Savory Bread Pudding

     My friends and I are lucky enough to get to spend some weekends together in a wonderful little town in Colorado called La Veta. Weekends in La Veta are about as happy and peaceful as you can get: not a plan in sight, except certainly a game called Z Ball, art projects, time in nature, and most definitely delicious food. As a group, we divide and conquer meals and everyone always brings tantalizing meals. It is a time of feasting, grazing, and best of all, sharing.

      Eating is wonderful, as is getting to cook, but there is a massive amount of joy that comes along with getting to feed other people. It is a small way to give them a part of yourself, your love, and your appreciation. There has been a rise in the trend of people eating on the fly, or while distracted by books and technology. However, I believe that this same rise has sparked a feeling of increased community when we do make the time to come together.

        Getting to feed a crowd is a wonderful treat because you get to share your heart with many in a moment of gratitude for each other, a warm belly, and the gifts of the earth. This recipe is a way that anyone can get to enjoy that amazing feeling. It is warm, comforting, filling, and homey. However, it is also very easy to make and a great way to feed a crowd without spending tons of money. You can serve it warm out of the oven at breakfast, alongside some fruit and a hot cup of coffee. Then the leftovers make a perfect lunch of dinner alongside a simple salad of greens.

        Bread Pudding is most often associated with sweetness, but I am telling you, a savory bread pudding will bring out a whole new meaning to this in your mind. It is cheesy and custardy bread, with thick pieces that still have some bite to them on top. There is brightness from the vegetables that add a depth of flavor as well as a balance to the heartiness of the dish. The spices add a nice pick me up, which compliment beautifully with the cheese. Sinking you teeth in feels like soulfulness and it continues on that way all the way down to your belly. I am telling you, sweet bread pudding is fine and good, but its time to give it a twist and see just what a different potential eggs, milk and bread hold together. A perfectly, messy scoop of this in a bowl is a non-pretenscious breakfast path to a person's heart. 

*Makes 1 full 3 quart (9x13) dish
Ingredients:  
3-4 baguettes
2-4 TBSP olive oil
1 small to medium yellow squash, cut into small quartered pieces
1 small to medium zucchini or mexican squash, cut and quartered
1 jalapeno, deseeded and diced
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 C grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 TSP salt + extra for sautéing veggies
1/4 TSP pepper + extra for sautéing
1/4 TSP chili powder + extra for sautéing
2 3/4 C whole milk
8 eggs
1 C shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

1. Dice the baguettes into rounds and then quarter them, so they are in medium-sized chunks. Lay them out for 8-24 hour to allow them to stale. You can speed up this process by putting them in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes, and then continuing to let them stale for a few hours, making sure they cool completely.

2. Preheat your pan, add the oil, then the onions, and lightly salt and pepper them. Sauté until they become translucent lightly. Next add the jalapeno, garlic, and squashes, and continue to sauté them. Finally turn off the heat and add the cherry tomatoes, mixing them so they just barely cook in the residual heat. Salt and pepper to taste.

3. Once the veggies have completely cooled, add them and the cubed bread to a greased baking dish, mixing together to distribute evenly.

4. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs; then add the milk, salt, and pepper, and whisk until combined. Finally, add the cheese and give a final whisk to mix it in.

5. Pour the mixture over the bread, cover with tinfoil, and refrigerate the pudding for 8-24 hours.
6. Remove the pudding from the refrigerator and allow it to warm up for 30 minutes; meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350.
7. Bake the pudding for 34-45 minutes, until it has fully set and the top has lightly browned.
8. Remove from oven and allow cooling for 10 minutes before digging in...and then going back for seconds.

White Cheddar Cheese Crackers

          A few posts back I mentioned to you guys how excited I am to live in my new apartment in Denver. Part of that is because of a significantly superior kitchen, part of that is because it is my first place out of college and yes, part of that may now be because of a small herd of kitties living in our back parking lot. However, an even bigger part is my wonderful roommate Jess.

       Recently, Jess mentioned her mom's annual ladies summer cocktail night coming up, and I was stoked to get to join in this year. I had heard tales of the mojitos for the inaugural night, the three types of sangria the second, and this year was dedicated to a delicious drink called a tequila daisy. Even in Colorado's massive rainstorms of last week, this drink only brought happy thoughts of summer. Tequila, hard lemonade, lime juice, and grenadine encapsulated a ladies summer cocktail evening pretty darn perfectly. 

         We each brought things to contribute. There were homemade cumin-pickled zucchinis and smoked salmon on blue corn tortilla chips with a spiced aioli (I will tell you the words you were looking for: "yummy" and "jealous"). Seriously tempting food floated around the kitchen counter as we hung out sipping on our beverages crafted by our wonderful host, Sue.    

          When I was deciding what to bring, I figured I had made enough sweets in my oven recently (ha...that does not actually ever happen) so it was time to brake out a savory baked treat. And anyways, what person does not love cheez-its? They are crunchy, buttery, salty, and most importantly cheesy. 

         I was ready to take the party cracker to the next level: homemade white cheddar crackers with subtle hints of spice, herbs and salt. Holy moly, these babies are simple to make and dangerously good. They were polished off by the end of the night and honestly, you can eat them by the handful. They are addicting little mouth-watering treats. They make your house smell phenomenal, and they add just the right amount of class to a childhood favorite. 

        So whether you are having a party or just lounging around in your PJs hiding from gnarly weather outside, these crackers can be made and out of the oven before you know it...and they will probably be gone before you know it too! 

Adapted from "The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook" by Deb Perelman

Oven Temp: 350 F

Equipment: Food Processor

                     Cookie Sheet

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 C. (170 g/6 oz.) White Cheddar Cheese

1/2 stick (55 g) unsalted butter

3/4 C. (95 g) All-purpose flour

1/2 TSP Herbs/Spices: divide evenly between garlic powder, paprika, and oregano

1/4 TSP Salt

Instructions:

1. Places medium chunks of cheddar in food processor and pulse until grated.

2. Add flour, butter, herbs/spices, and salt. Turn on and let it go until a course meal forms. 

3. Flip dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and form it into a loose ball.

4. Pat down to a square and wrap up. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, preheat oven and grease cookie sheets.

6. Remove dough, and roll it out to 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface.

7. Cut it into small squares using a sharp knife or bench scraper (you could also use cookie cutters for fun shapes if you want to bring a smile to your face) and use a fork to poke holes in each cracker.

8. Bake for 10-13 minutes until edges are golden brown, and crackers develop some crispness.

9. Remove, let cool for a moment, and dig in...or store in an air tight container for up to 3 days (that will not happen.)