Fruit Cakes

No. Not that fruitcake.
Pear/Pecan cornmeal cake

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan
* 2 large eggs
* 1 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup dry white wine)
* 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup pear sliced into small cubes
3/4 cup toasted pecans
Method

1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan with oil (can use butter for this too); line the bottom of the pan with wax paper or parchment paper, and brush the top of the paper with oil.

2 In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, 1 cup of the sugar, and wine until smooth. Add flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, whisk lightly to combine and add the chopped pears and pecans.

3 Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan; sprinkle the top evenly with the remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Bake until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25-35 minutes.

4 Cool the cake in the pan 20 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake to separate it from the edge of the pan. Invert the cake gently onto a plate, and remove the parchment paper. Re-invert the cake onto a rack to cool completely before serving.
Sprinkle powdered sugar on the top. Or poke a few holes and pour in the liquor of your choice from pear eau de vie to brandy.

Serves 8.

Apple walnut whole wheat cake

* 1/2 cup vegetable oil, plus more for greasing the pan
* 2 large eggs
* 1 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup cinnamon tea
* 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup whole wheat flower
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups apple sliced into small cubes
3/4 cup toasted walnuts


1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan with oil (can use butter for this too); line the bottom of the pan with wax paper or parchment paper, and brush the top of the paper with oil.

2 In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, 1 cup of the sugar, and wine until smooth. Add flour, wholewheat flour, salt, baking powder, whisk lightly to combine and add the chopped apples and walnuts.

3 Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan; sprinkle the top evenly with the remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Bake until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25-35 minutes.

4 Cool the cake in the pan 20 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake to separate it from the edge of the pan. Invert the cake gently onto a plate, and remove the parchment paper. Re-invert the cake onto a rack to cool completely before serving.
Sprinkle powdered sugar on the top. Or poke a few holes and pour in the liquor of your choice from calvados to apple jack.

Wax Beans

Wax beans, the milder cousin of the green bean. I grew up eating canned wax beans, finding the younger, fresh version was a revelation.

Several vendors at the Santa Rosa Farmers Market have them.

This is a salad of tomatoes and wax beans in a simple oil and vinegar dressing which makes it a perfect picnic food.

Tomato Pie

It's tomato time in Sonoma County and I made a chedder and tomato pie.

single pie crust or pizza dough
six tomatoes early girls would be good
1 ounce procuitto
arugla or water cress
red onion
cheddar cheese
olive oil


Line pie pan with the crust of your choice.

Slice and the six early girls and set aside the juice and pulp.
chop the argula or watercress

heat the olive oil and saute the onion, once translucent add the procuitto,arugla and tomatoes. Heat through.

Line the crust with cheddar cheese and pour in the tomato, onion, procuitto and argula mixture. Top with more cheddar cheese and and tomato slices.

If using pizza dough heat oven to 450 and bake for about 25 minutes
Pie dough heat oven to 375 and bake for about 30 minutes