I had an urge for chocolate cake yesterday, and remembered this cake, which some call Depression Cake because if its apparent roots in the 1930s. It takes no eggs or dairy to make, and the story goes that it was developed as a means of making a special treat when one didn’t have the ration coupons for eggs or butter.

That said, it’s been made in my family for as long as I can remember. Many of us have special dietary needs or food allergies, especially to dairy or eggs, and this is one of the recipes that can be eaten by nearly everyone. In fact, I remember my Grandmother Fern mixing this recipe up right in a well-seasoned baking pan, which would certainly cut back on the number of dishes that needed washing later.

My mother and sister discovered that if you substitute rice flour for the all-purpose wheat flour, it can be made to be gluten-free, too.

The recipe also can be easily doubled to bake in a 9 by 13 pan. Choose your favorite frosting or just sprinkle on powdered sugar when it’s cool for a pretty topping.

Grandma’s Miracle Chocolate Cake

Stir together:

1 1/2 c. AP flour

1 c. White sugar

3 T. Cocoa

1 t. Baking soda

1 t. Baking Powder

Mix separately:

1 c. Water

1 T. Vinegar

2/3 c. Oil

1 t. Vanilla

Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients until well-blended. Pour into a greased 8-inch square or round baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, until a clean knife or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

September is my favorite month in which to visit the Farmers Market in Minnesota. Harvest is rolling in and the selection of fresh veggies is wide and varied.

Saturday at the Mankato Farmer’s Market (located next to the Best Buy off Adams Street in Mankato) we found eggplant, yellow summer squash, zucchini, green and yellow beans, kohlrabi, tomatoes, beets, sweet corn, onions, shallots, potatoes in four colors, some late rhubarb, and a ton of fresh greens.

We also found, since we were later than normal, that our favorite bakery booth was down to one table. We snapped up the last two cinnamon rolls and one loaf of rustic Roma bread.

I like to garden, but I don’t have much space, so stopping by the Farmer’s Market is the next best thing. Lunch on Farmer’s Market day always depends on what’s available, and when tomatoes are in season, we often go straight for a classic BLT on the bakery stand’s fresh Ciabatta bread.

But sometimes, we get a little crazier. One of my favorite things to do is make a fresh vegetable “sauce” for angel hair pasta for lunch. My favorite combination of veggies for this is in season right now in Minnesota, and here’s the recipe:

Market Pasta (serves 4)

8 oz Angel hair pasta, cooked and drained. (Reserve one cup of cooking liquid).

1 Japanese eggplant, sliced on the diagonal

1 yellow summer squash, sliced on the diagonal

1 small zucchini, sliced on the diagonal

1 small shallot

1 T each fresh chopped basil and oregano

Olive oil for the pan

Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste

This is basically an Italian stir-fry. In a large skillet, sauté the vegetables in olive oil until fork tender. Season with salt, pepper and stir in the herbs. Let the herbs wilt a bit, then add the cooked and drained pasta. Fold together; add Parmesan to taste and enough cooking liquid to keep it together. Serve hot, with more Parmesan at the table.

In honor of my trip last week to see Julia Child’s kitchen (now located on the first floor of the Smithsonian American History Museum), I decided to share my all-purpose bread recipe.

You know, making fresh bread isn’t all that hard. It also doesn’t need a lot of ingredients. Once you know how bread actually works, one all-purpose recipe will yield multiple variations.

I made my first loaf of bread in middle school–French bread, for French class extra credit–and that started me on the road to bread-making. Nowadays, if I or someone else in the family has a craving for fresh-out-of-the-oven bread, I don’t even need to refer to the recipe. I just pick up my big bread dough bowl and start measuring ingredients into it.

Classically, French bread needs only four ingredients: Flour, salt, water, and yeast. The method of baking is what gives it the crusty outside and tender inside that it’s known for. Bread needs structure (gluten in wheat flour), leavening to make it rise (yeast), fuel for the yeast if you want it really fluffy (sugar, milk or other glucose), and enough liquid for the flour to stick together.

This general dough and method works really well for all sorts of permutations. I use the basic dough recipe for pizza, buns, calzones, or plain old loaves of white bread, too. Once you master this, you can consider changing up the parts a bit to get different kinds of bread. Like whole wheat? Start with one cup of white flour to get the yeast and gluten happy, then add whole wheat (or rye) flour until the dough comes together. Like fluffier bread? Add a teaspoon of sugar to the yeast-and-water cup. Like things a little more tender? Add fat by subbing in milk for water, or adding a teaspoon of butter or oil.

The more fat and sugar you add to this dough, the more flour it needs to stay together. So just start with this one. Once you get a feel for it, play around.

Basic Bread Dough (White)

1 cup warm water

1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

2 to 2 1/2 cups white flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

In a large mixing bowl, dump the flour and the salt and whisk together. Measure out one cup of warm tap water (if you have decent tap water). The water should be just warmer than skin warm, about 100 degrees. Scatter the yeast over the top of the water and set it aside to “bloom”–about five minutes. When the yeast is obviously dissolved in the water, pour it into the center of the flour in the bowl and whisk until you can’t. Clean the whisk, then dig in with clean hands and mix the dough together. Knead it until the dough is smooth and not sticky. You might need to add flour or discard some, especially if the weather is humid or especially dry.

At this point, you’ve got options.

Weekday Pizza Crust: Coat ball of dough with oil and let rest for 10 minutes while you preheat your oven to 450 degrees and prepare any pizza toppings you’re interested in. Spread out on well-oiled baking sheet to desired thinness (I just pat it out). Top with sauce, cheese and favorite meats and vegetables. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until crust is firm and lightly golden and cheese is melted completely.

Buns for sandwiches: Coat ball of dough in oil and set aside to rise for one hour or so. At one hour, poke the dough with your finger. If it holds the dent, it’s ready. If it just bounces, it needs more rise time. When it’s ready, punch it down. Form into 8-10 balls of dough, and space those out evenly on a baking sheet. Let rise again, 30 to 45 minutes. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Traditional French Bread: Coat ball of dough with oil and set aside to rise as for buns. Punch down when ready. Form into a long, thin cylinder and set on a baking sheet that has been sprinkled with corn meal. (You can buy special French bread forms, too, but this works, too.) Let rise another hour, until nearly double again. Slash the top of the dough with a sharp knife in at least three places. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and set up two racks in your oven. On the bottom rack, place a small baking dish. Add two cups or so of boiling water to that baking dish, then close the oven while it heats. Brush the top of your bread with beaten egg, and when the oven is hot, take out the baking dish with the water and set the bread inside. Watch closely. It will take between 30 and 45 minutes, depending on your oven and your steam bath. The loaf should look golden brown and be very crusty when done. Use your oven light to check on it; do NOT open the door while it’s baking, as that will slow the process and make the bread tough.

Good luck!

It’s funny how many of the recipes Grandma Elsie passed along, family favorites, incorporate particular commercial products.

It’s absolutely clear from the recipe that it originally came from the back of a package to share, and became a favorite. The two I’m posting today are perpetual favorites that still show up at family occasions. My son particularly loves the Spinach Dip, and requests it for every major holiday.

They’re not hard. They’re delicious. And they remind me of family every time I use them.

Grandma’s Cold Vegetable Pizza

Spread two packages of crescent roll dough on an ungreased 12 by 19 jelly roll pan. Bake 8 minutes in 350 degree oven; cool.

Blend 2 8-oz packages of cream cheese, 1 T. dill weed, ½ t. garlic salt, ¾ c. salad dressing, and ¼ c. of half and half until smooth. Spread this over the baked crust.

Mix together: ¼ c. chopped onion, 1 c. chopped cauliflower, 1 c. chopped broccoli, 1 c. grated carrots, 1 c. chopped green peppers, and 1 c. sliced black olives. Spread evenly over cream mixture and refrigerate.

Keep refrigerated until service. Can be made ahead the day before serving.

Grandma’s Spinach Dip

1 8 oz pkg frozen spinach, thawed

8 oz mayonnaise (NOT salad dressing)

8 oz sour cream

1 pkg. Knorr’s vegetable soup

1 sm. onion, finely chopped

1 sm. can water chestnuts, slivered

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate at least three hours before serving. Serve with cubed artisanal bread, such as French or rye, for dipping.

One of the most popular posts on the blog so far has been the Rhubarb Cake recipe. I thought I’d share some my other family favorites, too.

This recipe I originally made for Matt and myself when we were a family of two. Years ago, I submitted it for a Taste of Home contest, and while I didn’t win, it was published in the magazine. I still really love this, but now, of course, I need to at least double it.

The nonfat yogurt works really well in place of an egg wash-and-flour combo, and it makes for a lighter breading, too. I’ve experimented with the bread crumbs, too, and Japanese panko bread crumbs work well, if seasoned with Italian herbs and granulated garlic first.

Enjoy.

Amy’s Chicken Parmesan for Two

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded out to ¼ inch thickness

½ c. plain nonfat yogurt

½ c. plain or seasoned Italian bread crumbs

8 oz can of plain tomato sauce

1 T. Italian herbs, mixed (parsley, basil, oregano)

¼ t. garlic powder

8 oz. spaghetti, cooked and drained

½ c. shredded mozzarella

Grated parmesan

Coat the pounded chicken in yogurt, then roll in crumbs and saute in an ovenproof skillet until golden on both sides. Remove from the pan. Add tomato sauce, herbs and garlic powder to the pan; stir and heat through. Toss in the spaghetti and stir to coat. Place chicken on top of the pasta, and sprinkle the whole pan with the cheeses. Cover the pan, remove from heat, and and let stand for five minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Serve.