Rustic Fruit Tart

This season: Anything Apple!

Octobers cooler days give the blush to all the beautiful apples in my yard and all the orchards in the Northern Counties.

Plums and late season nectarines can be substituted for the filling.

Rustic Fruit Tart Recipe

Yields 1 large tart; serves eight.

Ingredients

For the Dough:

6-3/4 oz. (1-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tsp. granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. table salt

5-1/2 oz. (11 Tbs.) cold, unsalted butter

1 large egg yolk

3 Tbs. whole milk

For the Filling:

4 cups peeled, thinly sliced apples

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 Tbs. honey

1 Tbs. all-purpose flour

Big pinch table salt

1 large egg, beaten well

2 Tbs. demerara sugar

Instructions

Make and Roll the Dough

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or if mixing by hand, in a medium bowl). Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and add them to the flour. On low speed, mix the butter and flour until the flour is no longer white and holds together when you clump it with your fingers, 1 to 2 minutes. If there are still lumps of butter larger than the size of peas, break them up with your fingers. Run a spatula along the bottom of the bowl to loosen anything stuck to the bowl. (If mixing by hand, mix with a pastry cutter or two forks until the butter is mixed into the flour as above).

In a small bowl, mix the egg yolk and milk and add them to the flour mixture. On low speed, mix until the dough just comes together, about 15 seconds; the dough will be somewhat soft. (If mixing by hand, add the yolk mixture to the flour and mix gently with a fork until the liquid is well distributed. The dough will still look crumbly and dry. Dump the dough onto a clean counter and work it with the heel of your hand, pushing and smearing it away from you and gathering it up with a bench scraper and repeating until the dough comes together and is pliable).

Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap, press it into a flat disk, wrap it in the plastic, and let it rest in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes (or up to four days) before rolling it out.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350*F. Line a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Remove the dough from the refrigerator; if the dough is very firm, let it sit at room temperature until it’s pliable enough to roll, 10 to 15 minutes. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a round that’s about 13 to 14 inches in diameter. It’s all right if the edges are a little ragged. If you can’t get a roughly round shape, trim the dough so that it’s a rough circle and roll the trimmed scraps back into the dough. Transfer the dough round to the baking sheet and put it in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

Assemble and Bake the Tart

Put the apples in a large bowl. Toss the fruit with the 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Taste the fruit; if it’s more tart than you like, add up to 2 Tbs. more sugar. Add the cinnamon and honey, flour and salt, and toss until everything is evenly mixed.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes to keep it from cracking when you assemble the tart. Heap the fruit in the center of the dough round. Using your fingertips, fold the edges of the dough over some of the fruit to create a rim about 2 inches wide. Work your way all around, pleating the dough as you go.

Using a pastry brush, brush the pleated dough evenly with the beaten egg. Sprinkle the demerara sugar directly on the dough and fruit.

Bake the tart until the pleats of dough are completely golden brown without a trace of pale, unbaked dough, about 55 minutes. (It’s all right if some of the juices escape from the tart and seep onto the pan.) Transfer to a rack and let cool. The tart may be baked up to six hours ahead of serving.

When cool enough to handle, use a spatula to transfer the tart to a serving plate or cutting board. Slice it and serve it warm or at room temperature.

Will's Block Island Ribs

Having just returned from our annual trip to lovely Block Island, I’ve come back with a few new recipes to share. I had the pleasure of cooking for all of my in-laws and their families. My experience in this arena I once again attribute to my mom, Tomi, who could never cook a small meal. There was always enough… just in case someone and their entire family “might” stop by. Some of you may be quick to judge that it doesn’t sound like your idea of a family vacation, however I do the cooking with my nephew and whoever else may be in the mood without the chore of the post dinner clean up.It just happened to be my nephew's birthday while we were there and I asked what he wanted for his birthday dinner and young William replied “ribs”. Okay then, the Aunts thought it was an odd request since we were surrounded by the Atlantic and had access to some of the most incredible seafood around. The ribs were a big hit and will be on next summer’s Block Island menu. Did I mention as a young Raiders fan I was exposed to some of THE BEST barbeque at the pre-game tailgate parties…we’re talking the 1970’s in those 55 gallon homemade barbeques… great memories. Okay back to the rib recipe.

This should feed a group of six. There might be extra ... never know who might stop by. I would serve it with a rustic or “sassy” cornbread (with jalapeños Raiders tailgate style in a huge cast iron skillet) and a tart coleslaw, made with green apples.

Will’s Block Island Ribs

- 3 racks of baby back or St. Louis Ribs with membrane removed from bone side
- 1 cup of Hoisin Sauce
- 1/2 cup of Pinot Noir plus a little extra for your glass to sip while you make the sauce
- 1 cup of water
- 1/2 cup of peach nectar
- 1/4 cup of agave nectar or honey
- 2 tbls olive oil
- Salt & Pepper
- 1 tsp of cayenne pepper

One day ahead or early the same day prep the ribs by removing the membrane on the bony side and rubbing olive oil, salt and pepper on both sides and return to the refrigerator without a cover. The dry air in the refrigerator will help develop a nice crust on the ribs. Combine the rest of the ingredients except the peach nectar and heat over a low flame do not over boil. Let simmer for 30 minutes then remove from heat and stir in peach nectar. Season to your taste. You can prep this a day ahead of time. Prep your grill, BGE ( Big Green Egg) or oven for 350 degree with indirect heat when using your BGE or charcoal or gas grill. Roast the ribs for approx 2 ½ hours. Check for doneness. Remove ribs and let cool. Slice the ribs to separate and arrange on a broiling tray (covered with foil for easier clean up) brush generously with the sauce and broil for 4 minutes in your oven with the rack on the lowest setting be careful not to burn the sauce! Serve with a not too sweet coleslaw and cornbread..watch for these two recipes next month!

Bon apetito!

Grilled Asparagus Soup

We had a wedding at our home a week ago. The marriage took place between the parents of a dear friend of ours. His parents were originally married 50 years ago and unfortunately spilt up when our friend was about 5 years old. After 45 years, this couple reunites and decides to exchange vows .To make a long story short we were left with several pounds of grilled asparagus! So what does one do with several pounds of grilled asparagus…make soup of course! Why am I making soup in June? With the crazy weather we have seen in the past few weeks, you never know when you’ll need a good soup. So here is my new grilled asparagus recipe for you to try…

Into a large blender or food processor add the following:

2-3 pounds of grilled asparagus
2 quarts of chicken stock
2 cups of cooked quinoa
5 cloves of garlic peeled
A medium onion sautéed in a frying pan
½ cup of shredded parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Blend until smooth and thin if necessary with additional broth. Put the mixture into a pot and bring to a simmer. After simmering 15 minutes, season with additional salt if needed. Add a dollop of sour or a swirl of cream…great for a cool summer evening!

Asparagus Recipe Contest Winner

I will not be adding one of my recipes this week because I am delighted to hand this week's mouth watering recipe over to our guest Priti, the winner of Bay Area Newsgroup's "A Taste of Home" Asparagus Recipe Contest. We would like to congratulate Priti and thank her for submitting her winning dish! You can find the ingredients and recipe below and can follow along live by watching KRON 4 on Saturday April 30th at 10:00am.

8-10 asparagus spears
8 mini sweet peppers - red/yellow/orange
2 cloves garlic diced and crushed
1 spring rosemary finely chopped
1/4 cup herb goat cheese - crumbled
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Start by washing and trimming the asparagus. Dice the asparagus into 1/4 inch pieces. Warm the skillet over fire then add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the garlic and fry on low for 30 seconds. Next, add the asparagus and cook on high heat for 2 minutes. The asparagus should be cooked but still firm. It hardly takes 1-2 minutes, because the size of the pieces is very small. Sprinkle the finely chopped rosemary on top. Remove the skillet from the flame. Cut the peppers in half. Spoon the asparagus mixture and fill the cavity of the peppers. Cover with small mounds of goat cheese. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on the peppers and bake in oven at 375 degrees for 5-7 minutes. Broil for 1-2 minutes until cheese is golden brown. Serve as appetizer or a side with pasta.

Lamb Sliders

So far in the Bay Area it has rained 21 out of 28 days... it's so nice that it's finally warmed up this week. I spent Sunday with my Mom and daughter at the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show, what a delight! My husband is always a little concerned after my visits to this incredible show over what the “new” landscaping project will be for the summer. I’m thinking about a chicken coop with a sedum covered roof….nothing too fancy of course, I miss having really fresh eggs and I think it will be great for my kids to learn how to handle chickens. I keep you posted on this wish/project…

As promised from my previous blog I’ve written up the recipe for our Lamb Sliders. I cheat a little and add a little ground pork to the lamb mixture for a little more flavor. As with the other lamb dish, asparagus is a great side grilled or blanched and chilled, served with a cucumber yogurt dipping sauce. Or try slicing a whole onion and simmer with balsamic vinegar until soft and spoon the onions over the lamb burger and top with a bun. This is a great tailgate recipe and since we’re getting down to the finals for the NCAA’s and you need to have the guys over, this recipe will be a hit!

Lamb Sliders (serves four)

1 lb of ground lamb

½ lb of ground pork

Fresh flat leave parsley chopped 4 tbls

2 large or 4 cloves of garlic minced

8 slider buns -if you can’t find miniature buns dinner rolls work in a pinch

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the lamb pork and shallots, parsley salt and pepper in a large bowl and set aside. Heat your barbecue or grill pan so that it is nice and hot.  Form small patties of the lamb mixture so that everyone will have two burgers each. Brush the barbecue or the griddle pan with oil to prevent sticking Brush the sliced buns with butter and lightly toast on a barbecue or griddle then set aside. Cook the burgers for approx 4 minutes on each side for medium well. Garnish with your favorite topping or try a little yogurt with cucumber or the caramelized balsamic onions I mentioned earlier.

Grilled Rack of Lamb with Asparagus

Spring has sprung and so have all the weeds in my vegetable garden. Between the weeds, is the first crop of asparagus ready to be harvested.  I’ve had these roots in my garden for six years now and the asparagus now has the diameter of a nickel. When cooking asparagus this fresh, I love grilling over a barbecue or using a Panini pan and grill indoors and dress with a little garlic, extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a little kosher salt. My kids love the fact that asparagus spears are okay to eat with your fingers…according to the Tiffany Book of Table Manners for Teens. A perfect partner this time of year is lamb. We enjoy lamb burgers or chops. This recipe is for the chops.  I’ll send the burgers next week!

2 racks of lamb

1 cup of balsamic vinegar

1 sprig of rosemary

1 tsp thyme

1 tbsp Kosher salt

1-2 bunches of asparagus

 ¼ cup olive oil plus 2 tbsp olive oil

Marinate the lamb in a plastic food safe bag with the balsamic vinegar, rosemary, olive oil and thyme. 2 hours minimum.

Preheat oven to 375 if using convection or 400 if conventional

Remove lamb from marinade and place in a roasting pan and pop into oven for 25 minutes. While the lamb is roasting, trim the lower third of the asparagus..a good way to tell where to cut is bending the asparagus and seeing where it naturally snaps.  Heat a grilling pan and brush with olive oil. When there is 10 minutes left of cooking time for the lamb start adding the asparagus to the grilling pan. Turn the asparagus so that is has even grill marks on all sides of the asparagus. Before serving, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Remove the lamb and let stand for 5 minutes covered with foil. Remove foil and slice the rack into chops. Serve with your asparagus and maybe a side of potatoes and you are set!

Butternut Squash Soup

My family and I were back east to visit our cousins in Vermont and take in the beautiful fall colors along the way. We stopped along the Connecticut River in New Hampshire, at a local café.  It was a chilly 30 degrees out and the daily special  included their soup of the day which happened to be curried butternut squash. It was so memorable that when I came home I called the restaurant’s owner to see if I could get the recipe . She was happy to share it with me explaining in her distinct New Hampshire  accent that I need to “ really cook the bajeezus out of the squash”

1 large or two small butternut squash seeded and halved

1 large onion chopped

2 cloves of garlic

4 cups of low sodium chicken broth

2 cup plus of apple cider to season and to thin the soup if needed

3 tbsp  olive oil

2-3 tbsp curry powder

In a shallow baking pan roast  the bajeezus out of the butternut squash cut side down with a little water in a 350 degree oven until tender approx an hour. Sautee the onions with the oil until tender and set aside until squash is tender. The next step may have to be done in batches unless you have an immersion blender. Peel the cooked squash and add to blender with the onions , add a little broth and blend until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a large soup pot and the additional broth and apple cider. Season with the curry powder ( I like to use a little more and balance it with the cider) Can be served with a dollop of crème fraiche and a sprig of watercress.

Tortellini Soup

With the kid’s indoor sports season coming to an end and T-ball, softball and lacrosse starting up, a warm soup with pasta certainly does the trick to keep everyone happy especially after a tough cold practice during these cooler months. My husband Andy has fond memories growing up in Italy with many such soups. Garlic bread and a green salad will round out the meal. The soup is pretty enough for company as a winter meal starter.

2-tbls. Extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion chopped

3 cloves of garlic sliced

1 cup of diced carrots

Fresh ground pepper

6 cups of chicken broth

1 lb tortellini

1 cup of fresh peas

2 tsp. each of Chopped oregano and thyme leaves

1 tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley

Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add onion, garlic and carrots and cook until onions are translucent. Season to taste with pepper.

Add broth to pot bring to a boil. Add tortellini and follow package recommendation for cooking time.

During last 3 minutes of cooking add peas.  Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients.

Garnish with parmesan.

Creamy Artichoke Soup

One of our favorite family picnic spots is the beach at Bean Hollow. It’s a picturesque beach just south of Pescadero. We’ll get up early and drive into the town of Pescadero to gather our gourmet picnic items…1^st stop, Arcangeli  Market for their freshly baked artichoke rosemary sourdough bread and some Harley farms goat cheese. Next stop, Duarte’s restaurant for a quart of their creamy artichoke soup and a couple of slices of olallieberry pie. We drive about a mile and a half and set up camp for the afternoon.  The soup at Duarte’s is divine…I always trying to tweak my recipe… I just think it must be the location where it is made…just like it is really hard to get great sough dough outside of the SF bay area.

On occasion we have been known to stop at Duarte’s on the way home for dinner…..

8 frozen or fresh artichoke hearts

1 tbsp. salt plus a little more to taste

3 tbsp. butter

1 large onion chopped

2 tbsp. flour

5 cups of chicken broth

¼ cup whipping cream

Freshly ground black pepper

Cook hearts until tender in boiling, salted water, and then drain.

In a pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and stir until golden. Stir in flour stir for another 4 minutes. Add broth and artichoke hearts, stirs until mixture thickens 15-20 minutes.

Puree mixture with a hand blender or carefully in a blender until smooth. Strain through a mesh strainer and stir in cream.  Season with salt and pepper.

White Bean Soup with Saugsage and Kale

Forget the air freshener…simmer a savory soup instead! I know it may sound silly but really, nothing beats walking into your home after a long weekend of chilly soccer games to the enveloping aroma of a slow-cooked soup. My kids love any type of legume…my son Bryce, is affectionately nick named frijole boy.

This wintery soup is one of our favorites and is a great with a crusty baguette and tossed green salad with arugula.

1 pound great northern white bean

 1 3/4 ounce piece of salted pork

 3Tbsp  of Olive oil

One large chopped onion

3 large carrots chopped

3 stalks of chopped celery

5 cloves of chopped garlic

Pinch of dried thyme

¼ tsp Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

10- cups of chicken stock

8 ounces of roasted chorizo, thinly sliced

4-5 cups of rough chopped kale

1 cup  freshly grated parmesan

Soak beans in 8 cups of boiling water for 1 hour. Rinse the salted pork under running water and cut into quarters

While the beans are soaking, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Cook until vegetable are just soft. Add garlic cook for a couple of more minutes and remove from heat.

After the beans have soaked, drain and rinse in a colander. Put beans and vegetable mixture into the slow cooker and the vegetable mixture. Add the salted pork, stir in the thyme, red pepper and and several grinds of black pepper. Add the 10 cups of chicken stock. Set your slow cooker on low for 7 hours. After 7 hours remove the pieces of salted pork and add the roasted chorizo.

Before serving season with salt and pepper as needed set the slow cooker to high and add the Kale. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Serve with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.

Hot Crab and Artichoke Dip!

I love the month of February!   Many great cooking opportunities…  Super Bowl Sunday, Valentine’s Day and of course one of my favorites, Oscar Night.   We had a pre -Super Bowl pot luck last week here at our warehouse hopefully to get inspired and exchange recipes for the big game this weekend.  There was a variety of hot and hearty dips, some incredible Guatemalan styled tacos and a yummy slow-cooked chili. We all ate well that day and waddled back to our desks with large cups of caffeine to get us through the rest of the day. 

The crab and artichoke dip seems to be a favorite at my house for a big game appetizer.  It is pretty simple to make and is perfect with a buttery Chardonnay or crisp Pinot Grigio.

I will have to get Cecil’s mom’s recipe for the tacos and pass them along they were really delicious..next time!

Recipe:

Hot Crab and Artichoke Dip

1 cup of fresh Dungeness or canned lump crab meat

3-4 medium artichokes

½ cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese

¼ cup sour cream

¼ cup of mayonnaise

2 cups of spinach

¼ flat leaf parsley

3 cloves roasted garlic

1 Tbls. lemon juice (fresh please)

Salt and pepper

Trim all of the outer leaves of the artichokes and trim the end of the stems. Place in boiling water until tender roughly 45 minutes.

In a mixing bowl mix combine the mayo, sour cream, cheese and roasted garlic and set aside. Let sit while artichokes are cooking.

After the artichokes cool, scoop and remove the choke and peel the outer layer of the stem.

Chop the artichokes and add to the mixing bowl. Add spinach, parsley and a little salt and pepper to taste. Add the lemon juice and stir gently. Finally, add the crab and mix lightly. Fill an oven proof vessel and top with a little more parmesan.

Bake for 12 minute in 400 degree oven or a 375 degree convection oven.

Serve with toasted baguettes* and a glass of your favorite Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio!

*If there is time I like toasting the baguettes, drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and rub a clove of raw garlic onto the toasted slices.

Udon Soup and Blog Update!

Okay…time to come clean…The recipes that have been posting are not my creations…they are actually from the young men who work in our marketing dept. who are  “A” really hungry when they are searching for a recipe to post or “B” haven’t had  a home cooked meal in a while… As you know or may not know, I am a busy mother of two active kids and wife a truly great guy.

I have two main things that contribute to my ease in the kitchen when it comes to putting out a healthy, tasty, quick meal… growing up in the appliance industry exposed me to various cooking appliances at an early age  (our family had one of the first microwave ovens in the country, the Amana RadarRange) and most importantly the fact  my mother, Tomi, is a master of cooking with fresh, simple ingredients. Did I mention she is from the little island of Okinawa?

My daughter Kacy , who at times is overscheduled when her sports overlap, loves udon or any noodle soup. This has to be the easiest and quickest dinner to prepare for your family. The broth and noodles are always accompanied with any vegetable in the fridge…steamed soy beans, cabbage or broccolis are always on hand. She knows at her young age the importance of protein so some tofu or left- over sliced chicken, beef, shrimp or pork is added as a condiment. Since its winter time we usually have sliced oranges or pears as a sweet finish.

Recipe:

6 cups of water
1 piece of Konbu (a kind of seaweed) 10 x 10 cm (below is a photo of konbu)
½ cup dried katsuo bushi (bonito flakes)
1/2 cup Mirin (sweet Japanese cooking wine)
1/2 cup light soy sauce
1/2 to 1/3 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

1) Boil water with Konbo over medium heat, when it is about to boil, add katsuo bushi, soy sauce and mirin into the pot, bring to boil. Turn off heat, strain stock and discard the konbo and katsuo bushi

2) Add your cooked udon  noodles and garnish with the suggested items above adding a spoonful of green onions to finish it off.

Note:

 I usually omit the sugar and Mirin when I add meat as a garnish. The broth keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days for an even quicker meal next time!