Gruyere & Greenery Tart

After my first rushed flick through the October issue of delicious. magazine, there were two stand-out recipes that I wanted to try.  One was Ben O'Donoghue's yoghurt-marinated fish wrapped in zucchini and the other was Valli Little's cheese and herb free-form tart. 

The fish recipe was very nice but my 'en papillote' technique was not exactly photograph worthy and nor was the finished product.  That said, it is a nice, light recipe so if you have the issue I suggest you try it. 

My rendition of Valli's tart is nowhere near as beautiful as the picture in the magazine(really should take photographs in natural light) but it tastes everybit as delicious.  It remind me of something I think I'd very much like to eat on a warm day, at a garden party in England.  Admittedly I ate it on my couch watching recorded episodes of the Golden Girls but the fact that I've made this twice in a week says it all, really.

Gruyere & Greenery Tart

(adapted from Valli Little's recipe)

Serves 4 as a main or 6 as a starter

2 tbs chopped chervil

2 tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 heaped tablespoons of creme fraiche

1 teaspoon dijon mustard (or grated horseradish from a jar)

3 egg yolks (2 for the tart, 1 for egg-wash)

60g grated gruyere cheese

30g unsalted butter

2 large or 3 medium sized brown onions, thinly sliced

2 square sheets of puff pastry(about 370g), thawed

1 bunch of asparagus, woody ends snapped off

1 large or 2 small zucchini

2 tbs finely chopped mint/basil or parsley

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees centigrade and line a rectangular tray with baking paper.  Fill and boil a kettle.

2. Place one sheet of puff at the top of the baking tray and then a trimmed piece of the other at the bottom(so that the entire tray is covered).  You want about 2cm worth of the second piece to overlap the first.  Using your fingers, push down on the overlap so that the two pieces of pastry become one.

3. Use a fork to prick holes all over the pastry(particularly around the edges) and then cover with another piece of baking paper and sit a baking tray on top.  

4.  Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until light golden. 

5.  While the pastry is in the oven, melt the butter in a fry pan over a medium-low heat and add the onions.  Fry for around six minutes or until soft and mostly transluscent(keep an eye on them, but you can get on with the next step whilst they're quietly cooking away).  Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. 

6. Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the chervil, parsley, creme fraiche, mustard, two egg yolks and half of the gruyere.

7.  Boil the kettle again.  Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zucchini and asparagus spears into thin slices and place into a large bowl(if the asparagus spears are too thin, just cute each into four lengths).  Cover in boiling water and blanch for 10 seconds.  Refresh in iced water and drain.

8.  Once pastry is lightly coloured, remove baking paper and tray and place it back in the oven to become lightly golden and dry(about 5 minutes).

9.  Mix the cooled onions in with the creme fraiche mixture and set aside.

10.  Remove the pastry from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.

11.  Spread half of the onion and creme fraiche mixture on the base of the tart, leaving a 1cm gap around the edges.  Top with the drained greens and then drop on spoonfuls of the remaining creme fraiche mixture.  Sprinkle with the remaining gruyere cheese and brush the edge of the pastry with the beaten egg yolk.

12.  Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.  Garnish with finely chopped herbs and serve with a peppery leaved salad.

Apple & Sage Scones with Maple Butter

I cannot tell you how happy I am to be here.  I have attempted two recipes prior to this and both times the flaming bastard that is my oven has essentially burnt 'my posts.'  Turns out that the thermostat is shot so we're working on getting it replaced.  In light of this, when hit with the sudden and uncontrollable urge to bake something this afternoon, I knew it would have to be something hardy to stand up to the oven's desire to roast everything.  This is when my idea to make the ever humble yet resilient scone came about..but with a seasonal twist. 

I absolutely adore Autumn(it's my favourite of the seasons) and have been mulling over putting sage in a sweet dish for quite a while.  Let me tell you, it works a treat and these scones have such a joyous Autumnal taste that you just want to pack them up with a thermos of tea and sit in the forest on a blanket wearing riding boots...well that's what I get from them anyway.

I love oats, plain and simple, it's best we get this out in the open now.  And thank goodness that I do because they give a whole other dimension to these scones.  They add the comforting chewiness and texture that I think we search for in food as it gets cooler.  You could try these with just self raising flour rather than half oats, half flour..but I think you'd be missing out.

I'll shutup in a second, but before I do just let me point out that these are served with maple butter. Maple butter. Autumn is here, my dears and if you're anthing like me you'll make these and eat them warm and greedily slathered in the butter.  Cat Stevens on the stereo and a strong cup of tea are a great accompaniment.

Ingredients
1 apple, grated (I used a Granny Smith)
2 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup (125g) Self raising flour
1/2 cup (125g) rolled oats(not instant)
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
25g butter, cubed
100ml buttermilk

Maple butter
4 tbs soft unsalted butter
2 tbs maple syrup

1.Put the grated apple, brown sugar and finely chopped sage leaves in a saucepan over a low-medium heat.  Simmer and stir gently for around five minutes until the apple is soft but not pulp.  Remove from heat and set aside.
2.Combine the flour, oats, baking powder and salt in a bowl.  Add the cubed butter and rub it the dry mixture using your fingers.
3.Add about 75ml of the buttermilk and stir in using a palette knife or similar.  If the mixture looks as if it will be moist enough once you turn it out and pull it together then do not add anymore buttermilk.  If it is still dry, add the remaining amount.
4.Add the apple mixture and stir again briefly before turning out onto a floured benchtop.
5.Pull the mixture together without kneading it and then push it out into a 12-15cm diameter disk of about 5cm thickness.
6.Using a 5cm diameter cutter, cut 4-5 circles and place them on a tray lined with baking paper.  Pull the dough together again and repeat.
7.Place them in a 200 degree centigrade oven for 12-15 minutes or until they are lightly golden and firm inside.  Remove and allow to cool slightly.
8.For the maple butter, simply beat the two ingredients together until they are a pale caramel colour.  Don't fret if initially it looks as though the mixture has seperated slightly, just keep beating and they'll be friends again.

Serve the warm scones split in half and lashed with maple butter.  If you want to go all 'domestic goddess'(as I did at the time, but don't often do) then a final sprinkling of freshly chopped sage leaves and soft brown sugar will lift you to that status. 

Hi there

Hi there! Lovely to meet you, cyberspace.  If anyone happens to stumble upon this, I'd just like to let you know that I'm intending to start a small, probably very sporadic food blog.  As you can see from the above, I am an absolute amateur when it comes to technology so please try to turn a blind eye as I stumble through the realms of cropping and re-sizing.  Above are a few photos of my Sunday morning...like more detail?

Clockwise from top left:  Lovely box of fresh basil, Friendly bread stall, Pears and plums, the most delicious pumpkin-cranberry-pecan muffin that has inspired me to make something similar(stay tuned for post and recipe), punnet of delicious strawberries with a garnish of my favourite herb for prettiness, three loaves of bread and some natural embellishments. 

I look forward to meeting you all =)