Korean BBQ: Marinated short ribs in lettuce leaves

When I was a kid, my dad worked in downtown New York City, so trips to Chinatown were frequent treats. We'd ride the train in with mom, visit the South Street Seaport, and head to Chinatown for supper. We were exposed to lots of different Chinese food, but it wasn't until colelge that I became familiar with other Asian cuisines. My sophomore and junior years, I had a Vietnamese roommate who introduced me to the food she'd grown up on. Then senior year I had a Korean roommate. It was Julie who first introduced me to Korean barbecue and such things as kimchee. After college, we often met in New York for trips to Kum Gang San, one of our favorite spots in Koreatown.

Our trips to New York have become less frequent, but my love of Korean food has not. I've only tried making Korean once before and it was a debacle. I attempted kimchee - in Jeff's apartment building in Jersey City. We still laugh about how terrible if turned out and how awful the cabbage and vinegar smelled. It was quite possibly the worst meal I've ever cooked.



So naturally I had some hesitations about trying to make Korean food again. But I happened to catch an episode of Grill It with Bobby Flay and he and a Korean friend visited Kum Gang San and then made homemade Kalbi (Korean short ribs) and a delicious looking cucumber salad. I had to try it... and you should too. These make a wonderful spring or summer dinner - serve them with steamed rice in lettuce wraps for a fresh dinner. I also served the cucumber salad on the side along with some store-bought kimchi (I have not yet receoved from the last fiasco).

Jeff's verdict was that he'd definitely have it again. He said he might even request it for his birthday. But we both agreed the meat would've been more flavorful had we sliced the beef before marinating it. so I've modified the recipe accordingly.



Note: Boneless short ribs can be hard to find - I found these beauties at Whole Foods. Most of the other ingredients can be found at an Asian market or your local supermarket.

Korean Barbecued Short Ribs (Kalbi)
adapted from foodnetwork.com

Marinade:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 Korean pear or Asian pear, grated with juices
3 cloves finely chopped garlic
1/2 small white onion, grated or thinly sliced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 (12-ounce) can lemon-lime soda (Sprite or 7-Up)

2 pounds boneless short ribs
Cooked white rice, for serving
12-16 large Romaine lettuce leaves, washed and dried
Gochuchang paste
Toasted seasme seeds (optional)

Cut the short ribs against the grain into slices about 1/4 inch thick.
Whisk together all the marinade ingredients in a large baking dish.



Add the ribs and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight; it is best if marinated overnight.

Heat grill to high. Remove short ribs from marinade and grill short ribs until slightly charred and tender and cooked to desired degree of doneness. Serve short ribs in lettuce leaves with rice, gochuchang paste, and sesame seeds.

Serves 4.

Korean Cucumber Salad (Oi Moochim)
adapted from foodnetwork.com



1/2 cup distilled vinegar or rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
4 teaspoons seasoned gochuchang paste, or more to taste, recipe follows (I used about 6!)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
4 Korean or kirby cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 small white onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted



Whisk together the vinegar, soy, sugar, gochuchang, and sesame oil in a large bowl. Add the cucumber and onion and stir until combined. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and let marinate at least 1 hour before eating.

Seasoned Gochuchang Paste (seasoned red pepper paste):



4 tablespoons gochuchang (available at Korean grocers)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well.
Gochuchang (GOH-choo-jang) paste: spicy red pepper paste sold either in glass jars or plastic containers that can be purchased at any Korean or Asian food market.

Super moist carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

We always spend some time during the holidays with my husband's family in Canada. Inevitably, my mother-in-law cooks up a storm and the menu always features my husband's favorite dishes. My absolute favorite is her carrot cake. This cake is moist, packed with flavor, and just perfect. Nuts and rasins give it texture. I like to think it's healthy - after all it has whole what flour, carrots and pineapple!

I like to let this cake sit at least overnight before serving. It just tastes better after a day or so - the flavor of the pineapple melds with the flour and cinnamon into that unique yumminess that is carrot cake. If you need a make-ahead dessert, give this recipe a shot.



Carrot Cake

For the cake:
3 eggs
¾ cup buttermilk
¾ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
1 cup raisins

For the frosting:
1 lb. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (8 Tbsp.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 tsp. vanilla
About 3/4 lb. powdered sugar



Make the cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 9-inch baking pans.

In medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, oil, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour mixture and mix well.

In a medium bowl, combine carrots, coconut, walnuts, pineapple and raisins. Using a large wooden spoon or a very heavy whisk, add carrot mixture to batter and fold in well. Pour into pans and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool in pans for about 10 minutes, then turn the cakes onto racks to cool completely.

Make the frosting:
Beat together the cream cheese. butter and vanilla. Add powdered sugar gradually to desired thickness and sweetness

Greek potato salad with octopus

The third of 4 Greek recipes may not suit every reader, but read on - even without the octopus, this would be a great salad. I had actually chosen another salad for the dinner (which we'll save for the future), but my plans changed when I showed Jeff the recipes I was planning. You see, Vefa's Kitchen has throughout it spreads with photos of the recipes. The image opposite the salad I'd chosen was this one. Jeff pointed at it and said it would look more interesting on my blog (which means it would also taste better in his stomach). I scanned the ingredient list and the only challenge would be the star of the show: baby octopus. But we already had plans to head to Whole Foods the next morning so I said we'd check. As this proves, Whole Foods did indeed have fresh cleaned baby octopus.

It's a great recipe - bold flavors, a nice combination of textures, not too heavy, but a substantial first course. If the octopus scare you off, try the salad without or use some broiled shrimp instead.



Potato salad with octopus
adapted from Vefa's Kitchen

1/2 lb. baby octopus, cleaned
2 yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed
1/2 ripe avocado
2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 small bunch baby arugula
1 scallion, thinly sliced
Sea salt

For the marinade:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 Tbsp. fresh squezzed lemon juice
1 red chile, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced

For the tomato dressing:
1 ripe vine tomato, cubed
1 Tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
2 tsp. minced red onion
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Rinse the octopuses and cut them in half (unless they are very small). In a bowl, whisk the marinade ingredients then add the octopus. Mix to coat; cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.



Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 15-20 minutes, until tender. Drain and let cool slightly, then cut into bite-sized pieces.

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and season to taste with pepper.

Preheat the broiler. Drain the octopuses and broil them on a baking sheet until the legs curl and the bodies are cooke through, turning them once or twice. It should take about 5 minutes.

While the octopuses cook, arrange the arugula on a platter, place the potatoes over the top. Then cut the avocado into bite-sized pieces and arrange among the potatoes. Drizzle with the lemon juice. Sprinkle the sscallions over the salad.

Remove the octopuses from the oven and arrange them over the top of the salad. Spoon the dressing over the platter and then sprinkle with a bit of coarse sea salt. Serve immediately.

Serves 2-4.

Fried Olive Bread

Greek food always takes me back to Santorini, Crete and our honeymoon. In the summer, I love to have Greek yogurt with honey for breakfast - I sit out on the deck, and while the view is nothing like that on the Caldera, I get a reminder of the beauty of those islands. The weather's not ready for that yet, so I made 4 Greek dishes for dinner on Sunday. This recipe is the first of them. Check back over the next week for the rest of the meal, and then give them a try at home for your own little Greek getaway.

This was the last piece of the meal I chose. I NEVER make bread. Ladyberd confession: yeast is my nemesis. Perhaps because my mom never made bread, perhaps because I've never really tried, or (my favorite excuse) it's just too cold in my kitchen for the dough to rise properly. (I'm sure that's it - it couldn't be something I'm doing!)

But as I flipped through my Greek cooking bible: Vefa's Kitchen, I stumbled across a picture of Fried Olive Bread from Cyprus. Little pieces of bread stuffed with Kalamata olives. Yes, please! As I watched my dough, I was a little nervous about how they'd turn out, but they were great - they cook up quickly and rapid rise yeast made it a quick and painless process. The measurements below are half the original. It made about 12 pieces - enough for 4 people with a meal or two if you're serving it as an appetizer.

And an extra-yummy hint: dip them in a little tzatziki. Mmmmmm.



Fried Olive Bread from Cyprus
adapted from Vefa's Kitchen

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1/4 Tbsp. rapid rise yeast
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. Olive oil, plus more for frying
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

Sift the flour into a bowl, then stir in the yeast. Make a well in the middle and pour in the honey, oil and water. Incorporate the dry ingredients and knead to a soft pliable dough, adding more flour if necessary (I didn't add anymore).

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about an hour until doubled in volume. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle the olives over it, leaving a bit or a border around the outside. Roll up tightly.

Using a floured knife, cut the roll crosswise into 1/2 inch thick pieces. Flatten each piece with a rolling pin to about 1/4 inch thick. Let rise about 15 minutes.



Coat the bottom of a heavy skillet or frying pan with olive oil (you want a thick coating, but not too deep). Heat over medium heat. Working in batches, add the bread slices and cook for a few minutes on each side until golden brown. (You can also bake them for about 15 minutes at 350F - I fried them, so not sure how the result would differ). Remove from pan and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Serve immediately.

Little Italy Relish: Quick pick-me-up for grilled steak

One of the simplest dinners is grilled steak. It's quick and easy, but with a little extra effort it can seem like an elegant dinner. Paired with a nice side dish, a classic caesar salad, and some good red wine, it was a perfect Saturday night dinner. To add a little more flavor and flare to the meal, I made a fresh batch of Little Italy Relish. It's a no-cook relish that comes together as fast as you can chop the ingredients. Olives, roasted red peppers, and more combine to bring a unique flavor to a simple steak dinner. Served at room temperature, the heat from the steaks brings out even more flavor.

I made more than enough for the two of us. I wanted leftovers! This relish will be great on roast beef sandwiches or even better on a hot steak sandwich with melted provolone on garlic bread. It'd also be delicious as a topping for a salad with grilled chicken. Or simply put a scoop of it on a piece of crusty bread like Jeff did after dinner!



Little Italy Relish
Adapted from Weber Real Grilling

1 roasted red bell pepper, diced
1/2 medium ripe tomato, diced
1/2 cup pitted green olives, diced
1/2 cup pitted black olives, diced (I used Calamata)
1 stalk celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 Tbsp. good quality extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and set aside at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving. If making a day ahead, refrigerate overnight and let come to room tempterature before serving.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups. Serve over your favorite cut of grilled steaks.

Recipe from a friend: Artichoke Pie

Last week, I ended up having numerous work functions for people who were leaving the business or retiring. All of them centered around food (of course!) One of the best things about it was seeing friends and co-workers I don't see everyday. I got a chance to catch up with my friend Patty; she's a fellow foodie so we always have plenty to talk about. When I first moved, Patty told me about local restaurants, grocery stores, bake shops and more. Lately, we share stories about the dishes we make. It was during one of those conversations last week that she mentioned her Artichoke Pie.

The recipe is simple, especially if you use store-bought pie crust. It's kind of like a quiche, but without the cream. I made it fresh this morning (a benefit of rising at 6 a.m.) and had a slice for lunch. I'll be nibbling more of it later in the week, maybe with a side salad - I'm thinking baby spinach with a little fresh squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

I modified the original recipe slightly. I added the sauteed shallot and a pinch of cayenne. I may have also been a little liberal when measuring the Romano cheese! This is a great dish for brunch or lunch. It'd reheat superbly for a buffet. I also think it could easily be modified. Next time, I might try feta or Paremsan cheese just for a little change. You could also add a little chopped ham or bacon to bring in another layer of flavor... the possibilities are endless.

Artichoke Pie

• 1 shallot, diced
• 2 cans of artichoke hearts in water (or 10 oz frozen artichoke hearts – thawed), quartered
• 1 minced garlic clove or ¼ tsp garlic powder
• 3 eggs lightly beaten
• ¼ cup grated Italian cheese (Locatelli or Pecorino)
• 8 oz shredded whole milk mozzarella
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Pinch of cayenne (optional)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 9 inch Pie Crust (store bought or homemade)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 9" pie plate with crust.
Saute the shallot and artichoke hearts in 2 tbsp olive oil for about 5-6 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly.



Combine remaining ingredients in bowl and add sautéed artichokes.

Spread evenly into 9” pie crust. Bake for about 1 hour, until golden brown on top.

The Ultimate Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce

There seem to be as many variations of vodka sauce as there are Italian restaurants. Some are smooth; others have chunks of tomatoes. Some add peas and prociutto; others add sausage; still others add chicken or shrimp. The same goes for vodka sauce recipes, making it hard to choose one.



Find an updated version of my favorite vodka sauce on my new blog, white plate blank slate.

With more than 100 cookbooks in my collection, I like to "consult my friends" when choosing a recipe for something with a lot of variations. By "consult my friends", I mean that I check with Mario, Giada, Jamie, Ina, etc. I pull out a pile of cookbooks and compare the recipes. The result is inevitably something of my own making, combining the elements of each that I like. Thus the approach that led me to the ultimate vodka sauce...

This one has everything my husband and I love. It's rich and creamy, but has a definite tomato taste, with little bits of tomato throughout. Jeff likes meat, so it has sausage AND prosciutto. I like the color and texture peas add, so you'll find those in there, too. Try this sauce, but make it your own. Prefer chicken? Brown some chunks of chicken instead of the sausage. Like it smooth, use crushed or pureed tomatoes. Just don't forget the cheese...



Another thing that makes this the ultimate rigatoni with vodka sauce is homemade rigatoni. Flour, eggs, semolina and a little water turn into delicious fresh pasta using my new toy: the Kitchenaid Pasta attachment for my stand mixer. It takes 30 minutes start to finish and it's worth every second - but purely optionsal. The sauce rocks even without homemade pasta.

Now, onto the recipe for my ultimate rigatoni with vodka sauce... buon appetito (from this Irish girl!)

Vodka Sauce

serves 4
4 thin slices prosciutto, chopped
4 Sweet Italian sausages
2 Tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
pinch of Italian seasoning (or oregano if you don't have Italian seasoning)
1 can diced tomatoes in juice
1/2 cup vodka (cheap stuff is fine here, save the Grey Goose for martinis!)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup lowfat milk
2 Tbsp. tomato paste (or more to taste)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to sprinkle on top
1/3 cup frozen peas, thawed




Heat a medium nonstick frying pan over medium high heat. Cook the prosciutto until just starting to brown around the edges. Transfer to a plate. In the same pan, squeeze the sausage out of the casing into the pan in bite-sized chunks. Discard the casings. Cook the sausage until browned on all sides and cooked through. Drain on a paper towel.

In a large skillet over meidum-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and saute until the onion is translucent. Do not brown. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and continue cooking for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes with their juice and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the vodka and simmer 5 minutes. Add the cream, milk, Paremsan cheese, and tomato paste. Stir until the tomato paste is absorbed into the sauce. If the sauce is too light, add more tomato paste. Stir in the prosciutto and cook until the sauce thickens slightly.



Stir in the sausage and peas and cook until heated through. Note: As this cooks, it gets thicker. If it gets too thick, stir in a tablespoon or two of the pasta water to get the desired consistency. Season to taste - with the cheese, prosciutto and sausage you likely won't need salt. But I like to add some fresh black pepper.

Serve tossed with homemade rigatoni (below) or your favorite pasta. Top with extra grated Parmesan cheese.



Homemade rigatoni (optional, of course, but yummy!)
Recipe based on the one from the Kitchenaid pasta press instruction book

3 large eggs
2 Tbsp. water
2 3/4 cups sifted all purpose flour OR 2 1/4 cups sifted all purpose flour PLUS 1/2 cup semolina
pinch of salt

Break the eggs into a glass measuring cup. If the total amount is less than 3/4 cup, add a little water to get to that amount.

To measure the flour, sift the flour first, then measure 2 3/4 cups - this is to ensure the right consistency.

Put the flour, salt and semolina (if using) in the bowl of the stand mixer. Attach the flat beater. Turn to speed 2 and gradually add the eggs and 2 Tbsp. water. Mix 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and exchange the beater with the dough hook. Knead on speed 2 for 2 minutes. Remove dough from bowl and knead by hand for 1 minute.

Pass walnut sized pieces of dought though the pasta press using the rigatoni attachment.

Cook in boiling water 4-5 minutes or until cooked through.

Best. Brownies. Ever.

Two words: Thomas Keller. For those familiar with the man who's arguably the greatest chef in America, it should come as no surprise that I've titled this post as I have. For those unfamiliar with him, consider these brownies a tasty introduction. Rich, fudgy, and simply divine, I'll never make another brownie recipe again. 

This recipe appears in Chef Keller's latest cookbook: Ad Hoc at Home. I was fortunate enough to meet the chef at a book signing in November; he's friendly and encouraging to cooks of all skill levels. If you're intimidated by The French Laundry, check out this book. This recipe alone is worth it.

A couple of notes on the recipe: I used a glass pan and I dusted it with cocoa instead of flour to avoid any white on the outside of my brownies. (And really, why not add more cocoa?) I also had to bake them quite a bit longer than 45 minutes so have your cake tester ready. Finally, alkalized cocoa may sound unusual, but I was happy to find that the cocoa I had in my pantry from Penzey's was alkalized. So check your label. Finally, I didn't have 61% to 64% chocolate on hand so I use 3 ounces 67% and 3 ounces semi-sweet.

Now quit reading and make these brownies. (Get a glass of cold milk ready, too.)

Brownies
from Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup alkalized cocoa powder
1 tsp. Kosher salt
3/4 pound unsalted butter, cut into 1 Tbsp pieces
3 large eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla paste or extract
6 ounces 61% to 64% chocolate, chopped into chip-sized pieces
Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 9-inch baking pan (Chef Keller recommends silicone, but glass or metal will work fine.) Set aside.

Sift together flour, cocoa powder and salt; set aside.

Melt half the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Put the remaining butter in a medium bowl. Pour the melted butter over the bowl of butter and stir to melt the butter. The butter should look creamy, with small bits of unmelted butter, and be at room temperature.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, mix together the eggs and sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until thick and very pale. Mix in the vanilla. On low speed, add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients, then 1/3 of the butter, and continue alternating the remaining flour and butter. Add the chocolate and mix to combine. (The batter can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)

Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a cake tester or wooden skewer poked into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. If the pick comes out wet, test a second time, because you may have hit a chocolate chip: then bake for a few minutes longer if necessary. Cool in the pan until the brownies are just a bit warmer than room temperature.

Run a knife around the edges if not using a silicone mold and invert onto a cutting board. Cut into 12 rectangles. Dust the top with powdered sugar just before serving.

Now that's a salad: Bacon-wrapped cippolini with goat cheese

For some reason, I've been on a kick where I like to make fancy salads. Maybe it's all the fresh vegetables at the farmer's market or maybe it's that I've found a bunch of recipes that catch my eye. Whatever the reason, my husband has been loving them which is quite startling given his usual hum-ho attitude toward salad! Of course bacon always helps.

This salad is based on a recipe in Michel Richard's Happy in the Kitchen. I love roasted onions and bacon so I thought this would be a great addition to a simple dinner of mushroom risotto with sauteed veal.

Salad of butter lettuce with bacon-wrapped cippolini and goat cheese

• 1 head butter lettuce
• 8 cippolini onions, end trimmed and peeled
• 4 slices of bacon
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 slices from a log of goat cheese (about 1 oz. each)

Preheat oven to 400.

Heat oil in an ovenproof pan. Add the onions and saute until golden brown on each side. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, wrap each in half a slice of bacon then place in the pan seam side down. Sprinkle with a little salt and freshly ground pepper. Then sprinkle the thyme over the onions.

Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. The turn on the broiler to crisp the bacon. Remove from oven. Set the bacon-wrapped onions on a plate. Set the pan over medium heat and whisk in the soy sauce and vinegar. (You can get rid of a little of the bacon fat if there's too much in the pan). Bring to a boil then reduce until slightly thickened. Strain.

Arrange lettuce on plates. Place 4 onions on each then drizzle with the dressing. Place the goat cheese in the center and serve immediately.

Serves 2

Summery lemon cakes with grilled pluots

Last Saturday, the farmer's market once again led me to try something new. Pluots look like plums, but are hybrids of plums and apricots. Sweet and juicy, they have greenish skin and bright pink flesh. I couldn't resist buying a container of 6 of them. I knew we'd never eat all of them (I had already bought peaches and raspberries), so I knew I had to serve them with something. I also gave one to my parents to try.

As I rode home, I decided on lemon cakes. I'd seen a recipe in Food Network Magazine that sounded interesting. So before the sun got too hot, I cranked up the oven. It was also a great opportunity to use my new mini bundt pan!! It makes 6 little cakes in 3 different designs.

One unique thing about this recipe is that it is prepared in a blender. So I hauled out my blender and started whizzing away. I made a number of modifications from the original and I also served them with grilled pluots. Here's my recipe. This makes 6 small or 12 mini bundt cakes. If you don't have the specialty pan, use muffin cups or whatever, just watch your baking time.

Lemon vanilla olive oil cakes with grilled pluots

For the cakes

• 1 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1 cup flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1 Tbsp. grated lemon zest
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla paste (or vanilla extract)
• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin olive oil
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt

For the glaze

• 1 1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• Confectioners' sugar (about 1 cup)

3 pluots, quartered, pits discarded (peaches or nectarines make a good substitute.)

Preheat oven to 350F. Brush pan with melted butter. Dust with flour, shaking off any excess.

Mix flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl with a fork. Set aside.

Pulse sugar and lemon zest in a blender until combined. Add eggs one at a time, blending between each addition. Add vanilla. Gradually pour in the olive oil and milk. Pulse until it forms a thin batter.

Add the flour mixture in 2 additions, mixing and scraping the sides between each.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in center of oven for about 25 minutes until cakes just start to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a rack. Cool slightly.

While cakes are in the oven, make the glaze. Whisk together the butter and lemon juice then whisk in confectioners sugar until glaze is the consistency you like. drizzle over the cakes.

Before serving, preheat the grill over medium-high heat. Grill the pluots, flesh-side down, for about 3 minutes per side. You want some grill marks to form, but you don't want them to turn to mush. Repeat on the other side.

Serve cakes with grilled pluots and a sprig of fresh mint.