Konafa (Middle Eastern Cheesecake)

As the days grow shorter and darker, I appreciate the twinkling lights of the holiday season - so cozy and cheery on these dark evenings! Hanukkah, the festival of lights, begins this weekend. I just pulled out my blue and white cake stand and our box of decorations. Time for lighting candles in the hanukkiah, spinning dreidels and, of course, festive food!

During the eight days of Hanukkah, it’s customary to eat foods fried in oil such as latkes and sufganiyot (doughnuts). We will definitely indulge in lots of crisp deliciousness in this next week. Dairy, though, is also traditional for Hanukkah, especially dishes made with cheese. So it seems only fitting to eat konafa during Hanukkah.

Konafa is a Middle Eastern cheesecake. It is popular in Israel, Egypt, Syria and Lebanon. There are a few different variations, but all use shredded phyllo dough as the crust. Some are filled with thickened cream and others with cheese. I prefer a variation using two fresh cheeses, ricotta and mozzarella, mixed together. Claudia Roden inspired this version of konafa. Her book, The Book of Jewish Food, is a treasure of history, stories and recipes from all over the Middle East, Northern Africa and Europe.

As with many Middle Eastern desserts, this one is sweetened with syrup. While the syrup is traditionally flavored with orange blossom or rose water, I chose to use lemon juice. Butter-drenched shredded phyllo dough is layered with the fresh cheeses, topped with more phyllo and then sweetened by pouring the syrup over while it is still hot from the oven. Think of a baklava-style dessert with a cheese filling, rather than ground nuts.

This is unlike any traditional cheesecake you may have had before. If you have access to shredded phyllo dough (usually sold in Mediterranean markets and also called kataifi), then it is a snap to prepare. Shredded phyllo is much easier to work with than delicate sheets of phyllo. With your fingers, you gently work melted butter into the thin strands of dough. Place half in a pan, layer a mix of fresh ricotta and mozzarella over, and then top with the remaining dough. When the cake emerges hot from the oven, sugary syrup is poured over the top. A sprinkling of nuts completes it.

Served warm, with meltingly soft, rich cheese and crispy strands of sweet phyllo, this unique dessert will enhance a festive gathering any time of year. I can’t wait for Hanukkah to begin!

Konafa
Serves 8-10
Adapted from The Book of Jewish Food
by Claudia Roden

1 pound shredded phyllo (also called kataifi, Apollo carries some), defrosted in fridge
8 ounces unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 pounds fresh ricotta
12 ounces fresh mozzarella, finely chopped
1 1/4 cusp sugar
1 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup pine nuts or chopped pistachios, toasted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wrap the bottom and sides of a spring form pan in foil and place on a rimmed baking sheet.

Place the phyllo dough in a large mixing bowl and gently pull apart the strands. Pour the melted butter over and use your fingers to coat the strands.

In another mixing bowl, stir together the ricotta and chopped mozzarella.  Spread half of the buttered phyllo in the bottom of the spring form pan for form a bottom crust. Spoon the cheese mixture over and smooth evenly. Spread the remaining half of the phyllo over. Pop the spring form pan and baking sheet into the oven. Bake for about 45 minutes. Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees and bake for another 10 minutes, until the top is nicely browned.

While the cake is baking, make the syrup by mixing the sugar, water and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Bring it to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until it thickens a bit. Set aside.

When the cheesecake comes out of the oven, pour the syrup evenly over the top and let sit for 10 minutes. Sprinkle the nuts on top. Use a sharp knife to loosen the edges of the cake and release the spring form pan. Slice into wedges and serve warm.

The cake is best eaten the day it is baked. You can prepare the unbaked cake and syrup ahead of time.You can bake the cake closer to the time you'd like to serve it and then drizzle with syrup.

Blackberry Mini Pies with Walnut-Thyme Streusel

I am a pie person.  I like cake, but I love pie.  With summer approaching, it means pie and lots of it.  This month, Abby Dodge graciously gives us Very Berry Mini Pies for the Bake Together challenge.  Thank you, Abby!  I quickly began dreaming about what kind of little pies to bake and what flavors to combine.

Occasionally, I add fresh herbs such as basil or marjoram to stone fruit and berry desserts, herbs that more typically go into savory dishes.  I don’t care for pies that are overly sugared – I want to taste the fruit.  The fresh herbs enhance the flavors of the fruit, and balance out its sweetness nicely.  For the mini pies, I chose to include thyme in the streusel since I thought it a natural pairing with the blackberries I had just picked up.

When I decided to use the blackberries fresh rather than baking them, I knew I needed a filling to anchor them on.  Soft cheeses always appeal to me, so I stirred together goat cheese, mascarpone and ricotta with some honey for a creamy, rich, not-too-sweet filling.

I have also been curious about using coconut oil in place of vegetable shortening.  I was delighted to find the combination of butter and chilled coconut oil yielded a flaky crust that easily shattered – this is a little pie to eat with a fork and not your hands! 

Just in time for summer pies, I had the pleasure of taking a pie making class last week with Shauna Ahern, where she shared her pie making skills and some helpful tips.  I learned I have been rolling pie crust dough all wrong!  She recommends thinking of your dough disc as a clock, and rolling it in 10 minute intervals clockwise around the disc.  This produces a more uniformly even thickness and doesn’t overwork the dough.  Brilliant!  My past method of rolling back and forth, back and forth, and then turning the dough to do more of the same was overworking it and usually ended up quite uneven.  Using this new technique, my pie dough was rolled out quickly and efficiently.

We happily ate all ten of these Blackberry Mini Pies on Father’s Day.  Due to the cheese filling and fresh berries, they should be eaten the same day they are made. Not a hard task with two teenagers diving in!

Blackberry Mini Pies with Walnut-Thyme Streusel

Adapted from Abby Dodge’s Very Berry Mini Pies

Makes 10 mini tarts

For the dough

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 slices, well chilled

2 tablespoons coconut oil, well chilled

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon very cold water

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the streusel topping

1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup quick cooking oats

1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

Pinch of kosher salt

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1/4 cup walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

For the filling

4 ounces soft goat cheese

8 ounces fresh ricotta cheese

4 ounces mascarpone cheese

3 tablespoons honey

Zest of 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

10 ounces blackberries

Place the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse briefly to combine. Add the butter and coconut oil and pulse until the butter and coconut oil are slightly larger than pea size, about 10 to 12 pulses. Drizzle the water and lemon juice evenly over the flour mixture. Pulse until the dough begins to form moist crumbs that are just beginning to clump together, about 8 or 9 more pulses depending on your machine.

Dump the moist crumbs onto a large piece of plastic wrap and gather into a pile. With the heel of you hand, push and gently smear the dough away from you until the crumbs come together (two or three ‘smears’ should do the trick – the coconut oil will be very soft so don’t overwork the dough). Shape into a 5-inch disc and wrap tightly in the plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours, or up to 2 days.

Remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit out until soft enough to roll, 10 to 20 minutes (depending on your kitchen temp and the weather). Arrange a large piece of plastic wrap or parchment on the work surface and put the dough in the center. Cover with another piece of plastic or parchment and press down on the dough to flatten. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough between the plastic or parchment to about 1/8- inch thickness.  Roll at 10 minute intervals around the disc.  Cut out 8 rounds using a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter or glass. Gather up the scraps, reroll to a 1/8-inch thickness, and cut another round. Reroll and cut one more round for a total of 10 rounds of dough.

Lightly butter ten regular-sized (2 3/4- 3 inch diameter) muffin cups in a muffin tin.

Working with one round at a time, use your fingers to gently press the dough into each muffin cup, making sure there are no air bubbles in the bottom and the dough is pressed firmly and evenly up the side to within 1/8 inch of the top of the cup. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds.  Pop the muffin tins into the freezer while you make the streusel.

Put the flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, thyme leaves and walnuts in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times, then add the butter.  Pulse a few more times until it is in moist clumps. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and pop in the freezer for 5 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the streusel for about 14 minutes, stirring after 7 minutes.  When it is golden brown, remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees.  Remove the muffin tin from the freezer.  Cut 10 squares of foil and line each chilled crust with one, then fill with pie weights.  Blind bake the crusts for 20 minutes, remove the foil and weights and bake for 5 more minutes, until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the 3 cheeses with the honey, zest and salt until smooth. 

Remove the crusts from the muffin tin.  Fill each mini pie crust with just under 1/4 cup of cheese filling.  Arrange blackberries on each pie, 5-6 berries each depending upon the size of your berries.  Sprinkle the streusel on top of each thickly.  You will have some streusel leftover and it is delicious over ice cream or yogurt.  Enjoy the pies right away, or within the same day.

Smoked Salmon, Vegetable and Ricotta Quiche: Puff Pastry at Brunch

I’ve decided ... brunch is the best.  To wake up late, enjoy a selection of sweet and savory, sip hot coffee, chat around the table and lazily ease into the afternoon is pure happiness.  A sunny patio or warm breeze adds to the bliss, but is by no means necessary.  Brunch is about good food and good conversation.

Someone who knows good food is Katherine Martinelli, a warm, friendly, talented food and travel writer.  Katherine writes a beautiful blog, sharing her stories (many from Be'er Sheva, Israel, her current home), mouth-watering recipes and stunning photos.  She recently published Puff Pastry at Brunch, a delightful collection of recipes using puff pastry.  There are many virtues of puff pastry and Katherine captures them in her book and creates distinctive dishes for brunch.  (As much as I love to eat phyllo dough, I find it difficult to work with at times and much prefer puff pastry.  In fact, the next time I make spanakopita I am going to use puff pastry rather than phyllo.)

When I decided to host a brunch, I knew one of Katherine’s new recipes had to be on the menu.  It was a difficult decision - I can’t wait to make all of them!  - and I settled on the quiche.  I was drawn to Katherine’s combination of arugula, asparagus, zucchini and ricotta.  The original recipe also includes bacon, so I substituted an equal amount of smoked salmon.

This is a quite a quiche!   After the first bite, one of our brunch guests declared it the best quiche she has eaten and immediately asked for the recipe – it’s that good. The ingredients combined beautifully with a peppery kick from arugula, creaminess of ricotta, the fresh textures of asparagus and zucchini and a little saltiness from salmon.  Since I didn’t use bacon, I sautéed the zucchini in a drizzle of olive oil (rather than in bacon fat) and it worked quite well.  The puff pastry crust was a dream and baked up rich, flaky and buttery.  Suffice it to say, I will always keep a stash of pastry in my freezer now.  Thanks for the inspiration, Katherine!

P.S. Our hens keep hopping up to eat the flowers on the roof of their coop...

but I snatched the cooling quiche away from the picnic table before Eleanor could sneak a nibble!

Smoked Salmon, Vegetable and Ricotta Quiche
From Puff Pastry at Brunch
By Katherine Martinelli (used with permission)
Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients
Butter or baking spray
1 pound puff pastry
2 small zucchini, chopped (about 2 cups)
Olive oil
4 stalks asparagus
6 ounces smoked salmon, flaked
1/2 cup chopped arugula
8 eggs
1/4 cup whole milk or cream
6 ounces fresh ricotta

Steps
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease an 11-inch tart pan with butter or baking spray.

Roll out the puff pastry to a large circle about 1/8 inch thick. Evenly center it in the greased tart pan, press down and trim edges. Prick all over with a fork and weigh down with pastry weights or another ovenproof pan. Bake until light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, pour a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet and add the zucchini.  Cook over medium-low heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the asparagus. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until slightly tender, but not soft. Drain and immediately run under cold water (this will stop it from cooking and help it keep its vibrant green color). Slice into bite-sized pieces.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Fold in the zucchini, asparagus, smoked salmon, arugula and 4 ounces of the ricotta.

Pour the mixture into the pre-baked crust. Crumble the remaining ricotta on top.

Bake until the eggs are fully set, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to rest at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Simply Cheese Lasagna

Snow is falling! It’s time for sledding, hot cocoa with marshmallows, a roaring fire and all the pleasures that a white wonderland brings. Hiking countless times back up the hill with a sled works up quite an appetite, so it’s also time to think about hearty warm dishes.

Lasagna is one that is sure to please and quick to make. It can be prepared ahead of time and baked when needed, or you can keep a pan stashed in the freezer to pull out when the snow is swirling. I love lasagna and all its many varieties with roasted veggies, pesto or béchamel sauce. Sometimes, though, what hits the spot most is classic cheese lasagna.

Simple, quality ingredients - many of them pantry staples - combine to create a fresh tasting, deeply satisfying lasagna. The marinara sauce is an easy staple and can also top pizzas or be tossed with spaghetti. I’ve become a fan of the “no boil” lasagna noodles since I can keep them on hand for quick lasagna preparation if fresh noodles are not available. Add some fresh ricotta (you know my love affair with homemade ricotta!) and mozzarella and you have the ultimate comfort food, something guaranteed to delight eaters of all ages.

The warm lasagna emerging from the oven fills the house with an inviting scent, promising to fortify hungry bellies that come in from the cold. And when those bellies are full? Back outside to the sleds!

Simply Cheese Lasagna
Serves 8 (9x13 inch baking pan)

6 cloves garlic
2 – 28 ounce cans whole tomatoes (I use San Marzano)
Olive oil
1/4 cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped
2 pounds fresh ricotta cheese, store bought or homemade
2 large eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1 pound fresh mozzarella, diced
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
9 ounces (1 box) “no boil” lasagna noodles (I use whole wheat) or fresh lasagna noodles

To make the marinara sauce, pulse the garlic in a food processor until roughly chopped. Add the canned tomatoes with their juices, a long pour of olive oil, the fresh basil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper and whiz until mostly smooth. Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan, bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring a few times. Set aside until ready to use. Sauce can be prepared ahead of time and kept covered in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Spread 3/4 cup of marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan. Place a layer of noodles over the sauce. Spread 1/2 of the ricotta mixture over the noodles and sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella and Parmesan. Place a layer of noodles over the cheese layer. Spread 1 1/2 cups marinara over the noodles. Repeat the layering (noodles, second half of ricotta, 1/3 of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses). Spread last layer of noodles over the top, spread the remaining marinara sauce over the noodles and sprinkle with the last 1/3 of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the cheese is golden and the sauce is bubbling, about 45 minutes. Cover with foil during the last 10-15 minutes if it is browning too quickly. Let stand for 20 minutes before serving.

** The lasagna can be prepared ahead of time and kept chilled. When ready to bake, let the lasagna sit out at room temperature while you preheat the oven. It can also be baked, cooled and frozen (be sure to wrap tightly in plastic wrap). If frozen, defrost and warm in the oven until heated through.

Fig-Walnut Tapenade with Ricotta and Asian Pears

The holiday season lends itself perfectly to appetizers, doesn’t it? I think eating a small, individual creation feels extra special and quite festive. They also look so pretty on platters and are easy to balance on a cocktail napkin.

Here is a tasty bite that is quick to make and combines some lovely flavors and textures. The inspiration comes from a cooking class I took a number of years ago with my friend, Julie. In the class, we prepared an appetizer of sliced Asian pears topped with goat cheese, a drizzle of honey and a sprig of thyme. Simple and delicious.

Replacing crackers with slices of crisp, sweet Asian pear provides a wonderful platform for many flavors. Keeping this in mind, I decided to introduce bolder tastes and textures. A tapenade began to take form ... saltiness from olives, sweetness from figs, crunch from toasted walnuts and a dash of balsamic vinegar to round it out. I still wanted some form of creamy cheese to balance out the tapenade.

Fresh ricotta is a natural choice, given its versatility and absolute deliciousness. If you haven’t made homemade ricotta, please try it - I promise you’ll start keeping a bowl of it in your fridge all the time! Ricotta provides an instant dessert when drizzled with honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon, a filling for manicotti or a last-minute appetizer when mixed with fresh herbs and spread on grilled baguette slices. I’ve made ricotta with different types of acid such as lemon juice or vinegar and found that buttermilk is my favorite. Once I discovered this recipe for ricotta, I never looked back!

Both the tapenade and the ricotta can be made ahead of time, leaving just a quick assembly before you greet your guests. This is such a terrific time of year to get creative, try new ideas and share your discoveries with appreciative friends.

Fig-Walnut Tapenade with Ricotta and Asian Pears
Makes about 12 individual appetizers, 1 1/2 cups tapenade

1 cup dried figs, roughly chopped
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup green olives, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped (plus a few sprigs for garnish)
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
1 large Asian pear
1 cup fresh ricotta cheese, store-bought or homemade

In a small saucepan, combine the figs and water and bring to a simmer. Cook until the liquid evaporates and the figs are soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and when cool, puree until smooth.

In a small bowl, stir together the fig puree, olives, oil, vinegar, salt, thyme leaves and walnuts. Taste for seasoning. The tapenade can be prepared ahead of time. Cover it and set aside at room temperature.

When ready to serve, slice the Asian pear cross-wise into roughly 12 1/4 inch slices (the very middle ones will have some core that you can cup out). Arrange the slices on a serving platter. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of ricotta cheese on to each slice and spread gently. Top each with 1 tablespoon of tapenade (you will have extra tapenade leftover). Garnish with a sprig of thyme and serve.

A Shabbat Dinner: Tomato Ricotta Toasts, Vegetable Medley, Salmon with Mango Salsa and Rhubarb-Ginger Sorbet

Reflecting, sharing, talking, eating, laughing ... words that come to mind when I think of Shabbat dinner. Slowing down. Every Friday night, we celebrate Shabbat with candle lighting, blessing wine and challah, and blessing our sons, Sam and Isaac. Most Friday evenings, there are friends at our table or we are at friends’. This is a special time for us to catch up on the week, meet new people, deepen friendships and connect with our community. A time I truly value.

I always look forward to Friday night Shabbat dinners. No matter how busy the week has been, I can count on this being a special time to relax. Often, I breathe a deep sigh once I light the candles. This moment grounds me, almost like a reset button to prepare for the next week. I stop and enjoy being here, look around the table at my family and our guests, and bask in content feelings. We greet each other with “Shabbat Shalom.” There are hugs and l’chaims (to life!). And, of course, there is food.

Cooking for Shabbat dinner gives me great joy. A staple at the table is challah, which I love to bake (with chocolate chips). As for the meal, for me it is a time to get creative with new ideas or to make a family favorite, and always to indulge in dessert.

Our lovely friends Seth, Elana and their delightful son, Gabriel, came for Shabbat dinner in our backyard and what a marvelous evening we had together. We don’t see them as often as we’d like due to our children attending different schools, our jobs, life ... you know how it is. But how wonderful to have some hours to share what is happening in all our lives, their upcoming trip to Turkey, summer plans, updates on our sons’ schools and musings about life.

For this dinner, I slow roasted tomatoes and served them on toasted baguette slices with freshly made ricotta and a dusting of dukkah. Salmon, with a simple sprinkle of sea salt and squeeze of lime, was paired with mango salsa. I roasted fingerling potatoes, radishes, red onions and baby carrots and dressed them together with a vinaigrette. Dessert was a refreshing, tart rhubarb-ginger sorbet (the recipe for this sorbet can be found at Cheap Beets, a terrific food blog).

Here's to a memorable evening with friends. Shabbat Shalom.

Roasted Tomato Ricotta Toasts
This is a casual recipe in terms of amounts. Use your best judgment as far as how many toasts to prepare depending upon the size of your group and whether it’s a snack or appetizer.

Slow roasted tomatoes (recipe follows)
Fresh ricotta cheese (recipe follows)
A baguette loaf
Dukkah for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice the baguette thinly and place the rounds on a baking sheet. Bake the slices for about 10 minutes, flipping over halfway through. The toasts should be crisp but not hard.

Smear some ricotta on each toast and top with a roasted tomato half. Sprinkle on some dukkah and serve.

Slow Roasted Tomatoes
For the toasts, I roasted a lot of tomatoes so I would have extra. They are a delicious staple to keep in your fridge. Serve alongside eggs, slip a couple into a sandwich, or eat them straight from the jar. You can’t go wrong!

3 1/2 pounds Roma tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise (or enough halves to fit on a rimmed baking sheet)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Place the tomato halves in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Bake the tomatoes for about 6 hours and up to 8, depending upon how juicy or dry you prefer them. They will shrink and start to crinkle around the edges. I like both the juicy and drier ones and will often remove some of the tomatoes after 6 hours and continue roasting the rest for another couple. The tomato flavor concentrates and sweetens and is just delicious.

Cool tomatoes and begin eating! Roasted tomatoes will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a week.

Fresh Ricotta Cheese
From Gourmet
Makes 2 cups

2 quarts whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Line a large sieve with a layer of fine-mesh cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl.

Slowly bring the milk, cream and salt to a rolling boil in a 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Add the lemon juice, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly until the mixture curdles, about 2 minutes.

Pour the mixture into the lined sieve and let it drain 1 hour. You can save the liquid for another use or discard. Chill the ricotta. It will keep in the fridge in a covered container for 2-3 days.

Salmon with Mango Salsa
Serves 8

8-5 ounce filets of salmon, skinned and pin bones removed
3 limes
Salt to taste
Olive oil
2 mangoes, diced
1 cup pineapple, diced
2 avocadoes, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1/4 of a red onion, finely diced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Drizzle a little olive oil on a baking sheet and lightly coat the bottom. Place salmon filets on the baking sheet and squeeze a little bit of lime juice on each (using 1 lime). Sprinkle the filets with salt. Bake the salmon for about 8 minutes (if your filet is about an inch thick). I like my salmon slightly undercooked since it will continue cooking when removed from the oven and this keeps it from drying out. If you like your fish more done, then bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven.

Combine the mangoes, pineapple, avocadoes, tomatoes and red onion in a bowl and mix gently. Stir in lime juice and salt to taste. Serve with the salmon filets.

Vegetable Medley
Serves 8 (with leftovers)

2 pounds fingerling potatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
3 bunches radishes, cleaned and quartered
2 red onions, sliced in wedges
3/4 pound small baby carrots, tops removed and sliced in half lengthwise (or quartered if a little thicker)
Olive oil for tossing
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, toss the fingerling potatoes with a little olive oil and layer on a baking sheet. Roast until tender and golden, about 25 minutes. Remove potatoes and pile on a large serving platter (you’ll be adding the other vegetables, too, so space accordingly).

Toss the radishes with olive oil (can use same bowl) and layer on baking sheet. Roast until tender but still have a bite, about 10 minutes. Remove and pile on the serving platter.

Toss the onions with olive oil and layer on baking sheet. Roast for about 15 minutes, until soft and browning at the edges. Remove and pile on the serving platter.

Toss the carrots with olive oil and layer on baking sheet. Roast for about 10-15 minutes, until soft but still a little crisp. Remove and pile on the serving platter. This can all be done a couple of hours ahead of time.

Whisk together the honey, vinegars, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the dressing over the veggies and gently give each vegetable a little toss to distribute the vinaigrette. Serve room temperature.

Blueberry Pie and Raspberry Chevre Tart for Pie Day!

What can I say, I love pie!  And what better way to celebrate pie than with a Pie Day!  A spontaneous thought from Shauna Ahern, the Gluten-Free Girl, turned into a virtual pie party.  In over a thousand kitchens today, pies are being baked for Pie Day.  That’s one party I don’t want to miss!

I grew up eating a lot of pie.  My mom baked pies, lots of pies.  Apple, pumpkin, chocolate cream, rhubarb custard, banana cream, blueberry …we had an incredible year-round selection.  She made crusts to perfection (as I’ve mentioned before), rolling the dough out on our kitchen table to precise measurements, always creating a light, flaky crust.  I really can’t say what my favorite kind of pie is, but after years of pie eating, I think I can finally narrow the choices to summer fruit pies.  And it’s summer now!  So let the pie baking begin.

In my opinion, blueberries are just the best berry around, with raspberries a close second.  For Pie Day, I could bake a mixed berry pie, which is always delicious, but decide instead to be a purist with the berries and highlight each one.  Which means two pies!  Taking that thought a step further, why not a sweet pie and savory tart?  You never know what will emerge when you start thinking this way …

I played around with my blueberry pie filling I’ve made over the years by increasing the blueberries and adding some blueberry jam to enhance the blueberry flavor.  A slice of this pie made the 4^th of  July complete!

Blueberry Pie

Serves 8

Adapted from The Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer and Ethan Becker

Crust

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 pieces

1/2 cup ice cold water

In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar and salt together a few times.  Add the cold butter pieces and pulse only until it looks like coarse meal.  Gradually add the 1/2 cup of water, stopping to scrape sides if needed.   Pulse until the dough just comes together (don’t let it form a ball because this will overwork the dough).  If the dough is dry and won’t stick when a piece is pinched together, add a little more cold water a tablespoon at a time.

Lightly dust a surface with flour and put the dough on it.  Roll into a ball and cut in half.  Roll out one piece of dough to about a 13 inch round.  Gently roll up the dough onto the rolling pin and unroll into your pie plate.  Press the dough into the bottom and sides of the pan and refrigerate until ready to use.  Roll out the second ball of dough into a 13 inch round.  Lay it on a parchment lined baking sheet and refrigerate.

Filling

6 cups fresh blueberries

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup blueberry jam

4 tablespoons cornstarch

Juice of 1 lemon

Pinch of kosher salt

Milk for brushing

Turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for serving.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Combine the blueberries, sugar, jam, cornstarch, lemon juice and salt in a mixing bowl. 

Pour the mixture into the bottom crust.  Brush the overhanging edge with cold water.  Place the flat piece of dough on top, seal the edges together and crimp or flute.  Cut a small hole in the middle of the pie to vent.  Brush the top of the pie with a little milk and sprinkle on some turbinado sugar.

Bake the pie on a baking sheet for 25 minutes.  Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake until the thick juices bubble through the center vent, about 25-30 minutes more.  Let the pie cool before serving.   Dollop slices with ice cream or whipped cream and enjoy!

I always enjoy fruit on a cheese plate.   In general, I’m not a big fan of grapes, though (surprising since I love wine, and Bob is just the opposite in that he loves grapes and not wine …but I digress).  Depending upon what cheeses are being served, I prefer berries, sliced apples or pears, or sliced stone fruit.  Since I want to spotlight raspberries and I think berries and chevre are a lovely combination on a cheese platter, I set out to bake a savory tart using both.  Sort of like a cheese plate in a crust (the cracker?).  Serve this tart to jazz up a cheese course or as a light lunch with a simple green salad.

Raspberry Chevre Tart with Poppyseed Shortcrust

Serves 8-10

Crust

3 ounces whole wheat flour

3 ounces all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon poppyseeds

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

4 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 egg, lightly beaten

In a food processor, pulse the flours, poppyseeds and salt together.  Add the butter and pulse until a course meal forms.  Add the egg and pulse to combine.  

Pour the crust mixture into a tart pan with removable bottom.  Using your fingers, lightly press the mixture into the sides and bottom of the pan.  Do this quickly, otherwise the crust will begin to stick to your fingers.  If needed, use a piece of wax paper to press.  Refrigerate the crust for about 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of the crust and layer with pie weights or dry beans.  Bake for 15 minutes, remove the paper and weights or beans, and continue baking for another 10 minutes until slightly golden.  Cool crust completely.

Filling

8 ounces soft chevre

8 ounces fresh ricotta

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons honey, divided

1/2 tablespoon flaky sea salt

A few grinds of fresh black pepper or grains of paradise

16 ounces fresh raspberries

Mix the cheeses, olive oil, 1 tablespoon honey, salt and pepper until well blended.  Spoon the mixture into the cooled crust and smooth.  Place the raspberries in concentric circles on top of the cheese mixture until surface is covered.  Refrigerate for 1 hour and up to 6 hours. 

Before serving, drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of honey on top of the raspberries.  Cut into slices and enjoy with a chilled glass of sauvignon blanc.  Cheers!