The simplicity of trifle

Sometimes a bit of custard with fruit and sponge cake is all it takes to make me happy.

I am a trifle kind of girl, indeed.

My freezer is full of scraps of cake, unbaked crumble topping, and cookie dough. Any of those can make a spectacular trifle with fresh fruit, a bit of mascarpone with vanilla bean, or if you have 20 minutes, vanilla custard.

Even better.

Today was the last day of school and this afternoon, Jon, Miren and I made a simple trifle. They devoured it.

Vanilla bean custard, lemon cake, Bing cherries, sliced saturn peaches, and a touch of soft-peak cream.

They sliced, whipped, and assembled.

Then long spoons in hand, we sat next to the window watching the rain downpour - torrential rain. And these trifles tasted even better.

Simple, simple, simple.

Bing cherry, Saturn peach, vanilla custard, and lemon cake trifles

Lemon sponge cake

3 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup (100 g) natural cane sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons (25 g) unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup (45 g) millet flour
1/3 cup (35 g) almond flour

Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment and grease the sides with a bit of melted butter.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the egg yolks, 1/4 cup (50 g) natural cane sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Whip the egg yolk mixture in high speed until they are thick and pale, about 5 minutes.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg whites with the sea salt. When the egg whites are whipped and start forming peaks, gradually add in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar in three batches.

Fold a third of the egg whites into the egg yolk batter until they are well mixed. Fold in the rest of the egg whites being very careful not to deflate the batter. Fold in the melted butter and the millet and almond flour carefully not to deflate too much. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until top is golden. It will feel springy.

Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert it onto a plate, and let it cool completely. Cut it into 1/2-inch cubes and reserve.

Vanilla Custard

2 cups (500 ml) whole milk
1/2 cup (100 g) natural cane sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
6 egg yolks
1 cup (250 ml) unsweetened coconut milk
4 teaspoons cornstarch

In a medium saucepan, heat the whole milk, half of the sugar, and vanilla bean over medium high heat until it simmers.

Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks, rest of sugar, and cornstarch until smooth. Add the coconut milk and whisk.

Add a bit of the warm milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture while whisking. Add all the milk and whisk. Return the custard base to the saucepan and cook until it thickens while whisking constantly. Remove from heat and pour into clean bowl to cool slightly. I like to use custard while still a bit warm, but you can refrigerate it at this point. make sure you cover it with plastic wrap (the plastic must touch the custard so it doesn't form a skin).

Assemble the trifle

8 ounces raspberries
2 saturn peaches, sliced
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
2 cups vanilla custard
2 cups diced lemon sponge cake

Layer the ingredients amongst 4 glasses and serve immediately.

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Harvested

Although summer does not officially begin in another four weeks, our brains have already made the switch to summer holidays. There are only two days of school left, it's still bright outside at 8 o'clock in the evening, and we have begun churning ice cream at least twice a week - sure sign of summer.

We are headed to Seattle in a few days, then Montreal for my food styling and photography workshop, and a few more travel dates come after that. I get butterflies in my stomach when I travel and I am feeling them already. The good kind of anticipation.

Before it gets truly, scorchingly hot in Florida, we harvest the last bit of strawberries and these juicy cherry tomatoes from the community garden. The watermelon is also rapidly growing under the tree and its vines are taking over the basil and the eggplant in this little patch of garden we share with our neighbors. One of these days I'll have a plentiful one.

So tell me, what will you be growing and harvesting this year?

Do make me jealous please.

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The scent of poppy flower sugar in my kitchen and a roasted rhubarb sherbet recipe

When I was a child we ran free around endless wheat fields.

Once spring rolled in, the grass grew tall, soft and vibrant - this pure green color that is hard to describe. I miss how soft it was (grass in Florida itches!). Red poppies grew wild alongside this wheat grass. Weightless... long and thin stems that the wind would blow violently from side to side.

Every May I think of the red poppies. I call my dad and ask him, "have they bloomed yet?"



During our trip to Dordogne last year, we dined at Cabanoix - a small restaurant with a modern-French twist. I actually cannot wait to go back there this year. Next to the restaurant, there is a small épicerie where they carry the most fragrant tea blends (I still love my strawberry hibiscus tea), salts, spices, riz au lait mixes, and floral sugars.

I remember seeing the bag of sucre coquelicot (poppy flower sugar) and I nearly fell on the floor. I grabbed my bag and ran to the cashier afraid everyone else would raid the counters.

Days before, I had tasted the most delicious coquelicot ice cream at the Jardin de Marqueyssac. The memory of the subtle, floral sweetness was fresh on my mind.

I had big plans for this sucre coquelicot.



Somehow, I waited until this spring to really start baking with the poppy flower sugar. Perhaps the conversations with my dad about the poppy fields ignited the curiosity once again.

I have been adding it to many recipes including arroz con leche that I served with poached rhubarb puree and berries.

Also a berry crumble with pistachios and crunchy millet. Just the perfect subtle scent of poppies in my kitchen.



There is an abundance of rhubarb in my kitchen these days.

I made this dairy-free roasted rhubarb sherbet that I also flavored with poppy flower sugar and vanilla bean. It's a slight variation of a roasted strawberry sherbet recipe that you can find in my book. It is actually one of my favorite recipes from the book and what can I say, my family loves it too. I hope you try it even without the poppy flower sugar.

So now I continue to dream of the poppies in my Basque Country.

Tell me, do you have poppy fields around you? If so, please go out and admire them for me - even if the wind makes them hard to photograph.



Roasted Rhubarb Sherbet with Poppy Flower Sugar

1 pound (450 g) rhubarb stalk, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons (85 g) poppy flower sugar or natural cane sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
1 cup (250 ml) unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Preheat oven to 350F. In a roasting pan, toss together the rhubarb, 3 tablespoons (35 g) poppy flower sugar, and vanilla bean and its seeds. Bake for 30 minutes until the rhubarb is tender and the sugar makes a syrup. Remove the vanilla bean. Puree the rhubarb in the food processor and let it cool.

In the meantime, combine the rest of the sugar and 1/4 cup of water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium high heat until the sugar dissolves. Let the syrup cool completely.

Whisk together the rhubarb puree, simple syrup, coconut milk, and sea salt. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 2 hours and churn in your ice cream machine according to your manufacturer's instructions. Transfer the sherbet to a freezer-safe container and freeze until hard. Before serving, remove the sherbet from the freezer and let it come to temperature for 15 minutes.

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Pea pancakes with smoked salmon and a little green soup

First of all, I have to thank you for the absolute positive response that I have received from you after the book cover reveal. It was refreshing to share and see how well it was received. So thank you for that.

Now I can breath.

Now, on to the peas - the green peas I cannot get enough of.

I come home with bags full of peas from the farmers' market. English peas, snow peas, sugar snap peas... Sugar snap peas are quite delicious as they are - raw. We eat them by the handfuls.



I was working on savory pancake recipes for another story and the thought of how great it would be to fold some mashed peas into pancake batter. Creamy and vibrant green. They were perfect topped with a bit of smoked salmon, goat cheese, and some pea tendrils.

Froze half of the batch and ate them for lunch the next day too.



Then there was this green soup loaded with peas, zucchini and watercress and flavored with coriander and a touch of lemon juice. It was delicious with toasted bread and a bit of yogurt.

Both would be great for a spring brunch, don't you think? Will have to make them for our friends next time too.



Green pea pancakes with smoked salmon and goat cheese

makes 8 pancakes

8 ounces (225 g) shelled English peas
3 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons superfine brown rice flour
1 tablespoon millet flour
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for blanching water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces (110 g) smoked salmon
2 ounces (55 g) goat cheese, crumbled
Pea tendrils, optional


Bring water to a boil in a medium pot. Season with a generous amount of salt. Add the peas and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until they are tender but not mushy. Drain them and immediately submerge them in ice water to stop the cooking process.

Combine half of the peas and the coconut milk in the food processor and puree until smooth. Mash the other half of the peas with a fork.

Whisk together the pea puree, egg, superfine brown rice flour, millet flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda. Fold in the mashed peas.

Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat. Brush with a bit of olive oil. Drop 1 heaping tablespoon of batter onto the skillet each time. When the sides start to set and small bubbles appear, flip the pancakes carefully and finish cooking for another minute or so. Repeat until all the batter has been used.

Top the pancakes with smoked salmon, goat cheese, and pea tendrils.


Pea, zucchini and watercress soup flavored with coriander and lemon

serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 celery stalk, diced
1 medium leek, white and tender green parts diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 medium zucchinis, diced
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 cups (500 ml) vegetable broth
1 cup (125 g) shelled peas
1 cup (30 g) watercress, tough stems removed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup whole-milk yogurt
Mint, to garnish

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil. Add the celery, leek and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook for another 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the ground coriander.

Add the vegetable broth, cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the peas and watercress and cook for another 3 minutes. Season with salt and lemon juice. Puree the soup in a blender.

Serve with yogurt, torn mint leaves, black pepper and watercress leaves.

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Small Plates and Sweet Treats: My Family's Journey to Gluten-Free Cooking

Here are some things that inspiring people have said about my book:

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"Small plates and space to mingle are hallmarks of blogger Aran Goyoaga, who seamlessly makes the old world new again (and gluten free) in the sunny warmth of Florida" (Martha Stewart's Everyday Food )

"Her recipes have a true baker-from-birth quality with gluten-free as a major bonus. Her blog, besides being an incredibly useful source of recipes, is also beautifully executed." (Gwyneth Paltrow, on GOOP )

"I found myself brushing my fingers over Aran's photographs, smiling as I read the stories of her Basque childhood, and nodding as I studied her good tips, and I bet you will too. Then I bet you'll cook - happily, heartily, healthfully, and daily. Aran's recipes are fresh and bright and her food is simple and vibrant. It's just what we want the year round." (Dorie Greenspan, author of Around My French Table )

"Aran's unique sensibility rings clear throughout this book, from her heartfelt, attractive cooking to her beautifully styled photography. Lovely all the way around." (Heidi Swanson, author of Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen )

"Aran makes beautiful food that is meant to be shared with family and friends. That it is all gluten-free is a boon for people like me, but this is food for everyone. Peruse the pages of Small Plates and Sweet Treats and you will fall in love with this book." (Shauna James Ahern, author of Gluten-free Girl )

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Hello friends,

Today is a big day for me -- the day I can share with you a little bit of what I have been working on for the last 18 months. I am so excited to be able to share some images from inside the book...

"Small Plates and Sweet Treats: My Family's Journey To Gluten-Free Cooking"

Lots of labor and lots of love have gone into the making of this book and I hope you enjoy this little sneak peek.



The official release date is October 23, 2012.

There are 120 naturally gluten-free recipes inside the book. Recipes and stories inspired by my childhood in the Basque Country, motherhood, and living as an ex-pat. The book is divided by seasons, as I like to cook in our everyday life, and within each chapter you will find a section for small plates and another for sweet treats.

Small plates as an homage to the raciones and pintxos we eat in the Basque Country when we share with friends -- just like I share with you.



I am also excited to let you know that the book is now AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER from the following sellers: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Indie Bound.

It is also available for PREORDER IN EUROPE through Amazon UK and Amazon France.

Let me know what you think. I'd really love to hear your thoughts... It feels great to share.

And soon, I will share some recipes from inside the book.

I'm thrilled.

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