Tuna Potato Salad with Green Beans

When I'm pressed to choose a favorite food, potatoes are always towards the top of my list. I love them as a part of every meal, from crispy hash browns to creamy mashed potatoes. Potatoes are great on their own, and also work very well as part of a dish. I love potato salad, and I think this recipe finally gives me an excuse to purely eat potato salad for dinner!

I must also point out that the dressing for this salad is amazing. It is a classic French dressing with shallots, white wine vinegar, and grainy mustard. We had a little extra left over, and I used it to dress a salad we made later in the week. It was a perfect complement for this salad, comprised of butter leaf lettuce, colorful tomatoes, wax beans, and feta cheese.

But, back to the point, this potato and tuna salad is amazing. It's a complete meal on it's own, and would also be beautiful as part of a larger spread. It is fresh and bursting with flavor, especially when you use the farm-fresh produce that is so abundant this time of year! My salad included farmer's market potatoes and tomatoes, and basil from my own back porch. Make sure to buy chunk light tuna, especially if you can find it packed in olive oil instead of water. It gives it the European flair that this salad deserves. Sit on your porch with a little chilled french wine, and you'll almost be able to taste the French countryside!

Warm Tuna and Potato Salad

from My French Kitchen by Joanne Harris and Fran Warde

For the Dressing:

2 shallots, finely diced

3 Tbsp white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp grainy mustard

sea salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the Salad:

1 lb small red or white skinned potatoes

6 oz hericots verts (or thin green beans)

olive oil, for the pan

8 oz cherry tomatoes

6 oz tuna, in olive oil, drained

4 salt packed anchovies, filleted and cut lengthwise into thin strips

1 large bunch of basil

For the dressing, put the shallots, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper into a jar and shake, or combine with a whisk in a medium bowl. Then, add oil and shake again, or slowly whisk the oil into the bowl.

Gently cook the potatoes in their skins, in a saucepan of lightly salted, simmering water for 20 minutes. Drain potatoes, cut them in half, and place in a salad bowl. Pour the dressing over, and toss to coat the warm potatoes.

Plunge the green beans lightly into salted boiling water and cook for two minutes. Drain well and add the warm beans to the potatoes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly brush a baking sheet with olive oil, toss the cherry tomatoes in oil, and roast for 10 minutes. Add the hot tomatoes to the potatoes and green beans.

Flake and add the tuna, along with the anchovy strips, and gently mix. Tear up the basil, scatter over the salad, and serve at once.

Julia's Broiled Chicken

Ever since I became interested in cooking, it has been a given that I'll get some foodie gifts for Christmas. This year was no exception, and Joe got me the perfect set of gifts that I hadn't even asked for! As I've written about before, I really enjoyed the book My Life in France, and the movie Julie & Julia. I have cooked a few Julia Child recipes that I've found online or in magazines, but I didn't own a copy of the cookbook that started it all. Joe surprised my with the combination of the book Mastering the Art of French Cooking and the movie Julie & Julia! I am married to the most thoughtful guy (as of today we've been married 3 years! Yeah, it's our anniversary today!).





Cute movie, classic book, happy cook named Erin :)





Being the cheesy person that I am, I knew I needed to make dinner from the cookbook the same night that I watched the movie. My recipe of choice was Poulets Grilles a la Diable (Chicken Broiled with Mustard, Herbs, and Bread Crumbs). I did kind of change the recipe to suit our tastes and to be a little healthier, but for the most part I did what Julia said. The chicken was tender and flavorful, and just buttery enough to pair nicely with the movie. I also made the Brussels sprouts from Thanksgiving, and boiled some small potatoes to serve on the side. This ended up being a better dinner then I planned, although the work I put into it was evident when Joe went into the kitchen to do the dishes!


I'll type the recipe pretty much how it appears in the book. My changes were pretty simple. First, I used chicken legs (thighs & drumsticks, still in one big piece). I cut most of the skin off before cooking, because I knew we wouldn't eat the skin, and I didn't want all the mustard sauce to come off with the skin. Julia would probably shake her head at this slightly healthier adjustment, but I know I'll never use this cookbook if I make the recipes exactly how she wrote them! I used dried thyme, because it is what I had at home already, but I think fresh herbs would be really nice. For the breadcrumbs, I toasted some french bread cubes that I was going to put in the food processor, but then I was talking to my sister on the phone and burned the crap out of the bread. So, I used store bought from the can bread crumbs, because I really didn't feel like toasting more bread. I think fresh bread crumbs would be way better, so next time I'll try to pay more attention!


Poulets Grilles a la Diable
from Mastering the Art of French Cooking

2 ready-to-cook, 2 1/2 lb broiler chickens, halved or quartered
6 Tbsbsp butter, 2 TB oil, melted in a saucepan
6 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp finely minced shallots
1/2 tsp thyme, basil, or tarragon
1/8 tsp pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper
4 cups fresh bread crumbs

Preheat oven broiler to moderately hot. Dry the chicken thoroughly, paint it with the butter and oil, and arrange it skin-side down on the broiling pan. Place it about 5 to 6 inches from the broiling element, and broil 10 minutes on each side, basting every 5 minutes. The chicken should be lightly browned. Salt it lightly.

Blend the mustard with the shallots, herbs, and seasoning in a bowl. Drop by drop, beat in half the basting fat to make a mayonnaise-like cream. Reserve the rest of the basting fat for later. Paint the chicken pieces with the mustard mixture. Pour the bread crumbs into a big plate, then roll the chicken in the crumbs, patting them on so they will adhere. (I only painted the mustard on the top of the pieces of chicken, then sprinkled the bread crumbs on top. Partially because the bottom of the pieces of chicken was mostly bones, and partially because I was feeling lazy and didn't see the need to dirty another dish for the crumbs!)

Arrange the chicken pieces skin-side down on the rack in the broiling pan and dribble half the remaining fat over them. Brown slowly for 10 minutes under a moderately hot broiler. Turn, baste with the last of the fat, and brown 10 minutes more on the other side. The chicken is done when the thickest part of the drumstick is tender, and when the juices run clear. (Since I only did mustard & bread crumbs on the top of the chicken, I finished it by only broiling it with the mustard side up, for about 15 minutes. And yes, I did pour the extra fat over the chicken! Made it extra crispy. And tasty.)

The best quiche I've ever made...

Working at the Chopping Block, I see a lot of great recipes that I'd like to try at home. But there are not enough meals in the day, especially when I'm only cooking dinner a couple nights a week lately! So I try to be really selective about which recipes I see in class and want to make at home. This quiche recipe jumped out to me as soon as I saw it. I didn't even get to taste it, because the people in the class took their leftovers home, but I knew I needed a copy of the recipe. I made it within a day or two, which is a quick turn around for me. Boy was I glad I did make it quickly, because it was amazing!! The flavors blended together perfectly, and I felt like it was a great balance of protein, dairy, and veggies. Ever since we started consciously trying to eat less meat, quiche has been one of my favorite things to cook. It's not the healthiest option out there, with a buttery crust and cheese on top, but I do think quiche is a great way to get a well balanced meal out of one dish. Add a salad on the side, and this makes the perfect lunch. I also loved a little slice for breakfast, with yogurt or fruit on the side.


Sun Dried Tomato, Spinach, and Goat Cheese Quiche
from "The Breakfast Club" class at The Chopping Block

2 tbsp butter
2 shallots, sliced thin
4 cups baby spinach
1 cup sun dried tomatoes
2 Tbsp parsley, rough chopped
4 eggs
2/3 cups half and half
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
blind baked tart/pie crust (see note below)
3/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add the butter. Gently saute the shallots until lightly caramelized, about 3-4 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted. Fold in the oven dried tomatoes, parsley, salt and pepper.

Whisk together the eggs, half and half, milk, nutmeg, and salt and pepper. Stir the spinach mixture into the eggs and pour into the blind baked crust. Dot the top of the quiche with th egoat cheese and bake until puffed and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Cool for about 15 minutes and then cut into wedges.

** My Note: With my busy schedule I've been looking for shortcuts to help me maximize the time that I'm in the kitchen. One shortcut I've been loving is buying pre-made pie crusts. I've made a couple quiche recipes using these crusts, and I think they are worth the time I save! The pre-made crusts that come in their own pan are smaller than a regular pie dish, though, so you'll need to scale back your liquids accordingly. I did about 2/3 cup total of heavy cream and skim milk (the dairy I had on hand already- worked perfectly), and I used only 3 eggs. I kept the spinach the same, and did about 3/4 cup of tomatoes. I also did a little less cheese on top, to keep it from being too rich. Don't be afraid to experiment!

Julia's Ratatouille

If you're like me, you probably had not idea what exactly ratatouille was when that cute animated film by the same name came out a couple years back. I saw the movie, actually, I insisted on purchasing the movie, yet I still had no clue what the actual French dish was. I'd heard reference to it being some kind of vegetable casserole, but couldn't have picked it out if someone set a dish right in front of me.

Thankfully, that all changed when Julie and Julia came out this summer, and recipes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking started popping up all over the place! I found the recipe for Julia Child's Ratatouille in Bon Appetit, and knew I had to try it. Basically, I would describe it as a mix of stewed vegetables, including peppers, eggplant, and tomatoes. While the ingredients are mostly summer vegetables, the method of cooking makes it so that you could use sub-par out of season veggies and still pull off a good dish. I think it would be great this time of year, when you still have some veggies around, but also want a warm and satisfying dish. You'll be amazed at the great flavor you get from such simple ingredients!


Ratatouille
by Julia Child, reprinted in Bon Appetit

1/2 pound eggplant
1/2 pound zucchini, trimmed
1 tsp salt
7 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 8-oz onion, thinly sliced
2 green bell peppers, thinly sliced into strips
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 pound firm but ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/4 inch thick strips
3 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

Peel eggplant; cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch thick slices, then cut into 3-inch-long, 1-inch-side strips. Cut zucchini into same size strips. Place vegetables in large bowl, sprinkle with 1 tsp salt. Let stand 30 minutes. Drain; dry with paper towels.

Heat 4 Tbsp oil in large skilled over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add eggplant and zucchini to skillet; saute until light golden, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to plate; reserve. Add 3 Tbsp oil to skillet; heat over medium heat. Add onion and peppers; saute until just tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

Place tomato strips atop onion-pepper mixture in skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover skillet; cook over low heat until tomatoes begin to juice, about 5 minutes. Uncover; baste vegetables in skillet with juices. Boil until juices are almost evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfew 1/3 of onion-pepper-tomato mixture to 2 1/2 quart pot; sprinkle with 1 tbsp parsley. Top with half of eggplant and half of zucchini, then remaining onion mixture; sprinkle with 1 Tbsp parsley. Cover; simmer over low heat 10 minutes. Uncover; tilt pot and baste with accumulated juices. Increase heat to medium; simmer uncovered, basting several times with pan juices until only 2 to 3 Tbsp juices remain in pot, watching closely to avoid scorching, 10 to 15 minutes loger. Season with salt and pepper, and serve warm or at room temperature.

I served the Ratatouille with chicken flavored by a simple
lemon and herb marinade and oven roasted potatoes.

A Summertime Feast

Can you believe it's already the end of summer? Kids are headed back to school, and we're starting to feel some cooler temperatures here in Chicago. I'm headed back to school soon, too. If you missed it before, I'm going back to school for certification to teach high school mathematics. I used to teach elementary school, and have decided it would be a better fit for me to teach my favorite subject to older students. I'm so excited about the opportunities I'll have this next year, between school and my multiple part time jobs. It is going to be busy, though, and I'm sure cooking will have to take a back seat at some points during the year. During this lull before classes start, I've been cooking like crazy to get it all out of my system. Too bad I know I can't resist cooking no matter how busy I get, so I'm sure I'll still be putting my kitchen to good use either way. This blog, however, might get a little neglected in the next few months... just warning you :)

For a refreshing summer drink, mix equal parts of pureed
watermelon with lemonade. You could strain the watermelon
if you want to avoid chunks of fruit, or leave a little texture in it for
something different. Either way, this will quench your thirst!
I have a feeling a little vodka would mix nicely, too.

Last week I was with my sister in St Louis, and I took some time out on Friday afternoon to make a nice summer meal for us to enjoy on the back porch. I took some inspiration from the Kirkwood Farmers Market, where I found beautiful heirloom tomatoes, juicy watermelon, farm fresh green beans, and little red potatoes.


I got the tomatoes from the CJ's stand, and I was so pleased with the whole experience. The girls working at the stand were friendly and knowledgeable, and they seemed to really take pride in the local products they were selling. If you're in the St. Louis area, look out for this seller at Kirkwood Market. I'd go back to them anytime! The tomatoes are (clockwise from the top) German Striped, Brandywine, and Cherokee Purple.

I wanted to serve the tomatoes simply, so we would focus on their flavor. I sliced them up, added some blanched green beans in the middle, and drizzled a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper over the whole platter. They were amazing! So sweet and juicy, we couldn't get enough of them. Between me, my sister, and my dad, we finished off the whole platter! We did agree that we had a hard time tasting the difference between the three types, but also said we would tell the difference between these babies and store bought tomatoes any day.

I also kept it simple on the potatoes. I quartered them, and tossed with minced fresh thyme and some salt and pepper. I roasted them in an incredible non-stick casserole pan my mom bought when they lived in Europe. It browns potatoes better than anything I've used in my kitchen. I tossed in some halved cloves of garlic when the potatoes were starting to brown, and the bits of garlic browned nicely without getting burned. Yummy!

The final part of our meal was a goat cheese and herb tart inspired by David Lebovitz. He posted an Herbed Ricotta Tart on his blog about a week before, and I stumbled across it when I was catching up on blogs while stuck at my parents house with no keys. It looked too good to resist, so I decided the tart would complement my farmer's market finds. I pretty much followed his recipe, but used scallions and goat cheese in my version. It was quite delish, although I realized as we were eating that I'd made a different goat cheese tart before, and I wish I'd tried this one with ricotta. The crust was the Chocolate and Zucchini recipe for Olive Oil Tart Crust, and I didn't love it. I was so happy when it didn't shrink when I blind baked, but it ended up pretty hard and not at all flaky. I don't know if it was over baked, or if it had to do with the whole wheat flour. I might try it again, though, because I really did like the ease and ingredients in this tart crust.

Dinner and a Movie: Julie & Julia

As you all know by now, I like cooking. A LOT. So when I heard about the movie Julie & Julia, I started counting down until it came out. I read both books a while back, and fell in love with Julia Childs after reading My Life in France. She was such a character, and I was fascinated by her life story. I also read Julie & Julia, about Julie Powell's blogging project. She cooked all the recipes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a year, and blogged about the whole adventure. I liked the idea of the book, but thought Julie was kind of a jerk. Honestly, I didn't finish the book, but I still thought the project was a fun concept.

The movie Julie & Julia came out last Friday. I wasn't sure what to expect, because there had been tons of publicity before the movie and that is not always a sign of a good film. But I was excited, and insisted on seeing the movie on opening night. Aside from the fact we had to sit in the front row (full house!), I adored the move! The actresses did a great job with their characters, and I thought they did a great job combining the two stories in a way that really flowed. The movie made me want to cook, blog, eat, and live in Paris... so really it was all my usual emotions captured on film! I would recommend gathering your foodie friends to check out this movie, and have a French food feast planned for before the movie. But plan your cooking times carefully, to avoid arriving late and sitting in the front row :)


I made a broccoli and mushroom quiche for our dinner, with potato gratin and roasted green beans. Not the most summery meal, but it was a cool and rainy day in Chicago. I wanted to make the ratatouille from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, but we'd had a busier day than I expected and I decided roasting green beans would be much more manageable. The quiche recipe was inspired by a recipe in Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. Here's my version.

Savory Herb Pie Crust

5 ounces all purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp herbes de Provence
8 Tbsp cold butter (1 stick), cut into about 8 pieces
3 Tbsp ice water, plus more if necessary

Combine flour, salt, and herbes de Provence in a food processor and pulse once or twice. Add the butter and turn the machine on; process until the butter and flour are blended and the mixture looks like cornmeal, about 10 seconds.

Add the three tablespoons of ice water, and process again until the dough comes together. Add more water if it's too dry, or a little flour if it's overly sticky. Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, form into a disc, and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to one day. Proceed with quiche recipe below.



Mushroom and Broccoli Quiche

1 recipe Savory Pie Crust
4 Tbsp butter or olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced onions
2 cups fresh broccoli florets, in bite sized pieces
2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
1/2 tsp dried thyme
6 eggs, at room temperature
2 cups cream, half and half, or milk, heated until just warm

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Roll out the chilled pie crust and place into a pie dish. Bake the crust for about 12 minutes, until it begins to brown. Remove from the oven and let cool while you prepare the filling. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Boil or steam the broccoli for about two minutes, so it's tender crisp and not fully cooked.

Put the butter or oil into a large skillet that has been warmed over medium high heat. Add the onions and saute for 3 or 4 minutes, until starting to soften. Add the sliced mushrooms and saute for an additional 5 minutes, until mushrooms and onions are softened. Add the thyme and broccoli, stir, and take off the heat.

Combine the eggs and creme in a bowl, then add to the mushroom mixture. Place the partially cooked shell onto a baking sheet, and pour in the egg mixture. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the quiche is almost firm and lightly brown on top. It should still jiggle a little in the middle. Cool on a wire rack, and serve either warm or at room temperature.

I baked my quiche in the Gien tart dish I got for my birthday this year. Apparently it's a popular brand of earthenware in France, so I thought it was appropriate for this dinner!

Book Club Savory Loaf

I got the Chocolate and Zucchini cookbook a while back, and value it for creative, french recipes with an international touch. Some of the recipes are familiar parts of French cuisine, like quiche or Steak Tartare. But Clotilde is so creative, and offers innovate creations alongside french classics passed through generations. I've enjoyed the recipes I've tried in the past, and I realized a couple weeks ago that this book had been gathering dust on my bookshelf for longer than I would like!

The perfect occasion to pull the cookbook back out came along last weekend, when I was choosing a recipe for my book club get together. Our book had some Spanish references in it, so I decided to make something with a Spanish flavor to complement the Sangria our hostess was serving. I remembered a recipe for Chorizo, Sun Dried Tomato, and Pistachio loaf, decided the chorizo was enough of a Spanish spin for my tastes. This recipe was perfect for book club-- easy to hold in one hand, interesting and exotic, yet not too strange for the more cautious palates in the group. Everyone really loved it, and I was pleased with the results. I think this would be an ideal pre-dinner snack to serve along with a glass of white wine, like David Lebovitz recommends.

Tomato, Pistachio, and Chorizo Loaf

From Chocolate and Zucchini, by Clotilde Dusoulier

1 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp sesame seeds-- one for the pan, one for the topping

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

3 large eggs

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup plain unsweetened yogurt (I used greek 2%)

3 1/2 oz Spanish chorizo, skin removed, diced

12 sun dried tomato halves, packed in oil, drained and finely diced

3/4 cup shelled unsalted pistachios

3/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan, sprinkle half the sesame seeds onto the bottom and sides, and shake the pan to coat.

Combine the flour and baking powder in a small mixing bowl and set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, wisk together the eggs, salt, and pepper. Pour in the oil and yogurt, and whisk again. Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just incorporated. Don't overmix- a few lumps are ok. Fold in the chorizo, sun-dried tomatoes, pistachios, and parsley. Stir to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, level the surface with a spatula, and sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes our clean. Let cool for a few minutes in the pan, then unmold and cool completely on a rack. Cut into slices or cubes just before serving.

Ile de France Goat Cheese

I recently had a chance to try a second type of french cheese from Ile de France. I had really enjoyed the Camembert I tasted a few months ago, so I was eager to taste the goat cheese to see what I thought of it. I enjoy using goat cheese in recipe for the creamy zing it adds to dishes. I wanted to taste the cheese on its own, but also decided to use the cheese in a couple different recipes.

I have determined that I like this type of goat cheese (the dryer, crumbly log type) for using in recipes, but I prefer other cheeses when I'm just eating with crackers or something simple. The Ile de France goat cheese is not a bad one-- in fact, I found it to have a nice tangy, creamy taste. I think it's a texture thing, though, that makes me prefer softer, more spreadable cheese when creating a cheese platter. For recipes, though, this simple goat cheese was a great addition to any dish needing an extra layer of flavor.

First, two dishes without pictures to illustrate. I love adding a chunk of goat cheese to mashed potatoes, especially now that it's fall and mashed potatoes seem so appropriate. Just mix the goat cheese in with some heavy cream and salt and pepper; instantly your mashed potatoes will be elevated to a new level. I also used this Ile de France goat cheese on top of a fresh place of spaghetti with marinara sauce. If you add crumbles on top of the hot sauce, it will melt in an add great flavor to the sauce.

I also wanted to use the goat cheese in a recipe, especially since Ile de France is hosting a recipe contest. In keeping with the French background of this cheese, I decided a tart would be the perfect dish. For nice fall flavors, I sauteed crimini mushrooms with shallots and garlic, then added artichoke hearts to the mix. I made a custard of eggs, cream, and goat cheese, and poured it on top of the tart. The result was rich and creamy tasting, with earthy vegetables complementing the goat cheese flavored custard. The buttery crust held it all together. I can't wait to have a dinner party sometime soon, because I know this will make an impressive started with a simple salad.


Pâte Brisée- Adapted from Chocolate and Zucchini by Clotilde Dusoulier

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
8 Tbsp (1 stick) butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2-4 tsp ice cold water

In a food processor, combine the flour, salt, and butter. Pulse about 10 seconds, until it resembles coarse meal. Add the egg and mix again for a few seconds, until the dough starts to come together into a ball. If the dough is too dry, add ice water 1 teaspoon at a time until the dough comes together. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface, shape into a disc, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 3o minutes.


Tart Filling
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
5 ounces crimini mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp herbs de Provence
3 artichoke hearts, cut into eighths
salt and pepper

1/4 cup cream
2 eggs
5 ounces goat cheese, softened


First, make your Pâte Brisée. Let it chill for at least 30 minutes, then let stand at room temperature before using it.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees while you work on the tart filling. While the dough is resting, heat the olive oil in a saute pan. Add the shallot and garlic and saute for about 2 minutes, until softened. Add the crimini mushrooms and saute about three minutes more, stirring to avoid burning the onions and garlic. Gently add the pieces of artichoke hearts, stirring carefully so they don't break apart. Season with herbs de Provence and salt and pepper. Set aside.


On a floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. For mini-tart pans, trace with a knife around each tart pan, leaving about 1/2 inch border around the tart pan. Press each circle of dough into the tart pans, cutting off any extra dough. Blind bake the tart shells for about 10 minutes, until they start to turn golden.

In a blender, mix the two eggs, heavy cream, and softened goat cheese.


Take each pre-baked tart shell and carefully heap the artichoke and mushroom mixture into the shell. Pour the goat cheese mix on top, being careful not to have it overflow. Bake the tarts for about 15 minutes, until the custard is completely set and does not jiggle when you shake the pan.

Daring Bakers: Eclairs

Look what I made! They were delicious, but my dough did not stay puffed after baking, even with two attempts. I did Julia Child's pastry creme, and it was the highlight. Chocolate glaze on top. YUM. I'm visiting friends and family in Kansas City this weekend, so this is a quick post :)

Go here to check out more baking treats!

See how flat they got?! Bummer :(

Summer Tart

Today I found myself thinking about my previous travels in Europe. Specifically, I was thinking about the bakeries. I'm not sure what got me started, but I couldn't stop thinking about the beautiful pastries that call out to me when I'm traveling overseas. The urge was pretty strong, so I decided I might as well try to make a special dessert to go with our dinner tonight.


Whether you're in a large city or a tiny village, there are certain treats that seem to be in every bakery window. The fruit tarts always look the best to me, with the shiny, colorful fruit covering the delicious custard and flaky crust. I really don't do much baking, but the ambitious baker hidden within me decided I needed to make one of these tarts to enjoy at home.

Making the crust wasn't too bad, but it did end up drier than I expected. I did the best I could to make it stick together, but rolling it out just wasn't happening. I ended up lifting the tart crust into tart pan, and just using my fingers to push it to the edges of the pan. I also didn't read the directions closely enough, so my larger tart pan meant the crust did not go up the sides of the pan as expected. Still, the crust came out of the oven looking as expected, and I moved on to the next step.


The pastry cream (like a custard) was pretty easy to put together. I used vanilla extract instead of a vanilla bean, because I'm too cheap to buy real vanilla beans. I know, a good cook should use vanilla beans, but I'm trying to keep my grocery budget under control. The custard was thick and tasted unbelievably decadent, and at this point I knew the end result would be a good one.


The last step was putting it all together, and this is where you creative types could get all fancy. I'm not the most artistically inclined person, so concentric circles was my stab at pastry art. Slightly crooked, but I was still pretty proud of myself :) The final product was one of the best looking creations I've ever made, and I had a hard time cutting the first slice. One taste, though, and I was ready to eat the whole thing! Tonight's tart was just a random treat for Joe and I, but I have a feeling this dessert will show up again at an upcoming dinner party. I can't keep this pretty treat just for us!

To keep this from being too long a post, I'll just tell you the recipe is from Joy of Baking online. The full recipe can be found here.

Tasty Tools: Memories of Paris

If you don't know me very well, you maybe don't know that I'm pretty much obsessed with France. Specifically, I fantasize daily about moving to Paris. I'm constantly reading books about people living in Paris, and I love a good French movie. I LOVE French food and pastry, although you don't see it much in my blog because French cuisine really intimidates me. Silly, I know, but I always feel like it's a big accomplishment when I cook a French meal. Each time I am in the kitchen, though, I gain a bit more confidence and feel more like I can at least try to make any dish.

Crepes are a French treat that I always love to eat, yet they seem impossible to make at home. My friend Joelen recently helped me see how simple crepes really are to make, when she had a "Creative Crepes" class at her house. The recipe we used was simple, and Joelen said the most important thing was to just let the batter rest so that the crepes didn't tear when you flip them. I loved the ease of the recipe, and as soon as I tried them I started thinking about all the variations I could do with crepes.

For my first attempt I kept the crepes simple. I used the basic recipe you see below, and I added a tablespoon of sugar for a little sweetness. I made the batter while I was making dinner, and then kept it in the fridge for a couple hours until we were ready for dessert. I sliced the strawberries and tossed with sugar, to make them nice and sweet, and I made an awesome creme fraiche sauce to go on the crepes. I was so happy with how successful these crepes were, and my only question was, "What took me so long?!". In the next few weeks I'll have to try savory crepes, maybe like these ones from the Blue Kitchen.

This recipe was a perfect entry for Joelen's Tasty Tools event for this month, which featured recipes using blenders. Mixing the crepe batter in the blender ensured that it was smooth and well mixed. Be sure to check out the Tasty Tools roundup after June 2nd.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup milk
1 cup flour
3 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp sugar

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in blender. Pulse until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours, or overnight.

Heat a crepe pan or large skillet to medium high heat. Brush with butter. Pour enough batter into the pan to make a thin layer, and rotate the pan so the batter covers the bottom. Cook until bubbles appear and the bottom of the crepe is a nice, even brown. Use a thin spatula to flip the crepe, and cook the second side only until it is a blond color, not as dark as the first side. Remove to parchment paper and repeat with the rest of the battter.

Joe wants me to let you know that he successfully fliped a crepe a la Julia Childs-- just by flicking his wrist while holding the pan. He was quite proud of himself :)


We did our crepes rolled up, with strawberries and creme fraiche sauce inside each one. The creme fraiche sauce is just 1/2 cup of creme fraiche, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, zest and juice of half a lime, and a pinch of fine salt. It makes a great fruit dip, too, as I discovered while eating the leftover strawberries!