Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Eighty-Seven (Blueberry, Cream Cheese Tarts - Decadent, but not too Decadent)

Blueberry and cream cheese tarts wrapped in Spelt Right Pizza Dough (this dough is NOT just for pizzas).  This is a nice little treat.  I used blueberry filling made by my mom (though you could get some premade or make some yourself) and cream cheese, along with one fully thawed and risen Spelt Right pizza dough.  Preheat oven to 375.  Divide fully risen dough into 8-10 equal balls, shape into flat rounds on a spelt floured or corn meal surface.  Place about 1 TBL of blueberry filling and 1/2 TBL of cream cheese in center.   Fold to make triangle.  (See earlier posts for explicit instructions).  Place on oiled baking pan.  Bake for 10-15 minutes or until slightly brown on top.  When finished, let cool for a few minutes, and then dig in.  Great treat for the kids.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Eighty-Six (Guest Blogger from Cyberspace)

Wow, the internet and long term friendships can be VERY COOL. I am convinced that "6 degrees of separation" is more like "2 degrees of separation" with all of this cyber activity. I recently reconnected with my friend, Diana S., from high school. Prior to this year, the last time I saw her was about 30 years ago. I must say, we have both aged well! Diana is a wonderful fan of Spelt Right and recently sent me an email post from another high school acquaintance, posting a recipe from another friend in Boston made with Spelt Right dough. Given that we all live in different states, I think it is quite COOL. Here is the post, the link, and the recipe. Enjoy! http://heyspelty.blogspot.com/2010/08/happy-happy.html

spelt calzones
makes 2 enormous calzones

1 ball spelt right  frozen pizza dough, thawed and risen for around 2 hours
(make sure not to let the dough rise too quickly.  with wheat flour i would usually proof dough in the oven with the oven light on- this does not work for spelt.  i don't know why, my guess is that it has something to do with shorter gluten strands....?)

filling:
1 med zucchini, large dice
6 oz fresh spinach (1 bag)
4 scallions, small dice
4 oz feta, crumbled

olive oil
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes

preheat oven to 450

cover an inverted baking sheet with parchment paper

for the filling:

brown zucchini in a non-stick pan with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
remove from pan.

using the same pan, quickly saute the spinach until fully cooked.
once it is cool enough to handle, squeeze as much moisture from the spinach as you can.
chop.

mix zucchini, spinach, scallions and feta in a bowl.

for the crust:

after the dough has risen, dust the counter or a board with spelt flour and divide the dough ball into 2 equal pieces.  working one at a time, flatten each dough ball to roughly 10" diameter.

scoop 1/2 of the filling onto one side of each flattened disc, then fold the remaining dough over the filling.  crimp the edges.

transfer your calzones to the inverted baking sheet.

using a sharp knife or scissors, snip 3 holes into the top of each calzone to allow steam to escape.

brush the tops with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

bake for approx. 15 minutes until golden brown.

devour.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Eighty-Five (Pemberton's Pomodoro Basilico, Trader Giotto's Marinated Mozzarella, Spelt Right Pizza Dough)

If you have read any of my earlier posts, you will know that I am a bit obsessed with Trader Joe's.  I have a love hate relationship with the place.  I love foraging through the store for new finds, but often get a little carried away.   I try to pretend that I am not that anxious for Trader Joe's to open in Portland, Maine, but it's a bit like a crush....I don't want to let them know, but the look is on my face.  The three ingredients I used today have one thing in common - extra virgin olive oil, aka EVOO.  Again, another obsession of mine. 

Recipe:  Spelt Right Pizza Dough topped with Pemberton's Pomodoro Basilico Pasta Sauce or Pemberton's Spicey Arrabbiata Pasta Sauce, and Trader Giotto's Marinated Mozzarella or regular mozzarella.   Directions:  Fully thaw and rise a Spelt Right Pizza dough.  Divide into 8 even balls, make small pizzettas on floured or corn mealed pizza peel.  Place pizzettas on lightly oiled baking sheet, top with sauce and cheese.    Bake at 400-450 for about 10 minutes.   Let cool a bit.  Put in aluminum foil, pack, head to beach with pizzettas, sliced peaches, bottled water, and your kids.  Relax, eat, and enjoy.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Eighty-Four (The Metamorphosis of Spelt Right Pizza Dough)

Today was my birthday (well, now it was yesterday) so I DID NOT cook or bake or clean, but I have this great picture that I felt I must share with you.   This is the metamorphosis of a Spelt Right Pizza Dough, cool, but not life moving or anything.   But, if you, like I, happen to be obsessed with baking with Spelt Right dough, you might want to know its various stages.  Pizza No. 1 - embryonic stage, simply not ready to venture into the world on its own.   Pizza No. 2, early man, perhaps Neanderthal, advanced, but probably couldn't drive a car.  Pizza No. 3, definitely close to ready, can be used for a respectable pizza, but perhaps has not reached drinking age yet.  Pizza No. 4, AGE 47, just like me, perfect, ready to roll out and bake.  Though, this 47 year old rolled out pizza dough is feeling a little fried after midnight and a full day's work, so no recipes tonight, just rants.  Recipes on future blogs! Peace!

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Eighty-Three (Another Maine Ten Mile Trio)

The other day I indulged in another Maine Ten Mile Trio - made from ingredients all sourced within 10 miles of the Spelt Right Bake House.

Recipe/Ingredients:  Spelt Right Pizzettas with Olivia's Garden Pesto and Pineland Farms Feta Cheese

Directions:  Thaw and Fully Rise One Spelt Right Pizza Dough.   Preheat oven to 450 F.  If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven on the upper shelf.  Divide Spelt Right Pizza Dough into six to eight even balls.   Stretch or roll out.  I placed these on a pizza peel generously sprinkled with corn meal, but you can put this on a lightly oiled stainless steel baking pan.  Top with Olivia's Garden Pesto, and Pineland Farms Feta.   If using a peel, tip the peel toward the pizza stone, and gently persuade the pizzettas with a spatula onto the pizza stone.   If using a pan, place in the oven on upper shelf.   Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until done. 

The Tripartite Response for the Second Ten Mile Trio?  Yum, Yum, Yum.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Eighty-Two (Bread and Chocolate: Impress your Friends, Bribe your Kids!)

Oooooooh, finally, I got to try something I have been dreaming about:  Spelt Right Pizza Dough stuffed with the famous Death by Chocolate Sauce by Pemberton's Gourmet Foods in Grey, Maine.  It met all my expectations!

  Not long ago, I met Jim Robbins, the new owner of Pemberton's doing a local night at the Portland, Maine Whole Foods.  It felt a little strange being a consumer rather than a vendor that night, but it gave me a chance to explore.  And, explore I did.   First, meeting with Jim, and then becoming obsessed with the idea of a Spelt Right bread and Pemberton chocolate combination.   Jim is a neat guy; I immediately felt comfortable with him.  We both recently ventured into the specialty food world after leaving other professions (banking for him and law for me) following a passion to offer good food to good folks.   So, over the past few weeks I started pestering Jim.   "Hey, Jim, might I stop by for some chocolate to try with the Spelt Right Pizza Dough?"   Well, I reached him today, and he said a common phrase I often  hear regarding my many encounters. "My, you are persistent."   Well, persistence is a good thing in this business, and even better when you are in pursuit of some of the best chocolate in Maine.  "So, Jim, any chance you are going to be around today and you've got some chocolate hanging around?"   Hurray!  Scored!  Today I made my trek to Pemberton's and am so glad I did. 

Pemberton's offers an array of specialty sauces: some savory, some sweet, all delicious. You can buy them at Whole Foods, Hannafords, Micuccis, Rosemont and many other spots.   I was fortunate to try many of them on top of the Spelt Right Pizza Dough that I so handily brought with me.   The Death by Chocolate (I think of it more as Heavenly Chocolate) and Spelt Right Pizza Dough combo is a match made in Heaven.   Having it just once today wasn't enough, so I brought some home and made a few for the family to try.   TWO CHOCOLATE COVERED THUMBS UP!!!   At one point, Spencer was saying "MAAAUUUMMM" while he was sitting in the dining room as I was cleaning up drips of chocolate here and there.  "What?" I retorted, sensing that he was about to tattle on his sister again. "Ummmm" he said in this 13 year old dialect, "Ummmm, this is the best dessert I have ever had.  It reminds me of those things stuffed with chocolate made of wheat that I can't eat any more.  This is sooooooooo good.  Is there anymore?"  Enough said, these things are a hit, make them for your friends, they will be impressed.   Make them for your kids, they could be used as a bribe!

Ingredients: Spelt Right Pizza Dough (fully thawed and risen), Pemberton's Death by Chocolate (we used both original and raspberry).   Preheat oven to 375.  Divide dough into 8 even balls.  Make small pizzettes, place about 1 TBL of the DBC in center.  Fold to make a triangle.  Leave a slight gap in the center or you will have a chocolate explosion.  Place on oiled baking sheet.  Bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly brown on the top.  ENJOY!

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Eighty-One (The 10 Mile Trio)

I am on a Maine kick these days.   I am truly loving this state.   Perhaps it is a bit of infatuation with the streak of warm weather or the fact that a traffic jam lasts about 3 minutes.   Or maybe, it is something a little deeper.  There is a community culture here, a sense of openness and access that is hard to match.  A culture of neighbor helping neighbor, business entrepreneur helping business entrepreneur. A culture of mutual cooperation. 
And, so is the story of the 10 Mile Trio - a pizza made with ingredients sourced in Maine all businesses within a 10 mile radius of one another.  This 10 mile trio includes ingredients from Spelt Right Baking in Yarmouth, Maine, Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, Maine, and Olivia's Garden in New Gloucester, Maine.  If you have not visited Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, you should put it on your agenda.  It is a MUST stop on your visit to Maine.

  Ingredients:  Spelt Right Pizza Dough (fully thawed and risen), Pineland Farms Tomato Basil Harvest Pasta Sauce (made with Olivia's Garden tomatoes), Pine Land Farms Fresh Cheese Curd, corn meal for the pizza peel.   Preheat oven to 450F.  If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven on the upper shelf.  Divide Spelt Right Pizza Dough into two even balls.   Stretch or roll out.  I placed these on a pizza peel generously sprinkled with corn meal, but you can put this on a lightly oiled stainless steel baking pan.  Top with Pineland Sauce, and Pineland Farms Cheese Curd.   If using a peel, tip the peel toward the pizza stone, and gently persuade the pizza with a spatula onto the pizza stone.   If using a pan, place in the oven on upper shelf.   Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until done.   The consensus from those with refined palates (Tim, Emma, Spencer, and mom) is that this is a richly excellent combination.   The comment from the peanut gallery, eight year old Olivia was that it was not plain enough.   Verdict? Two thumbs up.