Buckley Cooks

Ms. Kaczkiewicz's French Clafoutis

A French summertime classic, every year once spring and summer roll around my mother will make this easy dessert with whatever fresh fruit is available – or dried fruit, if that’s all she has.

Fast, flavorful, and vibrant, Clafoutis (pronounced clah-foo-tee) is part custard, part cake studded with brilliantly colored berries, or cooling fruits.

Add a dollop of Schlag (hearty German-style whipped cream), or a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you’re left with a brilliant dessert ideal for weeknight meals, or dinner with guests.

Basic Clafoutis (borrowed from Epicurious.com)

Ingredients:

1 cup whole milk*
3 eggs
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter, melted
½ cup all-purpose flour

Instructions:

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 325**

Step 2: Choose your fruit! In these pictures I used raspberry and peeled, sliced pear but most fruits will work just as well. Berries of all kinds are always a winning choice, but cherries, apples, peaches, figs, etc… even dried fruits make delicious choices! Arrange the fruit in a cast-iron skillet or pie pan.

Step 3: Make the batter! Whisk together all of the listed ingredients until it is a smooth batter. It will be quite liquid and easy to pour.

Step 4: Pour over the fruit, then bake for 35-40 minutes. Serve warm – though it is just as good chilled the next day.

*My mother skips the whole milk and flour and substitutes about 1 cup-1 ½ cups of plain Greek yogurt. I personally prefer this recipe, which has a more cakelike texture but the carb-conscious might prefer the substitute!

**It can easily be baked at 350, for a shorter duration, but the lower, slower cooktime lets the top develop a beautiful golden hue.

Cole P.'s Homemade Lasagna

Ingredients:

3/4 lb. lasagna noodles
1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 lb. Gardein-brand meatless ground substitute
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. dried oregano
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-0z.) jars marinara
16 oz. whole milk ricotta
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan, divided
1/4 c. chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
large egg
lb. sliced mozzarella

Instructions:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375º. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente, less 2 minutes. Drain and drizzle a bit of olive oil to prevent noodles from sticking together.

Step 2: Meanwhile, in a large pot over medium-high meatless substitute, garlic, oregano and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper, then add marinara and stir until warmed through.

Step 3: Combine ricotta, 1/4 cup Parmesan, parsley, and egg in a large mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Step 4: In a large casserole dish, evenly spread a small amount of the meatless sauce across the bottom of the dish, then top with a single layer of lasagna noodles, a layer of ricotta mixture, and a single layer of mozzarella. Repeat layers, topping the last layer of noodles with meat sauce, Parmesan, and mozzarella.

Step 5: Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes, then increase temperature to 400º and bake uncovered for 18 to 20 minutes.

Step 6: Garnish with parsley before serving.