Make an Apple Tart instead of a Pie for Thanksgiving

November 18, 2012    |    Print Print

Instead of the traditional apple pie for thanksgiving, I’ve decided to make an apple tart instead.  It totally reminds me of the Tarte aux Pommes in France that I have enjoyed.  The crust is crisp and the apples are perfectly cooked.

If you were in France you could purchase this delicious treat from any number of patisserie cases from Paris to Provence and many shops in-between.  Alas, I am not, so, of course I had to figure out how to make it.  If I do say so myself, it’s darn near as close to the taste and texture of what I’ve enjoyed in France and it’s so simple to make.

French Apple Tart
Adapted from a recipe by Sara Moulton

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-flour, plus more for dusting
12 tablespoons (6 ounces) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
6  – 7 Braeburn apples, peeled, cored, and halved
2 – 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, depending on sweetness desired
1/2 cup apricot jam
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving

Using the metal “S” blade of the food processor, combine flour, 8 tablespoons butter, and salt and pulse until pea-size crumbles form, about 10 pulses.  Drizzle in 3 tablespoons ice-cold water and pulse until dough is moistened, about 3—4 pulses.

Transfer dough to a work surface and form into a disk; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Unwrap dough and transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough into a 13-inch circle and then transfer to an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom; trim edges; chill for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Working with one apple half at a time, thinly slice into sections, keeping slices together. Press the sliced apple half gently to fan it out; repeat with remaining apple halves. Place 1 fanned apple half on outer edge of the tart dough, pointing inward; repeat with 7 more apple halves.

Separate remaining apple slices. Starting where the apple halves touch and working your way in, layer apples to create a tight rose pattern. Fill in any gaps with remaining apple. Sprinkle with sugar and then dot with remaining butter. Bake until golden brown, 60—70 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat apricot jam in a small saucepan until warmed and loose; pour through a fine strainer into a small bowl and set aside. Transfer tart to a wire rack; using a pastry brush, brush top of tart with jam. Let cool completely before slicing and serving with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

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Confit de Lapin (Rabbit Confit) and Rillettes

November 15, 2012    |    Print Print

It was my good fortune, while on a recent culinary tour to Provence, to return to the Hostellerie de l’Abbaye de la Celle.  As part of the extraordinary lunch we enjoyed over-looking the courtyard, my friend and Executive Chef Benoit Witz presented this confit de lapin to us as a first course.

The confit was resting on a black olive crostini.  Perched on top was a slice of farci de lapin.  On my last visit, I was very fortunate to have Benoit teach me how to make the roulade.  (More on that later…)

I had made duck confit many times, which is a necessary addition to cassoulet.  It is also delicious served over lentils with sautéed lardons.  However, I had never made confit de lapin.

After arriving home, I was rummaging through the freezer — there’s the sour cherries with which I must do something soon; maybe make jam.  Ahh, one more foie, which we’ll enjoy during the Christmas Holidays.  Oh, and the ice cream insert – maybe a savory sorbet next time.  And then, low and behold, there in the back of the third shelf was the last lapin from the farm of our friends Curt and Paul.

Remembering that delicious first course from Le Celle, I wanted to see if I could recreate the confit de lapin.  It turned out super!  Since it did, I thought I’d share my recipe with you.

1 whole rabbit, cut into 6 – 8 pieces
4 tablespoons kosher or course sea salt
6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 shallots, peeled and sliced
12 sprigs thyme, fresh
2 sprigs rosemary, fresh
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
About 6-7 cups duck fat, or enough to completely cover rabbit pieces

Sprinkle all sides of the rabbit with salt.  Arrange half the rabbit pieces in a glass dish, large enough to hold all of them.  Evenly scatter half the garlic, shallots, thyme and rosemary sprigs, and peppercorns on top.

Arrange the remaining rabbit in the dish, and scatter the remaining garlic, shallots, thyme, rosemary and peppercorns over them. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 days.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 225°F.  Melt the duck fat in a medium saucepan.  Over a sieve, wash the salt and aromatics off the rabbit, reserving all the ingredients except the salt.

Arrange the rabbit pieces in layers in a high-sided ovenproof saucepan, such as a Le Creuset French oven.  Pour the melted fat over the rabbit (the pieces should be covered by fat) and place the confit in the bottom third of the preheated oven.

Cook at a very slow simmer, with just an occasional bubble, until the meat is tender and can be easily pulled from the bone, 2-3 hours.

Remove the confit from the oven and allow to cool until easily handled.  Strain off the aromatics; keeping the meat and fat in separate containers.  Pull the meat from the bone, discarding the bones.  The fat can be frozen and used again.

Rillettes
Confit of one rabbit
1 – 2 cups reserved duck fat, divided
2 shallots, peeled and minced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons cognac
1/4 cup duck or rabbit stock
Salt and pepper to taste

In the bowl of a food processor, using the metal blade, pulse about 1/3 of the confit until roughly chopped.  Reserve in a medium bowl.  Process the remaining 2 batches batches of rabbit and place in the bowl.

In a small sauté pan, over a very low flame, heat about 1/4 cup duck fat.  Add the shallots and sauté for about 3 minutes or until they are translucent.  Add the garlic and continue cooking about 45 seconds.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Pour the shallot/garlic mixture into the bowl with the reserved meat.

Heat the cognac in the same sauté pan.  Carefully ignite and allow the flame to burn out.  Pour in the stock to cool the cognac.  Pour the cognac mixture in the bowl with the rabbit.  Generally stir the ingredients together adding salt and pepper to taste.

Return the sauté pan to a very low flame and melt the remaining duck fat.

After the rillettes taste to your liking, pack tightly into clean one cup canning jars.  Pour about 1/8 cup of fat over the rillettes and allow to cool.  After fat has cooled, pour another 1/8 cup (or enough to cover) and top with clean lids and rings.  Store in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks or place in the freezer to enjoy later.

Here is a video of me demonstrating how to make the rabbit roulade.  My segment starts about 7.13 minutes into it.

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Our day in Provence…

November 11, 2012    |    Print Print

Up and at ’em!  Breakfast was at 8:00am.  However, I got up in time to give Kathie a hand.  It was an early start to the day, but I didn’t mind making the short trip to one of the Plascassier’s patisseries for croissants and other goodies.

Where’d my coffee go?

With breakfast finished, Kathie advised us that the window of time, where the traffic would not be horrendous, was narrow for our drive into Nice.  Or, as our British GPS spokesperson pronounced it Nice– rhymes with ice.

With only one “please make a U-turn when possible” we were heading down the des Anglais de Pommade towards the vieille ville (old town).  The Mediterranean was on our right and the glitzy city, (once in Italian hands) was to our left.  Following the signs for the public parking garage, the next thing I knew I was driving in the Ville, literally.

A couple of more turns and we found our way to the garage for which we were looking.  Driving a BMW sedan (a free upgrade — woohoo!), it was up enough floors to find two parking places.  Not that I would take up two spaces, though the thought crossed my mind, but to make sure that I could park without a scratch.  Saint Doris Day (you know…she always found parking right up front in her movies) was with me the entire trip, as I always found the easiest parking spaces.

Unfortunately, it rained on this particular day in Nice, but that didn’t slow us down — well not much.  It did allow us to linger under the the vendor’s tents, giving me a chance to practice my French.  One of the vendors pulled out a poster with drawings of various mustaches.  I probably should have purchased it – but alas, maybe next time.  After lunch at a bistro on the square, we headed to the car and back to La Pitchoune for an afternoon cooking class with a leisurely dinner following.

Our apéritifs were a little over the top on this particular evening.  Usually one of these would be the norm, but what the heck; we enjoyed french radishes, smeared with butter and dipped in fleur de sel; cured olives from the trees of La Pitchoune; pistachios; and chèvre wrapped in prosciutto.

Since we were in the throes of mushroom season it was only fitting that we would enjoy a roasted chicken breast with a mushroom duxelle crust and a potato gratin.   For dessert it was individual Apple Tarte Tartins with vanilla bean ice cream.  It was a perfect ending to our first full day at La Pitchoune.

Apple Tarte Tartin

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Landmarks mark our return

October 20, 2012    |    Print Print

There are advantages in returning to the same place when traveling on vacation.  As long as the landmarks remain in place, it’s easier to find your destination.  GPS will only get you so far!  That was precisely the case when I returned to La Pitchoune for a recent culinary tour.

Ahh, there’s the SuperU sign which means the short-cut is just to the right.  Oh and there’s the Édith Piaf sign at the next round-about.  I was almost to La Pitchoune (the former home of Julia and Paul Child) and ready to begin my two weeks of culinary bliss.

I arrived a day early to assist Kathie with last minute preparations.  Our guests were to arrive the next afternoon.  Not having a chance to eat in Paris during my two-hour layover, by the early evening I was starving.

The local pizzeria seemed to be the perfect place to go for take-out – a Mouansoise (Tomate, Fromage, Aubergine, Parmesan, Persillade, Origan) and a Provencale (Tomate, Fromage, Tomates Fraiches, Mozzarella, Basilic).  Pizza in France, you ask?  Why yes, in these parts, Italy is less than an hour away.

Arriving back La Pitchoune, we uncorked a bottle of Provencale red and enjoyed a relaxing evening while catching up on the news since my trip back in February.  (I was there for a truffle hunt.)

Early Sunday morning we decided to make the short trip to Plascassier to one of the local boulangeries for coffee and a pastry instead of going all the way to Valbonne.  (See, Valbonne was another 5 minute drive and I couldn’t wait.)

It never fails, every-time I arrive at a boulangerie, it’s always so difficult deciding which pastry(ies) to choose.  Should I go with the classic croissant or try the Pain Suisse this time; or one of each?  The dough of the “suisse” is similar to brioche, but rolled flat and folded over chocolate bits before baked.  It’s decedent and delicious with a cup of café.  (The Pain Suisse won out this time!)

Before departing the boulangerie we picked up our daily baguette and a small fougasse to enjoy with our aperitifs that evening.

By Sunday afternoon we were off to pick up our guests, but not before a quick trip back to the airport to have the GPS reset.  See, I was fiddling with it earlier in the day and somehow switched it back to German.  I was driving a BMW after all.  I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how to switch it back to English.  I can sing in German, but mind you, attempting to understand directions in that language was out of the question.

After the quick trip to the airport we made our way along the Promenade des Anglais with Nice on our left and the Côte d’Azur on our right.  From the Promenade we turned left and headed up the hill at the SNCF sign.  It only took us two trips around the block before deciding it was probably better to just park in the garage.  It would be easier than attempting to find a spot and then parallel park on the street.  Me and parallel parking in France is not a good mix.

Donning our bright green “Cooking with Friends in France” aprons, we greeted our culinary guests with a kiss on each cheek, grabbed their bags, loaded up the car and headed back to La Pitchoune.

After settling into the comforts of our home away from home, it wasn’t long before we were enjoying aperitifs in front of the fireplace.  On this night our tray included french radishes, smeared with butter and dipped in fleur de sel, olives from the property that were brined, pistachios, and chèvre “roll-ups” (for lack of a better description).  They were bite-size pieces of goat cheese wrapped in prosciutto and sprinkled with various dried herbs or seeds.

Later in the evening, for our welcome dinner, we enjoyed marinated bone-less pork chops, tiny potatoes (Les Grenailles) and sautéed purple beans.  For dessert it was baked Canadian Gris apples (perfect apples as our guests were from Canada) with a saffron sauce and crème fraîche.

It was an early bed-time for each of us, as it would be a busy next day with a trip back to Nice (the Brocante market is every Monday) followed by an afternoon cooking class and dinner.

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Ramblings of a weary traveler…

October 18, 2012    |    Print Print

There are more than a few folks who believe that I live far too much in my head.  However, when it comes to spending seven plus hours on a flight from Minneapolis to Paris, this sort of living comes in handy.  Delta flight 219 is where I found myself recently and ended up in seat 38C from MSP to CDG.

With all this time on my hands and with the upcoming US Presidential elections, I began reconfiguring the plane wondering how Air Force One might be laid out.  Thinking, if you take out all these overhead compartments, galleys and seats, this is a huge space.  Being about 6 rows from the rear door, I had a bird’s eye view of much of the interior and I was just steps away from the back galley.A kitchen is a kitchen right, well maybe not on Air Force One, but guess where I hung out for part of the flight?  You got it, after “dinner” I was in the back hanging with the flight attendants.

Speaking of dinner; that particular evening it was chicken in some sort of red sauce over rice.   For a moment, I felt the most sorry for the young lady who was sitting next to me.  But then I remembered, oh right, she was flying home – to France, meaning the potential of having fabulous food again day after day.

I then said to myself, duh; I’m heading to France too and not coming home for 2 weeks.  That thought made the chicken a little more edible, plus the glass of sauternes after dinner was a nice touch, not to mention the 3 glasses of wine before dinner and the gin and tonic back at the Delta Lounge at MSP.  All of these diversions made the trip seem quite short.   So short actually, that I didn’t even have time to read my latest copy of the Minneapolis/Saint Paul magazine.  Again, I’m thinking, “Why did I drag this magazine all the way to France?”

Arriving at the Paris Airport (CDG), I was a tad weary, but surprisingly not hung over, and I thought, hey I have two hours to get to my connecting flight.  This would give me plenty of time for a café and croissant, right?

Sunrise heading into Paris

Making my way to Terminal 2, I then remembered that when arriving Paris and traveling on to Nice, one must leave the secured area.  This means that you get to go back through security.  Then there was the small issue of not having my boarding pass for the next leg.

Sweat pouring off my forehead, and the kiosk not working for me, returned to the line thinking I could obtain the boarding pass at the counter.

Oh no, once I got about half-way through I had to get out of line, obtain the boarding pass from the gentleman near the kiosk, then get back in line.  Where was he earlier?  The minutes were ticking by, but I passed the time talking to a couple of ladies from the US (where were they from again?… oh it doesn’t matter).  They were on their way to Tuscany for a week; a place to which they go every other year.

Forty minutes to my departure, a lovely agent walked by holding a sign that said, “Flights leaving at 9:35a”.  That would be me, which meant I got out of the one line that I had been in twice now and into a shorter one for faster service.  This maneuver put me back through security and to my gate with 15 minutes to spare.  However, the flight was delayed by 1/2 hour so in the end, I had plenty of time.  Except that first cup of coffee in France was delayed by 18 hours with breakfast at La Pitchoune.

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Potato and Leek Soup

September 15, 2012    |    Print Print

As the days shorten into autumn, leeks, in their mounded soil, continue to grow and mature making them a perfect companion with potatoes.  They can also be left in the ground, well into winter, as long as they are protected to prevent the ground from freezing solid.

This soup is great to start off a chilly autumn dinner or to serve as the main course on a Sunday evening with some crusty bread and a salad.  This time around I decided to leave it more rustic by not pureéing it until it was absolutely smooth.

Also, since garlic chives are part of the allium family, I decided to garnish it with some garlic chive flowers.  One could also garnish the soup with some fresh thyme leaves or even a dollop of crème fraîche.

This recipe can easily be cut in half, but why do that since it freezes so beautifully.

Makes about 12 cups

2 large leeks, white and pale green part only
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, or to taste
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, preferably homemade
2 – 3 cups whole milk, preferably organic, I used Cedar Summit Farm
1 1/2 pounds boiling potatoes, such as Yukon Gold or Yellow Finn, peeled and cut into 1/2 –inch dice

In a large bowl filled with cold water add leeks that have been split lengthwise and cut into ¼ inch slices.  Wash thoroughly, allowing any sand to fall to the bottom of the bowl.  Gently lift out the sliced leeks and drain in a colander.

In a large heavy saucepan cook the leeks in the butter with salt and pepper to taste, covered, over moderately low heat.  Stir occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are softened but not browned.  Add the garlic and thyme and sauté for about 30 seconds.

Add the stock and potatoes.  Simmer the mixture, covered, for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife.

In a blender purée the soup adding a little milk as necessary to keep the blender going.  Return soup to the saucepan to reheat, being careful not to let the soup boil. Season with salt and pepper if desired and serve in warm soup bowls.

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Fresh Tomato Tart

September 9, 2012    |    Print Print

The San Marzanos, Yellow Pears, Mr. Stripeys, Black Cherries, and Juliets, keep producing in spite of the heat and lack of rain this summer.

Depending on the variety, we have roasted, sautéed, puréed, blanched, and enjoyed raw on BLTs.  With any luck, Jon will make some tomato paste and we’ll still have enough to dry and store in the freezer for pizzas and pasta this winter.

If you are up to your elbows with tomatoes, especially any variety of roma, now’s the time to make this delicious fresh tomato tart.  My version is an adaption, twice removed, from the book,  “Once Upon a Tart…” by Frank Mentesana and Jerome Audureau (Knopf, 2003)

FOR THE TART CRUST:
1 3/4 cups (7.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons (1 1/4 ounces) semolina flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 to 4 tablespoons cold water
2 tablespoons chilled solid vegetable shortening

FOR THE FILLING:
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
8 ounces Gruyère cheese, coarsely grated (or Trade Lake Cedar from LoveTree Farmstead)
10 – 12 ripe plum tomatoes ends trimmed, very thinly sliced into rounds
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste.

To make the dough:

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flours, salt, pepper, and cheese. Pulse two to three times. Add the butter and shortening and process just until the mixture looks a little like cornmeal. 8 to 10 seconds. Don’t over-process or your crust will turn out tough.

Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing between additions. The dough should begin to hold together, but you do not want it to form a ball. This will mean there is too much water. Turn the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap.  Pat it into a flattened disk, wrap with the plastic, and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Place the rack in the bottom third of the oven. Have a fluted 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom ready.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit for 10 minutes.  Roll out a 15-inch circle of dough and carefully place it in the tart pan.  Fold the overhang back into the pan and pinch to form a ¼-inch rise above the pan.  Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes.  Remove from the freezer and line the bottom and side of the dough with parchment paper.  Fill tart pan with pie weights or dried beans.  Return to the oven for 30 minutes.  Remove the weights and parchment paper and allow crust to cool.

To make the topping:

Spread mustard thinly over bottom of cooled shell.  Scatter evenly with cheese.  Arrange tomatoes in even, slightly overlapping rows.  Sprinkle with herbes de Provence, and season to taste with pepper.

Bake until tomatoes begin to shrivel and cheese melts, 10 to 12 minutes.  Sprinkle with salt, and serve hot or at room temperature.

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Campanelle Pasta with Chanterelles

September 2, 2012    |    Print Print

 

I recently purchased 2 eight-ounce containers of fresh chanterelle mushrooms harvested by the folks at the Birch Creek Forest.  They were at the Saint Paul Farmer’s market and are there almost every week during the spring, summer, and autumn.  That particular day they also had an abundance of dried shiitakes.  And, lucky for us, their selection changes with the seasons.

Later in the week, I also found a box of campanelle pasta in the pantry.  Looking at the pasta shape, it reminded me of the mushrooms (which I had forgotten were in the fridge).   I thought, why not put the two together.

Adding to the good fortune, Jon had just harvested an abundance of red and yellow cherry tomatoes, along with enough onions to fill a large bowl.  To those ingredients, I added some fresh garlic, cream, fresh thyme, and a couple of other odds and ends; i.e., olive oil, salt and pepper.  I had dinner on the table in under a ½ hour.

Yield: Makes a generous 4 servings

1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 small onions, 1/4 inch dice
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces fresh chanterelle mushrooms, washed and split in half, if large
1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
¾ cup heavy cream, I used Cedar Summit Farm
½ pint cherry tomatoes, such as midnight red
½ pint mini yellow plum tomatoes
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for pasta water
½ pound campanelle pasta

In an 8-quart stockpot, fill with water ¾ full.  Add a hand full of kosher salt and bring to a boil.  If the water boils before you are ready, reduce the heat to low and allow the water to simmer.  The goal is to have the water ready to boil so that the pasta can cook at the same time as the cream is reducing.

After you have the water going for the pasta, place a large sauté pan over medium heat and allow the pan to warm.  Add olive oil and heat for about 30 seconds.  Add onions and sauté until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add ground pepper now (the heat will allow the pepper to bloom and become more flavorful) and the mushrooms.  Sauté mushrooms just until they start to wilt.  Add thyme and garlic, sautéing for another 30 seconds.  Pour in the cream and reduce for about 8 minutes.

As the cream is reducing, cook pasta in the boiling water, stirring occasionally.  Cook until just firm to the bite; about 8 minutes.  Reserve ¼ cup pasta water and then drain pasta into a colander.

Pour pasta into the sauté pan with the mushroom mixture.  Add the ¼ cup of pasta water.  Toss to coat and allow liquid to reduce and thicken.  Serve as soon as you can with some crusty bread.

Variation on the theme:
2 1/2 pounds Italian sweet sausages with casings, cut into 1/4 inch slices. then cut the slices into the shape of a half moon.

Sauté sausage in the pan over medium-high heat until brown, about 8 – 10 minutes.  Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to large bowl.  Add oil to drippings in pan and proceed as above — at the point of sautéing the onions.

Return the sausage back to the pan when the tomatoes are added and tossed together.  Top the final dish with some grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

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