Preping for a French Thanksgiving

We are on our own for the first time this year and rather than taking on the religion that is my mother's traditional Thanksgiving, we are doing things our own way. We considered several options and given our love of food, and abundant stash of Chateauneuf du Pape from out trip last year decided on a menu with a heavy French influence. Recipes and preparation images coming soon!

As we cook:

Foie gras stuffed mejool dates 

A cheese and charcuterie plate

For Dinner:

Duck Magret with an orange cranberry sauce

Brioche stuffing with sausage, fennel, and spinach

Brussel sprouts with lardon and shallots

Asparagus

A gratin of sweet potatoes and caramelized onions

For dessert:
Pumpkin creme brulee

And now for the results...

Our Thanksgiving table

The Appetizers

Husband Sous Chef preps the oranges for the cranberry sauce

Sweet Potatoes for the gratin

Yummm yes three onions to caramelize for the potatoes

The wine!

Scoring the magret

Searing the magret

Ready for the oven

Finished asparagus

Finished Brussel Sprouts with apples and lardon

Finished Stuffing

Sweet Potato Gratin

And the duck!

The finale, pumpkin creme brulee

A Not So Sweet Valentine's Treat

Anyone who really knows me knows that while I will eat dessert, I will rarely choose something sweet over something savory. Unfortunately my special someone has quite a sweet tooth.  Last week, I came across a great recipe that meets in the middle. The Rosemary Apple Turnovers are sweet and tart, with a  kick of rosemary  and honey which for me transforms a simple apple turnover (something I would not really enjoy) into an upscale and much more interesting dessert option. I would pair it with real vanilla ice cream or for an added twist, maybe the rosemary olive oil ice cream from Morelli's Ice Cream down the street.  Truth be told, I ate one for breakfast this morning too! The recipe was fast, if you use pre-made pastry dough, and ready to go right after dinner. Be careful and measure the amount of rosemary (it has to be fresh). In my first batch it was a little over powering. Round two came out perfectly. Happy Valentine's Day!

Summer Tomato and Onion Tart

All summer, I have been enjoying tomatoes. This is a recent experience for me, the person who wouldn't touch a tomato, that was not a part of salsa or spaghetti, until after college. This year, I think they have been particularly sweet.

This week I began thinking about a tomato tart. Several cooking shows and food blogs I like have been featuring them the past month, so I thought I would give one a try. I combined recipes from David Lebovitz, Epicurious, and Southern Living, to create my own little tart.

The recipe has elements of french and italian, but seems to lean toward the french.

I started with one sheet of pre-made Pepperidge Farm pastry (from the freezer section).
In a greased tart or pie pan, spread the pastry dough to cover the bottom, forming the sides so they are even with the lip of the pan. Brush the shell with olive oil.

Slice 2-3 medium size tomatoes. ( I saw another recipe with heirloom tomatoes. Those will be included next week). Slice one medium Vidalia onion and saute with 2 tbsp of olive oil.  Mince 1/2 cup italian parsley and 1/4 cup basil. Purchase or slice your self 1/4 cup Kalamata olives.

Create a thin layer of tomatoes in the bottom of the pan, then layer with onions, olives, herbs and crumbed chevre. Add course sea salt and pepper to taste. Repeat layers until they are level with the top of the crust, then add additional cheese crumbles.

Bake for 40 minutes at 400 degrees. You may want to watch the tart and cover with foil to prevent it from browning more than you like. At the end, expose to the broiler if needed to brown and melt cheese.

Serve with a green salad.

 I was pleased with its appearance, taste, and how easy it was to put together and serve. Next weekend, I am going to alter the recipe a bit and make my own crust.

Happy Summer and Enjoy!