Birthday Blueberry Cobbler

Stella's regular Friday customer, June, who tends to order the soup of the day, no matter the weather, has a special request. "Stella, dear," she says, her aged but strong right arm leaning on the counter like she means business. "I'm going to be celebrating a milestone birthday this week."

"Are you? Well, isn't that wonderful," says Stella wishing she could ask June which particular milestone this birthday represents. "I hope you will be celebrating appropriately."

"That's where you come in, my dear," says June, her arm still resting on the counter and her head leaning in conspiratorily toward Stella's. "I want to have a little afternoon tea here with Harvey and some of our friends, and I want you to make us something special to have with our tea."

"Something special? Okay, how about a nice vanilla bean layer cake or maybe some tiramisu?"

"No, no, nothing fancy. What I would really like is an old lady dessert, nothing too rich."

"Oh, I see. Hmmm...oh, I know, the blueberries this year are wonderful. I could make you a nice cobbler and serve it with vanilla ice cream. I made one for the girls just the other day, and it was very nice. How does that sound?"

June suddenly jerks up to her full height and claps her hands together. "Fresh blueberry cobbler would be absolutely perfect!"

"Well, we do aim to please," says Stella. "When would you like to have your tea?

"Would this Friday be too soon? That is my actual birthday, and we would like to come in and have some nice sandwiches, too."

"I'm sure that can be arranged. Shall we reserve your usual table? For how many?"

"Yes, that would be wonderful. There should be six of us" says June. "Well, tra-la-la! Isn't that something to look forward to? Yes it is indeed."

Stella glances beyond June to the other waiting customers, then back at June. "Alright, June. We will see you on Friday afternoon then."

June turns around to face the lineup. "I'm sorry everyone, just planning my birthday celebration," she says loudly. "I'll leave quietly now like a polite old lady." She turns and waves to Stella. "Goodbye my dear. You are a gem, an absolute gem."

Stella, not batting an eyelash, looks enquiringly at the next couple, a pair in their twenties who have obviously perfected the look of stylish ennui, as they reach the counter. "Can I help you?"

*****

Fresh Blueberry Cobbler from The Joy of Cooking

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees farenheit. Have ready an unbuttered enameled cast-iron, earthenware, or glass baking pan of about 2-quart (2 litre) capacity and 2 inches deep. (A glass pie pan, a pottery dish such as the one pictured above, or a 12 inch gratin dish will all work well.)

Wash and drain well:
3 pints (six cups) blueberries

Combine and toss with the berries:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour or two Tbsps cornstarch
1 teaspoon grated lime zest (or a combo of lemon and lime zest)

Spread evenly in the baking dish. Prepare Sour Cream Cobbler Biscuit Dough:

Sour Cream Cobbler Biscuit Dough: 

1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour (or whatever combo suits you of whole wheat and all purpose flours, as long as it makes a total of 1 and 1/3 cup)
2 Tbsps sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Add:
5 Tbsps cold butter, cut into small pieces
Toss with the dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add:
1/2 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup milk or cream whisked together.
Mix with a fork only until the dough comes together and can be rolled or patted. Gently knead the dough 5-10 times if needed, turning and pressing any loose pieces into the dough. Dust the top and bottom of the dough with a little flour, then roll or pat the dough with your hands to the shape of the top of the baking dish, between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick. (You can also cut the dough into circles or other shapes and place on top of the berries. The finished product will resemble cobblestones, hence the name cobbler.) If leaving the dough whole, cut three small holes for steam vents. Place the dough on the fruit. Lightly brush the top with 1-2 Tbsps milk and dust with 1 Tbsp sugar. Bake the cobbler until the top is golden brown and the juices have thickened slightly, 45-50 minutes. It is a good idea to place a pan underneath the dish to catch any juices.
Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve with:
Softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

Nana's Fresh, Almost No-bake Blueberry Pie

One of Stella's favourite past times is creating delicious food with seasonal ingredients. Creating seasonal food not only keeps the cafe menu interesting for the customers it also keeps cooking from getting monotonous. It is also a well known fact that fruit and veggies taste their best when they are freshly picked from a local farm or garden. Stella is lucky, for she has her employee Kevin sourcing the best local produce and even growing some of it in his own garden plot. This week he has found a source for beautiful plump organic blueberries and has brought in a ten pound box. Stella tries a few and remarks on their firmness and sweet juicy flavour which has a slight tartness - perfect. Suddenly she is transported back in time to her own mother's kitchen. She remembers the first heavenly bite of her mother's first fresh blueberry pie of the season, and decides she must make that pie for the cafe.

An email requesting the recipe is dispatched post-haste to Stella's mother, whom they all call Nana, and she responds within the hour - another lucky break for Stella. Nana is always happy to share a recipe as long as she gets some credit in the cafe. Stella and Savannah make the pies in the afternoon, while Kevin serves the customers, and let them chill in the fridge overnight. The next day Savannah draws an appealing picture on the cafe's chalkboard menu and writes in her well practiced script: 'Nana's Fresh Blueberry Pie: a graham cracker crust topped with a thin layer of lemon-infused whipped cream cheese, heaped with blueberries and topped with a sweet blueberry sauce. Whipped cream is optional. Delectable!'

After the lunch rush is over and most of the highly praised pie is gone, the cafe staff take a break. Stella pulls out a pie she'd been keeping in the back of the fridge, gives them each a generous slice topped with cream, and saves two pieces for her girls, Kendra and Zoe, who are at a summer theater day camp. She makes everyone their favourite drinks and then sits down at the staff table with them. 'You worked hard today. You work hard everyday. Thank you!' Words are then said to the effect that Stella is the best boss in the world, but she quickly brushes those aside. 'Oh, just eat your pie,' she says with a laugh, blushing to the roots of her red hair, 'and don't forget to credit Nana.'

Stella is happy to share her mother's recipe with you. A friend of hers has also made it with wild mountain purple huckleberries and it was even better. Another friend tried it with blackberries and it was also quite wonderful.

Nana's Fresh, Almost No-bake Blueberry Pie

1) Graham cracker crust
Mix together and press into the bottom and sides of a pie dish:

1 and 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (either bought already crushed or made from rolling a rolling pin over enough graham crackers to make the correct amount of crumbs)
3 tsp sugar
1/3 cup melted butter

Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees Farenheit, and let cool completely

2) Cream cheese layer
4 oz (1/2 cup) softened cream cheese
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Beat together until fluffy, place in a piping bag or frosting bottle with easy flowing tip, and pipe into crust, distributing the mixture evenly on the pie crust

3) Berry sauce
Take 1 cup berries, add 1/3 cup water, and simmer together for three minutes.
Blend 1/2 cup sugar and 2 Tbsps cornstarch and add 3 Tbsps water. Add to cooked berries and thicken to a good sauce-like consistency (not too thin and watery, but not too thick or jelly-like).

Put 3 cups fresh blueberries on whipped cream cheese layer. Cover with an even layer of cooked berry sauce - spread to distribute.

Chill pie for two to three hours or overnight. The sauce will gel around the fresh berries and make it easy to slice. Slice and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Enjoy! (We do.)

Blueberry cleaning tip: before making the pie, measure four cups of berries. Place them in a sink filled with a few inches of cold water. Pick up handfuls of berries and discard any rotten ones, pick off the stems and place berries in a colander to drain.

Writing by Rebecca, Photography by Emma

Broccoli Egg-Lemon Soup or The New Age Greek

There are customers who, no matter the weather, will always want soup for lunch. Stella has a repertoire of soups which she rotates through. She cannot please everyone every day, but she can usually please enough people to make it worthwhile to change up the menu on a regular basis.

Today, on this mildly wet day, Stella and her crew are making a tangy, delicious spring soup, which several of her customers look forward to for their lunch. Served with a sandwich or salad, or simply a savoury scone, Stella's Broccoli Egg Lemon soup is a creative take on the traditional Greek soup, avgolemono, which translated means, simply, 'egg lemon'. It can be a little tricky to make, but when someone has been making it as long as Stella has, the method becomes second nature. She makes the soup early in the day because it tastes better after it has sat and the flavours have mingled for a few hours.

Customers begin arriving in the cafe before noon and when they see the 'soup of the day' on the chalk board they do not hesitate to place their orders. They do not want to miss out. The aroma of garlic, lemon and miso gently drifts from the kitchen into the nasal passages of the hungry group awaiting service at the counter.

Inevitably, however, one customer is heard saying to her friend, "What is with all these New Age soups? Why doesn't anyone serve plain chicken noodle soup anymore?"

If you like the sound of this soup, you can make it at home.

Broccoli Egg-Lemon Soup adapted from Moosewood Cooks at Home

servers 4, generously

2 cups finely chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 cups finely chopped broccoli florets (stems can also be peeled and finely chopped)
1 Tablespoon minced fresh dill (or 1 teaspoon dried dill)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups vegetable stock, or 1 bouillion cube dissolved in 4 cups of water

2 large eggs
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (or to taste)
1 cup cooked orzo or rice (optional)
1 tablespoon light miso or soy sauce of your choice (optional)

In a soup pot, saute the onions and garlic in the oil for about five minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the broccoli, dill, salt, and black pepper; and saute for several minutes, until the broccoli turns bright green. Add three cups of stock and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender. Remove the soup from the heat entirely.

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1/4 cup of the lemon juice. Whisk in the remaining cup of stock, then add about a cup of the hot soup broth. Gradually pour the egg mixture into the soup pot while stirring the soup. Stir in the orzo or rice, if using. If using the miso, dilute with a little soup in a bowl and then add to the soup pot. If using soy sauce, just stir it right in. Gently reheat the soup, but don't let it boil at all or it may curdle. Add more salt to taste. (Although the miso or soy sauce adds sodium already.)

Broccoli Egg-Lemon soup can be served immediately, but it tastes even better gently reheated after sitting awhile on the very lowest of heat settings. Reheating the soup involves watching the pot very carefully and stirring often to prevent curdling and separating, although the soup is still edible if this happens.Stella would just never serve it that way.

Roasted Beet and Spinach Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

The town where Stella hangs her shingle is popular with tourists. It has an inviting main street full of small independently owned shops, restaurants and offices. Bicycle racks and lamp posts hung with huge baskets of  spring flowers appear intermittently along the brick paving, along with benches for sitting in the sun. 

Stella has just enough pavement in front of her cafe to place three small black latticework tables with three chairs each. A retractable awning provides much needed summertime shade...but we aren't quite there yet. It is early May.


Still, her customers are reaching toward the sun like eager blossoms, their faces open to the air craving warmth and the myriad scents and flavours of spring, so Stella puts a special seasonal salad on the menu today: Roasted Beet and Spinach Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette.  She invented the salad, quite by accident one day when using up leftovers in her upstairs fridge, and proclaimed it, 'just the thing for spring'. The slight bitterness of the spinach marries well with the tangy sweetness of the beets coated in the citrus dressing. The chopped veggies add crunch and texture as well as additional flavour.

While Savannah writes the day's specials on the blackboard in her curvaceous handwriting, complete with little coloured chalk drawings of beets, oranges and lemons, Kevin puts some Jaques Loussier on the stereo. The cafe team is ready for the lunch rush.


Here is Stella's recipe for this light and delicious salad, which of course, you may change and add to in any way you like. Use the recipe as a springboard (pun fully intended) to your own fresh and delicious creation. Roasted beets retain their juices and are full of concentrated flavour, but if you are short on time, you can peel, dice and cook them in water on the stove top.

Beets with Triple Citrus Vinaigrette (serves 4)

10-12 small beets

Set the oven to 450 degrees F. Scrub the beets and wrap them first in parchment paper and then in aluminum foil. Roast them in the oven until tender, at least 40 minutes for very small beets and up to an hour and a half for larger ones. When the beets are fork-tender, open the package and let them cool, peel them (this should be fairly easy when they are warm, but it will be a little messy. Beet juice rinses off the fingers well unless it comes in contact with lemon juice). Dice the beets and toss with 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the following vinaigrette:

Triple Citrus Vinaigrette

1 Tbsp.     smooth Dijon mustard
3/4 cup      lemon, lime and orange juice combined in any way you like. Stella often uses orange and lemon.      
1/4 cup     olive oil
1-2 Tbsp   honey
1 Tbsp      fresh chives
1 Tbsp      fresh thyme

Whisk together the mustard, citrus juices, and salt. Slowly add the oil, whisking to form an emulsion. Add the honey and herbs, using the larger amount of honey if needed to balance the flavours. Store in fridge for up to one week.

To assemble the salad, spoon the beets onto a bed of baby spinach, and your choice of veggies, making an individual salad plate for each person. Stella used sweet orange peppers, Long English cucumber, white mushrooms and celery for a variety of textures and flavours in her salad. Drizzle the veggies with some more of the vinaigrette.

Writing and photo by Rebecca

Old Fashioned Banana Cake

It's that time of year again, where the flowers are blooming, spring is coming and business is slow. Just because life has died down at the café doesn't mean she's not open for business.
Stella's is not always the bustling exciting place as it seems, but there will always be baking!
Today on her counter there is a delicious banana cake she hopes you'll love as much as her.

Old Fashioned Banana Cake-adapted from Whitewater Cooks at Home

This entire recipe (including the icing) can be doubled to make a beautiful layer cake perfect for a party!

1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 large bananas, mashed
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tsp vinegar
1/4 cup warm water
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Grease and line the bottom of one 9 by 9 inch pan with parchment paper
In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add mashed bananas and beat the batter until combined.
Combine the milk and vinegar in a medium sized bowl or large measuring cup. Add warm water and vnilla. Stir in baking soda. The mixture will fix up a bit. Set aside.
Mix together flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Add to the batter in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture in two, mixing gently between each addition until just blended.
Fold in the walnuts and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for about 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Cool for 20 minutes before removing from the pan.

Deliciously Delectable Icing that Makes this Cake so Delicious!
1/2 cup butter
1 cup icing sugar
1 tbsp boiling water
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup toasted coconut

Cream butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy.
Add boiling water and beat well.
Beat in the milk and vanilla and whip for about 2 minutes until icing is light and fluffy.
Spread the icing on the cake and garnish with the toasted coconut!

Enjoy!

Writing and photography by Emma.

Hot Cross Buns for the Easter Season

Stella is in the grocery store, doing the weekly shopping for herself and the girls. She wishes she were shopping for her husband, Oliver, too, but Oliver is only half way through his year-long assignment in Dubai, helping to open a brand new branch of the hotel company with which he is employed. Oh well, she sighs, she's glad she isn't in Dubai herself - redheads tend to fry in the heat. Stella reaches the breads section of the supermarket and suddenly has a craving for Hot Cross Buns, one of Oliver's favourite treats, which appear only in late winter through Easter. She finds the rack of twelve-packs of buns and picks up a package, reading over the ingredients like she always does. "Hmmmm.." she thinks. "These sure have a lot of preservatives in them, and I'm sure this unpronounceable ingredient can't be good for me." She puts the package back on the rack and moves on.

Later, driving the groceries home, Stella becomes inspired to try her hand at baking Hot Cross Buns from scratch for the cafe. She generally purchases all her sandwich breads and buns from the excellent bakery down the road, but they don't do Hot Cross Buns. She likes a challenge in any case and is happy she thought to purchase some dark raisins and candied orange peel today.

The next morning as she downs her customary double Americano, Stella begins the time consuming but rewarding process of making any yeast bread. Many hours later, the hot cross buns, golden and aromatic with cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg are cooling on the racks. She whisks up the icing and crosses each bun. Her girls, Zoe and Kendra burst into the cafe kitchen after school, asking to try one. She lets them split a large one and makes them a steamed milk with vanilla to go with it. The rest, of course, will go to the customers, who have been commenting curiously all day on the wonderful smells floating on the air from the kitchen.

James, the book seller is the first in line. He slices his Hot Cross Bun in half and slathers it with butter - "lactose intolerance be damned" he exclaims, taking a large bite. "Mmmmm...delicious. Haven't had one of these since I was a boy. I never touch the ones in the supermarket; they look like they're made with bad fruit cake leftovers."

Stella laughs and goes back into the kitchen, raising an arm in victory to Savannah. "Success!" she whispers. Then, "We'll need more candied orange peel if I'm going to make more of these. Oh, I do hope James does not regret that butter!"

Hot Cross Buns originated in Medieval England as simple tea rolls, flavoured with dried fruit and spices and crossed with sugar, to commemorate Good Friday. Stella followed this tradition by making them with a simple milk bread dough, although they can be made using enriched doughs for Stollen or Pannetone if you prefer. 

Hot Cross Buns from The Joy of Cooking

Place in a small saucepan with just enough water to cover by 1/2 inch:
     1/2 cup dried currants or raisins
Bring the water to a boil, then drain well. Transfer the currants or raisins to a small bowl and sprinkle with:
     2 tablespoons water
Cover and let soak at least 30 minutes.

Stir together:
     1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
     1/8 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
     1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

Prepare milk dough, adding spice mixture above to the bread flour, and adding the drained currants or raisins ( Stella also adds 3 Tablespoons candied orange peel) toward the end of the kneading.

Combine in a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of an heavy-duty mixer and let stand until the yeast is dissolved, about 5 minutes:
     1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
     3 Tablespoons warm water
Add:
     1 cup whole or low fat milk, warmed, but not hot
     5 Tablespoons melted butter or margarine
     3 Tablespoons sugar
     1 large egg
     1 teaspoon salt
Mix by hand or on low speed for 1 minute. Gradually stir in:
     2 cups bread flour*
Gradually add until the dough is moist but not sticky:
     1 1/2 to 2 cups all-purpose flour
Knead for about 10 minutes by hand or with the dough hook on low to medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and turn it over once to coat with oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch the dough down, knead briefly, and refrigerate covered for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough equally into 18 pieces, about 1 ounce each. Grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper. On an unfloured surface, roll the dough pieces into balls and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. For the egg wash, whisk together 1 egg and a pinch of salt, and brush over the tops of the rolls. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Brush the buns again with the egg wash. Bake the buns until the crust is golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped, about 15 minutes.

While the buns cool, make a glaze by stirring together:
     1/2 cup powdered sugar
     1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice, orange juice, or milk ( Stella used orange)
While rolls are still a bit warm, decorate each one with glaze in the shape of a cross.
Let icing set before serving.

Enjoy!

*Bread flour can be made by adding 1 Tablespoon vital wheat gluten to each cup of all purpose flour.

P.S. Stella is tempted to double the spices next time, but the buns truly are good mildly spiced as written in the recipe. Besides, too much cinnamon tends to impact the rising, she's heard from a reliable source.

Photography and writing by Rebecca. 

Homemade Chai Latte!

"Mom, I am just so tired. School was pretty tough today," Zoe said. She was currently sprawled on one of the cafés' comfy leather chairs reading a magazine.

"Oh?" Stella said as she tidied the stack of books.

"I need some caffeine. You know I have drama tonight right? I think some serious espresso is needed right here," Zoe said as she stood up.

"I think not! But you can have a mug of hot chocolate or some earl grey tea if you like," Stella laughed.

"Can I please have an Americano? Or even just a large cup of coffee? All the other kids have it every morning and they don't even have moms who own coffee shops!" exclaimed Zoe.

"No way. We don't want to stunt your growth now, do we? Besides, all those kids shouldn't be drinking coffee anyway. They have enough energy already let alone needing a cup of most likely awful coffee every morning," Stella replied, "but there is a steaming cup of chai waiting...it's freshly made, and I can even make it a latté...if you want it that is," Stella offered.

"It's generic, but I guess it will satisfy my extreme present need for caffeine, " sighed Zoe, plunking herself back onto the chair.

"Coming right up!" Stella laughed.

Homemade Chai Latte! -adapted from the book 'Tea Party'

Makes 2 large mugs of chai, or 4 mugs if adding steamed milk

2 cups water
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped, or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 teaspoons black tea, or 2 teabags of black tea. I used Dilma tea-bags.
1/2 cup honey

Combine water and milk in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring often.
Reduce heat to low and add all the spices and vanilla.

Cover and let simmer for 12 minutes.
Remove from heat, add black tea, and let steep covered for 2 minutes or more.
Add honey, mix well and then strain.

Serve hot or cold!

Now you may be asking. Chai Latte? At home? Well if, like us, you don't have a Keurig then you can purchase one of these! A handy dandy milk frother!

If you're not sure what it is, it is just like a french press, except for milk. You add hot steaming milk to it and pump away, and it froths the milk right up! We first got one last Christmas from our cousins, but I broke the spout...and let's just say it is out of commission. So I purchased another one for my mom for Christmas this year. It was only $11.00, and works great! 

So add the frothed milk on top of 1/2 cup of your freshly made chai, and top with cinnamon.

You may even want to pair it with a slice of Stella's apple danish. Trust me, it tastes divine.

Writing and photography by Emma!