Blue Cayenne

Lemon-Almond Butter Cake

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Ingredients

Lemon Curd
• Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
• 3/4 C. plus 2 T. sugar
• 4 extra-large eggs
• 6 T. unsalted butter (cubed)
• For the Cake
• 9 T. unsalted butter (softened)
• 1 C. plus 1 T. flour
• 1 C. plus 1 to 2 T. sugar
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. kosher salt
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 1/2 C. ground toasted almonds (I used almond flour)
• 2 T. toasted sliced almonds
• Heavy cream to garnish (optional)
• 1 T. almond liqueur (optional)

Instructions

1. To make the curd, combine zest, juice, sugar and eggs in an heatproof bowl and beat well. Add butter cubes. (I used the ceramic insert in my double boiler.)
2. Put water into the bottom of a double boiler or a regular sauce pan, heat the water to simmering, and place the glass bowl (or double boiler top) over the simmering water. Cook your curd batter until the butter melts and the batter thickens into curd. You will need to stir it constantly with a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon until this happens. This will take from 5-10 minutes. Strain the thickened curd into a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap making sure the plastic touches the surface of the curd to keep a skin from forming on top of the curd. Refrigerate the curd until it is cool (at least 1 1/2 hours).
3. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9-inch spring-form pan by greasing it with 1 tablespoon of butter. Dust the pan with 1 T. of flour, shaking off the excess.
4. Put the remaining butter and 1 cup of sugar into the bowl of your standing mixer and cream the butter and sugar until they are fluffy. In another bowl, sift the remaining flour, baking powder and salt together. Stir this sifted mixture into the butter/sugar mixture. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs until they start to foam being careful not to overbeat. If you overbeat the eggs, your cake will be tough. Add the eggs and the ground almonds to the batter and mix well. Spoon this batter into your prepared pan.
5. Drop 8 individual tablespoons of lemon curd around the perimeter of the batter. You will want to leave a 1-inch border. Take your time and be sure to space the drops as evenly as possible. Then, drop 3 to 4 tablespoons of curd into the center of the batter. (You won't use all the curd. Refrigerate it for another use.)
6. Sprinkle the cake with toasted almonds and 1-2 tablespoons of sugar (or to your taste.)
7. Bake the cake until it is a nice brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the cake (not the curd) comes out clean This will take about 40 minutes.
8. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a rack for about 10 minutes. Then remove the sides of the pan and let it cool completly.
9. Serve plain or with spoonful of almond-liqueur flavored whipped cream. I found that this cake was at its best on days 2 and 3.

Farro Salad with Olives

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Ingredients

• 1 1/4 C. uncooked farro
• 4 C. water
• 1/2 t. fine sea salt (or more to taste)
• 1 C. walnuts (or more to taste)
• 2 1/2 C. pited green olives (preferably Castelvetrano) chopped (adjust the amount of olives to your taste)
• 4 scallions (white and light green parts only--finely chopped)
• 1/3 C. snipped fresh chives
• 1/4 C. extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 T. fresh lemon juiice
• 2 T. golden raisins (or more)
• 1 T. honey
• 1/2 t. crushed red pepper
• Shaved asiago cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Put farro, 4 cups of water and salt into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and partially cover the pan.
3. Let farro simmer until it is tender. This will take approximately 20 minutes. Drain the farro and spread it on a baking sheet. Let the farro cool and dry out a bit.
4. Toast walnuts in preheated oven until the nuts are lightly browned and fragrant. This will take from 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the walnuts from the oven, let them cool and then coarsely chop them
5. Whisk oil, lemon juice,honey, chives and crushed red pepper in a large bowl. Season with salt. Add walnuts, olives, scallions, and raisins to the dressing. Toss with the farro.
6. Refrigerate salad over night to let the flavors marry.
7. Serve salad on a platter, garnished with shaved cheese. Serve at room temperature.

Wicked Potato Salad with Dill

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Ingredients

For Salad
• 1/2 C. beluga lentils (or brown)
• 1 1/4 lb. baby potatoes
For Dressing
• 1/4 C. olive oil
• 2 T. apple cider vinegar
• 1 small shallot (finely diced)
• 1 T. chopped dill
• 1/2 T. dijon mustard
• 1/2-1 T. maple syrup
• 1 T. chopped capers
• 1 green apple (cored and finely diced)
• 1/2 red apple (cored and finely diced)
• Pink Himalayan salt and black pepper (to taste)
• 1/4 C. golden raisins
To assemble
• Handful baby spinach (stems removed)
• Handful watercress
• 1/4 C. raw walnuts (chopped)

Instructions

1. Cook lentils in boiling water until just done. Ideally you want the lentils to keep their shape in the salad. Drain and set aside.
2. Cook potatoes in boiling water with a pinch of salt. Drain and set aside.
3. To make the dressing, put apple cider vinegar in a large bowl and slowly whisk in the olive oil. Whisk in mustard and maple syrup. Stir in shallot, dill, capers, raisins and apples. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add extra maple syrup (or granulated sugar) if you want the dressing to be a bit more sweet.
4. Gently mix lentils and potatoes into the dressing. Add in the spinach and watercress leaves. Garnish with chopped walnuts.