may – rhubarb and strawberry crisp with
a peppercorn creme anglaise
january 2005 - porcini and onion tart
makes 6 to 8 side-dish or appetizer servings
½ cup whole-milk ricotta cheese, 1 large egg yolk, 2 teaspoons
plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup crème fraîche
or sour cream 1 ½ pounds assorted fresh wild mushrooms (such as
chanterelle, oyster or stemmed shiitake), sliced
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced on diagonal (about 1 ½ cups)
10 sheets of phyllo pastry, thawed (1/2 cup unsalted butter,
melted)
½ cup freshly grated parmesan
8 ounces fresh goat cheese
for tart: puree ricotta in processor until smooth, about 1 minute.
add 1 yolk and 2 teaspoons oil and blend. transfer ricotta mixture
to bowl; fold in crème fraîche.
heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over
medium-high heat. add mushrooms and sauté 7 minutes. mix in thyme.
season to taste with salt and pepper. add butter and sauté until
mushrooms are tender, about 4 minutes longer. mix in green onions.
preheat oven to 400°f. melt butter and using a pastry brush,
butter a 12 inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Begin laying
in the layers (2 at a time) of the phyllo dough into the tart
pan. Sprinkle some of the parmesan cheese in between the layers.
spread ricotta mixture over dough, inside border. top with half
of mushrooms, half of the goat cheese, then remaining mushrooms
and goat cheese. bake tart until crust is golden, about 25 minutes.
febuary 2005 - plums in red wine with chocolate
*
12 pc small red plums, 500 gm sugar, 1 lt water, 1 lt red wine,
2 pc cloves,
1 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf, ½ nutmeg
place the sugar, water, wine and all the spices in a large pan
and bring to a boil over a medium heat. allow to simmer to infuse
the flavors and until a light syrup consistency is achieved. add
the plums and simmer until tender. remove from the heat and finely
grate in chocolate to taste, stir to melt through. transfer to
a clean serving bowl and allow the plums to cool slightly in the
syrup. serve warm or place in a refrigerator to chill if serving
as a dessert with the chocolate cake.
* may also be served with roast meats
march 2005 - garlic and rosemary rubbed leg
of lamb
grilling the lamb allows the excess fat to drip away, yet preserves
enough to create a juicy tenderness and a magnificent crust.
serves 8-10
1 boneless leg of lamb, approximately 6-9 pounds
1 teaspoon each black peppercorns and fennel seeds, crushed
1 tablespoon each lemon and orange peel, grated
1 tablespoon each chopped fresh rosemary and garlic
1 tablespoon kosher salt
about 8 hours prior to roasting or grilling – mix the spices
and herbs. make a series of gashes in the layer of fat covering
the leg and rub the herb mix into the leg. refrigerate the lamb
at this point. resume the recipe about 1 ½ hours prior to the
meal. grill over a medium hot fire for about 1 hour, turning often
to evenly brown, OR heat the oven to 450 degrees and roast for
20 minutes to sear, then reduce the heat to 350 and continue for
another 40 to 60 minutes. remove the lamb from the grill or the
oven when the internal temperature is 140 degrees, the residual
heat will bring the temp up to 150, and the lamb will be a succulent
medium. the leg needs to rest about 30 minutes before slicing
thinly and serving alongside the couscous salad.
may 2005 - aromatic couscous salad
even though a couscousier, a steaming vessel designed expressly
for preparing a north african couscous and vegetable stew, is
nice to have, it's not mandatory for simply making the couscous
grain for such a salad as this. couscous is available in the bulk
section of most food emporiums or pre-packaged in the gourmet
section. however you acquire or cook it, this is a great pairing.
serves 8-10
2 cups uncooked couscous, 2 ½ cups water, salted
8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 4 tablespoons greek sweet
red wine vinegar, glykadi (similar to balsamic)
4 scallions, chopped, 1 medium zucchini and 1 large carrot, grated
½ cup chopped dried apricots, 2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 cup cooked chickpeas, 1 cup fresh parsley, minced & ½ cup fresh
mint, minced
bring the salted water to a boil in a 2 quart pot, stir in the
couscous and simmer for 2 minutes. in the bottom of a large serving
bowl, whisk together the oil and vinegar, add the remaining ingredients,
then the hot cooked grain. toss well, add salt and pepper if desired.
best if made at least 4 hours in advance, and left at room temperature
to combine flavors.
may 2005 - rhubarb and strawberry crisp with
a peppercorn creme anglaise
peppercorns give an edge to the anglaise which makes you sit
up and sing. what you sing is up to you. seconds are allowed only
after three obligatory swings in the hammock.
serves 6
for the crumbs: 1 cup rolled oats, 1 cup light brown sugar, ½
cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon
ground ginger, and 6 tablespoons butter, melted plus 3/4 cup finely
chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar, ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons cornstarch, optional, if you like a juicy crisp
preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
combine the fruits with their remaining ingredients. arrange
this mix in a shallow 1 quart or deep dish 9 inch pie plate. in
a small bowl combine the ingredients for the crumbs with a fork,
until crumbly. distribute the crumbs over the strawberries and
rhubarb. bake in the 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, or until
the fruit is tender and the topping is light brown and crisp.
serve with the anglaise.
for the anglaise:
6 egg yolks, ½ cup superfine sugar, 2 ½ cups milk heated to just
below the boiling point with a split vanilla bean and 1/4 teaspoon
cracked white peppercorns
in a mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar together until
the mixture is thick and pale and forms a ribbon when the whisk
is lifted. slowly whisk a small bit of the scalded milk into the
egg yolks, then add this tempered egg yolk mix slowly back into
the rest of the milk. transfer this combined custard back into
a heavy saucepan and cook over very low heat, stirring constantly.
the custard is cooked when it coats the back of the spoon. cool
the sauce by immersing the pot in a large bowl with ice cubes
and water, stirring occasionally for about another five minutes.
the sauce can be made a day ahead, be sure to sprinkle the cooled
surface with some granulated sugar or place some plastic wrap
directly on the surface to allow no air to enter and form a skin.
serve under or over the crisp. swoon as needed.
