Dessert: Pear Tart

Yesterday found me busy making a great little rack of lamb for dinner. And for dessert, this super-simple pear tart. I am only including a picture of the pear because the finished dish tasted better than it looked in the photos! I guess I will blame the photographer -- whoops, that was me!

I've been thinking about flavored vinegars lately and the sauce, flavored with the remaining raspberry-balsamic vinegar in my pantry was a delicious counterpoint to the ripe pears resting on an almond-paste filling.

This terrific recipe was located on epicurious.com -- such a great resource. Next time I might make this as an appetizer with blue-cheese filling, pear and sliced onions.


Pear Crostata with Raspberry Vinegar Glaze

INGREDIENTS

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

5 ounces almond paste, crumbled
3 tablespoons butter at room temperature
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 large egg

2-3 firm but ripe Bosc pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1/3 inch slices
5 tablespoons sugar, divided

1/2 cup raspberry vinegar

METHOD

Finely grind almond paste in food processor. Add softened butter, flour, and egg; blend until smooth.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out puff pastry on floured surface to approx. 13x11 rectable. Fold 3/4 inch of each edge over and press to adhere. Transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Pierce surface evenly with fork, avoiding folded edges. Spread almond paste mixture evenly over crust within folded edges. Arrange pear slices on top of filling, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Bake until pears are tender and crust is golden, approx. 35-40 minutes. Cool slightly.

Meanwhile, stir vinegar and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil until syrup is reduced to 1/4 cup, about six minutes.

Place tart on platter. Drizzle syrup over. Serve warm.

Soup's On: Cauliflower Soup

With a head of cauliflower in my refrigerator, I went to the epicurious web site for inspiration and found this terrific recipe for cauliflower soup.

It's delicious -- even people who don't like cauliflower will enjoy it. Just don't tell them the main ingredient!

I think that the bacon is the secret ingredient!



INGREDIENTS:

2 ounces applewood-smoked bacon (about 2 slices), chopped
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, chopped
6 cups 1-inch pieces cauliflower (cut from 1 large head)
3 1/2 cups - 4 cups chicken broth
1 3/4 inch cube Pecorino Romano cheese plus additional cheese shavings for serving
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
White or black truffle oil (for drizzling)

METHOD:

Saute bacon in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until golden brown and some fat renders. Add onion, celery, and garlic. Cover and cook until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Add cauliflower, 3 1/2 cups broth, and cheese cube. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until cauliflfower is tender, about 20 minutes.

Puree soup in batches in processor or blender. Return to same pan. Add cream and bring soup to simmer. Thin with more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if desired. Season with salt and pepper.

Entertaining Tip: Fresh Flowers -- Keep it Simple

Here are two pictures of the flowers we had on the table at dinner the other night. I didn't have any extra time to worry about a centerpiece so I bought three bunches of astromeira (just 7.99 each at my local market), mixed them up and put them in a couple of low glass vases set at a slight angle to each other down the middle of each table.

Here's another view from the top.

Margaret's Fancy Salad

This winning salad recipe came through my sister's friend Margaret. At my house I always have to make extra caramelized pecans because each person who comes through the kitchen manages to sneak a few while they are cooling.

INGREDIENTS

Dressing
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup salad oil
1 tablespoon snipped parsley
2 tablespoons white vinegar

Salad
1 small can Mandarin oranges
2 green onions, sliced
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup caramelized pecans
Romaine lettuce leaves

METHOD

Caramelize pecans: place 2 tablespoons white sugar in skillet. Add nuts. Stir over low heat until sugar melts and turns light brown and collects on nuts. Cool on a piece of foil.

Whisk together all dressing ingredients.

Combine salad ingredients in bowl, add dressing, toss and serve.

Beets with Orange Vinaigrette

Beets are one of the 'super-foods'. They are very rich in antioxidants and other things that are good for you like folate and manganese and potassium and fiber and Vitamin C, among other things.

These can be served as prepared or set on a bed of mixed lettuces, letting the citrus vinaigrette on the beets serve as dressing.

This recipe serves 6-8.



INGREDIENTS

3 pounds fresh beets
2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup small-diced red onion
Zest from two large navel oranges
Segments of 2 large navel oranges

METHOD

Trim tops from the beets, rinse and wrap in foil. Bake in the foil wrapped packets until fork tender. Allow to cool enough so that you can handle them.

Peel and dice the beets into 1/2 inch cubes. While the beets are still warm, place them in a mixing bowl and add the raspberry vinegar, orange juice, olive oil, sugar, salt, pepper, red onions, orange zest, and orange segments. Mix well, taste for salt and pepper, and serve cold or at room temperature.

Place in refrigerator for a few hours or overnight to allow the flavors to blend. If you are in a hurry you can try canned baby beets.

This recipe is from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.

What's for Dinner?: Filet of Beef Bourguignon

Here is another terrific recipe from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. I have made this numerous times. Using high-quality beef tenderloin makes this a memorable meal.

INGREDIENTS

1 3 pound filet of beef trimmed (your butcher can do this for you)
Salt and pepper
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 pound bacon, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups good dry red wine, such as Burgundy
2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 sprig fresh thyme
1/2 pound pearl onions, peeled
8-10 carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into sections
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick (domestic or wild)


METHOD

With a sharp knife, cut the filet crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices. Salt and pepper the filets on both sides. In a large, heavy-bottomed pan on medium-high heat, saute the slices of beef in batches with 2-3 tablespoons oil until browned on the outside and very rare inside, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove the filets from the pan and set aside on a platter.

In the same pan, saute the bacon on medium-low heat until browned and crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set on a plate lined with paper towels. Drain all the fat except for 2 tablespoons, from the pan. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Deglaze the pan with the red wine and cook on high heat for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the beef stock, tomato paste, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered on medium-high heat for 10 minutes. Strain the sauce and return it to the pan. Add the onions and carrots and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and the vegetables are cooked.

With a fork, mash 2 tablespoons butter and the flour into a paste and whisk it gently into the sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes to thicken. Meanwhile, saute the mushrooms separately in remaining tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil for about 10 minutes, until browned and tender.

Add the filet of beef slices, the mushrooms, and the bacon to the pan with the vegetables and sauce. Cover and reheat gently for 5-10 minutes. Do not overcook. Season to taste and serve immediately.

This can be prepared in advance and refrigerated. Allow the dish to come to room temperature before reheating gently.

Note: To peel pearl onions easily, first blanch them for a minute or two in boiling water.

What's for Dinner?: Chicken Marsala with Oven Roasted Mushrooms and Onions

A favorite from the Foster's Market Cookbook, this one's for you, Annie. Let me know if you like it! Sorry, no photo...

Roasting the mushrooms and the onions separately adds depth of flavor to the finished dish.

Chicken Marsala -- Serves 4

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
8 fresh sage leaves
2 ounces pancetta, very thinly sliced
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
8 ounces button mushrooms, cleaned
10 cipollini onions or shallots cut in half (or quartered if large
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup sweet Marsala
3/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Flatten each chicken breast half by placing it between 2 sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap and pounding it with a mallet or the flat bottom of a heavy pan until the chicken is about 1/3 inch thick in all places.

Working with one flattened breast half at a time, spread 2 teaspoons of the mustard onto one side of each breast and press 2 sage leaves into the mustard side of the breast. Set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the pancetta 4-5 minutes, turning occasionally, until it is crisp and lightly brown. Remove the pancetta and set aside on a paper towel to drain. Set the skillet aside.

Meanwhile, while the pancetta is cooking, place 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the vinegar, mushrooms and onions into a baking dish and toss to mix. Roast in the oven about 30 minutes, stirring a few times during the cooking process.

Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet after the pancetta has been removed and lower the heat to medium. Dredge each breast in the flour to coat both sides lightly, shaking off any excess flour, and place in the skillet.

Cook the chicken breasts, turning once, 3-4 minutes per side (exact timing will depend on the size of the breasts), until they are golden brown and slightly crispy. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

Raise heat to medium-high. Add the Marsala to the skillet, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Stir and reduce the Marsala by half. Add the cream, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low boil, and continue to cook 2-3 more minutes, until the sauce is slightly thick and creamy and coats the back of a spoon.

Return the chicken and pancetta to the skillet with the sauce to reheat. Season with salt, pepper and the remaining mustard and sage (which I cut into thin strips). To serve, top the chicken with the pancetta, roasted mushrooms, and cipollini. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.

If you are making this ahead, tent the cooked chicken with foil, prepare the sauce and roast the vegetables. Combine and reheat gently before serving.