Cathleen Allison/Nevada Appeal
The farmers market is going strong on Saturdays in the parking lot at Third and Curry streets. Come visit us there for great baked goods and salads. These are a couple of the items that we will have.
Elegant breakfast strata
Makes 10-12 servings
1 cup milk
1⁄2 cup dry white wine
1 loaf day-old French bread, cut into 1⁄2 inch slices
2 cups loosely packed, chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons olive oil
1⁄2 pound bruder basil cheese or smoked gouda cheese, thinly sliced, divided
3 ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced, divided
1⁄2 cup basic basil pesto
4 eggs
1⁄2 cup whipping cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Lightly grease a 12-inch au gratin dish or a 10-inch deep dish pie pan. In a shallow bowl, combine milk and wine. Dip bread, one or two slices at a time, in the milk mixture. Gently squeeze as much liquid as possible from the bread, taking care not to tear the bread. Place the bread slices in the greased dish.
Cover the bread with cilantro and drizzle with olive oil. Layer half of the cheese and half of the tomato slices over the bread. Top with half of the pesto. Repeat layers of cheese and tomato and pesto. In a medium bowl, beat eggs and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour evenly over the layered mixture. Carefully pour cream over top and cover with plastic wrap, chill overnight.
About 3 hours before serving, remove strata from refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the pan on baking sheet and bake, uncovered, until puffy and browned, about 1 hour.
Dream Bars
Have all ingredients at room temperature and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 11x7-inch pan or similar 2-quart rectangular baking pan with greased aluminum foil, allowing the foil to overhang the narrow edges of the pan by 2 inches.
Beat on medium speed until very fluffy and well blended:
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg yolk
1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla
Stir in then knead until well blended and smooth:
3⁄4 cup all purpose flour
Firmly press the dough into the pan for a smooth, even layer. Bake for 10 minutes, set aside to cool slightly.
Toast, stirring occasionally in a baking pan until the coconut is very lightly browned,7-10 minutes:
11⁄2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 cup flaked or shredded sweetened coconut
Beat on medium speed or with a wooden spoon until well combined:
2 large eggs
1 cup packed light brown sugar
11⁄2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄8 teaspoon salt
11⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
Stir the nut mixture into the egg mixture. Spread the mixture evenly over the baked layer. Bake until the top is firm and golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Remove the pan to a rack to cool slightly. While the bar is still warm stir together:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2⁄3 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
If necessary, stir in enough water to yield a spreadable consistency. Spread the icing evenly over the top. Let stand until completely cool and the icing is set.
Using the overhanging foil ends, lift the bar and place on a cutting board. Carefully peel off the foil.
Cut into desired size bars.