Balsamic Grape Skillet Soufflé ... Sort Of

The first soufflé I ever made was Julia Child’s classic cheese soufflé, which was years ago. I loved it, and am a bit unsure as to why I have not made another since then. Plus, soufflé is such a fun word to say - wouldn’t it be marvelous to say, “I made a soufflé today”? Makes me smile.

Abby Dodge’s Bake Together challenge this month is an enticing one. As soon as I saw her Caramelized Pear Skillet Soufflé, memories of soufflé making emerged and my mind began racing with different combinations - quince and cranberry? mushroom, leek and blue cheese? This seemed a tasty way to step out and try soufflé in a new way – in a skillet with caramelized fruit or veggies.

After a bit of pondering, I decided on grapes. Granted, I am not the biggest grape fan, but I just rediscovered the most delicious juice ever – unfiltered Concord grape – and it has me pausing to rethink grapes. I’ve also been seeing grapes roasted and added to pies and chicken dishes, and since I like anything roasted it seemed that cooking with grapes might open a whole new world. It did.

I tossed some black grapes into my skillet to sizzle in butter, and then poured in a splash of balsamic vinegar and a spoonful of honey. The fragrance of the grapes made my taste buds tingle and I could easily have eaten the entire skillet right then and there and called it good. While the fruit cooked, I whisked together egg yolks, honey and goat cheese, then whipped egg whites to fold in.

My soufflé puffed up into a golden brown beauty. I carefully pulled it from the oven and flipped it onto a serving plate so the grapes would be on top. Alas, I joined many others in a classic kitchen woe – my soufflé fell. Sigh.Were the grapes too heavy? Perhaps I lost volume when folding? I didn’t have enough grapes left to try again, so I began to nibble this one. With its caramelized edges, intense grape flavor and rich, delicate body, I had a hard time stopping. So, in the spirit of Julia Child, I declared victory and called it a soufflé-pancake. A success! And then I had to tuck the rest away so there would be some to share with my family later.

This would be ideal for supper with a green salad and glass of wine (more grapes!). You can be sure I’ll happily make this again, and no matter how it turns out it’ll be delicious. And those plump, balsamic-spiked grapes? Isaac has already requested them in place of blueberries for his birthday pancakes next year.

Balsamic Grape Skillet Soufflé
Adapted from Abby Dodge’s Caramelized Pear Skillet Soufflé
Serves 2 to 4

For the balsamic grapes
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
12 ounces black grapes, seeded if needed
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey

For the soufflé
2 eggs, separated and at room temperature
1/3 cup soft goat cheese at room temperature
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Have a flat serving plate ready.

Make the balsamic grapes:
In an 8 inch skillet (I used cast iron), melt the butter over medium heat until the foaming stops. Add the grapes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the grapes soften, for about 7-8 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and honey and stir to coat the grapes. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, until the vinegar and honey thicken a little. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside while you make the soufflé.

Make the soufflé:
In a medium bowl, whisk the yolks, goat cheese and honey together until well blended and smooth. Add the flour and salt and whisk until well blended.

In a (very clean) medium bowl or a stand mixer, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium speed until the whites are frothy, 30 – 45 seconds. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until the whites are very foamy and barely soft peaks. Increase the speed to high and continue beating until the peaks are glossy and form soft, floppy peaks. Do not over mix. Scrape the beaten whites into the yolk mixture and gently fold until just blended.

Heat the skillet (with the grapes) over medium low heat until the mixture is warm. Arrange the grapes evenly in the bottom of the skillet. Gently pour/scrape the soufflé mixture into the skillet and smooth the top. Reduce heat to low and cook until the edges begin to look dry, 3 to 4 minutes.

Using a potholder, slide the skillet into the oven and bake until the top is puffed, golden brown and the center springs back when lightly pressed, 5 to 7 minutes. Working quickly and using potholders (the handle is hot), move the skillet to a cooling rack. Gently place the serving plate on top of the soufflé and invert. Carefully lift off the skillet. Using a small serrated knife, cut into wedges and serve immediately.

Beet, Greens and Zucchini Tart: Oxbow Box Project Part 2

I’d had a wonderful time playing with part one of the Oxbow Farm box of produce and had made a Chocolate, Apple and Zucchini Picnic Cake, but I hadn’t even touched the collard greens, romaine lettuce or delectable carrots and Chioggia beets yet! Now that dessert was out of the way, it was time to start indulging my savory mood.

Well, I got going one evening by sautéing the collard greens with garlic and chile peppers to accompany a dinner of grilled, boneless chicken thighs with pita and hummus.  Usually, we scoop Israeli salad (finely diced cucumbers, tomatoes and parsley) on top of our chicken-hummus combination, but the collard greens made a super tasty variation.  Another evening, for a salad potluck with a lovely group of families, I chopped the romaine lettuce and tossed it with sliced dates and a tahini-miso dressing.

I knew, though, that I really wanted to spotlight the beautiful beets and carrots in some way. Chioggia beets are glorious, showing off pretty pink and white stripes when sliced open.  Their greens were lush and vibrant, and as much as I knew my chickens would rush to the back door to gobble them, they were destined for more. The carrots were stunning, purple with orange centers.  This really is produce to make you swoon!

Yes, I guess I was working my way up to a tart. What else is so light yet filling for brunch or supper, always welcome on these warm days?

When making vegetable tarts, I will often scatter some cheese such as feta or fresh mozzarella on the bottom before adding the rest of the filling.  For this tart, though, I chose a simple custard of eggs and milk to envelope the vegetables, letting their fresh flavors shine. Puff pastry makes an easy, flaky crust, allowing you to create a tart at a moment’s notice (if possible, try to find all-butter puff pastry).

After chopping off the carrots tops (these I did share with the chickens peeking through the screen door), I began the tart by roasting the beets and carrots. Sadly, I fully intended to add the carrots to the tart, but frankly, roasted carrots are like candy and simply too easy to nibble on if left sitting on the pan in plain sight.  So yes, I do think roasted carrots would be a delicious addition and will show more restraint next time.  I still had a zucchini left from the Oxbow box, though, so after a quick sauté of the greens and zucchini with chile peppers and onions, I was ready to assemble and bake my tart.

It emerged puffed and golden from the oven, tempting us with its warm scent of veggies and buttery crust. On this hot evening it made a delightful supper when served room temperature with a salad.  Thank you again, Oxbow!

Beet, Greens and Zucchini Tart
Serves 6-8

4 medium beets with their greens
1 sheet puff pastry (I use Dufour), defrosted
Olive oil to drizzle
1 onion, diced
1 red jalapeno (fresno chile), diced
1 large zucchini, diced
1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
5 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Cut the greens from the beets and set aside. Wash the beets and trim the ends.  Wrap the beets in foil and seal.  Place the beets in the oven and roast until softened but still firm, about 20-25 minutes. Remove the beets from the oven and set aside to cool.  Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees.

While the beets are roasting, roughly chop the beet greens and wash in a salad spinner.

Roll the puff pastry to fit the bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan, trimming as needed.  Prick the bottom in a few places with a fork, line the bottom with foil and cover with pie weights or dried beans.  Bake for 10 minutes and remove from oven.  Remove the foil and weights.  Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.

While the pastry is baking, pour a drizzle of olive oil in a large sauté pan and warm over medium heat.  Add the diced onion, jalapeno and zucchini and saute until beginning to soften, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the beet greens to the pan and stir into the mixture until they begin to wilt.  Remove the vegetables from the heat and stir in the fresh basil.  Set aside.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To assemble the tart, arrange the zucchini-greens mixture evenly over the bottom of the pastry. Slice the beets (I don’t bother to peel when the beets are young and fresh) in 1/4 inch slices and lay them over the veggies.  Slowly pour the egg-milk mixture over, watching to be sure it does not overflow the edges of the pastry.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the tart is puffed and firm.  Let cool for half an hour before slicing.  The tart can be made ahead and served later at room temperature.

Oxbow Farms provided me with a complimentary box in return for sharing my experiences using their produce. All photographs and opinions are my own.