This soup gets its freshness from a hint of lemon verbena.  Be sure to choose the sweetest tomatoes you can find.  I like to serve this soup over a piece of poached salmon. 

Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 dozen large lemon verbena leaves
3 cups fruity white wine (I prefer Chenin Blanc from Goosecross Cellars http://www.goosecross.com/ )
6 large, ripe heirloom tomatoes, cored
1/4 tsp. chili aleppo flakes
Fine sea salt and pepper, to taste
Creme fraiche for garnish (optional)
Lemon verbena leaves for garnish (optional) 

You will also need:
1 large pot with lid
Blender
Strainer

Instructions
Heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onions, garlic and lemon verbena leaves.  Cover the pot, reduce the heat and let the vegetables sweat until the onions are soft (about 10 minutes).  Add the wine and increase the heat to medium high.  Cook uncovered until the wine has reduced by half.  Add the whole cored tomatoes, turn the heat to high and cover the pot.  Cook for only 3-5 minutes until the tomatoes start to change consistency and the skins crack.  Turn off the heat and let rest for about 5 minutes.  Transfer the contents to the blender (you may have to do this in two batches) and puree the soup until it is thickened.  Strain to remove the lemon verbena and tomato peels.  Add the chili flakes, sea salt and pepper, to taste. 

Cover tightly and chill until ready to serve.  

Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche and lemon verbena leaves for garnish. 

This soup can be made a couple of days ahead and stored in the refrigerator.

I loved this dessert as a child.  My mother and my grandmother made it often in the summertime to feature the wild strawberries that grew near our farm.   We used whipped cream for the topping then, but I have changed the recipe a bit to use creme fraiche.  Either will work beautifully. 

One note on the butter:  I prefer to use European-style butter.  It has a bit more butter fat and less moisture than traditional butter, and I think it gives a better taste and texture to the shortcakes. 

Ingredients
4 baskets fresh strawberries
1/3 cup sugar

2 cups self-rising flour (see * below)
1 stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter, plus a little more for the pan
Approx. 3/4 cup lowfat or regular buttermilk
A little extra self-rising flour to scatter on countertop

1/2 cup creme fraiche

You will also need:
Large bowl
Aluminum foil
Food processor
Biscuit cutter (approx. 2.5″ in diameter)
Baking pan (a 9″ round cake layer pan works great)
Knife
Individual serving plates

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Wash the strawberries, take off the caps and slice the berries into about 4 pieces each.  If the strawberries are really small, then just slice them in half.   Add the sugar to the berries and stir well.  Cover with aluminum foil and set aside. 

Put the flour into the food processor.  Cut the butter into 8 pieces.  Add the butter, one piece at a time, to the flour and pulse about 5 times after each addition.  When all butter has been added, the flour should have a corn-meal consistency.  Slowly add the buttermilk and pulse until the flour starts to come together.   You may not need exactly all of the buttermilk so add slowly.  When the mixture is moist but not too wet, remove the blade from the food processor and gather the flour mixture into a ball. 

Scatter some flour onto the countertop.  Press the ball out to about 1″ thickness.  Smooth the edges and the top.  Using a biscuit cutter, cut the dough into 7 or 8 circles, gathering up the dough that is left and using it , too. 

Butter a 9″ round cake pan.  Place the shortcake circles into the pan.  Bake for 18 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.  Cut one of the shortcakes in half, forming a top and bottom piece.  Place it openface (cut side up) onto an individual serving dish.  Spoon some of the strawberries and juice over both pieces.  Top each with a dollop of creme fraiche.  Repeat with the others.  Serve immediately. 

Serves 4-6. 

* Note:  Self-rising flour and plain flour are not the same thing.  Self-rising flour has baking powder and salt already added in.  We used it for biscuits, shortcakes and cobblers when I was growing up.  If you don’t have self-rising flour, you can make your own.  Mix together 2 cups plain flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Ingredients
4 cups ripe raspberries, rinsed

For the topping:
1 stick (4 oz.) butter, softened
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed
3/4 cups chopped pecans
Large pinch salt

For the crème fraiche:
1/2 cup crème fraiche
1/8 cup brown sugar

You will also need:
Large casserole or pie dish
Utility knife
2 bowls

Instructions
Preheat oven to 425^oF.

Place the raspberries into the casserole or pie dish.

With hands, mix together the topping ingredients until moist. Sprinkle topping over the raspberries. Bake for about 25 minutes, until golden brown (start checking at 20 minutes – will depend on the oven).

Remove from the oven and let cool.

Mix together crème fraiche and brown sugar. Refrigerate until serving. Spoon over top of crisp

Serves 6-8.

Ingredients
2 T unsalted butter + more for buttering the baking dishes
2 T sugar
2 cups cherries, pitted
1 T Amaretto (optional)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 cup cream or half-and-half
1 tsp vanilla extract
Powdered sugar

You will also need:
Small skillet
Medium mixing bowl
6 small ramekins or 1 pie dish
Large baking sheet 

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 

Butter the ramekins or pie dish and set aside. 

Melt the butter in the skillet over medium-high heat on top of the stove.  Add the pitted cherries and 2 T sugar.  When the cherries start to sizzle, reduce the heat and let them cook over a medium flame for about 5 minutes.  Add the amaretto and cook for another 5 minutes until the cherries are tender and a nice syrup is formed in the pan.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

Mix together the flour, sugar and salt.  Add the eggs and stir to combine.  Add the cream and the vanilla.  Mix all ingredients well and set aside. 

Divide the cooked cherries among the buttered ramekins or put them into the buttered pie pan.  Pour the egg mixture on top.  Place the ramekins or pie pan onto a large baking sheet.   Bake for about 20 minutes (ramekins) or 30 minutes (pie pan) until set. 

Remove the clafoutis from the oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Turn on the broiler.  Place the clafoutis under the hot broiler for about 2-3 minutes until browned. 

Serve either warm or cold.   Top with whipped cream or mint, if desired.  Serves 6.

My husband is a beer connoisseur. He has sampled beer in all seven continents and has his favorites. However, he was thrilled to discover Brother David’s Double Abbey-style Ale from Anderson Valley Brewing Company very near our home in Northern California. This is an exceptional ale, and I really enjoy it, too. It is a very dark amber color and has a lush richness and full body. It has flavors of fruit, spice and chocolate. It reminds us of Autumn and winter holidays. A beer like this is almost a meal! I had a glass at lunch today and decided that it would be great in a chocolate cake. So I made one. The cake turned out to be rich, dense, moist and full of flavor. In the spirit of Oktoberfest, I would like to share this cake with you. I am calling it Double Chocolate Abbey-style Ale Cake.

Ingredients

For the cake:
1 stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter, plus 1 T. more for the pan
3/4 cup Brother David’s Double Abbey-style Ale
3/4 cup packed Medjool dates, pitted and finely chopped
3.5 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (Note: you can use bittersweet, but you can taste the ale better with semi-sweet.)
1 1/4 cup plain (all-purpose) flour, plus 1 T. more for the pan
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
2 eggs
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 t. vanilla

For the icing:
3.5 oz. Valrhona semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 oz. Valrhona bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 T. (1 oz.) butter

You will also need:
Bundt pan
Small mixing bowl
Chef’s knife
Small saucepan
Medium mixing bowl
Large spoon
Mixer

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bundt pan with a tablespoon of butter. Add a tablespoon of flour to the pan. Shake it to coat the pan and then discard the loose flour. Put the pan into the freezer to chill until you are ready to add the batter.

Place the chopped dates into a small mixing bowl and pour the ale over the dates. Set aside.

Chop the 3.5 oz. semi-sweet chocolate. Melt the chocolate and the stick of butter together over low heat in a small saucepan, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Stir together the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.

Using the mixer, beat the eggs, brown sugar and vanilla together until thick. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Add the flour mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the prune and ale mixture and mix all ingredients by hand until well combined. Spoon the batter into the chilled bundt pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the cake is springy to the touch. (In my oven, it took about 38 minutes.)

Remove the cake from the oven and loosen the sides and the middle with a knife. Invert the bundt pan over a cake plate and let the cake fall out of the pan. Let cool.

Meanwhile, make the icing by combining the remaining chopped 3.5oz. semi-sweet chocolate and the bittersweet chocolate with the remaining 2 T. butter. Melt over low heat, stirring constantly. Let cool slightly. Pour over the cooled ale cake.

Serve immediately with a nice cold glass of Brother David’s Double Abbey-style Ale.

Ingredients
4 cups ripe peaches, peeled and sliced

For the topping:
1 stick (4 oz.) butter, softened
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup oats
1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed
3/4 cups chopped pecans
Large pinch salt

For the crème fraiche:
1/2 cup crème fraiche
1/8 cup brown sugar

You will also need:
Large casserole/pie dish or six individual baking dishes
Utility knife
2 bowls

Instructions
Preheat oven to 425^oF.

Place the peaches into the casserole or pie dish.

With hands, mix together the topping ingredients until moist. Sprinkle topping over the peaches. Bake for about 25 minutes, until golden brown (start checking at 20 minutes – will depend on the oven).

Remove from the oven and let cool.

Mix together crème fraiche and brown sugar. Refrigerate until serving. Spoon over top of crisp. 

Serves 6.