ROSEMARY + DARK CHOCOLATE OLIVE OIL CAKE (with SPELT FLOUR)

Blogging is a funny thing.  When I decided to start Chocolate + Chard last November, I knew that I wanted it to be a space for more than simply the sharing of recipes.  I wanted (and want) it to be a platform for sharing information about health and nutrition, about why the ingredients that I feature in my posts are not only delicious but also incredibly enriching for our bodies.  I aimed for it to be personal and personable, compelling and inspiring--like so many blogs have been for me.  I wanted to be a producer within and member of the foodie community of which I had, until that point, only been a passive receptor.

As it turns out, blogging in that vein is difficult.  While I love it and am so surprised and thrilled every time one of you leaves a comment, writing continuously is also a challenge sometimes.  I realize that this space has been quiet for the past few weeks.  To be completely honest, I have been struggling to find the energy and focus to write this post.  This is surely related to a number of factors, one of which is that there are too many narratives in my head circling this totally divine olive oil cake.

I want to talk about the genius baker who devised the recipe, Kim Boyce, and her book Good to the Grain from which it came.  I want to talk about how light and moist it is, fragrant with rosemary and decadent with chunks of rich dark chocolate.  I want to tell you that it very well may be my new favorite quick bread/cake, ever.  I want to describe the delightful and inspired event where I brought this cake, shared it and photographed it: a casual gathering at a friend's cafe, where diverse people worked on independent projects in a communal space--reading, sketching, making origami cranes--that was augmented by a live string quartet and impromptu conversation.  And I want to extol the virtues of spelt flour, which it is fair to say I am properly obsessed with.  Figuring out how to address and weave together all of these discrepant narratives sent me into a bit of an incapacitated state, as I want to do this post justice but have had such trouble figuring out where to begin.

I suppose this writing so far is my explanation and apology for being absent for three weeks.  And maybe a bit of it is me attempting to justify and understand the absence for myself.  At any rate, this cake is absolutely stunning.  It made its rounds in the blogosphere three years ago, when Good to the Grain was first published, so you may have already encountered it.  But if you haven't--boy are you in for a treat.

Kim Boyce's Good to the Grain
Published back in 2010, this cookbook champions baking with whole grains not so much for their nutritional value as for their flavors and textures.  Divided into sections by flour (ranging from whole wheat to spelt to teff), Boyce highlights the ways in which these atypical ingredients (which also happen to be much better for you than white flour) can enhance all kinds of baked goods.  Her version of this heavenly olive oil cake uses a combination of whole spelt and all-purpose flour, but I have substituted the all-purpose for white spelt in my version.  I find that it acts basically the same as all-purpose--barring the fact that it is less glutenous so may not rise quite as much--but it is far more nutrient-rich!

The Power of Spelt Flour
Spelt flour is an ancient grain--so ancient, in fact, that it is mentioned in the Bible--that was originally cultivated in Iran around 7000 B.C. and has expanded its growth to Europe in the past 300 years.  A cousin of wheat, spelt contains less gluten and more protein than its most common relative, making it easier to digest (even possible for some people with gluten intolerance) and a great grain option for vegetarians (or, everyone, because we all need protein!).  Whole grain spelt flour is an excellent source of fiber and contains a wider array of nutrients than many grains in the extended wheat family, including significant levels of manganese, copper, vitamin B3 and zinc.  As it is a whole grain that hasn't been processed to the point of nutritional obliteration, spelt flour is best stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator (if you have space) or in a cool, dark place (if you don't).  

Spelt has a mild nutty flavor that isn't as overpowering as whole wheat flour and adds a lovely dimension to baked goods.  I have baked items that necessitate lightness--like scones--substituting up to half of the requested all-purpose flour with whole spelt to great success.  In addition to whole spelt, two other varieties of the flour are available: light spelt, which has had some of the bran sifted out, and white spelt, which has had the bran and germ entirely removed.  While the lighter white spelt isn't a whole grain flour, it still contains more nutrients and is less refined than all-purpose flour, making it an ideal replacement.*

*Nutrition information from World's Healthiest Foods and What's Cooking America.

(An Important Note) 
...about this wholesome, flavorful, light and delectable cake. I have made it twice so far, the first time in a round cake pan, as directed.  While I loved the flavor, it was so light and tea-cake-y that I thought it would be even more appropriate baked as a loaf.  Enter baking, round two (photographed here).  Yet this time around, I missed the previously more pronounced presence of the delightful top crust that the larger surface area of the cake pan produced.  Consequently, I would recommend baking this in a round cake tin, as Kim Boyce instructs in her book.  I guess she knew what she was talking about.


Kim Boyce's Rosemary + Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Cake (with spelt flour)

Ingredients
3/4 cup (85 grams) whole spelt flour
1 1/2 cups (153 grams) white spelt flour  [if using all-purpose, 187 grams]
3/4 cup (170 grams) white sugar [or a less-refined substitute, like fine demerara]
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
3 eggs
1 cup (235 ml) olive oil [good quality, cold-pressed]
3/4 cup milk [Boyce calls for whole; I used almond]
2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
5 oz. dark chocolate (70% cacao), from a thick bar chopped into 1/2" (1cm) chunks

Directions
1. Pre-heat oven to 350F / 180C / Gas 4.  Rub a 9 1/2" (23cm) removable bottom cake or tart pan with olive oil and cover bottom with a round of parchment paper.
2.  Sift the dry ingredients (the first five) into a large bowl, pouring any remaining bran into the bowl after sifting.  Set aside.
3.  In another large bowl, whisk the eggs.  Add the oilve oil, milk, and rosemary and whisk until thoroughly combined.
4.  Pour the wet mix into the dry mix and gently fold together with a spatula, until just combined.
5.  Gently fold in the chocolate.
6.  Pour batter into prepared cake/tart pan, spreading the top out evenly.
7.  Bake for 40 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

This cake is delicious warm or cooled and will keep best wrapped tightly in plastic for 2-3 days.

ROSEMARY HONEY CASHEW BUTTER

I have a confession to make: I am mildly obsessed with homemade nut butter.

Of all the ways in which my palette and food choices have changed in the past year, this love affair with nut butter is among the most mind-boggling.  When my nine year-old self marched home to my parents one afternoon in the mid-1990s and defiantly declared that I was becoming a vegetarian (a decision that I had made as a fool-proof solution to being forced to eat so many of the foods I detested, like pre-packaged, thinly sliced sandwich meats and microwave-ready fish sticks), my father's response was: "That's fine, but you have to eat fish because you won't eat nuts and you need your protein."  I uncompromisingly hated nuts for most of my life; I wouldn't touch anything that they touched.  The sole exception was peanut butter (the horribly processed variety, of course); but even then, I wouldn't go near the chunky kind.  And natural peanut butter?  No way.  If it wasn't impeccably smooth and so artificially sweetened that it no longer resembled anything remotely peanut-like, I wasn't having it.  

It wasn't until I moved to the UK 18 months ago that I realized alternative, non-peanut nut butters even existed.  It wasn't until I discovered Edible Perspective's recipe for Maple Cinnamon Almond Butter Cups that I wanted to try to make it at home.  And it wasn't until I finally got a food processor that I was able to.  (Yeah, for those of you who don't have one, I'm truly sorry about that.  Mine is seriously well-loved and one of the best object-based investments I have made in a very long time.)

Nut Butter: DIY Empowerment

The first time I homemade nut butter, I was utterly transfixed by the transformation that the nuts naturally underwent, with the aid of nothing but a quickly spinning blade: from whole nut to finely-ground-powder to congealed-gloop-nut-ball to--SPLAT!--butter.  The way the nuts decompose, their natural oils releasing and completely altering their physical composition, is truly astounding.  Homemaking nut butter is so easy and so genuinely exciting.  There is something uniquely gratifying about producing a foodstuff yourself that you have only ever conceived of as coming jarred from the shelf of a market.  It is bizarrely empowering.  I cannot even tell you how accomplished I felt after that very first batch.  Not only had I made nut butter--from scratch!--but it tasted seriously unbelievable.  And now?  I'm addicted.

The amazing thing about homemaking nut butter, aside from the feeling of accomplishment and the knowledge/control of the exact quality and quantity of your ingredients, is that you can experiment with mix-ins.  I have made most of my batches following the ideas and recipes of other bloggers: Coconut Almond Butter, Chai Spice, Maple Cinnamon.  But this Rosemary-Honey Cashew Butter?  This one is all mine.  My very first nut butter recipe.  And I couldn't be more proud or more excited to share it with you.  Because, if I may gloat for just a minute, it is astonishingly delicious.

I do realize that cashews are not cheap.  They are a bit of a luxury item.  But puréed into a silky smooth spread, laced with aromatic rosemary, sweet honey and a touch of sea salt, this cashew butter is beyond luxurious.  Seriously.  When I gave a spoonful to my housemate to taste, she stared at me in silence and then told me that I 'had to' start selling it commercially.  Who knows, maybe that endeavor will happen a bit down the line.  But for now? I'm happy just to share the recipe with you.  And maybe--hopefully--you'll be inspired to make it on your own.

P.S.  It goes without saying that cashews are great for your body.  One of the lowest-fat nuts, cashews contain a significant amount of monounsaturated fats (75% of which is oleic acid, the same as in olive oil), making them an excellent supporter of cardiovascular health.  Cashews are also extremely high in copper, which helps prevent such issues as anemia and osteoporosis, and magnesium, which works alongside calcium to maintain healthy bones.*

*Information from World's Healthiest Foods.


Rosemary-Honey Cashew Butter
Makes about 3/8 cup.  If you have a 7 cup food processor or larger, I encourage you to double the recipe. 

Ingredients
1 cup (170 grams) raw cashews
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. honey
1/4 tsp. good quality salt (sea salt or otherwise; I used pink Himalayan salt, which is totally amazing if you can get your hands on it)
1/2 tsp. cold-pressed neutral oil (sunflower or otherwise)

Directions
1.  Preheat oven to 300°F / 150°C / Gas 2.
2.  Spread cashews on a baking tray and roast for 15-20 minutes, until fragrant.  Stir a few times during roasting.
3.  Let cool for 5 minutes.
4.  Place cashews in food processor and blend until the nuts turn into a smooth 'butter'.  This could take anywhere from 5-15 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
5.  Add rosemary and salt and process for another minute or two.
6.  Microwave honey until it is completely liquefied--much thinner than its syrupy state.  Add to nut butter and process for another minute until fully combined.
7.  If you want your cashew butter even creamier, add the 1/2 tsp. of a neutral oil.
8.  Remove blade from food processor, transfer to a glass jar and store in the fridge.

ROSEMARY + WHITE CHOCOLATE SCONES

Have you ever created something so surprising, so successful that it has gone down in the history books?  Something so tasty that it has become a go-to dish, or a personal signature recipe?  You remember exactly where you were when you first made it.  Who you were with.  How it came about.  And you now return to it, again and again.

These scones are one of those creations for me.  Sophomore year of undergrad, baking with my best friend (one of those annoyingly great cooks who I bemoaned in my last post), these incredible scones somehow materialized.  Rosemary and white chocolate.  A truly scintillating flavor combination, perhaps unusual but perfectly synchronized once married.  I will admit that I can't recall exactly how it happened, what divine force made these particular scones come about.  It was probably Alysha's imagination, although in my memory's version of the history it was more of a collaborative effort.  At any rate, it happened, and I have not looked back since.

I am, always and forever, a home baked chocolate chip cookie girl.  But these scones are my #2: the baked good I can rely on, that I make most frequently, and that never fails to surprise newcomers with its sweet and aromatic flavors.  I am eternally grateful to Alysha for creating them with me.  And I am delighted--six years later--to share them here with you.  

Of course, I am also quite curious to know: what dish is comparable for you?  What have you made that you were surprised by, that went down in your history books, that you return to again and again?

Rosemary & White Chocolate Scones
Makes eight 

Ingredients
1 cup (4.5 oz.) unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 cup (4.5 oz.) spelt flour*
1/3 cup (67 grams) white granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
8 Tbsp. (4 oz.) butter, frozen or very chilled
1/2 cup (4 oz.) sour cream
1 egg
3 sprigs of rosemary
33 grams (1/3 of a 100g bar) good, hefty white chocolate

*While I can only attest to the success of using half spelt flour in this recipe, I'd expect other whole-grain flours would work just as well.  Prefer whole wheat, rye, buckwheat, almond or oat?  Give it a try!

Directions
1.  Pre-heat oven to 400°F/204°C/Gas 6.
2.  Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
3.  Remove rosemary leaves from stems and finely chop.  Chop white chocolate into chunky pieces.  Set both aside.
4.  Mix both flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl.
5.  Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the butter into the flour mixture, dipping the butter into the dry mix before each swipe.  (This will help keep the butter from sticking to the grater and will assist in mixing the two together.)
6.  Once the butter has all been grated, incorporate it into the dry mixture with your hands until a coarse and crumbly meal forms.
7.  Add the rosemary to the mix.
8.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and sour cream.
9.  Pour the wet mixture into the dry and mix, using a fork and then your hands if necessary to thoroughly combine.
10.  Add the white chocolate and evenly incorporate.
11.  Form the dough into a ball in the bowl.  
12.  Dust a clean surface with flour and place dough ball on it.  Flatten into a 3/4" disc.
13.  Using a sharp knife, slice the disc into 8 even wedges.
14.  Place the wedges on your parchment-lined baking tray and bake until golden and cooked through, 15-17 minutes.
15.  Leave a few minutes to cool on tray.  Then promptly devour.
16.  Store leftovers wrapped in tin foil.  These are best warm and toasty, so I recommend re-heating them in the oven or toaster before future consumption.

HERBED POACHED EGG with CARAMELIZED SHALLOTS + CHARD on TOAST

If this post had a topic sentence, it would somehow have to include the following three points:

• Poached eggs are fantastic, but they are the bane of my existence.
• Fresh herbs are amazing, unparalleled in their ability to transform a dish.
• Rainbow chard is absolutely gorgeous (AND it packs a massive nutritional punch).

Beginning from the end, my third point pretty much speaks for itself.  The colors in the stems of rainbow chard are some of the most vibrant and stunning I have ever seen in nature.  If you haven't yet introduced this gorgeous leafy green into your diet, go get some immediately.  Not only will it stimulate your aesthetic senses, but it is mega-nutritious!  Fun fact: chard includes a flavonoid called syringic acid, which helps regulate our blood sugar levels, and the phytonutrients in its pigments are anti-inflammatory and detoxifying for our bodies!*  Pretty cool.

Also very basic but totally life-changing (for me) was the introduction of fresh herbs into my cooking. In a simple dish, like a salad or eggs, fresh herbs can elevate the flavors in an incredible way.  It's great to experiment with different food + herb pairings to see what really works for you.  I am absolutely crazy about sweet potatoes with rosemary.  And when making a poached egg on toast, I found that sprinkling the top with bits of fresh rosemary and dill truly transformed a good, warming breakfast into a sensation for my taste buds. Sometimes it really is the little things that make the biggest difference.

Now, onto those dastardly poached eggs.  So elegant in all the restaurants, so wet and amoebic and awkward at home. Perfecting the art of the homemade poached egg consistently escapes me.  The whites fly everywhere in the pot, it bursts open before I can get it from the water to the plate, its yolk stubbornly set when I pierce it with my knife...the problems seem endless.  I have done my reading, I have watched internet 'How-To' videos, I have attempted numerous methods.  I have poured vinegar into the water, squeezed fresh lemon, created a whirlpool, cracked the egg directly in, slid it in from a cup...you get my gist.  In all my attempts, these are the things I've learned:

• Freshness matters.  The fresher the egg, the more likely the whites will stay together, surrounding the yolk, and not uncontrollably float away.
• Temperature matters.  The water should be just simmering, little bubbles barely breaking the surface.  It might help to bring the water to a boil and then reduce it to this on-the-verge-of simmering state.
• Vinegar matters.  You can use other agents to help the white congeal, like lemon juice, but I have found that adding a generous splash of plain vinegar to the water works best.
• Whirlpool-vortex...maybe doesn't matter.  I haven't found that creating a whirlpool in the pot in which to slide the egg really works to help the whites form around the yolk, but try it!  It might work better for you.  I do often use my spoon to nudge the whites around the yolk right after it goes into the pot though.
• Cracking the egg into a cup and then easing it into the water with the cup is a useful tactic.  Careful not to dip your hand into the water when doing so though.  I made that mistake once.  It hurt.
• Cooking the egg for four minutes is the right amount of time if you want a runny yolk.

My poached eggs are still far from perfect, but my failed attempts are becoming far less frequent.  If you're a more visual learner, you can watch a tutorial here.

At the end of the day, this eggs-on-toast with caramelized shallots, chard and fresh herbs would be delicious with any kind of egg--poached, fried, or scrambled.  As long as you've got all the elements there, your taste buds AND your body will thank you.  It's just that kind of dish.

Herbed Poached Egg with Caramelized Shallots + Chard
Serves one

Ingredients
Thick slice of wholegrain toast
1 medium shallot
1 large or 2 medium chard leaves
1 garlic clove
1 fresh egg, poached
a few sprigs of fresh herbs, chopped (rosemary, dill, sage, thyme all work well)

Directions
1.  Mince garlic and slice shallot into thick strips, lengthwise.
2.  Heat a generous bit of olive oil (1/2 Tbsp. or so) in a small pan.  Sauté minced garlic on medium-low heat until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
3.  Add shallot and stir until completely coated with oil.  Reduce heat to low and let cook until translucent and beginning to caramelize, 7-10 minutes.  Toss the shallots around the pan a few times during this process, but don't get over-zealous with your stirring!  Best to let them sit.
4.  While the shallots are cooking, remove chard leaves from their stems (but save the stems to cook in another dish later; they're edible!).  Slice leaves into moderately thick strips.
5.  Once the shallots have begun to caramelize, add chard to the pan and sauté until just wilted, about 3 minutes.
6.  Place shallots and chard on toast.  Top off with poached egg and fresh herbs.


*Information from WHFoods.com.