Herbes de Provence : Provencal Herbs

Herbes de Provence are a fragrant blend of herbs native to the hills of southern France.  During the summer season fresh herbs are used in cooking, but the dried herbs are also wonderful and convenient for year-round use.  Typically dominated by thyme, the traditional blend includes various proportions of basil, savory, and fennel.  There is much debate as to whether lavender was included in the original Provencal blend or merely added for the benefit of American tourists who visited the region.

The French purveyor, Aux Anysetiers du Roy, was originally established as a fashionable restaurant located in the heart of Paris, near Notre Dame (45 Boulevard Saint-Germain).  During the 1960s, celebrities and artists such as Salvador Dali, who once signed a pot of herbs, frequented there.  The family Lombard, natives of Provence, have now created an exquisite line of potted herb products as well as a line of decadent chocolate fondues. 

Classical French cooking insists that herbs should accent and compliment a dish, but never dominate it.  This blend of Herbes de Provence is a fine addition to Mediterranean-inspired cooking.  Add zest to your sauces, soups, stews, and grilled pizzas; use with olive oil to coat chicken or fish; rub beef, veal, or lamb with olive oil, season with salt, pepper, and Provencal herbs, then sear and finish in the oven.  Add flecks to fresh goat cheese drizzled with honey.  The possibilities are endless.  Truly a gift for every cook's spice cabinet.

Summer Dessert : Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Remember your favorite summertime dessert growing up?  Maybe it was fresh apple pie, mouthwatering strawberry shortcake, or German chocolate layer cake.  My favorite dessert was my grandmother's pound cake.  As a home baker, she made it frequently; probably because flour, butter, eggs and sugar -- the essential ingredients for making pound cake -- were always on hand in her kitchen.  It required a limited amount of time, did not need to be frosted, and was perfect for feeding a large family.  Definitely not a showy cake!  And when it was baking, the aroma would drift through the kitchen and outside to the porch where we often played enticing us back to her kitchen to wait for the cake to finish baking and cool so we could have a slice.

Sour cream coffee cake is another favorite summer dessert.  This cake is really just a twist on the basic ingredients of pound cake.  The addition of sour cream enriches and moistens the batter, and the layers of cinnamon, brown sugar and nuts make it simply addictive.  Cook it as a loaf or dress it up in a Bundt pan.  It's the perfect cake to serve with coffee or for Sunday brunch.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake Batter:

• 2 Cups Flour (all-purpose)
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1 1/4 Sticks Butter (unsalted)
• 2 Eggs
• 2 Egg Yolks
• 8 ounce container Sour Cream

Filling/Topping:

• 1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar
• 2-3 Tsps Cinnamon
• 1 Cup lightly toasted, chopped Nuts (pecans or walnuts)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Combine filling and set aside.  For the batter, combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and add softened butter.  Mix with your electric mixer until the mixture is smooth and well combined, about 1-2 minutes.  Whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, and sour cream.  Add about 1/2 of the egg mixture to the batter, beating for about 1 minute.  Add the remaining half of the egg mixture to the batter and beat for about 2 minutes.  Scrape the mixing bowl and paddle and finish incorporating by hand.  Add half of the batter to a loaf or Bundt pan (buttered).  Top with half of the cinnamon-sugar-nut mixture.  Add the remaining batter and smooth with a spatula.  Top with remainining cinnamon-sugar-nut mixture.  Bake for about an hour, or until the cake is risen and firm.  Cool, remove from pan, serve and enjoy!