Mediterranean Tart

For whatever reason I have heard plenty about "Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London's Ottolenghi", the recently published cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi. I had bought the cookbook a few months back after listening to my sister go on endlessly about two dishes that she had tasted at a dinner party. While I generally don't trust my sister's recommendations or opinions on baked goods she has made or tasted, I find that she is usually pretty dead on when it comes to making food recommendations. As compelling as the recipes in Plenty were I was holding back on making any of them, until this weekend that is. I had went to a Farmer's Market (after spending a few hours reading on the beach) and came upon some beautiful fresh zucchini and eggplant, two of the ingredients in a tart recipe in the cookbook that had caught my attention. Whether seeing these vegetables was an omen or not, it was enough of an inspiration to have me finally make something out of the Plenty cookbook.

While there are many recipes in the cookbook that I found interesting, the photo and description of a Very Full Tart made it one that I wanted to try first (and don't we all love firsts?). The time and effort that went into the making of this tart filled with Mediterranean flavors were well worth it as it's taste was nothing short of amazing. If I said this recipe was labor intensive, I might dissuade you from making it. So instead I will tell you it is somewhat time intensive, although don't let that be a deterrent. Remember the old adage 'nothing good comes easy'? This tart proves that old adage to be true.

With most of the vegetables in this tart at their peak during the summer months, this is a recipe that pays homage to nature's bounty. Roasting the eggplant, sweet potato, zucchini and peppers along with the caramelizing of the onions further intensifies the flavors of these vegetables, transforming them further into something beyond wicked good. This tart is a meal all in of itself (served with a simple salad lightly dressed with maybe a champagne vinaigrette) or it could be a great side dish to a roasted chicken or a grilled steak (yes, I realize that a meal without protein is not necessarily a meal for everyone). 

There are seven different vegetables in this tart. Would this be a lucky number of ingredients or just a lucky combination? The number seven may be lucky (for some) but I am certain that Yotam Ottolenghi knew what he was doing when he created this seven vegetable tart recipe.

Going into a 450 degree oven first are the red and yellow peppers drizzled with a little extra-virgin olive oil. They will remain in the oven until all of the vegetables have been roasted. When the peppers are finished roasting, they are covered with aluminum foil and allowed to cool slightly before removing the skins and slicing into thin strips.

The eggplants, cut in a one inch dice, are mixed with four tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, some salt and pepper, spread on a baking sheet and placed in the oven on the rack under the peppers. 

After 12 minutes has lapsed, you add the 1/2 inch diced sweet potatoes to the eggplant. 

After another 12 minutes has lapsed, the one inch diced zucchini is added to the baking sheet containing the eggplant and sweet potatoes.  

Once the zucchini is added the vegetables are roasted for another 10 to 12 minutes (I went with the 12 minutes) bringing the total roasting time for the peppers, eggplant, sweet potatoes and zucchini to 36 minutes.  

While the vegetables are roasting, the onion is sliced and added to two tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil that has been heated in a saute pan. Along with two bay leaves, the onions are sautéed until they are lightly caramelized, soft and sweet. I used one large Spanish onion in this recipe (as I think this onion caramelizes best) instead of two medium-sized onions. When the onions are finished caramelizing, the pan is removed from the stove allowing the onions to cool.

The pie shell needs to be pre-baked before any of the ingredients are added. For this tart I used a deep 9 inch tart pan with removable bottom. After the pie crust dough is placed in the tart pan, it is covered with a large sheet of parchment paper and filled with pie weights or dried beans and baked for 30 minutes at 325 degrees. After 30 minutes the parchment paper the weights are removed and the shell is baked for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the shell is golden brown.

The caramelized onions are layered in the pie shell first, followed by the addition of all of the roasted vegetables including the roasted peppers. I must have been distracted at this stage because I forget to add the peppers to the roasted eggplant, sweet potatoes and zucchini. It wasn't until after I added the cheeses that I remembered to add the peppers, but fortunately it all worked.

I have thyme growing in abundance in my garden and needed to harvest only eight sprigs. The leaves are removed from the thyme (no chopping here) and divided in half. One half of the thyme leaves are sprinkled over the vegetables, while the other half is sprinkled over the entire tart once the filling is poured in.

Using the best feta cheese and whole milk ricotta you can find, both are sprinkled over the vegetables.

A cup of heavy whipping cream mixed with two large eggs forms the binder for this tart. The cream egg mixture is poured over the cheese layer. Seven cherry tomatoes are cut in half are then placed on top along with the rest of the thyme leaves. The tart is baked at 325 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes or until the filling sets and is golden. I baked my tart for almost 55 minutes and the texture was perfect.

After the tart is removed from the oven it should be allowed to set for at least 10 minutes before being removed from the tart shell. I waited another 5 minutes before I cut a slice (using a serrated knife). Waiting to cut the tart was the hardest part of making this recipe as once it was removed from the oven and its aroma and beauty taken in, I just wanted to taste it. The first bite would be what I would call scream worthy, scream worthy beyond good. And the investment in time that went into the making of this recipe, well it seemed insignificant once I tasted this tart. 

Recipe

Mediterranean Tart (slight adjustments made to Yotam Ottolenghi's Very Full Tart recipe)

Ingredients

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

about 6 Tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

3 small Italian eggplants or one medium eggplant cut into a one inch dice (skins remain on)

1 small sweet potato, peeled, cut into a half-inch dice

1 small to medium sized zucchini cut into a one inch dice (skin remains on)

1 large or 2 medium sized Spanish onions, sliced thin

2 bay leaves

11 ounces pie crust dough (I used a refrigerated pie crust dough by Pillsbury.)

8 thyme springs, leaves removed

1/3 cup whole milk ricotta

4 1/2 ounces feta cheese (suggest buying the large chunk of feta and then crumbling)

7 cherry tomatoes, halved

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees (F).

2. Cut around the stem of the peppers, removing the stems and seeds. Place peppers in a small ovenproof dish, drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil and put on top shelf in the oven.

3. Mix the diced eggplant with 4 Tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, some salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl. Spread on a large baking pan and place on shelf below the peppers. 

4. After 12 minutes add the diced sweet potato to the eggplant.

5. After another 12 minutes add the diced zucchini to the eggplant and sweet potatoes. Roast for another 10-12 minutes.

6. Remove all vegetables from the oven. Cover the peppers with aluminum foil and allow to cool before removing skins and slicing into strips.

7. Heat 2 Tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in a large saute pan and add sliced onions, bay leaves and a generous pinch of salt. Saute the onions until they have lightly caramelized, are soft and sweet. Remove from heat and let cool (remove bay leaves).

8. Place pie dough in a 9 inch tart pan (recommend using a 2 inch deep tart pan), cover with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or beans. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove parchment paper and weights and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Allow to cool slightly.

9. Layer the bottom of the crust with the caramelized onions followed by the mixture all of the roasted vegetables and half of the thyme leaves. 

10. Dot the vegetables with small chunks of the feta and ricotta cheeses. Add the cherry tomato halves.

11. Whisk together the eggs and whipping cream. Pour over top of mixture.

12. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes (my baking time was 55 minutes) or until the filling is set and turns golden. Allow the tart to rest for 10 minutes before removing from tart pan. Allow to rest an additional 5 minutes before cutting (using a serrated knife).

I have never been to Portugal (or anywhere in the Mediterranean) but since moving to east coast I have made many Portuguese friends. When they describe Portugal, particularly the Azores (and every Portuguese person I have met has been to Portugal at least once) they describe a summer landscape dominated by blue hydrangeas. Living in the midwest I found it impossible to keep hydrangeas blue  without constantly treating the soil (and even then they wouldn't stay blue). Bt the hydrangeas out east are some of the bluest I have ever seen (this side of the Atlantic). I cannot help but think that the Portuguese brought over these amazing plants to serve as a reminder of the homeland they left behind. Thankfully soil and weather conditions out east were perfect to enable them to thrive. 

The farmhouse I live in is surrounded by blue hydrangeas in the front of the house. This is just one of the reasons I love living in it. Last summer I planted more of them, including some lacy blue hydrangeas in a bed on one side of the house so I would have enough blooms that rooms would be filled with an endless number of bouquets. It is mid-June and already the hydrangeas are beginning to bloom here. Whenever I see rows of blue hydrangeas (and where I live they are everywhere) my heart races and my breath is taken away as I take in their beauty. And if I think the hydrangeas here and on Nantucket are incredible, I can only imagine what they must look like in the Azores. But for now I am incredibly happy (the kind of pinch yourself it is too good to be true happy) that the landscape I see everyday in the summer here is one dominated by blue hydrangeas. And maybe even happier that I can bring this beauty of nature into the house.

Summer Fruit Crostata

Before you read any further I must warn you that this crostata does not use fresh fruit (as sacrilegious as that may initially sound) but rather it contains something delicious all on its own. And that would be a great quality jam or preserve. There are jams and preserves and then are jams and preserves. Said differently, not all jams and preserves are created equal. But just in case you think I am leading you down the path of making your own jam or preserve in this recipe, I am not, although I am leading you down the path of making your own crust.

I was looking for something simple but with great flavor to make to bring to my neighbors across the road who have returned for the summer. My search led me to a Crostata con Marmellata di Frutta recipe (Italian version of a fruit tart) created by Maggie Barrett and tweaked by David Lebovitz. And if anyone can tweak a recipe, David Lebovitz can.

The recipe called for the use of apricot preserves, however, any thick jam or preserve of choice could be used. In other words, jellies will not work in this recipe. I am a huge fan of the jams and preserves made by Stonewall Kitchen so for me it was just a matter of choosing which of their jams or preserves I wanted to use.  Too many good choices actually.  If it wasn't a two hour and thirty minute drive from where I live to their store in York, Maine, I would be in that store weekly to sample their foods which would ultimately lead to me coming home with a bag filled with all sorts of things. The store is so beautiful and the customer service so amazing that it is hard to resist not making at least one purchase. But no matter where you live, you can find their food products in many grocery stores and food markets. Or you don't even have to leave your home as they make it easy to order online. But this is not a recipe serving as a commercial for Stonewall Kitchen food products, it is a recipe about a mouth watering, simple, beautiful summer fruit crostata.

I absolutely love the taste of blueberry jam and so I thought it would be perfect in this crostata. But that would be my personal preference. Cherry, apricot, blackberry, or raspberry jams or preserves, to name a few, would also work well here. The possibilities are endless!

After looking at both recipes, I decided I would take from of them. David Lebowitz replaced some of the flour with finely ground cornmeal and added a little salt which I too thought would make the crust even more flavorful. The one half-cup of cornmeal adds to the deliciousness of this crostata. Maggie Garrett's recipe used two cups of flour. After tasting the tart, will stay with David Lebowitz's cornmeal suggestion.

Initially I was going to use almond extract, but at the last minute decided to use vanilla extract instead. And while I was all set to add the zest of one lemon (which would have been a great compliment to the blueberry jam), I decided to have this first crostata made without it. Now I just have to decide if I will add it the next time (and there will definitely be more than one next time).

Like all baked good recipes, this one also calls for room temperature butter and eggs. The sugar and butter are mixed until well blended. The egg, egg yolk and vanilla are blended in before the sifted dry ingredients are added.

This dough comes together beautifully in the mixer. It is mixed until it forms into clumps. When it gets to this stage, it is removed from the mixer, wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for at least an hour. (An hour turned out to be the perfect amount of chilling time.) David suggested the dough be divided in unequal parts (2/3 and 1/3) before wrapping and refrigerating, however, I wrapped the dough in one whole piece and was not disappointed. If I was going to make the dough early in the day and not bake until later, I would take his dividing the dough advice.

As much as I try to find ways to work around a homemade dough, this dough is so easy to work with.  Two-thirds of the dough is broken into pieces, placed in a non-stick 9 inch tart pan, and then pressed into place. 

Once you fill the crostata shell with the jam or preserve of your choice (I encourage you to consider a high quality blueberry jam or preserve), the remaining dough is rolled out. 

Both recipes called for cutting the rolled dough into long strips and then weaving them into a lattice pattern. This dough rolls out beautifully on a lightly floured surface and would make anyone who seeks to avoid homemade doughs become a dough making convert.

Because I wanted this crostata to look a little more rustic, I used one of my antique cookie cutters and created a pattern on top of the filling. You could be really creative with how you finish the top of this crostata. If you do not want to create any sort of a design, you can simply cover the top of the crostata with a piece of the rolled out dough (making slits in it to ensure the steam escapes).

The crostata is baked at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes in the center of a pre-heated oven. I baked the crostata for almost 24 minutes as I wanted to make certain the top crust didn't darken to a stage where it would harden upon cooling. As much as you would want to eat this crostata as soon as it comes out of the oven, wait until it is room temperature as this makes it easier to cut and serve. Whether serving it as is or adding some vanilla ice cream to it, this is an incredible crostata, one you don't have to travel to Italy to enjoy.

Recipe

Summer Fruit Crostata (adapted version of Maggie Barrett's and David Lebovitz's recipes)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for rolling dough

1/2 cup cornmeal or polenta

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

9 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or almond extract)

12.5 to 14 ounces of your favorite jam or preserve (Recommend Stonewall Kitchen jams and preserves)

Directions

1. Whisk flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until well combined.

3. Mix in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla until well blended.

4. Add in the sifted dry ingredients and mix at medium speed until mixture begins to form into clumps.

5. Remove dough from bowl, form into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour. Hint: Can divide dough (2/3 and 1/3), wrap and refrigerate if chilling longer than an hour.  Will have to bring back to a cooled room temperature if dough is chilled until hardened.

6. Using 2/3s of the dough, press evenly into a 9 inch non-stick tart pan (one with a removable bottom).

7. Spread jam or preserves over crust.

8. Roll out remaining 1/3 of the dough. Cut into narrow strips and make a lattice pattern on top of crostata. Suggestion: Cut rolled dough into shapes and place on top of the filling.

9. Bake in the center of a pre-heated 350 degree oven until pastry is golden brown (about 20-25 minutes). Hint: Check after 20 minutes to see the doneness of the crust. Be careful not overbake or your crust will become too hard to really enjoy.

10. Let cool. Serve room temperature. 

Today just happens to be the first day of summer, the longest day of the year (in terms of sunlight that is). Later tonight I will be joining some friends for an end of the day, end of the (long) week cocktail while watching the sunset over the water. The weather is glorious here today, so I am looking forward to seeing the brilliance of the sky as the sun goes down. If I am lucky I will be able to capture the beauty of the first sunset of the summer on my camera. Does anyone ever get tired of looking at a beautiful sunset?

While I read all year long, summer is a time that I have a little more discretionary time and can actually read even more. There is a stack of books on the antique table (serving as a nightstand) and on the floor next to the table just waiting to be read. Some of them have been started and some have yet to be opened. As much as I love reading, I do not look forward to coming to the end of a really good book as I often get caught up in the characters and the setting. I sometimes feel a connection or have an emotional reaction to the characters in the book (those likable and those not) as well as gain an odd sense of familiarity for the setting (as if I too had spent time in the places and time periods described). I envy writers that have the ability to make books 'come alive'; somehow getting us to form an emotional attachment to the characters, where they and their stories remain long after the book has ended. So for all of the wonderful things that summer brings, the memories created from books read are just one of its many blessings.

Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta

Summer means fresh tomatoes, a reprieve from those winter and spring tomatoes. You know the ones that no matter how much money you spend on them never seem to have the fresh flavor of summer tomatoes. Tomatoes in the summer means bruschetta, tomato sandwiches on white bread with mayonnaise and salt, tomato and mozzarella salad and now adding to the list Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta. This takes a bruschetta recipe to a completely new level. Not only is this one of the most beautiful appetizers I have made of late, it is over the top, wicked good.  

The combination of flavors in this crostini range from the creaminess of the lemon infused whipped feta, to the perfectly marinated tomatoes, to the freshness of basil, to the crunch of the toasted baguette. It is the whole package of tastes and textures. I first found this recipe in one of Oprah's magazines (contributed by one of my favorite cooks) and then it appeared in her latest cookbook. Yes, this would be yet another one of Ina Garten's recipes. I promise the next recipe posted will not be one created by Ina. But you will thank me for posting this one.

Buy the best whole feta you can find as it will make a difference.  The feta is crumbled and placed in the food processor along with two ounces of room temperature cream cheese.  They are mixed together until blended.

I read all sorts of cooking magazines that talk about the next big 'secret' ingredient. Well the timelines secret ingredient is freshly squeezed lemon juice. I now always have a bag of lemons in my refrigerator and they never go to waste. 

The extra-virgin oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper are added to the cheeses and blended in the food processor until smooth. The whipped feta mixture can be made earlier in the and stored in the refrigerator.

I used a mixture of miniature heirloom and grape tomatoes for this recipe.  After first slicing the tomatoes, I cut them into bite-sized pieces. The minced shallots, minced garlic, red wine vinegar, salt and vinegar are mixed into the tomatoes.  This mixture can marinate up to an hour but for at least 5 minutes as you want the vinegar to be absorbed into the tomatoes.

Before assembling, 1/3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper are whisked together and poured over the tomatoes. Ina's recipe called for the use of 1 teaspoon of salt but I thought that too much.  However, if it is not salty enough for you, feel free to add the additional 1/2 teaspoon. Another herb in abundance in the summer is basil. Is it not amazing what freshly chopped or julienned basil can do to most any recipe?

The thinner the baguette you can find the better as you want your slices to be no more than 2 to 2 1/2 inches wide. After slicing the baguette on the diagonal, you brush lightly with extra-virgin olive oil and bake at 425 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly toasted. Allow them to come to room temperature before assembling the crostini.

A generous amount of the whipped feta mixture is spread on the crostini. Using a slotted spoon, the tomato mixture is placed on top. The feta mixture prevents the bread from getting soggy, so these hold up well. Whatever leftover olive oil and vinegar you have from the tomato mixture, by all means dip in some fresh french bread for an added treat.

Recipe

Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta (slight adaptation of Ina Garten's recipe appearing in Foolproof)

Ingredients

6 ounces good feta, crumbled

2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 Tablespoons minced shallots

2 Tablespoons minced garlic

2 Tablespoons good red wine vinegar

2 pounds of ripe heirloom, cherry or grape tomatoes chopped (can use a mixture of all three kinds of tomatoes)

3 Tablespoons fresh basil leaves julienned

20-25 (1/3 to 1/2 inch thick) diagonally sliced baguette, toasted

Optional: toasted pine nuts

Kosher salt and pepper

Directions

1. Place crumbled feta and cream cheese in food processor and blend until cheese are mixed.

2. Add 1/3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and process until smooth. Remove from food processor, scoop into a bowl and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

3. Up to an hour before serving, combine chopped tomatoes, minced shallots, minced garlic and red-wine vinegar (allow to marinate up to 5 minutes if serving immediately).

4. Whisk the remaining 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. 

5. Pour over tomatoes and gently stir.

6. Add the julienned basil.

7. Place bread slices lightly brushed with olive oil in a 425 degree oven and bake for 6 to 8 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool on cooling rack.

8. Generously spread whipped feta on each baguette. Using a slotted spoon, top each baguette with tomatoes.

9. Sprinkle on extra julienned basil.  Optional: Top with toasted pine nuts.

The first day of summer has not yet arrived but the days already seem to be getting longer. I can actually see the light of day before 5 am and it remains until well after 8 pm. Actually I am not sure whether it is the light that wakes me up in the morning or the rooster next door. Regardless of which one opens my eyes, I love when I can see a blue sky. And better yet, I love to see the emergence of large white, pillowy clouds otherwise known as cumulous clouds. Somehow the whiteness of these clouds makes a blue sky seem like it is taking on an even deeper shade of blue.

I have always wondered where the phrase 'feeling blue' came from as the color blue is one that makes me happy. Particularly if I am looking upward at an incredibly blue sky. To add to this, blue just happens to be one of my favorite colors and I could not imagine myself choosing a sad color to love (I do not remember any art teacher ever telling me that blue is a dark color, so to speak.) When I see art that contains blue, I am drawn to it; when I see blue hydrangeas my heart skips a beat; and, when I see antique flow blue platters I wonder if those who made them loved going to work everyday creating and working with the color blue. I have taken endless photos of blue skies in Colorado and here on the east coast. It seems I remain on a quest to capture as many images and shades of blue as possible. I don't think I shall ever tire of photographing blue skies or the blue of the ocean. So today I am feeling blue, but a very happy blue. Whoever gave blue a bad name never saw the blues I have seen.