Go Blue!

I'm still feeling March Madness even though it's April. You may be surprised to find out that I will be glued to the TV today, watching the last four teams in the NCAA tournament play this afternoon and evening, paying particular attention to the Wolverines. CBS Sports is predicting Michigan and Louisville in the finals. That would be spectacular. But whatever way the ball bounces, I have enjoyed the tournament and getting to know Coach Beilein a little better through this great read.

I haven't thought specifically about sporty snacks for your game day watching (particularly with the Season 6 Mad Men premiere looming!) so I tried to come up with some inspiration from my existing maize and blue highlight reel below, though I was hard pressed to come up with any blue food! No, not gold and navy or yellow and royal. Maize and blue. Hail!

Fresh Corn Salad

Smoked Garlic Aioli

Blueberry Crumb Pie

Lemon Bars

Lemon Tart

Buttermilk Biscuits

Mixed Berry Crumble

Rustic Berry Tart

Limoncello

Asparagus Week

I've decided that it's "Asparagus Week" for no other reason other than the fact that I am trying to get back into my regular blogging schedule. And because this first week of spring has acted more like winter, maybe we can trick ourselves into thinking it's warmer by eating a ton of spring veggies. It's worth a try!

It may be too early in the season for local asparagus, but I've started to see it cropping up in stores from a variety of locations. The season typically runs from February to June, so depending on where you live (Hawaii!), you may be able to find a local variety. (In Michigan for example, asparagus is harvested for a six - seven week period from late April/early May through mid to late June.) Fun facts: The asparagus plant is a member of the lily family, which also includes onions, leeks, and garlic. It's also super healthy as it's high in folic acid and is a good source of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, and thiamin. Plenty of reasons to eat asparagus this spring! And so is this (almost not a recipe) recipe for an asparagus tart. It's more of an assemblage. All you need is puff pastry, cheese, and asparagus. And an oven.



Asparagus Tart
(adapted from Martha Stewart Living)

Flour, for work surface
1 sheet frozen puff pastry
2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 - 1 1/2 pounds asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F. On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle. Trim any uneven edges. Place the pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score the pastry dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. (See photo below.) Using a fork, pierce the dough inside the markings at 1/2-inch intervals. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

2. Remove the pastry shell from the oven, and sprinkle with the Gruyere. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell. Arrange in a single layer over the Gruyere, alternating ends and tips. Brush the asparagus with the oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until the spears are tender, about 15 minutes. Makes 8 appetizer servings.

Dessert First

Photo by Kate Mathis

Guess what I'm having for dinner? Totes. (Thank god summer is over the way I eat.) Full disclosure: I didn't make these tarts. I got lucky at work today, reaping the benefits of birthday desserts and the good fortune that certain peeps know that salted caramel chocolate tarts are one of my faves. I don't have a recipe for them as these tarts are actually a combo of a few different recipes, but you could always take a look at this recipe as well as this one for reference. Thanks so much to Megan for the delicious treats! And thanks to Kate for the photos and Scott for the hawt shiny tray!


Photo by Kate Mathis

Proscrastination

I don't know why I decided to bake a tart on one of the hottest days of the year so far. Humidity reared it's ugly head and instead of going to the beach or enjoying an air conditioned movie theater, I stayed inside with my oven set to 400˚F. Nice.

Actually, it's called procrastination. I was supposed to be studying for a test (and I was!) but when I'm home I always find other things to do like recycling my stacks of magazines, cleaning the bathroom, reorganizing my spice collection...instead of what I'm really supposed to be doing. (The berry tart was just breakfast!) This tart would be great for your summer BBQs, especially with vanilla ice cream, but don't forget the air conditioning.



Rustic Berry Tart

Crust:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Tart Filling:
2 1/2 cups raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries (or any combination)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Finish:
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon sugar

1. Make the crust: Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Add the egg and stir just until the dough holds together. Gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Assemble the filling: Add the berries to a large bowl. Gently stir in the 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

3. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a 10-inch circle, then transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Place the berry mixture in the center of the dough leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Fold the 1-inch border over the berries to form an 8-inch tart.

3. Bake the tart: Lightly brush the tart dough edge with the remaining beaten egg and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until the crust is light brown and the filling is bubbling, rotating once halfway through baking. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve immediately or at room temperature. Serves 6.

A Plague a' Both Your Houses!

I think Mercutio plagued my tart. Look at the pock marks! How dare he. What did I ever do to him? I didn't even know Romeo.

The recipe I used instructed me to whisk eggs, then whisk in a caramel cream, then whisk in a chocolate mixture. All of that whisking created a million air pockets! Attention pastry chefs: What can I do differently the next time to create a smoother filling, aside from making an entirely different ganache filling that isn't baked? Maybe buying a tart at a bakery?

Vote Again!

Uh huh. Because I said so! Vote again! Confused? Check my post below.

Vote for Me!

Please! I never enter (and therefore never win) anything! And it's not that hard to do. (Well, it kind of is...mostly because it takes 2 - 3 minutes to do vs. the 30 seconds I've generally spent voting for bloggers in other contests.)



The Dirt: I've entered Bon Appétit's Blog Envy Bake Off. Since I only found out about it 3 days ago and voting ends on Sunday, I had to go with a holiday recipe already posted on my blog, the Meyer Lemon Curd Tart pictured below. (Trust me. It's exceptional.) Although it's not my original recipe it doesn't happen to matter for this particular contest. (I did provide credit to the book and author.) And I unfortunately don't have the time to bake, photograph, blog about, and submit my favorite holiday cookie recipe (that I could call my own) before the deadline this weekend. The deadline! You need to vote now!



Voting With Ease: Once you click on this link to the contest, click on "vote here" or "cast your vote" (you will have to register first). The next page will provide an opportunity to vote for cake recipes. Feel free to place a vote, but if you're strapped for time, skip it and scroll to the bottom and click "vote on the next batch." Do this 3 more times until you reach the pie/tart/pastry page where my lemon tart photo resides and then click on it. A green check mark will appear. WAIT! YOU'RE NOT DONE! Click on "vote on the next batch" at the bottom of the page and then, on the following page (miscellaneous) you will not be finished until you click, "Finished? Submit your survey." Do that and I will be forever grateful. I will be even more grateful if you tell your friends to do the same!

SO VOTE!

Lemony Fresh

If you are looking for a refreshing dessert recipe to make over the holiday season, look no further than this Meyer Lemon Tart recipe. Not every dessert made from November - January has to be a gingerbready-appley-cinnamony confection.

Meyer lemons, a slightly sweet, thin-skinned citrus that taste like a cross between a lemon and a tangerine, are in season from November to March. Check them out! Try them in drinks or in sweet or savory recipes.

I love lemon tarts and this recipe from The Sweet Life doesn't disappoint. It's like a little taste of the Mediterranean in the middle of the winter. I might have accidentally made the wrong dough, and might have had to start all over again with the correct recipe, but that just means that I'll have some tart crust dough waiting for me in the freezer for the next time I need to make a last minute tart. Because that happens all the time.



Meyer Lemon Curd Tart
(from The Sweet Life by Kate Zuckerman)

One 8-inch prepared sweet tart shell (see recipe below)*
6 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1/2 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup strained Meyer Lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
Zest of 1 Meyer Lemon
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature



Make the Lemon Curd
1. In the top bowl of a double boiler (or bain-marie), whisk together the egg yolks, whole egg, and sugar. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt. Whisk briskly until the mixture has thickened, doubled in volume and holds the lines of a whisk, 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Remove the curd from the heat and pass through a fine mesh strained into ta bowl. Discard the zest. Place the bowl in an ice bath and let cool until just warm to the touch. Thoroughly whisk in the butter. At this point you can chill or bake the lemon curd.

Bake the Lemon Tart
1. Preheat the oven the 325˚F. Pour the lemon curd into the prepared tart shell*. Place the tart on a cookie sheet and bake until the custard sets, 10 - 15 minutes. Test by gently tapping the tart ring. If the center does not jiggle, the tart is set. If the lemon curd has been refrigerated, the tart will need a few extra minutes to set.



Sweet Tart Shell*
Recipe makes 2 (8 to 9-inch) blind baked tart shells

16 tablespoons (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
Zest of 1 lemon or tangerine (optional)
2 egg yolks, at room temperature
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Make the Sweet Tart Shell
1. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and lemon zest (if using) and beat on medium-high speed until the mixture becomes fluffy and almost white in color, about 6 - 8 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg yolks one at a time, and continue to beat until they are fully incorporated and the batter looks smooth and glossy, 1 -2 minutes.

2. In a small bowl whisk together the dry ingredients and add them all at once to the butter mixture. Use a rubber spatula and fold the dry mixture into the butter mixture with a few turns before turning on the mixer. Mix the dough at slow speed until thoroughly combined, 1 - 2 minutes. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and mix on slow speed for another 30 seconds.

3. Separate the dough into two mounds. Wrap each mound in plastic wrap and press down to form 2 (1-inch) disks. Transfer the dough to the refrigerator and chill for 2 hours or overnight.

4. On a cool dry counter surface, roll one mound of dough into a 1/8-inch thick circle. Line the tart pan with the dough and freeze the tart shell for 1/2 hour. Reserve the remaining dough for another use. (The dough, well wrapped, can be frozen for up to one month.)

5. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Remove the shell from the freezer, line it with parchment paper, aluminum foil and fill it with the pie weights or dried beans. Transfer the shell to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Take out the liner and weights and place the shell back in the oven. Bake until golden brown, 10 - 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.