Rosemary Cheddar Soda Bread

 

This time of year is so exciting! It’s such a thrill to be able to stir, stuff, or sprinkle something I grew in my backyard into my cooking as often as I do. Even a handful of fragrant fresh herbs turns a simple soda bread dough into a seasonal delight. Well, that and a few handfuls of cheese.

 

Soda bread couldn’t be easier to make with its relatively few ingredients and unfussy techniques. That just leaves more room, not to mention personal energy, to tinker with the batter and add extra flavors. In this case the end product is a rich and satisfying savory, cheesy bread with the vibrant piney aroma of fresh, fresh rosemary.

The sharp cheddar is really great here, but you could use other cheeses you like, or other fresh herbs. I also think you could swap in some whole grain flour. I hope to try it with a bit of rye flour, drawing on my reminiscence of rye bread and cheddar cheese sandwiches I loved as a kid. 

 

I’ve made this bread a couple of times and I like a slice of it alongside just about any simple supper. I most recently served it with Summer Vegetable Hash, and it’s good with soup or an omelet or frittata. It’s great a little warm, and when it’s a day or so old, it benefits from a bit of toasting.

While I’m enjoying this recipe as a celebration of fresh rosemary from the pot on my back patio, I’ll be happy to take this cheesy, savory version of classic Irish soda bread with me into any season.

Rosemary Cheddar Soda Bread

Adapted from foodnessgracious.com

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon fine salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Whisk together to combine well. Add the cheddar cheese and toss together to coat the cheese with the flour mixture,

3. Pour in the buttermilk and stir together until all of the dry mixture is moistened. Add a little more buttermilk if the mixture stays too dry.

4. Pull the dough together with your hands and dump out onto a floured surface. Gently knead the dough a few times and shape into a rough ball. The dough will be a bit wet and sticky.

5. Place the ball of dough onto the prepared baking pan. Cut a deep X in the middle of the dough, at least ¼-inch deep.

6. Bake at 425 for 20-30 minutes or until the top of the loaf is well browned and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with no wet batter sticking to it.

7. Cool on the pan on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes. Slice to serve, either warm or at room temperature.

Makes about 6 servings.

Other recipes like this one: Caraway Rye Soda Bread, Soda Bread with Wild Rice and Cranberries, Savory Zucchini Parmesan Bread

One year ago: Rhubarb and White Chocolate Blondies

Zucchini Cheddar Risotto

When you have a dish that’s seems infinitely variable, like risotto, and an ingredient that seems to go just about anywhere, like zucchini, you just know they’re destined to be together somewhere, somehow. That’s kind of what went into the making of this summer version of risotto. Well, that and cheddar cheese.

I came across the idea to make a cheddar risotto in a cookbook by Nigella Lawson. (I think it was Nigella Express.) I was going to be perfectly happy trying that out on its own, but then summer came and so did the zucchini, and the risotto got some green stuff in it, too. While I’m partial to risotto, and usually like it just about any way, I particularly loved this variation. I also particularly loved this dish as a vehicle for zucchini!

I use the same basic formula for each risotto variation I try, and whether you use this one or a customized recipe of your own, I encourage you to develop a go-to system as well. It allows you to swap in whatever seasonal flavors you desire, and the closer you are to committing something like this to memory, the closer you are to impromptu deliciousness at the drop of a spoon. 

 

I like the 5 cups broth to 1 cup Arborio rice ratio, which makes a rather soupy risotto. I liked the way the cheddar and broth made a saucy pool for the soft rice and zucchini to lie in. If you like your rice firmer and your risotto less saucy, go for it. You just need to use less liquid and cook your risotto for less time, tasting and stopping when you like where you are.

And I like where this risotto is: seasonal, resourceful (in helping to use up all that August zucchini), cheesy, downright delicious.

Zucchini Cheddar Risotto

5 cups vegetable broth

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

1 medium-size clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon coarse salt, plus more to taste

1 cup risotto rice (I used Arborio)

½ cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 cup shredded zucchini

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (about 3 ounces)

1. In a medium-size saucepan, heat the vegetable broth to a simmer. Keep the broth hot, but not boiling.

2. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it is translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook about 1 minute more.

3. Add the ½ teaspoon salt, rice, and thyme. Stir to coat the rice with the oil and cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Stir in the wine and cook, stirring frequently, until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice.

4. Add about ½ cup hot broth. Cook, stirring frequently until the rice has absorbed almost all of the liquid. Continue to add the broth ½ cup at a time and stirring the rice until the liquid is absorbed until the rice is tender, but not yet mushy. You may not need all of the broth to cook the rice. The whole process will take 20-30 minutes.

5. With the last addition of broth, stir in the zucchini. Cook and stir until the liquid is nearly absorbed. Stir in the cheddar cheese. Taste the risotto for seasoning and add more salt if desired.

Makes 3 or 4 main-dish servings, or will serve more as a side dish.

Other recipes like this one: Spring Vegetable Risotto, Summer Squash Casserole with Basil and Onion

One year ago: Lemon Curd

Cheddar Jalapeno Scones

I made these Jalapeno Cheddar Scones a while ago to accompany this black bean soup. The recipe, which I adapted from this one at smitten kitchen, made enough to accompany the leftover soup as well, so I was happily eating this delicious combo for a few days. I wish I had saved some scones, or at least saved some cheddar cheese (I still have plenty of jalapenos from my garden) so I could have tasted and/or made them again before writing this. It’s not that I forgot how good they are in the meantime. It’s just that the nostalgia is almost painful. I want some more.

As a basic scone recipe this one is very nice, with a good ratio of butterfat to flour that makes an almost flaky scone that goes a little past biscuit texture. To me, that’s how a scone should be (although I’d probably be content to eat them even if they miss this mark.) The diced jalapeno chiles and tiny cubes of cheddar cheese are fabulous additions that bump up the flavor and in the case of the cheese, bump up the richness and, well, the butterfat, too.

 

Some of that cheese couldn’t help but leak out of the scones and onto the pan as they baked. I decided to take this as a gift. A gift of crispy, toasty sharp cheddar bits reminiscent of Parmesan fricos. Plenty of cheese stayed right where I put it inside the scone to make little, slightly gooey sharp cheddar-y pockets. Even though I used two whole jalapeno chiles, their spiciness did not overwhelm the scones. The cheese is still kind of the main event with the chile pepper taste as a background flavor.

I didn’t really change this recipe much from the original, except to add a bit of stone-ground cornmeal. I liked the addition of that flavor along with the chiles and I liked the added grainy, slightly crunchy texture as well. These are really a winner, and I think I might be making these scones instead of cornbread to go alongside bowls of chili or stew. Of course, that would mean getting out to get some more cheddar cheese. While the rain and gloom of the very day that I’m writing this make it a perfect day for a warming stew with a savory scone accompaniment, those same characteristics make it a day unfit for going out to acquire cheddar. Some days, you just can’t win!

 

Cheddar Jalapeno Scones

Adapted from this recipe at smitten kitchen

I made these scones into 8 large triangles. You could cut them smaller or cut them with a biscuit cutter to make them round.

Since scones quickly lose their prime texture, I recommend freezing any leftover scones as soon as you can. Defrost in the microwave to enjoy the leftovers.

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided

½ cup stone-ground cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, divided
½ cup heavy cream
2 eggs
¼ pound sharp cheddar cheese, diced
2 jalapeno peppers, minced

 

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. In a small skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the diced jalapenos and cook, stirring often until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

2. Place the cheddar in a small bowl. Add the cooled chiles and about 1 tablespoon flour. Toss to coat. Set aside.

3. In a medium-size bowl, combine the remaining flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Add the remaining butter pieces and cut in with a pastry blender, or with a knife or fork, or rub it in with your fingers until the butter is all coated with flour in pea-size pieces. Stir in the cheese and chiles.

4. In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the cream until well-combined. Add to the flour mixture and gently mix together to form a rough, crumbly dough. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and gently knead until it all comes together.

5. Shape the dough into a disk about ¾ to 1 inch thick. Cut into 8 triangles. Arrange the triangles on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Bake at 400 F for about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or just cooled.

Makes 8 fairly large scones.

Another recipe like this one: Spinach and Feta Scones withDill

One year ago: Broccoli with Sweet and Spicy Almond Sauce and Spaghetti Squash Casserole with Bacon and Cheddar