Eastern Europe
Lemon Thyme Rhubarb Cake
Tart, sweet and dramatically red, rhubarb never tasted so good in this Lemon Thyme Rhubarb cake. The cake is moist and fluffy on the inside with a slight crisp on the outside edge. The sharpness of the rhubarb combined with the delicate pungency of the lemon thyme make this a most wonderful offering of spring’s bountiful harvest.
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Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan or cast-iron pan
- In a small saucepan, over medium heat, add rhubarb, sugar and water
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until rhubarb has softened
- Strain, reserve juice
- Set rhubarb aside to cool while you make the rest of the cake
- Cream butter and sugar together until smooth
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition (batter should look light and fluffy)
- Gently mix in the baking powder, salt, lemon thyme and flour - be careful not to over mix
- Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top of the batter
- Spoon the rhubarb compote over the top of the batter
- Using a butter knife, swirl the compote through the cake batter, being careful not to scrape the bottom of the pan
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the reserved rhubarb compote juice over the top
- Sprinkle with the rest of the lemon thyme and sugar
- Bake 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center of cake comes out clean
- Serve warm or room temperature
- Enjoy with more of the rhubarb compote mixed with whipped cream or Greek yogurt, served on the side
Kharcho Tuna at Eltana Bagels
Eltana’s Wood-fired Bagel
By now most bagel lovers in Seattle have discovered Eltana and as an ex-pat from the East Coast, I can tell you it is about time. The perfect crust on their bagels comes from being boiled in honey water and then baked in a wood burning oven; yielding a hint of sweetness with a very light smokiness that is out of this world. Of course, they use our spices in many of their dips, spreads & salads too which always makes for a superior schmear.
With a recent spice delivery, I found Daniel, one of the founders of Eltana, working on something new that was too good not to share. He was making tuna salad using our Kharcho blend. This rare mixture of spices is typically associated with the hearty stews of the former Soviet state Georgia, and its unusual flavor profile often leaves folks wondering what to do with it. When I tasted this Kharcho Tuna Salad, I was sold. This is no ordinary tuna salad. Daniel starts with high grade albacore tuna which is cooked in house before getting mixed with all kinds of delicious goodies, including our Kharcho. I haven’t been able to pry the secret recipe from him yet, but if he does share it, we will pass it along. Until then, we’ll see you at Eltana!
Turkish Baharat Stuffed Zucchini
Zucchini season has officially begun in the Pacific Northwest, and boy is it a successful one this year. The markets are full of this fine summer squash and I was recently gifted a zucchini from the family garden which is about the size of my torso. I needed to find something delicious to do with my bounty, and stuffed zucchini was just the thing.
This Turkish influenced recipe looks and tastes impressive but requires little effort to make aside from tossing a few things together and leaving it to cook. Of course, since this is a Turkish recipe, my favorite spice blend to pair it with is Turkish Baharat- the peppermint and savory are a refreshing addition on warm summer days. For a more complex filling you can move slightly farther north in influence and use the Black Sea regional spice Khmeli Suneli. A filling dinner for three or a starter for 6, all you need is three medium sized zucchinis (or one monster one).
Slice it into bite size portions for attractive appetizers
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cook onions in olive oil until soft
- Add pine nuts, currants, rice, and lemon juice
- Add sugar, salt and pepper, 1 1/2 cups water, cover and cook until water is absorbed
- Hollow out zucchini to make “boats”
- Add 1 tablespoon Turkish Baharat to rice
- Fill Zucchini with cooked rice and bake in oven at 350°F for 18 minutes
- Garnish with chopped parsley and enjoy! You can also serve the zucchini is chilled with some plain yogurt.
Caraway Red Ale Mustard
Mustard is easy to make, but it also requires a little patience. If you let the mustard sit for a few days for the flavors to meld together, you will be rewarded with a fine, flavorful mustard to make your sandwiches, burgers and hot dogs extra special.
Caraway Red Ale Mustard waiting patiently for the grilled meat to be done.
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the mustard seeds and powder, caraway, water and red ale. Transfer to a covered container and let sit for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
- Combine the mustard/ale mixture with the salt, brown sugar and worcestershire sauce in a bowl. Then put in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. You can then transfer this to a jar and it will keep in the refrigerator for a few months...if you haven't used it all before then!
