Aspargus, Goat Cheese and Tarragon Tart

Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Tarragon Tart

By Melissa Clark

Because you don’t have to make your own crust, this gorgeous asparagus-striped tart is so easy it almost feels like cheating. But it’s not. It’s just simple yet stunning, effortlessly chic and company-ready. As there are so few ingredients in this recipe that each one makes an impact, be sure to buy a good all-butter brand of puff pastry. If you can manage to serve this tart warm, within an hour of baking, it will be at its absolute best, with crisp pastry that shatters into buttery bits when you bite down and still-runny cheese. But it’s also excellent a few hours later, should you want to get all your baking done before your guests arrive. If tarragon isn’t your favorite herb, you can use chives, basil or mint instead. And if you can manage to trim all the asparagus to the same length, this tart will be especially neat and orderly looking.

 INGREDIENTS

1 cup goat cheese, at room temperature (4 ounces)

1 large egg, lightly beaten, at room temperature

1 large garlic clove, finely grated or minced

1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves, plus more for serving

1/2 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more for sprinkling

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup crème fraîche, at room temperature (8 ounces)

All-purpose flour, for dusting the work surface

1 sheet or square all-butter puff pastry, thawed if frozen (about 9 to 14 ounces; brands vary)

8 ounces thin asparagus, woody ends trimmed

Extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Freshly ground black pepper

Red-pepper flakes (optional)

1 1/2 ounces Parmesan, shaved with a vegetable peeler (about 1/2 cup)

 

PREPARATION

YIELD 6 to 8 servings

TIME 1 hour

PREPARATION

YIELD 6 to 8 servings

TIME 1 hour

 

Step 1

Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, use a fork or a wooden spoon to mash together the goat cheese, egg, garlic, tarragon, lemon zest, salt and nutmeg until smooth. Switch to a whisk and beat in the crème fraîche until smooth.

Step 2

On a lightly floured surface, roll out puff pastry into a 13-by-11-inch rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a parchment lined cookie sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score a 1/2-inch border around the edges of the puff pastry.

 

Step 3

Spread the crème fraîche mixture evenly inside the scored border. Line up the asparagus spears on top, and brush them with olive oil. Sprinkle some salt and the grated Parmesan over the asparagus.

 

Step 4

Bake until the pastry is puffed and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Let it cool on the cookie sheet for at least 15 minutes or up to 4 hours before serving. Then sprinkle black pepper, red-pepper flakes (if using), the

shaved Parmesan and tarragon leaves. Drizzle a little oil on top. 

 

Tip

You can assemble the tart 1 day in advance; but reserve the

sprinkling of salt and grated Parmesan until right before baking.

Loosely cover the tart and store it in the refrigerator until it's time to

bake.

 

Blackberry Crisp

 I love blackberries! This is my favorite blackberry dessert and I have been making it for years.

The Fruit

• About 4 cups of blackberries
• 1 TBSP flour
• 3 TBSP of brown or white sugar
• 1 tsp. of grated orange rind

The Topping

• 1/2 cup of unbleached white flour
• 6 TBSP brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 4 TBSP unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Toss the berries with flour, sugar and orange rind. Put them in an 8-inch glass pie pan or equivalent or equivalent baking dish. 

For the topping, combine the flour, sugar, spices and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces, then work into the flour with two knives or your fingers until the small pieces begin to hold together. Distribute the topping evenly over the berries. Bake until the topping is lightly browned and the juices have risen around the edges, about 30-40 minutes. Serve with whipping cream or vanilla ice cream.

Serves four

Pisco Sour

After a trip to Peru in June where the cocktail of the day (every day) was a Pisco sour, I was craving the cocktail at home. I found some Peruvian Pisco at Hazel's in Boulder, Co. Here's the recipe with a little history.

Chile and Peru bicker fiercely over the Pisco Sour’s origin (and that of pisco, too), but by most accounts, the drink’s genesis is tied to a United States citizen. Expat bartender Victor Morris is believed to have concocted the frothy, smooth cocktail at his Lima bar around 1915 or perhaps the early 1920s. Blending pisco, lime juice, egg white and Angostura bitters, the Pisco Sour is earthy, sweet and tart—a cocktail worth fighting over.

Pisco is a grape-distilled spirit that was first made in the 16th century. Piscos vary in style and grape variety, with different expressions ranging in flavor from dry and earthy to floral and fruity. The Pisco Sour doesn’t call for a particular pisco, so enterprising drinkers can experiment to find which they prefer.

Spirit, citrus, sugar and egg white are the core ingredients in a good sour, including the popular Whiskey Sour. But one small difference that’s become emblematic of the Pisco Sour is its inclusion of Angostura bitters. The aromatic bitters, which are usually applied as a garnish, add color and fragrance to the cocktail. Those bitters sit on the drink’s fluffy head, a trait achieved by dry-shaking the cocktail. That means shaking it first without ice to incorporate the liquid ingredients with the egg white before shaking it again with ice to provide chill and dilution.The result is a delicious cocktail with a silky mouthfeel that can provide refreshment whether you’re hiking in the Andes or drinking on the beach.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces pisco
• 1 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup
• 1 egg white
• Garnish: Angostura bitters

Steps

1.      Add pisco, lime juice, simple syrup and egg white into a shaker and dry-shake (without ice) vigorously.

2.      Add ice and shake again until well-chilled.

3.      Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass. (Alternatively, you can strain it into a rocks glass over fresh ice.)

4.      Garnish with 3 to 5 drops of Angostura bitters. Using a straw, toothpick or similar implement, swirl the bitters into a simple design, if desired.

Citrus Endive Salad

 I was looking in the frig to see what I had to make a salad. Endive and a grapefruit and that reminded me that I wanted to try to repeat a grilled endive citrus salad that I had at 108. While looking online for a recipe that had grapefruit and endive, I came across something on Real Simple that I ended up making. It was refreshing in two ways: the bright citrus flavor and making a salad that was new to me. I made slight modifications to the original version.

Yields: 2 large servings or 4 dinner sized salads

Ingredients

3-6 heads of Belgian endive, trimmed and halved crosswise

1-2 cups of grapefruit segments, separated from the membrane

1/4 cup pistachios

2 oz, goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 tablespoons of honey

Directions

Arrange endive, grapefruit segments and pistachios on a serving platter. Top with goat cheese, mint and salt. Drizzle with olive oil and honey.

Spiced Ginger Shrimp

I saw this recipe on the New York Times but made a modification because I did not have some of the spices it called for.  The result is delicious without the spices, which were 1 1/2 tsp. of garam masala or five-spice curry powder or Baharat.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced, greens and whites separated
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 pound extra-large shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup of halved sweet cherry tomatoes
• 2 TBSP unsalted butter
• fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, torn or coarsely chopped

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, combine ginewr, garlic, scallion whites, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Add shrimp and toss well. Heat a large skillet over high heat and add the olive oil. Add the tomatoes and 1/4 tsp. salt. Cook until the tomatoes start to wrinkle, about 2 minutes.

Add shrimp mixture and saute for another 2 - 4 minutes, turning the shrimp until they are pink all over.                                

Gently stir in the butter and cook for another minute, until the shrimp are cooked through. Remove from heat and add a squeeze with fresh lemon juice. Garnish with mint and scallion greens and serve immediately.

This goes well with rice.  I'll try soba noodles the next time I make it.

Potato Crisps

After making these, potato chips will never be the same. Having a mandolin makes this an easy recipe. One thing: make sure NOT to have too much oil or they will turn out soggy.

Ingredients 

2 medium potatoes

1.5 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper Directions 1 Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 2 Slice the potatoes into thin rounds using a sharp knife or a mandolin. Aim to have them about 1/8 inch thick, although a little variation is fine as long as they aren't too thick.  3 Toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. You can also add other spices here as well. 4 Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or a wire rack. Place the potatoes in a single layer. Bake for 15-20 minutes until crispy.

Classic Margarita

It seemed like winter was coming a little sooner than I wanted. After all, it was only October 23 and too early for snow and 16 degree temperatures that were forecasted for Sunday, October 25. My sister and her husband live in Colorado Springs, where it was predicted to be close to 70 degrees on Saturday. The drive is about an hour and a half to two hours from Boulder, depending on road construction and traffic. We decided to stay the night on Friday and go for a bike ride on Saturday after it warmed up. Mary selected a dirt trail and all four of us rode 20 miles on a beautiful sunny afternoon, wrapping up around 4 pm. With limited happy hour options, the best place was home where we decided to make margaritas. I went for the Patron classic recipe and must say, it is the best margarita I ever! Here's how to make it:

Recipe for 1 drink

1.5 oz. Patron Silver

1   oz.  Patron Citronge Orange

3/4 oz.  Fresh lime juice

1/4 oz.  Simple syrup

1. Combine liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously with ice to chill.
2. Strain onto fresh ice in a rocks glass and garnish with a lime wedge.
3. Optionally, salt half the rim of the glass with kosher salt.

Prosciutto & Arugula Pizza

Prosciutto & Arugula Pizza

During the Corona Virus pandemic, I was thinking about a pizza I had somewhere with prosciutto and  arugula.  I found this recipe on the Food Network web site.  The first time I made, I didn't pay close enough attention to the recipe and didn't add lemon juice, shallots and olive oil to the arugula. We still really liked it.  Last night I made it exactly according to the recipe and it was even better. We sat at the kitchen counter with a glass of wine and it almost felt like we were in a bar some place else.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Ingredients:

1 pound prepared pizza dough, at room temperature*

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, grated

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup part-skim ricotta

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

4 cups baby arugula

1 small shallot, thinly sliced

Juice of 1/2 lemon

3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto

Shaved parmesan cheese, for topping

* I use a pre-made pizza crust that I buy at Sprouts. It is Activfit Super Grains Ultra Thin Pizza Crust. You cook it directly onto the oven rack.  There is also a good one from Trader Joe's in the frozen pizza section, Morteli Organic pizza crust 

Combine 2 tablespoons olive oil in a bowl with the garlic, rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste. Brush with the pizza crust with the olive oil mixture and top with the ricotta and mozzarella. Return the pizza to the oven; bake until the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 6 more minutes.

Toss the arugula and shallot in a large bowl with the lemon juice, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Top the pizza with the arugula salad, prosciutto and shaved parmesan. Cut into slices.

Anchovy Hors d’ Oeuvres

My sweetheart is a big fan of anchovies and found a recipe for this appetizer.  Very delicious and surprisingly, the anchovy taste is subtle--just right.

• 1 Large French Baguette OR crackers
• 
  
• 1 Anchovy Tin (45g/1.6oz net weight 30g/1oz drained weight)
• 
  
• 2.5oz Marinated Roasted peppers or your own roasted red pepper thinly sliced
• 
  
• ¼ large cucumber (you’ll need 12 slices)
• 
  
• 2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise

First slice the baguette. You should get at least 12 pieces out of it. Throw them in a toaster and toast until golden brown. OR 12 crackers

Meanwhile rinse and cut the cucumber into 12 thin slices. Place roasted peppers onto a paper kitchen towel to get rid of the excess liquid. You can do the same with anchovies.

When the baguette slices are toasted, start assembling the bites. Baguette slice + Thin layer of Mayonnaise + 1 cucumber slice + Roasted peppers + ½ -1 Tiny anchovy.

Recipe from Gourmandize.com

Roasted asparagus with black rice, avocado and radish sprouts

I need to remember to make this recipe! Every time I make it I say to myself that I need to make it more often but then forgot to.

Roasted asparagus Serves 2 to 4 people.
I often double this recipe; if you do roast extra, make sure the asparagus is in a single layer, so they cook evenly. You may need more or less cooking time depending on the thickness of your asparagus. Mine was a mixed bunch and I enjoyed the difference in textures from roasting them all together.

1 pound asparagus
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ a lemon or lime, optional

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
Wash asparagus very well. Cut two inches off the bottom or break off the ends at their natural breaking point. Place asparagus on baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle over a pinch of sea salt and fresh black pepper. Toss well and spread evenly over tray, in a single layer. Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Remove and serve, with a squeeze of lemon or lime if you like.

Forbidden black rice Serves about 6
I like my rice very soft and sticky, but if you prefer a nuttier texture, reduce the cooking water to 2 ½ cups.

1 ¼ cups forbidden black rice, soaked overnight in 2 cups of filtered water
3 cups filtered water
½ teaspoon sea salt

Drain and rinse rice. Place in a heavy 2 to 4 quart pot and add filtered water and sea salt. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat to low and cook for 1 hour. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Tamari flax dressing Serves two.
Sometimes I add the juice of half a lime to this, which is delicious over the avocado.
1 tablespoon flax oil
1 ½  teaspoon tamari

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir well.
This tastes great over any plain cooked grain, steamed vegetable or (if you add lime) as a simple salad dressing.

To assemble; place about ¾ cup of black rice in a bowl. Top with ¼ of an avocado, diced. Drizzle with half the flax tamari dressing, sprinkle with toasted black sesame seeds, sliced scallions and radish sprouts. Serve the roasted asparagus on the side.

Marinated Artichokes Salad

My sister Mary made this salad and we decided to tweak it and added greens and cherry tomatoes. It's delicious!

Marinated Artichoke Hearts

·       1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

·       1 tsp. dried oregano

·       1 tsp. dried thyme

·       ¾ tsp. sea salt 

·       ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

·       2 15-oz. cans quartered artichoke hearts in water, well drained and patted slightly dry

·       Juice of 1 large lemon (2 Tbs.)

Salad

·       1 large ripe Haas avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced

·       Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

·       ¼ cup crunchy roasted, shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped

·       3 Tbs. shaved Parmesan cheese, optional to garnish

·       Greens – two handfuls

·       Cherry tomatoes

Preparation

1.     To make marinated artichoke hearts, combine olive oil, oregano, thyme, salt, and red pepper in small saucepan, and whisk gently to combine. Add artichokes, and toss gently to coat.

2.     Heat over low heat 10 minutes to warm and release the flavors of the spices. Remove from heat, and transfer contents to a non-reactive container, such as a mason jar or glass Pyrex dish. Stir in lemon juice, cover, and refrigerate until needed.

3.     To assemble salad, allow one half of Marinated Artichoke Hearts recipe to come to room temperature, or warm in a small saucepan over low heat to remove the refrigerator chill.

4.     In medium bowl, combine warmed artichoke hearts with prepared avocado, season to taste with salt and pepper, and toss gently to thoroughly mix.

5.     Just before serving, mound salad attractively into the center of serving plate, sprinkle with prepared pistachios, and arrange cheese in small stack at center of salad. 

Calories: 400

·       Carbohydrate Content: 30 g

·       Fat Content: 29 g

·       Fiber Content: 8 g

·       Protein Content: 10 g

·       Saturated Fat Content: 4 g

·       Sodium Content: 1730 mg

·       Sugar Content: 1 g

The French Blonde

This is my friend Georgia's favorite summer cocktail (2019)  Funny that this recipe mentions it as a cold weather cocktail. In this cocktail, fresh squeezed grapefruit juice rounds out Lillet's inherent bite, creating a sweet, citrusy drink that's perfect for brightening up cold weather.

Yield: makes 1 Cocktail

Ingredients

• ¹⁄₂ oz. elderflower liqueur, like St. Germain
• 1 oz. dry gin
• 2 oz. Lillet Blanc
• 2 oz. fresh grapefruit juice
• A few dashes lemon bitters

Instructions

1. Vigorously shake together all ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker for at least 30 seconds. Strain into a martini glass.

Sex on the Beach -- summer cocktail

My neighbor Marilyn introduced me to this drink when she hosted a summer backyard party to celebrate the completion of a big landscaping project. The finished results were beautiful and achieved what she wanted. Below is a recipe I found on line. Wonderful refreshing drink on a hot summer night and I imagine it would work well with substituting the vodka with rum (white rum.)

This is a popular summer drink and what is most likely the original. Popular substitutes include using pineapple for the orange, or Midori & Chambord instead of schnapps.

Scale ingredients to 16 servings

24 oz vodka

8 oz peach schnapps

32 oz cranberry juice

32 oz orange juice

Add vodka and peach schnapps to a highball glass over ice. Fill with equal measures of cranberry juice and orange juice, and stir.

Hemingway Daiquiri

We saw the film, The Buena Vista Social Club Farewell Tour, one afternoon several years ago. The film was shot mostly in Cuba and rum was the featured beverage.  Following the movie, we felt in mood for a cocktail made with rum and dropped into the Copper Onion next door to the Broadway Theatre. On that day, we could sit at the bar and order a drink (Utah liquor laws are always changing...) We told the bartender about the movie we had just seen and asked him for a recommendation of a cocktail made with rum. He suggested the Hemingway Daiquiri, which we order and we loved it. And it has since become one of our favorite cocktails.

Recipe for one Hemingway daiquiri:

1 1/2 oz. light rum
3/4 oz. pink grapefruit juice
1/2 oz. fresh lime juice (I simplify with half a lime)
1/4 oz. cherry liquor
1/4 oz. simple syrup

Add all ingredients to ice in a cocktail shaker and shake it up. Pour through a strainer into coup glasses.

Spiced Moroccan Lentils with Vegetables

I was looking through the cabinet, trying to figure out what I would like to cook.  Lentils caught my attention and so I looked on line for a recipe that was interesting and unusual but also pretty easy. The following recipe is from Epicurious with my modifications.  I serve this over brown rice.

YIELD

8–10 servings

INGREDIENTS 

·       4 tablespoons olive oil

·       1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)

·       3 stalks celery, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

·       3 large carrots, peeled and cut in rounds

·       1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

·       1 teaspoon ground cumin

·       1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried red chile flakes

·       Salt to taste

·       1 bunch parsley, chopped 

·       1 bunch cilantro, chopped 

·       1  15-ounce/can tomatoes, crushed, 7 cups chicken or vegetable stock

·       1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained

·       1 cup green lentils

·       1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·       2 tablespoons all-purpose unbleached flour

·       1 large egg

·       Juice of 1 lemons 

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion, celery, and carrots until the onion turns translucent and begin to brown, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the turmeric, cumin, and chile flakes  (I don't like the heat so I don't use pepper flakes), 1 teaspoon of salt, parsley and cilantro, tomatoes, and the stock or water and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, then add the lentils and chick peas, another teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of pepper and continue simmering until the chickpeas and lentils are cooked, about 20 minutes more. 

Whisk the flour, egg, and lemon juice. Stir into the lentil mixtures and simmer bout 5 minutes more and serve.  

Baked Polenta with Gorgonzola and Leeks

Thank you New York Times for this recipe! I've made it several times and it's very good. I've served as a main course with a salad or as a side dish. It's hearty and filling and the gorgonzola is so creamy.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for pan

• 1 quart chicken or vegetable stock, preferably homemade

• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more as needed

• 1 cup polenta (coarse or regular, not instant)

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

• 2 medium leeks, halved and sliced

• 4 ounces Gorgonzola dolce or other creamy blue cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)

 Chopped parsley or basil, for garnish

Heat oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9-by-9-inch baking dish. In a large pot, bring stock, 2 tablespoons butter and salt to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium, then slowly add polenta, stirring constantly until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.Scrape polenta into prepared dish, cover with foil, and bake for 40 minutes.

As polenta bakes, prepare the leeks: Heat remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 3 tablespoons oil, in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in leeks and a large pinch of salt, and cook until dark golden and crisped, stirring frequently, and lowering heat if they start to brown too quickly, 10 to 12 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

Remove polenta from oven. Stir in half the Gorgonzola, then cover again with foil, and let sit for 10 minutes to melt the cheese.

When ready to serve, taste polenta and stir in more salt, if needed (this will depend on how salty your cheese and stock are). Drizzle polenta with olive oil, and sprinkle with remaining Gorgonzola, crispy leeks, and parsley or basil.