We recently had a lovely brunch in my dear friend Rosie’s garden to show our support for the elimination of the pesticides that have been linked to the decline in bees. This fabulous Torte included ingredients that were pollinated by bees and grown in our garden. We grew the kale, zucchini, dill, thyme, and chives. There is just something about making food from what is readily available in the garden that feels so satisfying. This dish is a looker with it’s potato crust around the rim too. I did take mine out of the springform pan and then decided to reheat it, putting it back in, which in turn made the sides not stay in place as well. Don’t be like me, just serve it room temp if you take it to a potluck, it is just as tasty. I made this the night before our brunch. The flavors of the herbs and cheese was so fresh, light, and yet just a tad rich too. Mix it up, add different herbs, or cheeses, or veggies, add meat for your carnivores if you like. In true bohemian style, make it your own and get creative with it. Here is how I made it…
Persian Love Cake
Exotic, romantic, beautiful. Persian Love Cake. My good friend Kristi requested I make this cake for our friend Autumn’s bridal/bachelorette party we hosted. I thought it was stunning and couldn’t wait to try the worldly flavors. Cardamom, saffron, pistachios, rose…So bohemian and a feast for the senses.
I don’t exactly consider myself a baker. I usually bake a cake or two a year, rarely do I bake cookies, maybe around Christmas. When I do bake, I tend to challenge myself, thinking how hard can it be right? This cake was not simple, and I think perhaps the altitude of Colorado might have been working against me on this one. My cake was not as fluffy as I was hoping, but the flavor. Wow. It was light and not too sweet, full of perfumed mystery. This cake screams Valentines Day if you’re so inclined. I thought Kristi was right on point with choosing this cake as a send off into marriage for our friend. The recipe made 2 small heart shaped pans. I think I will double it next time, cause there will be a next time…
Soba Noodle Salad with Sriracha Baked Tofu
On a quest for healthy meals for the family, I came across a recipe for a soba noodle soup. Heavy on the ginger, with the addition of spicy sriracha baked tofu, it became the favorite dish I make for Coda. When summer came along, I wanted to be able to serve the same flavors but without the warm broth, and that is where this salad was born. It is very versatile, you can add whatever seasonal veggies are available. In this particular version I was able to add the snow peas and golden zucchini that I grew in the garden this summer.
White Bean Dip with Chive Blossoms
I recently made this quick and healthy white bean dip with chive blossoms for the Rocky Mountain Gardening Forum’s spring plant exchange and potluck. You just never know at a potluck what kind of diet people have to adhere to, could be vegan, gluten free or vegetarian, you just never know! Not that I try to please everyone, but I do want as many people as possible to enjoy the food I make. So this dip with gluten free chips and veggies seemed like just the thing. Plus I found this cute basket and bowl set that was begging to go to a potluck.
Garam Masala Stuffed Eggs
Keeping the theme of the world influence in mind when picking out the food for our bohemian tea party, I thought about taking some of my people’s favorite foods and putting a little cultural twist on them. I ran across the inspiration for these eggs on pinterest and the website Indiaphile.com. Needless to say they were a big hit. They have an unexpected slightly sweet flavor with a nice addition of crunchiness from the radish. I also made a few traditional deviled eggs for my sweetheart since he is not necessarily the bohemian foodie that I am!
Moroccan Inspired Stuffed Dates
When it comes to sweets and desserts, I am admittedly not a baker. I do try from time to time to bake up a treat, usually around one of the girls birthdays or when I want to challenge myself in the kitchen. When I came across some ideas for stuffed dates, I was immediately inspired to create a recipe that takes those flavors on a Moroccan journey for our bohemian tea party, and no bake was something I am totally down for. In planning the party, I was thinking influences from India, Morocco, Turkey, and England. I wanted something vegetarian, since my good friend Rosie was coming and I thought about the traditional almond paste used in Moroccan cooking would be tasty stuffed in a date. There are traditional recipes for this treat, but being of bohemian spirit and liking to try out my own spin on the traditional, I decided to try it with almond butter. Adding the orange blossom water and honey to it gives it a sweet a light floral taste that is slightly mysterious. The amounts of almond butter, honey and orange blossom water are going to vary a little by how big your dates are. I used a couple tablespoons per date, since I was able to find these big medjool dates at the international market.