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Entries by Michelle (144)

Sunday
Jun052011

Birthday Tarts

My mother and sister were both born in May, one day apart.  Just don't ask me which one was born first. I remember the dates, but I always confuse the order. (And mind you, I am the family genealogist.) Luckily for me, we always celebrate their birthdays over Memorial Day weekend, so the dates conveniently blend together  -- and I head off to the kitchen to cook. 

This year, at my mother's request, I baked individual fruit tarts in lieu of a birthday cake. The recipe for the tarts was adapted from Paula Croteau's Cookbook, Farmhouse Kitchen Favorites. Paula and her husband, Michael, own the Croteau Vineyards on Eastern LI, which exclusively produces rose wines.  If running a vineyard and raising a family were not enough, Paula also runs the Farmhouseo Coking School out of her home in Southold.

My mother has Paula's cookbook at home, and a few weeks ago I made her Blueberry Crumb Tart for the first time.

The tart got rave reviews, but its' size (10 inches) proved to be unwieldy. (I couldn't maneuver the tart off the baking sheet and subsequently needed to pull both the tart and the paper onto a cutting board.*) This time, I decided to make smaller, semi-individual tarts, which were much easier to handle. Doing it this way, I was also able to use a variety of fruit, including strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and apricots.

I was initially skeptical of a tart dough that was made out of shortening, rather than butter. But the addition of vinegar to the dough (which breaks down the gluten in the flour) produces a very flaky crust.  The crust also contains an egg yolk for some added richness. Paula recommends putting the divided dough in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.  I actually put it in the freezer for about 30 minutes, which allowed it to really firm up prior to rolling it out and transferring it to the cooking sheet.


To make the individual tarts, I divided the dough into 8 equal portions, rolled each portion out to an eight inch circle and transferred them to a parchment lined baking sheet. After crimping the edges, I covered the bottom of pastry dough with a thin layer of jam, the fruit and the sugar topping. I did not put jam on the bottom of the apricot tarts, but rather mixed sugar and a little tapioca into the fruit. In hindsight, this was a mistake. The apricots would have benefited from the added sweetness of the jam. The tarts bake for approximately 30 minutes.  

We served the tarts on a large try. The presentation was dramatic, and it allowed everyone to pick and choose which which tart they wanted to sample. (We cut the 6 inch tarts in half to serve, which was just the right portion size.) 

The tarts were all all delicious, but the unanimous favorite was the the raspberry tart.  It was a real beauty.

With an abundance of summer fruit on the way, I would encourage you to try this recipe. And if you are on Eastern Long Island, stop by the Croteau Vineyards to sample a flight of Paula and Michael's excellent rose. 

The printable recipe is here.

*After reviewing the recipe a second time, I realized that Paula recommended a rimless baking sheet.  That would definitely make it easier to get the tart off the pan!

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Saturday
Jun042011

A Trip to the Farmer's Market [June 4, 2011]

Now that Memorial Day has come and gone, this will probably be one of the last weekends I spend in the city.  I am leaving for Italy next weekend (for a much needed vacation), and then I am looking forward to many fun weekends on Eastern Long Island with family and friends.

In the meantime, I was up bright and early to see what the Tribeca Green Market had to offer. And as expected, it did not disappoint:

I saw peonies at Latham's Farm Stand in Orient last weekend, but didn't think they would survive the 3 hour drive back to the city.  Pout.

No matter. Good things come to those who wait. I bought these peonies this morning, and they are georgeous.

 A quart of fresh strawberries

 (Hot house) tomatoes and field grown basil

Baby beets.  Where is the goat cheese? (Answer: in the refrigerator. Beet and goat cheese salad is on the menu for Sunday night dinner.)

Baby red onions

Asparagus

Seedless cucumbers

Monday
May302011

Quick Bite: Caprese Salad

Is there anything that screams summer like caprese salad?  Well, not around my house. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, this is a perennial favorite at all our summer get togethers. 

It is so easy and so delicious: Simply alternate sliced tomatoes with sliced Buffalo Mozzarella. Sprinkle liberally with fresh Basil.  Season with salt and pepper. Dress with a generous splash of good quality olive oil.  Then enjoy!

By the way, the beautiful basil is from my mother's garden.

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Wednesday
May182011

Moist Rhubarb Muffins

I have to confess: I am not a big muffin fan. I especially dislike the large, artificially flavored, high trans fat muffins which are ubiquitous in NYC. But when I found this recipe for "Moist Rhubarb Muffins" online, I was intrigued.  Is there really such a thing as moist, delicious muffins? Well, this recipe comes quite close.

The "moistness" of these muffins come from both the rhubarb as well as the vegetable oil. Brown sugar gives the batter sweetness and buttermilk gives it a subtle tang. I added walnuts to the batter for some additional texture, but you can leave them out. 

 

The original recipe called for a brown sugar topping, but I opted for a simple topping of white sugar and soften butter instead.  As you can see below, the white sugar topping was pretty. It also gave the muffin top a nice crust. 

This recipe makes 2 dozen muffins.  The muffins are best if eaten fresh (i.e. just after they are baked), as they tend to get soggy after standing overnight. No matter. Given how good these are, I would not anticipate leftovers.

Here is the printable recipe.

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