Roasted Beet Salad with Dill

I admit, sometimes I avoid beets.

The peeling, the roasting and the colour-stained hands tend to leave me picking veg that are less of a hassle most of the time. But I do love them and when I find a fresh bunch of them at my local farmer's stand, I am inclined to forget the extra work and focus on the outcome.

Truth be told, it is far less work than I remember. In fact, this recipe for beta vulgaris (weird latin!) is worth the little extra time and effort.

It is a fabulous marinated salad on its own but is even better when it crowns a bowl of fresh greens and is topped with a little feta cheese. You can even add a few orange segments. Jewel-tone beauty.

Roasted Beet Salad with Dill
If you aren't a fan of orange, substitute lemon juice instead.

2 bunches beets, scrubbed and greens removed (can be sauteed or used for another purpose)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp orange or lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dijon mustard
1-2 tbsp fresh chopped dill weed
Optional: baby salad greens, feta & orange segments


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place beets in a shallow baking dish with just enough water to cover bottom of pan. Sprinkle with salt and cover dish tightly with lid or foil. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until tender when pierced with a fork. Let cool, remove skins with fingers or a dull knife. Slice into 1/4" slices. Place in bowl.
2. Whisk together dressing ingredients: olive oil, juice, salt and dijon mustard. Toss with sliced beets and dill. Serve at room temperature.

Cherry Frangipane Flan

I ran across a recipe for Cherry Almond Pie in a British leaflet-style cookbook subtitled, "Traditional Ways to a Man's Heart".

I was intrigued. Not only by the very alluring title, but because this "pie" was in fact nothing like a pie. There was no crust and the filling was not very pie-like. It seemed rather a cross between a flan and a cake. I had to play with it a bit since it really had no clear quantities- stating to use "the weight of an egg" of butter and sugar and didn't give any size of pan to use.

Do not mistake this for a clafouti, the eggy French flan. This really is a heartier, cakier version of a flan- much like a frangipane tart but without the crust. Although I have my favourite Cherry- Almond Cake (see past posts), this has a completely different texture and is great if you are avoiding wheat or just want something different.

Anyways, after the experimenting, I was happy to have created a super simple, delicious cake (that happens to be gluten-free) for those precious last cherries. I decided that it needed to be called a frangipane flan instead of cake or tart but it is really like nothing I've had before. It almost defies a title.

Cherry Frangipane Flan
You can use half flour and half almond flour for a different texture. It is best the day it is made. Dust with icing sugar or serve with a dallop of creme fraiche or whipped cream.

2 cups pitted cherries
2 eggs
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup cane sugar
1 cup almond flour or very finely ground almonds
1 tsp almond extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 8-9" flan or tart pan. Scatter cherries over pan.
2. Cream butter and sugar together in a bowl, add eggs and mix until light and fluffy. Beat in almond flour and almond extract. Spread over cherries evenly.
3. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden. The middle will still be soft but should be cooked through. Enjoy!

Rice Lentil Salad

Good recipes are like good friends. You hold on tight to them.

This is one recipe that I have had for years from a friend I have known for years. (More than 20! Darn, I am old.) Reflecting on that time, she was really a foodie even in high school. I still remember a samosa-making party. And this super salad. She was a perfectionist- slicing and dicing the rainbow of veggies into the tiniest cubes so that even a salad could be a thing of beauty.

After making it so many times (not so perfectly), I have realized that it is such a great way to used leftover rice. It is also a great way to clean out the veggies in your fridge! Almost anything goes, as the salad dressing is amazing. Just make sure you use lentils, rice and feta!

This is Jeannine's salad. It is a beautiful, crunchy powerhouse of a salad. I think of her everytime I make it!

Jeannine's Rice Lentil Salad
The only thing I changed was to use brown rice and I sometimes use a little less oil. You really can't mess with perfection! Basmati rice is really nice here, but use what you have. This really is a great use of leftover vegetables or rice.
(Note: My salad isn't as colourful as hers was! I used what I had on hand- celery, carrots, herbs, etc.)

Components:
2 cups cooked brown rice (cook according to package directions)
2 cups cooked brown lentils (bring to a boil: 1 cup lentils in 4 cups salted water, simmer 25 minutes, drain)
feta cheese (optional: only for vegans!)

Chopped raw veggies:
1 chopped carrot
1 chopped celery stalk
1/2 cucumber, seeded and chopped
6 radishes, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
cilantro, arugula or parsley or a combo, chopped

Dressing:
Combine dressing ingredients in blender or use hand blender to make a smooth, creamy dressing.

1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup dijon mustard
3 large cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Serve at room temperature or take out of fridge 30 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional herbs.

Raspberry Banana Bread

What do you do when life hands you a bucketful of beautiful, luscious raspberries? Make banana bread, of course!

Some friends were out of town and asked if I could go and make use of their raspberry bushes. I am so thankful because I am inclined to think that after our strawberry craze over the last few weeks, we were growing tired of the fair berry. (Is that even possible?) Raspberries seemed just the antidote.

After the kids had their fill (shoving fistfuls of these juicy berries into their mouths), freezing some and having a few leftover, I decided to put those few gems into my favourite banana bread from Epicurious.com.

I have to agree with my friend who seemed to quite be taken with it. The banana and berry combo was quite nice indeed!

Raspberry Banana Bread
This low-fat bread freezes incredibly well if it is well-wrapped. Additional batter can be put into muffin tins, but make sure not to over-bake.

2 eggs
3/4 cup cane sugar
2 bananas, frozen or browning, and mashed
1/3 cup soured milk (add a teaspoon or two of vinegar to the mix)
1 tbsp vegetable oil (sunflower, grapeseed, etc.)
1 tbsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup unbleached flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup fresh or defrosted raspberries tossed with 1 tbsp flour

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour loaf tins (4 small, about 6" long, or 2 regular-sized pans).
2. Beat eggs and sugar together on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add mashed bananas, soured milk, oil and vanilla.
3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pour into wet ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in berries.
4. Bake time depends on size of pan, but as a rule, most pans require 45 minutes (small) to an hour (regular). Tops should be golden brown and test with toothpick at 5 minute intervals after 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool pans on wire rack for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Chickweed and Wild Strawberries on the Farm

Going back to my parents' farm always leads to many fascinating discoveries- from what new art installation dad has placed by the front door (recently a chainsaw-carved bear appeared), to what pieces of art are being displayed in the kitchen (currently some rather depressingly-grey nautical images, circa 1800s). Where did the needlepoint quilt art go? And also scavenging in the basement to ensure that the toys we had as children weren't sold at an antique swap meet yet (found the Lite Brite!)

But this time also brought some rather exciting discoveries in the yard. After the mandatory llama head counts to make sure they are still alive and kicking (5 girls, 1 boy- check), we headed out to explore.

A little walk around the front revealed tons of food (that would have been otherwise classified as weeds by my lovely dad). He won't go to the bother of trying to kill weeds as he knows the ramifications. But he wasn't entirely pleased with the idea of eating weeds.

My first finds were tiny, jewel-like wild strawberries that had more concentrated flavour than I can put into mere words. Any description eludes me. Enough to say that when the kids saw my hard work (in a rather small cup), they decided to reward themselves with the tempting fruit of my labour. They greedily gobble up the precious berries.

Then I walked around to see huge patches of chickweed growing by the barn doors. My dad wondered what I was doing nibbling on weeds. I tried to get him to try them, but he refused. The kids tried it and we came back later to snip away with our scissors to trick grandpa into eating chickweed!

Here are some of the recipes that resulted from our wild foraging this week. I am hoping that some of these recipes encouraged my parents to eat a little more locally than they usually do...

Wild Strawberry Fool
Serves 2-3

I feel ashamed to even post a recipe for wild strawberries because they are so precious that you just want to eat them as you gather them! But I went foraging on my own and was able to gather a small cup of berries. Because there were so few of them, I whipped them into this delicious concoction to be able to share some of that deliciousness with the family. I added a touch of yogurt to add some tang. Double the recipe if you have lots of berries or have some fresh, local berries that you want to use instead!

1 cup whipping or heavy cream
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt (happened to be non-fat)
2 tbsp icing sugar
wild (or as fresh as you can get) strawberries

1. Whip cream until nearly stiff in a medium-sized bowl. Add greek yogurt and icing sugar and combine until smooth.
2. Add as many wild strawberries as you can gather (I had less than 1 cup) and mix them into the cream mixture. Serve immediately.

Wild Strawberry Leaf Tea
Apparently wild strawberry leaves are very high in Vitamin C, so this is a great tonic!

1. Place a few strands of clean, wild strawberry leaves in a cup and pour boiling water over top. Let stand for several minutes before drinking.

Chickweed Pesto
Chickweed has a spinach-like flavour, so feel free to sub spinach or basil if you can't get your hands on some chickweed!

2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups packed, washed chickweed (tender tops)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp sea salt
Optional, but recommended:
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup packed fresh grated parmesan

1. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
2. Use as a topping for pasta, pizza or crostini topping. I like to use only part of this recipe on hot pasta and smooth it out with a touch of heavy cream. I reserve the rest for use at a later date (you can freeze it).

Rhubarb Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

Having an excess of rhubarb has led me to some strange and unchartered territory.

I have strayed from the unusual rhubarb and strawberry combination- making rhubarb and apricot jam, rhubarb and raspberry crisp and then I was thinking it would be unique to pair rhubarb and blueberries together in a muffin. Wrong again. I believe I was born about a century (or two?) too late to make that discovery after searching the web.

I am hoping that this recipe still manages to delight and surprise a few. It is entirely wonder-ful. The plump blueberries revealing their juicy innermost parts and the rhubarb softening enough to make moist little bits amongst the wholesome, oaty muffin.

I am entirely curious what other combinations might go together, so I may be experimenting with more rhubarb and fruit pairings in this muffin!

Rhubarb Blueberry Oatmeal Muffin
Makes 24 muffins
I'm sure that this recipe would be wonderful with just rhubarb or rhubarb and raspberries or whatever fruit combo you want to try. I really wanted to use whole wheat in this recipe but was out of it, next time I will use that instead.

2 cups unbleached flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk or soured milk (1 cup milk with 1 tbsp vinegar)
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups mixed fruit (1 cup diced rhubarb and 1 cup blueberries)

Optional topping:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup oats
2 tbsp melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk or stir together flour, oats, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
3. In a large measuring cup or small bowl, mix together egg, buttermilk, applesauce and oil. Pour into dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Stir in fruit.
4. Spoon into 24 lined muffin tins. If desired, combine topping ingredients with a fork, and sprinkle a little bit on top of each muffin before baking. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Eggplant with Thai Basil

If you have experienced Thai Basil, you already know how unique the flavour is. If you haven't- you need to search it out! The licorice-flavoured, purple-stemmed leaves add a complexity to even the most simple dishes.

After trying vegetarian eggplant with thai basil several times at our local Thai restaurant (and I use that term loosely, since the owners are Chinese and the music seemed to be Japanese-instrumental last time), I was convinced that I had to start growing it in my herb garden.

And so I began experimenting and came up with this easy recipe. It is so comforting and delicious served atop a bowl of warm brown rice. Next time I might try to add some tofu or some other veg to the mix, but for now this simple little recipe rocks my world.

This may not be what you would be served at a Thai restaurant (or a Chinese/Japanese, Thai-inspired, restaurant), but it is an easy shortcut to achieve similar flavours at home.

Eggplant with Thai Basil
EASY
Asian dishes usually rely on Japanese, or long slender, eggplants. I happened to have some local hothouse eggplants that are mini globes- they are more bulbous in shape and they managed to fit the bill this time.

2-3 tbsp neutral cooking oil (sunflower, grapeseed, etc.)
2 small- medium sized eggplants, diced into 1" pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp grated or finely minced ginger
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 cup packed thai basil leaves

1. In a large frying pan or wok, heat oil over medium-high heat. Saute eggplant pieces until lightly browned and softened, about 6-8 minutes. Add more oil if desired.
2. Add garlic and ginger and saute for about 1 minute. Do not let burn.
3. Combine soy sauce, water, honey and cornstarch and whisk until smooth. Pour into pan and cook until heated through and glossy in appearance, about another minute or two. Add thai basil and cook for another minute. Serve immediately.

Herbal Teas (Tisanes)

I have been making the most of the bounty of my herb garden- chopped into salads, adorning desserts and being made into herbal iced teas.

But when I recently shared some of my iced herbal concoctions with a friend she reminded me that these are not really teas per se, but actually tisanes. Tisanes are infusions made from herbs and contain no tea (or caffeine) at all.

I remember being rather surprised when I ordered peppermint tea in a cafe in Paris and I received a hot pot filled with peppermint leaves (sans soggy tea bag). But really, why was I suprised? Especially in Paris! Ah, live and learn.

I love tisanes (but tea, I still adore thee!) and I have been making them non-stop this summer to keep up with the over-production of greenery in the herb garden. Lemon balm is one of my favourites but I also love peppermint and chamomile. They all have very unique properties and benefits and so I sip away...

Herbal Tisanes
Read up about the herb you want to use before consuming it in copious amounts, but peppermint and chamomile are pretty standard. Sweeten iced tisanes with a little cane sugar or honey for the ultimate summer refresher!

1. Bring a pot of water to boil.
2. Infuse rinsed herbs with boiling water and let stand 5-10 minutes. Sweeten if desired.

Suggestions:
For a large cup of chamomile tea, a small handful of flowers and stems (approx. 2 tbsp) for 2 cups boiling water. Sweeten with honey if desired.
For a small pitcher of iced peppermint or lemon balm tea, boil 6 cups water for 1 cup packed leaves. Sweeten with cane sugar if desired. Serve over ice.

Gina's Perfect Shortbread Hearts

A ladybug thank you card from a friend- perched atop a hearty loaf. A cannister of my very favourite blend from my friendly tea master. A mason jar of fancy fixings from another for a favour granted. A container of long-simmered chicken stock with recipe attached. A tiny green veg seedling full of hope and promise left at the door.

All gifts of love, time and self. And deliciousness. Truly the best gifts.

When my daughter came home with her first foodie gift (from someone other than me!) she was thrilled! When opened, the gold-speckled container revealed small chocolate-studded shortbread hearts.

I immediately emailed the mum who sent along these treats requesting the recipe. Here it is in her own words. I am pretty sure it is her use of brown sugar with a touch of chocolate that really makes them the best shortbread ever. The hearts make them that much more special.

Thank you foodie friends- we (insert ♥ cookie cutter) you!

Gina's Perfect Shortbread Hearts
EASY
These really are perfect-the dough is easy to work with, it isn't overly sweet and just a few chocolate chips add a little something. They are fabulous on their own or atop a bowl of fresh berries!

1 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour, sifted
1/4 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1. Cream butter and sugar till fluffy, beat in vanilla. Slowly stir in sifted flour and salt until well mixed. Mix in chocolate chips (and nuts if you like but my kids don't).
2. I then press out on to a lightly floured surface and cut out with cookie cutters, lots of mushing with your fingers normally forms it into a workable mixture! Sprinkle with fine sugar before baking.
3. Bake on a non stick tray for about 10 mins at 350 degrees but I check as
sometimes can take less or more.
(Note: I rolled mine with a rolling pin and they were perfect because the chocolate chips acted as a guide for how thick they could be!)

Sweet Buckwheat Crepes

I know that there are those who believe crepes can be used to wrap everything from spinach and cheese to crabmeat, but I am not one of those people.

I believe breakfast foods belong at breakfast. Except for crepes, because they could be breakfast (at home), a snack (in Paris) or a dessert (at fancy restaurant) but they definitely have no place whatsoever at lunch or dinner.

(I can hear the voices of dissent now). Shhh. Quiet now!

My crepes are soft and thin cakes made in a pan. A frying pan. They are warm brown in colour, speckled with tiny air bubbles and have the toothsome, lingering taste of buckwheat. Touched by sweetness, there is no mistake that they are a treat. The tablespoon of cane sugar assures that they are not subjected to any unsavoury savoury application. (Yes, that's right. Read it again!)

Cuddled within its warm embrace, my perfect crepe contains homemade preserves (blackberry or strawberry-rhubarb only, thank you) with a dallop of honey greek yogurt.

Yes, they are sweet, not savoury, buckwheat crepes. I know the history. I reject it.

These are sweet eats. Forever and always. The End.

Sweet Buckwheat Crepes
Makes 15-16 crepes
This can be made the night before and stored in the fridge. Give it a quick whisk before pouring. Sometimes the flours seem to absorb more liquid, if that is the case, add a little more milk to thin it slightly. The youngers in our family prefer chocolate spread with or without some softly whipped cream. The older and wiser sometimes likes chocolate spread with fruit- bananas or strawberries are usually top picks.

2 1/2 cups milk
3 large eggs
1 tbsp cane sugar
1 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
4 tbsp melted butter
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
butter, for cooking

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Alternately, mix with hand mixer until completely smooth. Let stand for a few minutes, or up to 12 hours in the fridge, before pouring.
2. Preheat crepe or frying pan over medium heat until warm.
3. Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto lightly buttered hot pan (approximately 1/4 tsp melted butter, rubbed with paper towel onto pan). Do a full rotation of your wrist to make it go around in a nice circular motion (I am sure there are youtube videos on this!) or smooth out with spatula until very thin.
4. When edges begin to slightly dry and curl (about 30 seconds to a minute), flip it over and cook the other side for about 10-15 seconds.

Crepes are great warm, served with any of the following:
homemade preserves or stewed fruit and honey greek yogurt
chocolate spread with bananas or strawberries
chocolate spread and whipped cream
fresh fruit and whipped cream
or ???

Tomato & Basil Bruschetta

There is really nothing better in a summer meal than some bread, tomatoes and basil. But when the bread is toasted and kissed with garlic, this becomes a simple yet beautiful Italian appetizer- bruschetta [broo-sket-uh] .

I have made endless variations of this classic- toasted bread brushed with oil, chopped garlic in with the tomatoes, large leaves of basil and sometimes warmed in the oven with cheese adorning the crispy breads. This version ensures that the bread is crisp and that you are getting the perfect combination of garlic, tomatoes and basil in each bite. If your ingredients are perfectly fresh, you will want to serve this at room temperature to savour all those flavours.

It can be an appetizer when served on small pieces of baguette as I usually do, but served on some hearty slices of french or sourdough and topped with some melted cheese, it really becomes more of a meal.

So simple, so tasty and so summery perfect!

Smell those tomatoes and basil before you buy them to make sure they still have the scent of summer before buying them. And please never, ever keep your tomatoes in the fridge!

Tomato & Basil Bruchetta
Serves 4 as an appetizer

You can toast the bread in the oven under the broiler or on your BBQ as you wait for your meal. Make this self-serve so the bread doesn't get soggy, by leaving the bowl of tomato mixture in the middle of the platter with toasted bread slices all around. Or, put some shredded provolone or mozzarella on top and broil until bubbly.

1/2 baguette, sliced on diagonal
1 clove garlic, cut in half
2 large roma tomatoes, chopped
handful of fresh basil
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste


1. Preheat broiler.

2.. Place baguette slices on sheet pan under broiler for approximately 3 minutes, but watch carefully! They should be just gently tanned and not brown at all. Turn over and repeat on other side for about 2 minutes. Remove from oven and rub one side of each slice with cut garlic until the bread glistens. Use about one clove for every 8-10 slices. Place on platter.
3. Combine tomatoes, basil, olive oil and salt. Set aside for a few minutes for flavours to meld.
4. If serving immediately, spoon tomato mixture onto bread, otherwise serve it alongside.

No-Cook Tomato- Basil Pasta Sauce

After an afternoon of gardening in the summer sun, the last thing I want to do is make a meal over a hot stove. But there is also a small part of me inspired by the fresh veg in the garden to make something simple for dinner that highlights these beautiful gifts. So whatever I make on these days has to be fresh, delicious and on the table fast.

The sweet scent of the ruby red tomatoes and the fragrant basil is intoxicating. By not cooking them, you allow them speak all their earthy goodness and display all their vibrant colour.

Because there are only five ingredients in this pasta, they all have to be impeccably fresh. This recipe does require that you boil one pot, but one burner on is always better than two! And how often can you really make a lovely meal in one pot and in 10 minutes from start to finish?

No-Cook Tomato-Basil Pasta Sauce
The best pasta to use with this is one that has some ridges or curls to catch some of that delicious flavour. Bocconcini cheese is also wonderful in the mix and if you chop it small, it gets all nice and melty when tossed with hot pasta! Salt is probably the most important in this equation, use it while boiling pasta and use it to season the pasta sauce until it tastes just right.

1 500g package pasta
4 large ripe roma or vine tomatoes
approx. 1/3 cup finely chopped basil (large handful)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tbsp good quality olive oil, or to taste
1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste
optional: fresh bocconcini cheese, diced

1. Cook pasta in boiling, salted water according to package directions. While cooking, cut a large "X" on the bottom of the tomatoes and throw in with the cooking pasta for about a minute. Remove with slotted spoon to a plate to cool. When cool, you can easily peel skin from tomatoes and roughly chop them.
2. When pasta is done cooking, drain and quickly toss all ingredients with hot pasta in still-hot pan over turned-off, but still warm, burner. Stir until everything is evenly distributed. Serve immediately.

Cherry- Almond Yogurt Cake

When summer comes, we are always excited to get lovely organic fruit that we usually shun the rest of the year because they come from too far away or cost too much.

We usually don't buy things like cherries, strawberries or watermelon in fall and winter. We tend to eat lots of apples, pears and dried fruit because that is a bit more affordable when it comes to organic fruit. I am especially vigilant to buy organic when it comes to fruit where we eat the peel, such as apples, cherries or other stone fruits, so when this time of year comes around, we are in heaven because there are so many delicious choices!

This still means that these special fruits are more like "treats" and that they are precious. After trying my hand at growing organic fruit, I realize that there is much time, patience and perserverance in growing one organic apple, a lone pear or a handful of cherries (that the birds didn't get to first).

I have come to the conclusion that paying an organic farmer a little more for a fruit that doesn't contaminate our soil, harm their farm hands, or poison our children is entirely worth the extra money. So we may not buy cases of cherries but we do relish a small bag of them bite by juicy bite.

This recipe is one sure way to enjoy those cherries or other special fruit that you may have worked hard to produce or paid a few extra dollars for. It can be whipped up in a few minutes just before sitting down to dinner, so you can have a warm and very special dessert afterwards.

Cherry- Almond Yogurt Cake
I like to leave the cherry pits/stems in because it looks so natural and it makes for a fun eating experience. You can take them out if you prefer. For best texture, use yogurt with some fat content in it, 2% works fine. If you really want to splurge, serve it with some softly whipped cream.

1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup cane sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup plain yogurt
Cherries
Topping:1 tbsp melted butter and 1 tbsp cane sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a cake pan, quiche pan, pie plate or whatever pan you have.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
3. With mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time and beat for another minute or two on high speed.
4. Add 1/3 of flour mixture, then 1/3 yogurt and beat until combined, about 30 seconds. Repeat two more times. Add extracts with last mixing.
5. Spoon into cake pan and very lightly press cherries into top of cake. Sprinkle 1 tbsp sugar on top and drizzle melted butter on top.
6. Bake for approximately 35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out with no crumbs attached. I really like this slightly underbaked so it is nice and moist, feel free to bake longer if desired.