The black capped chickadees are endlessly entertaining. I love how they hold the seeds between their toes to crack them open. He didn’t seem to like having his picture taken though, he quickly took wing and flew off into the safety of the trees.

Foccacia with garlic, olives and sun-dried tomatoes

1 3/4 cups warm water (between 110 and 115 degrees F.)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup  olive oil
1 tablespoon salt, extra for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped black olives
2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons sliced garlic

Preheat the oven to 475 F.

To infuse the olive oil, bring 1 cup oil to a simmer. Add 4 sliced garlic cloves and simmer 3 to 5 minutes then turn off heat and let stand for an hour. Strain and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.  The strained garlic can be used to top the bread.

Mix the water and sugar in a large non-reactive bowl and allow to stand ten minutes or until foamy. Add oil and three cups of the flour and blend with a wooden spoon. Add salt, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, reserved garlic and as much of the remaining flour as needed to make a smooth soft dough, knead until smooth directly in the bowl. Cover bowl tightly with saran wrap and allow to stand for about 45 minutes or until doubled in size. Sprinkle a jelly roll pan with infused olive oil. Punch the dough down and press into pan. Allow to rise 30 minutes. Dent the surface deeply all over with the tips of your fingers. Brush the surface generously with infused olive oil, sprinkle kosher salt. Bake at 475 F for 12- 15 minutes or until dark golden brown.

Orange upside-down cake

for the topping:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
5 medium oranges, peeled and cut into segments
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

for the batter:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1  1/2 teaspoons cardamom
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
zest of an orange

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter and brown sugar in a cast iron pan. Stir in cardamom and remove from heat. Arrange orange segments in concentric circles over the syrup.

In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Cream together the butter and sugar in the bowl of a mixer. Beat in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly incorporated. Add the vanilla to the milk and mix into the butter mixture alternately with the flour mixture about 1/3 at a time. Spread batter over the oranges and transfer to the oven. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Cool in the pan 15 minutes then invert onto a serving plate.