I had no clue that Election Cake used to be a thing until I saw an article recently about this lost tradition! Recipes for Election Cake are found back to the late 18th century, but apparently the tradition has fallen off in recent years.
This yeasted spiced bundt fruitcake was traditionally prepared prior to Election Day and served to hungry voters.
For years, I was the machine inspector for every general and primary election in my South Philly polling location, so any attention I can bring to voting is super important to me! I am also down for any and all food holidays so let’s bring back Election Cake!
I don’t have a ton of experience using yeast, so I looked up a recipe from NY Times Food. Because of the yeast, there are two proofing times in this recipe, so set aside 4 to 6 hours to make this cake.
Ingredients (serves 10):
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
The weather this September has been quite warm, but I am starting to crave more comfort-food-like dishes. This recipe for Sous Vide Boneless Leg of Lamb is a combination of warm weather meets comfort food, perfect for this time of year.
The lamb is slow cooked to the perfect temperature in a water bath and then is finished off on the grill to add some char!
My CSA share has been full of tomatoes lately. And as much as I love tomatoes, I’m even having trouble getting through them all! Sounds like a perfect excuse to make some Tomato Jam!
If you’ve never tasted tomato jam before, it is quite the tasty little condiment! It works so nicely with grilled meats; I love it slathered on a burger instead of using ketchup.
This Tomato Jam recipe, adapted from a Mark Bittman recipe, has a wonderful spice profile and a nice amount of citrus to deliver a not-too-sweet, flavorful condiment.
Ingredients: (makes about 1 cup; multiply as desired)
1½ pounds ripe tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
If you follow me on Instagram, you probably noticed that I pick up a student-run CSA share every week from a high school in New Castle, Delaware, which means I have a bunch of fruits and vegetables in my home that need using! (If you’re in the area, definitely check out Penn Farm CSA!)
The last couple of weeks have included beautiful peaches so this week, I knew I had to make a homemade peach ice cream!
This rich and creamy homemade peach ice cream can be made in an electric ice cream maker (paid link). This recipe includes small chunks of fresh peaches as well as the juice of the peaches, so it’s chock full of peachy flavor!
Ingredients (makes 1 quart):
2 cups peaches, peeled and roughly chopped (about 3 peaches)
Note: I was sent a bottle of Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aîné Côtes du Rhône Parallele 45 Rouge in order to write this post for Grilled Rosemary Lamb Tenderloin. Opinions are mine alone.
I love a good wine pairing with my recipes, and boy, do I have a great pairing for this Grilled Rosemary Lamb Tenderloin recipe! A perfectly paired wine can really enhance a dish! Côtes du Rhône wines are a perfect transitional wine as we move from summer into fall. They pair beautifully with barbecued or low and slow cooked meats. (And it is absolutely delightful with this Grilled Rosemary Lamb Tenderloin!)
But first, some info about Côtes du Rhône wines…
Côtes du Rhône is a wine-growing AOC for the Rhône wine region of France. There are different tiers: Côtes du Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages, and Côtes du Rhône Villages with Geographic Indication. Knowing a bit about each tier ensures you can choose the perfect bottle for every occasion!
First, a bit about some of the most popular of the 23 grape varieties that can be used to make Côtes du Rhône AOC wines: Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre.
Grenache is the most widely grown grape in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. It grows well across a variety of terroirs, and in blends, it embodies the warmth and generosity that Rhône wines are known for. It’s bursting with sweet cherry and raspberry fruit, cinnamon spice and classic Mediterranean garrigue.
Syrah is stylish and complex, but difficult to grow, requiring careful cultivation. More common in the Northern Rhône, Syrah has powerful dark fruit flavors, delicate violet aromas and characteristic pepper notes. In blends, it contributes a full-bodied yet balanced savory element that wines from this region are known for.
Widely cultivated on the sun-drenched slopes of the Southern Rhône, Mourvèdre has a robust structure and strong tannins, delivering notes of blackberry and plum, a meaty savory-ness and a slight floral character.
Within the region, there are three distinct tiers of quality:
Côtes du Rhône represents 171 villages, 180,800 acres of vineyards and 6,000 vine growers. Côtes du Rhône wines are known for their berry fruit flavors, well-structured and velvety tannins, and bright acidity. These wines are known for their distinctive freshness that makes these reds easy to be served chilled. They also pair beautifully with lighter fare such as vegetables and fish, the robust roasted meats of fall, and can help keep drinkers cool while enjoying the rusticity of barbecue.
Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC represents the unique character of specific villages within the valley and is the next step up in terms of sophistication and distinctiveness. Showcasing villages that have proven their wines have exceptional quality and character, there are 95 villages that may label their wines as Côtes du Rhône Villages. There is an enormous range of Côtes du Rhône Villages wines in terms of style, depending on the nature of the soil. Red wines make up 96% of the production from the Côtes du Rhône Villages AOC. Village’s AOC’s generous, more complex wines pair with richer, more elevated dishes, such as herb-crusted chicken, lamb, or spice-crusted pork tenderloin.
Côtes du Rhône Villages with Geographic Indication is reserved for the wines made in the 22 Villages that are identified for their specific terroir. Wines labeled as Côtes du Rhône Villages with Geographic Indication come from 22 communes. The communes have a standard of quality authorizing them to add their village name to the labels of their wines. Some of these communes include Plan de Dieu, Valréas, Visan and Chusclan. With stricter production standards and lower yields, Côtes du Rhône Villages with Geographical Indication wines are typically truer expressions of their terroir and can age for 5 to 10 years. These wines have deep layers of flavors that express their terroir and are perfect for holidays and special occasion meals.
For Labor Day weekend, I paired this Grilled Rosemary Lamb Tenderloin with a bottle of Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aîné Côtes du Rhône Parallele 45. Made with a blend of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah, the wine has notes of wild berries, white pepper, and cherries. Those notes complement the woodsy flavor of the rosemary while enhancing the natural flavor of the lamb.
Note: I was given a box of produce from Penn Farm and used some of the produce in order to make this Cantaloupe Tomato Panzanella Salad recipe. Opinions are mine alone.
One of my favorite things about this blog is the opportunity to spotlight amazing restaurants, ingredients, and food organizations when I come across them. So when I heard about this CSA, I knew I had to share their amazing story ASAP, even if it is toward the end of the CSA season (note: bookmark this post so you have all the info you need to sign up for this CSA next year!) I also have an awesome recipe for Cantaloupe Tomato Panzanella Salad that shows off the bounty of Penn Farm’s CSA, so be sure to check that out at the end of the post!
William Penn High School is a public high school in New Castle, Delaware, where students enrolled in the school’s Agriculture classes help maintain a farm nearby the school. Historic Penn Farm has been a tenant farm since its inception in the late 1700s, and the 100-acre farm is the last surviving farm of the original tenant farms. William Penn High School, through a partnership with the Trustees of the New York Commons, continues the legacy of Historic Penn Farm while educating students on agriculture and also supporting the local community.
William Penn High School’s “Farm-to-School” program gives students the opportunity to learn how to grow produce from seeds, maintain the farm throughout the growing season, and help to harvest everything at the end of the season.
Some of the produce is utilized in other programs within William Penn High School; agriculture students work directly with the school’s culinary students, nutrition services, and science students. Local produce from Penn Farm becomes delicious meals enjoyed by the rest of the student body. In addition to vegetables, other animal products such as eggs are also produced and used in school nutritional programs throughout the district.
All produce on Penn Farm is grown from non-GMO seeds and is grown following organic practices. The farm harvests A LOT of produce, so Penn Farm also offers a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) each year. The 10-week CSA at Penn Farm lasts from late June through August, where those who buy a share receive a fresh produce box each week. Each box is chock full of vegetables, enough to feed a family of four for a week! Sign-ups each season open in the spring. I received the following in my box this week (note: the cantaloupe had to go it its own photo because it was bigger than my head!):
The CSA offering is a great way for Penn Farm, William Penn High School, and Colonial School District to provide a valuable service to the local community. In return, purchasing a CSA share serves as a method of monetary support for Penn Farm and the Agriculture Programs at William Penn High School.
To show off some of this beautiful produce, I knew I had to go for a summer classic: Panzanella Salad! This Cantaloupe Tomato Panzanella Salad highlights the cantaloupe, tomatoes, and cucumbers from my Pann Farm CSA Share, plus helped me use up some leftover Italian bread I had!
Ingredients:
Salad:
6 slices Italian bread, cut into bite sized pieces
Note: This post for Lobster Pasta in a Caramelized Fennel Sauce is sponsored by Wildgrain. Opinions are mine alone.
It probably comes as no surprise that one of the ways I show my love for my husband, family, and friends is through cooking. When cooking for those I love, I try to use high-quality ingredients so that the food is the best it can be. In the winter, my recipes become more comfort food-like, but that doesn’t mean I’m willing to skip on quality!
Wildgrain is here to help me out on my quest for high quality ingredients that can be used to make oh so comforting winter dishes, like this recipe for Lobster Pasta in a Caramelized Fennel Sauce, adapted from a recipe on Food52.
Wildgrain is a bake-from-frozen membership that has two different box choices: Mixed Wildgrain and Bakery. The Mixed Wildgrain comes with an assortment of sourdough bread, hand-cut pasta, and artisanal pastries. The Bakery Box comes with an assortment of sourdough bread, breakfast baked goods, and artisanal pastries. All products are ready-to-bake from frozen, no prep required!
source: wildgrain.com
Everything included in the box is made with clean ingredients with no preservatives. The items are vegetarian, non-GMO, and contain no artificial colors.
Wildgrain has provided an exclusive code for I Can Cook That readers! You can receive $10 off your first box by using discount code ICANCOOKTHAT so you can try out Wilgrain for yourself!
I received a box chock full of awesome products, including two pastas, breads, croissants, and cookie dough. The pasta and bread in my box inspired me to make a pasta dish with plenty of sauce to sop up with bread! The addition of lobster makes this dish perfect for date night, or for a dinner party. The sauce can also be made ahead of time so that when you’re ready to cook, it takes no time at all!
Ingredients:
7 oz lobster meat, thawed if frozen
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
the juice of one lemon
12 oz container fettuccine, or other pasta of your choice
To make this recipe easier to come together, I strongly suggest using a mandoline (I love the one that comes in Oxo’s Mini Complete Grate and Slice Set [paid link]) to slice the fennel and red onion. I am quite accident prone, so I also strongly suggest purchasing a cut-resistant glove (paid link) so that you keep all of your fingers cut-free.
Ingredients:
2 (8 to 10 ounce) portions albacore tuna
3 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon ground coriander
salt, to taste
ground pepper, to taste
1 large navel orange
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and very thinly sliced
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pitted Castelvetrano olives (I like to keep half of them whole and chop the other half)
the juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons reserved fennel fronds, plus more for garnish
3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
Note: I was sent a Drinkmate OmniFizz Beverage Carbonator in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.
I know I’m not alone that once the calendar says September, I start assuming fall weather is right around the corner. And yet, the warm weather always holds on longer than I expect.
This recipe for a Fizzy Bourbon Apple Cider is the perfect cocktail for these still-warm evenings while still having a decidedly autumnal flavor.
This pretty little machine does not require electricity, so it is easy to use basically anywhere. Just screw in the CO2 cylinder, add your ingredients, and press down to carbonate!
The carbonation adds a lightness to the cocktail, resulting in a super refreshing apple cider beverage. This is going to become one of your favorite summer-into-fall cocktails!
I originally started this blog as a way to learn to cook and to catalog recipes I enjoyed. So, recently, I have been revisiting recipes from early in my blogging journey and remaking them, like this recipe for Salmon with Lemon Parsley Pesto, served with orzo.
Lemon and blueberry is such a solid combination. I’ll basically eat any baked good with those two flavors together, which might be why I already have shared a lemon blueberry pancake, cupcake, and icebox cake on here already! So when I saw a recipe for Lemon Blueberry Drop Scones on Taste of Home, I wanted to try them. I messed with the method of their recipe and adding a bit more lemony goodness through lemon extract because I really wanted that flavor to come through.
These are super easy and rustic looking scone recipe. The more misshapen they are, the better they look!
I have been trying to get back in the habit of making a few make-ahead meals on weekends to make weekdays a bit more manageable. While looking through old recipes, I came across a recipe I made nearly a decade ago for Coconut Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins. I decided to revisit the recipe, adding a bit more lemon flavor through the addition of lemon extract (paid link). These yummy little guys are the result!
Ingredients (makes 12 cupcake-sized muffins or 6 large muffins):
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and allowed to cool slightly
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature, or 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce to make vegan
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 cup whole milk, or coconut milk to make dairy free/vegan
A few years ago, I realized that the concept of what I know as Classic Shrimp Scampi is kind of an American one. To Americans, Shrimp Scampi is shrimp cooked in butter and typically served over pasta. But scampi is actually its own type of crustacean. So it appears that when Italian immigrants came to the US, they adapted the recipe to substitute in shrimp and then kept both names.
Now that you’ve had a history lesson on Shrimp Scampi, let me get to the actual making of the dish. This version is relatively classic, where you cook the shrimp in a butter white wine sauce with a little bit of crushed red pepper and then finish it off with fresh parsley and some lemon juice. To soak up the yummy sauce, serve with pasta or crusty bread.
Smoky Baba Ganoush is one of those appetizers that basically any time I see it on a menu, I feel the need to order it. The eggplant-based appetizer, originating from Lebanon, uses grilled eggplant, tahini, olive oil, and lemon juice to make a smoky dip that is perfect for outdoor eating.
It’s also a great way to use up a bunch of eggplant if you happen to have a few on hand. There are a bunch of recipes out there for oven roasting the eggplant, but there really is no substitute for the flavor added to the dish by grilling.
Ingredients (serves 4 as an appetizer):
2 pounds Italian eggplants (~2-4 eggplants, depending on size)
