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