Sweet Tarte

Once I discovered the fuji apples at Ha's Snow Mountain Grown Apple Farms, I stopped buying any other kind of apple from any other vendor. They are that good. Always sweet and extra crunchy, these apples come in steady supply almost year-round. I particularly appreciate the great variety of sizes they always have on offer. Sometimes all I want is a teeny-tiny fuji -- I can get that there!



Even though you may not see any samples on offer, stop by, because Jenny and Kevin mete out generous chunks of freshly peeled apples to passersby. Though their prices are a bit steep -- not for the samples, of course -- ($2.25 for non-organic, $2.75 for organic), I think it's worth it. At no other stand or market have I found such dependably tasty, crunchy, and juicy apples. They also sell jars of homemade apple butter and bags of dried apple rings at the stand, which due to their price, I've never bought. Though the Ha's only offer apples at the Irvine market, apparently at the Sunday farmer's market in West Hollywood they have a much wider selection.



Initially, after bringing home my bushel of apples, I imagined baking a soft and homey apple cake; but after a bit more consideration, I decided fujis were simply too juicy for cake and opted for a tarte. Instead of going the usual Tarte Tatin route, though, I checked Epicurious to see if I could find some fabulous variation to make. Low and behold, I did! Here it is. What distinguishes this tarte from more traditional recipes, is that you essentially bake the apple slices in homemade caramel for an hour and a half in the oven before placing the (store-bought) puff pastry on top.


After the final 30 minutes it takes to cook the pastry to golden perfection, you absolutely must let the whole thing sit out and cool for several hours: they recommend three, I went for five. For the big reveal, I expected a soupy, sticky mess, and was thus so pleased to see it come out in one gorgeous piece. Look!





I served up each whopping piece with an equally healthy dollop (is there such a thing?) of creme fraiche to cut through the sweetness of the caramel. It was perfect and not a drop was left on anyone's dish. One friend, whose mother has baked apple pie almost every year for her birthday, proclaimed that she hoped to have this tarte instead at all future birthday celebrations.
Snap!
Sorry Laura's mom!

Quiche with Gouda, Mushrooms, and Shallots

I am a lover of our mighty, ovoid friend the egg, but usually for a main dish, I veer the route of the frittata rather than the quiche. This time, however, I went against the grain and made a quiche (with store-bought crust, sorry). As you might imagine, it was a basic fundamental recipe with a few twists by way of the ingredients.

I sauteed amply seasoned shallots and crimini mushrooms in olive oil, thyme, and a little sherry, which after letting cool to room temperature, I poured into my egg and cream mixture (six eggs and about half-a-cup of heavy cream). After laying thick slices of gouda over the bottom of the crust, I baked it for about half an hour or so. I served it up with some toasted artisanal bread, sliced tomato, and rosemary for garnish. All in all, it didn't wow me, but then I suppose I didn't expect it to either. If I were to do it again, I'd grate much, much more Gouda into the egg mixture and on top of the surface to brown a bit, too. You might even try throwing in some cayenne pepper for kick.

Recipe: Butter Lettuce with Ricotta Salata, Radishes, and Mandarin Orange

This quick salad was a tangy, fresh change from my usual Greek salad diet. I used the supple, tender butter lettuce from the Garden of Eden, a sectioned mandarin orange from Sweet Tree Farms, some spicy red radish, and soft and salty ricotta salata. I topped it off with a simple red wine vinaigrette with garlic, oregano, and plenty freshly crushed pepper. And this time, I managed to take a picture or two before inhaling it!

Recipe: Pasta with Broccoli Rabe, Salmon, Capers, and Red Onion

I hope you can forgive me, but I forgot to photograph my dinner before I ate it! You'll just have to believe me when I tell you it was both colorful and delicious. I made this dish with Trader Joe's canned wild salmon, which was great and all I had, but I think it would be even better with a fresh fillet instead. While the pasta cooked, I just sautéed red onions and garlic in olive oil, adding the rabe (from Garden of Eden Organics, post to come) after they became fragrant, salmon, the juice of half a lemon, capers, and salt and pepper to taste. I did reserve about 1/2 a cup of the pasta cooking water to add in case the sautée needed some extra fluid, which it did. You might also consider boiling the broccoli rabe before sautéeing it and then using that water to cook the pasta if you prefer the greens quite tender; mine still had quite a bit of crunch after 5 to 7 minutes over medium-low heat.

Check back for my report on all the luscious greenery from Garden of Eden Organics farm.

Recipe: The Golden Greyhound

For my first recipe, I present the Golden Greyhound:





This positively genius cocktail concoction puts a new twist on the classic Greyhound. Rather than ruby reds, we mixed freshly squeezed oro blancos and cocktail grapefruits (a.k.a., the frua) with vodka, garnished with a sugared rim and a slice of blood orange. It surely would not have been the same without the explosive produce from Sweet Tree (blood orange and oro blanco) and CalPoly Farms (frua). To amp up its golden glow, we served it over ice in gold-rimmed martini glasses. I've never felt so healthy about drinking vodka before. Many thanks to Nicole and Tamara for sharing in this with me ... and for helping me break in the new juicer! I see many, many juicy cocktails in our futures.