Lavender Olive Oil Cake with Honeyed Ricotta
Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 55 minutes Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Pillsbury ® Baking Spray with
Flour 1 3 / 4 cups Pillsbury BEST ® All Purpose Flour 1 1 / 2 teaspoons baking powder
1 / 2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup sugar 1 tbs. finely grated orange peel 1 tbs. culinary lavender, crushed, plus additional 1 to 2 tbs. for garnish 1 / 4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 2 / 3 cup plain yogurt 3 large eggs 2 / 3 cup Crisco ® Pure Olive Oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 / 4 cup heavy cream 3 tablespoons honey 3 / 4 cup ricotta cheese, at room temperature
1. Heat oven to 350 ° F. Spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan generously with baking spray; set aside.
2. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Whisk together sugar, orange peel, lavender and pepper in a large mixing bowl until evenly distributed. Add yogurt, eggs and olive oil; continue whisking until smooth. Whisk in vanilla. Add flour mixture and gently whisk in until just combined. Scrape batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely.
4. Whip cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add honey and continue to whip until stiff. Add ricotta cheese, a dollop at a time, and beat until fluffy. Slice cake. Top slices with honeyed ricotta and sprinkle with lavender.
Mediterranean Essentials
Fresh and flavorful ingredients are the key to great Mediterranean cooking, so keep some of these essential ingredients on hand:
• Vegetables— tomatoes, onions, shallots, peppers, carrots, spinach, eggplant
• Grains— pasta, couscous, oats, barley, corn, rice
• Dairy— yogurt, unsalted butter
• Beans and legumes— chickpeas, cannellini beans, lentils
• Fresh herbs and spices— cumin, garlic, rosemary, fennel, oregano, basil
• Cheese— Parmigiano-Reggiano, pecorino, ricotta, Manchego, feta
• Condiments— olive oil, balsamic vinegar, olives, capers, honey
Mediterranean Linguine with Basil and Tomatoes Prep Time: 10 minutes
1. Heat 6 quarts water to boiling.
Cook Time: 15 minutes Add pasta and salt. Cook for the
Yield: 8 servings minimum recommended time on
1 1-pound box linguine pasta package directions. While pasta 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste cooks, prepare sauce. 1 / 2 cup Crisco ® 100 % Extra Virgin 2. Heat olive oil in large skillet on
Olive Oil medium heat. Add tomatoes and
2 pints grape tomatoes( 4 cups), garlic. Cook and stir 2 minutes or cut in half until tomatoes are soft. Remove
1 tablespoon minced garlic from heat. Stir in vinegar and 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar pepper flakes. 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 3. Drain cooked pasta. Add to skillet.
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook and stir 1 minute or until pasta
18 to 20 basil leaves, cut in thin is coated and hot. Remove from strips heat. Season with salt and pepper.
3 / 4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, Stir in basil and cheese. Serve with plus additional for garnish additional cheese, if desired.
West Virginia Farm Bureau News 23