girlichef

Asparagus Tart inspired by The Color of Tea {cook the books}

2013-05-24T19:47:00.002-04:00

Let me preface this by saying that I don't remember a singular mention of asparagus in this book.

And let me next apologize for not making dainty, colored shells filled with creams, jellies, and ganache in an array of alluring flavors. Because way-back-when (a couple of months ago), I basically vowed that I would be making macarons in honor of our current Cook the Books selection, The Color of Tea. You see, I'd already enjoyed this book once before. And I mentioned that the heading of each chapter sets the mood with a particularly delicious sounding macaron flavor like Coconut with Passion Fruit-Spiked Buttercream, Vanilla with Raspberry Markings and Raspberry Gel insertion, and Honeycomb with Milk Chocolate Ganache. You know, just to name a few.

Our main character, Grace, actually opens up her own shop that serves macarons in the city of Macau, China. I mean, in this novel, macarons are basically a metaphor for the delicacy, fragility, and beauty of life. And yet, I didn't make any the first time I shared The Color of Tea with you. And now, I'm not sharing them with you this time, either.

I'll admit that it does have a teensy little bit to do with my week-long macaron making (or rather, attempting to make) marathon. I've sort of put the task of mastering the macaron on the backburner. I mean, I'll happily eat them with gusto should they appear in front of me - I just haven't been in the mood to try baking any myself again.

But amidst the array of enticing macarons sits the most delectable...the most sensuous...the most unforgettable tomato tart. It lurks in the underbelly, in the background, if you will. But I think the tomato tart that Grace associates with her mother, and with her husband, is the epitome of love in the novel.

I almost made a different version of a tomato tart than I did last time. I wanted to make a tomato tart. I yearned for a tomato tart. (As a matter of fact, since I didn't actually wind up making one, these feelings all still apply.) But, I just couldn't find any worthy tomatoes at this time of year. Worthy like this...

Next to the peaches were boxes filled with tomatoes still clinging to their vines. The ripe tomato smell was almost sexual. It filled my nostrils as I lifted up a box.

So, since it is full-on Spring, I turned to a veg that is in season right now to make my tart, Asparagus. Half of the slender spears standing at attention, the other half slightly bent to one side, as if swaying to the music...green and dusky purple. I also found a block of Monterey Jack cheese with brilliant red flecks of roasted red peppers inside that I knew needed a place in the tart. Add a little garlic oil...a smattering of black pepper and the smoked sea salt I'm so obsessed with, and it makes Spring seem almost as sensual as Summer.

Asparagus Tart

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35-40 minutes

Keywords: bake entree breakfast vegetarian sugar-free soy-free nut-free asparagus cheese spring

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed (half of a 17.3 ounce box)
6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese w/ Roasted Red Peppers, shredded
~1 pound asparagus spears
1-2 tablespoons garlic oil
smoked sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Flip a baking sheet upside down (or use a rimless baking sheet), and set a piece of parchment paper on it.

Lightly flour a work surface and roll the sheet of puff pastry dough out into a rectangle that measures approximately 16" x 10". Lightly score a 1-inch border all the way around the dough, without cutting all the way through. Dock the dough, inside of that border, all over with a fork.

Slide into preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden.

Remove from oven and scatter cheese as evenly as you can over the puff pastry, inside of the border. Trim the ends of the asparagus so that they fit neatly inside of that border, as well. Line the asparagus up on top of the cheese, alternating every spear, tip to tail. Drizzle the garlic oil all over the asparagus, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Slide back into oven and bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until the asparagus is just tender.

notes:

Feel free to use any type of cheese you like; swiss, gruyere, or fontina would be nice, as would goat cheese. You could substitute olive oil for the garlic oil, if you wish. And speaking of garlic, scattering a handful of roasted garlic cloves under the asparagus would be nice, too.

The Color of Tea was chosen by one of my Cook the Books co-hosts, Deb of Kahakai Kitchen, as our foodie-read for this round. Submissions are due by the end of the day on Monday, May 27.

Also, join us for our next book, chosen by Simona of Briciole - How to Cook a Wolf by M.F.K. Fisher.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Papaya-Coconut Paletas + @OXO Summer Fruit Tools {#SummerOfThePopsicle}

2013-05-23T14:04:00.001-04:00

Now, as much as I love to complain about the sweltering heat of summer, I also have reasons for welcoming that heat. Warm, plump, juicy fruits that dribble down your chin when you take a bite. Icy popsicles that leave you with sticky fingers. Glasses and bottles filled with refreshing cocktails that sweat right alongside you under the heat of the sun. Even an Autumn-lovin' girl like me enjoys sand between my toes, sunshine on my shoulders, and the sound of the waves lapping up to the shore while I hide my eyes behind huge Jackie-O shades, enthralled in a good book.

I melt at the sight of a plant hung heavy with ripe tomatoes. Give me a basket and a blueberry bush, and I'm as wide-eyed as I was when I was 10. And I'll admit that the purple stain a half an hour of mulberry picking leaves on my fingers and my palms is a sight I crave when there is snow on the ground. Give me a radio and a swimming pool and you may not see me for the rest of the day.

Speaking of summer fruit, I tend to get lost in the wonderland of rich shades of the rainbow. I pick so from the fields or the garden until my bags and buckets are overflowing. I raid the farmer's market, and even the produce department like it's going out of style. Or out of season. I love the local fuzzy peaches, the ruby cherries, the blueberries the color of a fresh bruise, and the grapes that slide right out of there skins when you pinch them. But I also cannot resist a spiny pineapple, or a bright green-fleshed kiwi with it's smattering of minuscule seeds and scratchy skin, or the vibrant hues of the sweet mangoes or papaya so tender you can eat it with a spoon.

This obviously means that I need a few fun gadgets in my kitchen arsenal. So, when given the opportunity to try an awesome array of Summer Fruit Tools from OXO, my cheeks starting tingling in anticipation of all of the fruit to come.

Here's a rundown of the OXO Summer Kitchen Tools that I tried, and my thoughts on each one:

Ratcheting Pineapple Slicer: I'll admit, I've always wanted one of these. Let's just say that it didn't disappoint. It's extremely easy to use and you get that fun spiral of perfectly cored, spiral-sliced fruit once you're done ratcheting. It's not essential, I mean, I can cut up a pineapple like it's nobody's business, plus, if you just want chunks or wedges, this won't help you. However, if I'm in the mood for a spiral, I'm excited to have this tool to pull out of my holster.
Strawberry Huller: I have a couple of different styles of strawberry hullers, but none like this. It's easy to use, and it'll get the kids helping in no time. It works well, but I'm probably more likely to reach for my paring knife.
2 Piece Fruit Scoop Set: These are great. I like the heft and comfort of the handle and the size of the scoops themselves. They are great at scooping seeds from a melon (and I'm thinking a pumpkin in the fall), plus they do a good job of scooping the fruit cleanly from the skin. They're very useful, again, it depends on how you want your end-product to look, as to whether you should use one or not - diced or sliced neatly cries out for a sharp knife.
Mango Splitter: This is cool - and again, something I've always wanted to try out. It's ridiculously simple to use - one good push and you've got yourself two sides of a mango sliced clean from the pit. It does leave a fair deal of "meat" on the pit, but in this house that's a bonus - people scramble to be the one who gets the pit to suck on. It's sharp, but I'm thinking if your mango was a little too much on the far side of ripe, it may get a little squished when you first try to get the blade to cut through the skin. Worth it though, if you are uncomfortable with cutting a mango.
Cherry (& Olive) Pitter: My favorite gadget of them all. Have I ever mentioned that cherries are my absolute favorite fruit in the world? I already owned a cherry pitter which worked perfectly well, but what I really like about this one is something so simple, I didn't even think about it before I saw it, the "splatter shield". Pitting cherries can be a messy job - especially when you're pitting a few pounds worth of sour cherries for a pie or cobbler. The shield actually stops the splatter. Very cool. If you get one gadget all summer, get this one. It'll also come in handy for pitting olives.

Now...what to do with all of that beautiful peeled, pitted, scooped, hulled, an sliced fruit just ripe for the taking? We ate a lot of it out-of-hand. Some went into smoothies. A few cocktails were enjoyed. And if you know me at all, you know that a batch of popsicles had to make its way into my freezer as well.

Papaya-Coconut Paletas

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: n/a

Keywords: dessert snack vegan coconut papaya July 4th Memorial Day Labor Day popsicles summer

Ingredients (10 (2.5 oz.) Pops)

11.5-12 ounces fresh papaya
10.5 fluid ounces coconut water (with or without pulp)
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon agave nectar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup finely shredded, unsweetened coconut, toasted
1 tablespoon papaya seeds (OPTIONAL - SEE NOTE)

Instructions

Place all of the ingredients except the shredded coconut and papaya seeds into the jar of a blender and puree until smooth. Transfer to a large measuring cup with a spout. Stir in the shredded coconut.

IF you are using the papaya seeds, drop a few into the bottom of each of the popsicle molds. Fill the molds with the mixture. Freeze for at least 4 hours, or until solid, adding the popsicle sticks at the correct time for your particular mold.

note:

Papaya seeds are completely edible, HOWEVER, they have a very distinctive, almost peppery flavor. My kids and husband HATE them. I'm okay with them, but I actually preferred my paletas without. You might want to just put a few into one or two to try them out. If you do put them in, and wind up not liking them, they're very easy to just spit out...especially if you're eating them outside.

WHICH OXO SUMMER FRUIT TOOL WOULD YOU LIKE BEST? WHAT WOULD YOU MAKE WITH YOUR SUMMER FRUITS?

I received these OXO Summer Fruit Tools at no cost to try and review, as I wished. I was not compensated for this post, and all opinions are 100% my own.

Fruit & Oat Power Smoothie {she made, ella hace}

2013-05-22T07:12:00.001-04:00

Uuuuummmmm....was I complaining about how cold it still was around here one month ago? I think that I was. I mean, I do love to complain about mother nature skimping out on Spring and Autumn. Because of course I would get the shaft when it comes to my favorite seasons. The ones that allow me to breathe. To relax. To gear up for the bitter cold or the sweltering heat, whatever the case may be. So allow me to complain about the ridiculous heat we've been having lately. You know, just to prove my point. Snow one month ago. Temps in the nineties today. I miss you Spring.

What's my point? I know you're beginning to wonder. Well, as you can see, it's she made, ella hace time today - the time when I get together with Leslie and we both make our own versions of a dish...or take a theme and roll with it. Leslie suggested that we do "breakfast" as our theme this month, and I whole-heartedly agreed. I mean, I'm constantly craving my favorite breakfast, which is Chilaquiles. I figured it would be the perfect time to share another variation with you.

Then the month got crazy. And it got hot. And I loathed turning on any source of heat unless it was absolutely necessary. I guess the short of it is, that I basically got lazy. I didn't feel like making Chilaquiles...and actually measuring out ingredients and writing them down. I mean, whip up some salsa, fry up some chips, pour the salsa over the chips and stir, top with queso, maybe an egg, probably some crema and avocado. Lazy, I say.

So, the day before yesterday, I told Leslie how much I sucked and she suggested we do a breakfast drink. That lady is brilliant. Just one reason I like her so much. Cold drinks to start off a hot day are just right. Today, it's smoothies, to be precise.

These smoothies are packed with fruit, oats, wheat germ, and chia seeds to start the day off right. Not only are they refreshing and delicious, they're such a healthy way to start off the day. And, as often happens, Leslie and I were thinking along the same lines. Just head over and check out her Strawberry Oat Smoothie. You'll see.

Fruit & Oat Power Smoothies

by Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes

Cook Time: n/a

Keywords: blender beverage breakfast vegetarian oats papaya cherries strawberries American summer

Ingredients (serves 2)

1 cup milk (almond, rice, soy, dairy)
1/4 cup uncooked rolled oats
2-2 1/2 cups chopped fruit (whatever you like)
~2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
1 tablespoons wheat germ
1 teaspoon chia seeds

Instructions

Place everything in the jar of a blender and puree until thick and smooth. Serve immediately.

other options:

It's a smoothie, switch up, remove, substitute - the possibilities are endless. (pictured) Cherry-Berry (Cherries, Raspberries, Strawberries) and Papaya-Cherry. Use fresh or frozen fruit.

Brown rice syrup is slightly less sweet than honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar, so you will want to adjust to taste.

Try adding a couple of pinches of spice if it goes with your ingredients: ginger, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg. Or if the fruits fit, try adding a bit of fresh mint or even basil.

Add a scoop of nut butter.

Add a handful of greens to the mix (spinach and kale both work well).

What happens when two American girls who are both married to Mexican guys find out that although one of them lives in the U.S. and one of them lives in Mexico, they both love eating the same food? Well, naturally they decide to get "together" the only way they can and cook up the same dishes. Or perhaps take the same ingredients and talking about them in their own voice or using them in their own way.

Leslie and I have teamed up to occasionally cook/bake/make a our own versions of the same food. We want to see how similar (or how different) they turn out. Other times we will pick an ingredient and use it however we choose...or maybe just talk about it. Good food knows no borders and we hope to share the food we love with you. It's not a competition, it's a showcase. We will post on the same day as each other and would love to hear your thoughts on what we've made and how you make it.

Join me (here at girlichef) and Leslie in her kitchen (at La Cocina de Leslie) for some delicious food.