Peach Buttermilk Cake

From thebakerupstairs.com

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 cup plus two tablespoons sugar, separated
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 peaches, peeled and pitted, sliced into thin slices

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 or 10 inch cake pan (I used a springform pan). Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter and one cup of sugar until creamy. Stir in egg, buttermilk, and vanilla until combined. Gently mix in flour mixture until just combined. Spread batter in prepared cake pan. Arrange peaches on top of cake batter, and sprinkle with remaining two tablespoons of sugar. Bake 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 325 and bake for another 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Cut into wedges and serve with fresh whipped cream.

Mexican Street Corn Salad

Adapted from Our Best Bites

5 ears fresh corn, about 4 cups corn
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons mayo
2 tablespoons sour cream (or yogurt)
zest from 1 lime
juice from 1 large lime (about 2 tablespoons), more if desired
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
kosher salt to taste
3/4 cup crumbled Mexican cheese like queso fresco or Cotija (or feta)

Cut corn from cobs. Heat an extra large skillet to medium heat and add butter or oil. Cook corn, tossing occasionally, until toasted and slightly brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove from heat.

Combine mayo, sour cream, lime zest and juice, chili powder, smoked paprika and pepper. Toss to combine and then gently stir in cheese. Taste and then add kosher salt to taste. Optional: Add additional lime juice to taste.

This salad can be served warm, or chilled and served cold. If served cold, I find it usually needs an extra squeeze of lime juice right before serving.

Cherry-Chocolate Scones with Cherry Glaze

Adapted from David Lebovitz and How Sweet Eats

Scones

1 large egg
1/2 cup (115 ml) cream, whole, or low-fat milk
1 1/3 cup (170 g) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (45 g) buckwheat flour
1/3 cup (45 g) cornmeal
1/3 cup (65 g) sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into cubes
1 cup (140 g) chopped dark chocolate
1/2 cup (60 g) coarsely-chopped dried cherries

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg with the milk or cream. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, buckwheat flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry cutter, work the cold butter into the flour mixture until the pieces are about the size of corn kernels. 

Add the egg mixture, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the dough is moistened (but not fully mixed), then stir in the chocolate and cherry chunks.


On a lightly-floured surface (I used the cutting board that I used to chop the chocolate and cherries), pat the dough into an 8-inch round. Use a floured knife to cut the dough into eight wedges, setting each one on the baking sheet with a bit of space.

Bake the scones for 20- 25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Cool on a rack until warm, then glaze with the following (putting the baking sheet underneath to catch the drips).


Glaze

1 cup fresh cherries, pitted and halved
2 teaspoons water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar

Add cherries and water to the bowl of a food processor, blending until as smooth as possible. Put puree into a large bowl, then add vanilla extract and powdered sugar. The amount of sugar you need to add is highly dependent on how juicy your cherries are. Ideally, you want a runny glaze. If the glaze seems TOO runny, add more sugar, whisking continuously until smooth. If it seems too thick, add in more water one tiny drop at a time, whisking constantly. Drizzle on top of scones while warm, and grate additional chocolate on top if desired.

Refried Beans (Pressure-Cooker)

Adapted from SeriousEats.com

1/4 cup grapeseed or olive oil
1 medium white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound dried black beans, thoroughly washed and picked over for stray material (scale down the recipe if your cooker can't handle that quantity)

8 cups water
Salt to taste


Add oil to the pressure cooker pot, and, without the lid, turn on the cooker's sauté function. After a minute or two, add the onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, sautéing occasionally. Don't add any salt at this point, as it could toughen the bean skins.

Add the beans and water. Stir. Cover and seal the pot and cook on high for 35 minutes. Turn off and allow the pressure to release naturally.

Carefully remove the cover. Drain the liquid from the beans with the colander over a bowl to save the liquid. Return the beans to the pot. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the beans and 1 cup of the reserved liquid. Using an immersion blender, puree them thoroughly. If they need more liquid, add 1/4 cup at a time until you reach the desired texture. Taste and adjust the salt.