


Sangria!!

1 bottle of merlot, chilled.  (Do not waste your money on an expensive bottle--any old merlot will do just fine)
1 orange and 1 lemon, sliced
juice of 1 orange
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brandy or triple sec

In a glass pitcher, mash together the sliced fruit with the sugar, using a wooden spoon.  Stir in the remaining ingredients and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Give it a stir and serve over ice.  Enjoy!  This is the best sangria recipe I've tried, straight up delicious and refreshing. -kp

This Thursday we are getting NJ peaches and raspberries!! Here's an easy home-made jam recipe. Think--delicious jam on your english muffin this January, after you've been out there shoveling snow. -kp


Sunshine Jam

I’ve been making jam this way since I found this recipe in a now-defunct magazine called Kitchen Garden back in 1996. You use solar power to get it started!

For 4 cups of jam:

8 cups of fruit
4 cups of sugar
1 lemon, halved

Use fresh fruit if possible, not fruit that’s been picked half-ripe and spent lots of time in refrigeration. If using berries, pick over to remove debris. Otherwise, just wash & slice your fruit, measure into a large bowl, and add ½ cup sugar for each cup of fruit. Add cut lemon, and cover with plastic wrap; set out into the sun for 5 or 6 hours (I’ve left it out much longer). At the end of the sunbath, you have a warm mixture you can put directly on the stovetop at high heat. (24 hours in the refrigerator will give you similar results, except the cold mixture will require more time on the stovetop.)

Cook in a large pot. Stainless steel, copper, or enameled cast iron are good; avoid aluminum or iron pots.
Never fill your pot more than halfway; at a rolling boil, the mixture can increase dramatically in volume.
Cook, stirring constantly and skimming foam. Cooking time depends on water content of fruit, and how thick you like your jam. Jam will thicken as it cools, so take care not to cook it until it’s thick while hot.

I usually keep a few spoons in the freezer, and test jam for doneness by dropping some on a chilled spoon. As the sample cools, it thickens and I know whether or not it needs a little more time.

The jam will keep for a few weeks in the refrigerator, or you can process it in a hot water bath if you want to store it for a longer time.

Bacon and Egg Pie

½ # thick sliced bacon
¼ # small mushrooms, chopped
1 small bell pepper diced
3 oz soft goat cheese
½ cup parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
5 large eggs
1 ½ cup heavy cream
Salt & pepper
Butter (for pie pan)

Heat oven to 325. Butter 10” glass pie dish. Cook bacon in skillet until crisp. Remove. Retain 2 Tbsp bacon fat in skillet; add mushrooms and sauté about 4 minutes. Remove from skillet and spread in pie dish. Crumble bacon over mushrooms; sprinkle pepper, cheese and thyme over bacon. Beat together eggs and cream; season with salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over ingredients in pie dish. Bake until set and golden brown, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes before serving.


Green Beans and Arugula

1 ½ # green beans
2 Tbsp butter
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced lengthwise
½ # arugula, stems removed and leaves chopped
1 tsp lemon zest
Salt & pepper

Cook beans in alted water until tender, about 6 minutes. Drain.

Saute garlic in butter, taking care not to burn, about a minute. Add beans, arugula, and zest; season with salt and pepper and cook together about two minutes, until arugula is wilted.

We're getting toward the end of rhubarb and fiddlehead season, so here are a couple of recipes to try before it's too late. -KP

Rhubarb-Pecan Oatmeal Bars (yes, these are the ones that were a such big hit at the Members’ Meeting)

1 1/2 cups unsifted a/p flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup packed lt. brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
2 cups rhubarb sauce (recipe follows)
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Butter 13 x 9 baking pan. Heat oven to 375.
Combine dry ingredients (flour through salt) in bowl. Add butter and work in with pastry cutter or fork until mixture resembles course crumbs. Press two-thirds of mixture into bottom of pan. Spread sauce evenly over bottom layer. Add pecans to remaining mixture, and crumble over filling.
Bake until top is golden, 25-30 minutes. Cool and store in airtight container.

Rhubarb Sauce (makes about 3 1/2 cups)

2# rhubarb (trimmed, tops removed) cut into 1" pieces
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
1 tsp orange zest
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

Combine ingredients in 4-qt saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce to low and simmer until thickened, at least 15 minutes. Cool and refrigerate until ready to use. Delicious on strawberry ice cream!

Fiddleheads

Trim ends and remove papery brown residue. Clean by immersing in cold water (to which salt and lemon juice may be added) and swishing them around. Drain. Steam over boiling water for 4-5 minutes, and finish cooking in skillet with melted butter for another minute or two. Season to taste.

Fiddleheads are good in pasta dishes and great with steak. To make a nice light lemony dressing for them, combine 1/2 cup plain yogurt with 1/2 cup mayo; whisk together with 3 tsp dijon and 1 Tbsp or more of lemon juice. If you like, add 3 Tbsp finely chopped ramp greens or chopped fresh herbs.