Apricot Bread by Sicut Cervus

[Based on recipe from Beard on Bread, with corrections.]

I can't speak to whether it's better with apples, peaches, etc., since Pops has a different recipe (from the same book) for Apple Walnut Bread that is also delish but quite different in texture and crumb, being based, like cake, on creaming butter and sugar together. As to dried peaches vs. apricots, I can say that my friend Clio who now lives in Merced, CA, just sent me some dried nectarines from her local farmers' market, and OMG sooooooooooo good.

Anyway. The recipe.

1 1/2 cups dried apricots (one package if you buy them that way)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups unbleached flour (Pops uses about 2 cups white, 3/4 cups whole wheat)
1 cup chopped nuts (he usually uses about 1/2 walnuts, 1/2 almonds, but you could also use pecans or any other combination of nuts)

Preheat oven to 350.

Pour 1 cup boiling water over the apricots and let stand till just tender -- do not oversoak. Drain off the water and reserve it. If it's now less than a cup, add more water to make 1 cup water, and pour into a large mixing bowl.

Add baking soda, sugar, and eggs and mix well.

Roughly chop the apricots, and toss with flour, baking powder, and salt in a second bowl. Pour the liquids into the solids. Add the nuts and mix well.

Butter and flour two loaf tins. Divide the batter into equal parts and pour into the tins. (You can line the tins with wax paper or parchment paper if you want to be sure to get the loaves out without any of the crust sticking to the pans).

Bake about 45 minutes (takes less in our oven, so start checking at 30-35 minutes in case your oven is similar) -- till loaves are nicely risen, dark in color, and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool before slicing, if you can stand it. Once cooled, bread is delicious sliced cold, or sliced cold and warmed briefly in microwave OR briefly toasted in toaster; plain or spread with butter or cream cheese and/or topped with sliced sharp or mild cheese.

Could probably also be baked in a bundt pan as a coffee cake.

Seafood Stir-fry with Arugula by liz_isabella

My favourite seafood stir-fry is mixed shellfish fried lightly in butter, lemon and garlic, then add in chopped coriander, chopped rocket (arrrrrrrrrrrrugula, love that word), and if I have any, spring greens, warm through until wilted. I have it with couscous usually, but I have A Thing for couscous.

Arugula by bookseller

I particularly love "wild" arugula (which is in fact simply a different, and cultivated strain that is much spicier than the regular stuff). It makes a great pesto and also a great soup, particularly with some starch (potato, usually) for balance; I also love it stirred into lentil soup, the way I might use kale. And it's terrific stirred around with olive oil and garlic and used to sauce pasta. But to tell you the truth, I like it best in salads.

One thing you might could do is branch out beyond the usual salads. Frex, arugula is delicious in a salad that incorporates, say, grapefruit and orange segments and maybe some cooked white fish or (even better) crab or lobster. It plays very well with the softer, sweeter salad greens like mache or Boston lettuce, with maybe a little endive for a nice jolt of bitterness. Mmmmmm a citrus vinaigrette, throw in an egg if you'd like it creamy, with a little fresh tarragon and some toasted slivered almonds or a few toasted baguette slices (brushed with a little garlic olive oil) on the side....MAN am I hungry!